Photo Epic: XC - Vallnord World Cup 2018
The heat and altitude made for some exciting racing on the cross country course here in Andorra today. There was plenty of pain and suffering going around, especially as the midday sun blazed down of the slopes of Vallnord. There were a few surprises today as well. Perhaps most shocking was the Italian Gerhard Kerschbaumer, hot off his second place in Val di Sole, giving Nino what looked like a run for his money by mid-race and then running away with the win. But that wasn't the only surprise. Gunn Rita, the senior stateswoman in the elite field rode an incredible race to take the win. It was a story of opening up a gap, then putting the hammer down in both races. When Gerhard and Gunn-Rita went for it, no one was there to answer. Mathieu van der Poel found that first win well out of grasp and settled for third today. Jolanda Neff took second in the women's race and Emily Batty followed up her Val di Sole performance with a third place today. Sina Frei was once again the victor in the U23 women while France's Joshua Dubau takes the win in the U23 men.
The women's U23 field had the best conditions; mild temperatures, and beautiful morning light.
Evie Richards digging deep for second place here in Andorra.
Malene Degn takes third here in Andorra.
Sina Frei once again takes the win in the U23 women.
Evie Richards checks in with Haley Batten after a rough U23 women's race.
Joshua Dubau had the legs today.
Antoine Philipp got second.
Filippo Colombo battled for the podium. Vlad Dascalu saw his lead diminished by mechanical problems and then lost the sprint to Colombo.
Colombo and Dubau wish each other luck.
Joshua Dubau takes the win for the U23 men. The young Frenchman has been on a roll lately.
Things started heating up by the time the U23 men got going. It was going to be a tough day.
Maja Wloszczowska won last round in Val di Sole in a close battle with her opponents.
Gunn-Rita Dahle-Flesjaa, 45 years of age. 71 podiums in World Cups, including today. 30 World Cup wins.
Anne Tauber is making a name for herself in the women's elite field. Another strong performance today with a fourth place.
Jolanda Neff would have to settle for second today.
Gunn-Rita slips away and takes the race.
Barbara Benko exhausted.
Sharing moments.
Emily Batty slipped a chain and fought her way back to third.
Neff had nothing left at the finish.
Hear her roar. With age comes cunning.
Mathieu van der Poel keeps cool pre-race.
Henrique Avancini with another podium after VDS. Avancini takes fourth here in Andorra.
Nino gave it his all today, but it just wasn't enough.
Nino started off strong but wasn't able to keep the high pace.
Mathieu van der Poel, second in the overall, did not come close to challenging Schurter or Kerschbaumer today. Riding his own pace the Dutchman finished third.
Robert Schwenk takes the French line.
Titouan Carod had a blazing start but suffered afterwards, finishing in 51st.
Gerhard Kerschbaumer on his way to victory.
Jordan Sarrou rode a strong race and completed the men's podium in 5th.
Mathieu van der Poel feeling the effects of thin air in Andorra.
Nino pushed and Kerschbaumer answered.
Confidence, after that second place finish in Val di Sole, carried through to Andorra for Gerhard Kerschbaumer.
Lars Forster cooling down after the finish.
Nino Schurter, slightly disappointed but happy with second. A true sportsman.
There was much pain and suffering out there.
Shattered.
When the air is thin it doesn't help to fill the lungs with dust.
Author Info:
Member since May 11, 2011
Must Read This Week
Sign Up for the Pinkbike Newsletter - All the Biggest, Most Interesting Stories in your Inbox
PB Newsletter Signup
Stoked on the women's overall at this point. A great deal of parody in the women's field. Looks like Batty is close to getting that first win!
Great race, great coverage. Thanks Pinkbike!
Gerhard Kerschbaumer doesn’t sound very Italian. Quite astonishing how he has suddenly managed to appear with World Cup winning form. Don’t remember seeing him before. Hmmm.
He was World Champion in two different categories: 2009 in Junior Men and 2013 in the U23 category where he also won different races. Last year he had a strong 3rd place in the XCO race in Mont Saint Anne and is the Italian National Champion in Cross country in the Elite class now and was Italian National Champion also in the U23 category.
So he is not coming from nowhere
I phrased my post badly. I meant more in the context of his World Cup performances in the last two years. Wouldn’t you have expected to be vying for the podium in the resent past if he was capable of performances such as his last two? I’m not saying he’s cheating, i just can’t my head around it.
Thank you for the explanation of the geography. That makes perfect sense.