Photo Report: Elite Men & Women XC World Cup - Nove Mesto
There are races, and there are races to remember. Not sure what it is about Nove Mesto, but it always seems to produce some truly memorable ones. Today may have been the best. Ever. We've had some good ones this season. The opener was pretty damn impressive. Both the men's and women's race in Nove Mesto were action-packed. In the women's race, Langvad and Neff kept battled it out for the win, with Pauline Ferrand Prevot and Emily Batty giving everything they had. Mathieu van der Poel, Schurter, and Gaze started off the Men's race with a battle royal until Gaze flatted and Mathieu crashed out, leaving the door open for Cooper and Marotte to make a move. It was war out there in the heat and the dust. Then there was the sprint finish between Anton and Nino. Racing just doesn't get much better than this.
Bottles are being prepared at Cannondale prior to the elite men's race.
This event sets the benchmark for World Cups with regards to spectators. They were here at all races, not just the men's elite race. Loud, friendly and in numbers.
The lovely ladies of Czech......
If you wear a Mexican wrestling mask in the Czech Republic, you get in. End of story,
Jolanda Neff warming up.
Kate Courtney focused on the task at hand.
Double trouble. Annie Last is a fighter but it wasn't her day today.
Annika Langvad charging in the rocks on Mitas Choice.
Emily Batty found her fire today and rode to an impressive fourth-place finish.
The battle at the front. Langvad and Neff duke it out up the main climb.
Pauline Ferrand Prevot was smooth and consistent on her way to third.
Jolanda Neff taking off in lap 1.
Maja Wloszczowska gets ready to start. Maja decided to not start in the short track race as she had not been feeling well after Albstadt.
Annika Langvad was not a fan of a slippery Albstadt course. Conditions in Nove Mesto were super dry and she went flat out trying to lose her competition.
Neff out front early and sending it.
Gunn-Rita Dahle-Flesjaa has one of the most impressive mountain bike careers. Today she was up there again, finishing in 6th.
Besting Neff in the sprint, Langvad wins again.
Pauline Ferrand-Prevot is in form and took third today.
Jolanda Neff and Annika Langvad.
Emily Batty thrilled to be back on the podium.
Bubbles.
Keeping cool before the heat.
Mathieu Van der Poel has been the talk of the town ever since entering the mountain bike scene. The talented Dutch rider aims for the Olympics in 2020.
Sam Gaze was the man who finally put an end to Nino Schurter's amazing streak of wins. Today Gaze flatted and hurt his elbow in a crash.
Gaze, Schurter, van der Poel and Indergand take off.
Not the day van der Poel envisioned.
Nino and Cooper play cat and mouse on the final laps.
Lars Forster had an impressive ride to fourth.
Mathieu van der Poel looked strong but had to quit the race after a crash. Van der Poel struggled with an injured wrist, resulting in the crash.
Mathias Flückiger crashed at the start and tried hard to catch up.
Schurter took the lead right away.
Nino Schurter leads Van der Poel and Tempier.
Nino takes the lead on lap one.
Sam Gaze ran into trouble early with a crash and a front flat. He hung in there but he was too far out from a tech zone to make it back into contention.
Bloodied at the start but kept on fighting. Mathias Flückiger is hard as nails.
Racing ain't easy with a face full of dirt.
Nino Schurter's supremacy is challenged again, chased down by a growing number of riders.
Manuel Fumic has been so close to victory and podiums in the last years, but today he saw his first podium since 2015 with a 5th position.
Gasping for air. Anton Cooper left nothing out there.
That one hurt. Nino takes a seat after the finish line.
Post race banter with the top three.
That was some of the best XC racing in years. Thanks for the show.
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Karma much Sam Gaze ??
But really? Enjoying the fact that Sam came off and hurt himself? You are obviously making a statement about a 5min moment that Sam had earlier this year, but at least he wasn't wishing anyone hurt.
And Mathias Fluckiger is just on Social saying a particular rider is disrespectful and aggressive... you want to wish him a bit of injury karma too?
2018: XC racing gets interesting again.
To bad no pitchers of (someone else's) superman at the finish.
At what point do the benefits of a dropper post outweigh (pun intended) the risk of going slower over rock drops, or possibly OTB and DNF'ing?
I'd be running one.
youtu.be/YvBetmOaeOo
I'm betting it might have to do with habit learned years ago when she started riding, trying to reach brakes with smaller hands.
"Mathieu van der Poel looked strong but had to quit the race after a crash. Van der Poel struggled with an injured wrist, resulting in the crash."
"Mathieu Van der Poel - It goes without saying how disappointed I am about today. The legs were good but the wrist injury wasn’t, from the start on I couldn’t hold my handlebar properly which caused my stupid crash on an easy part of the course. Continuing was not an option unfortunately. Few days rest will bring recovery!"