Jaroslav Kulhavy (Specialized Racing) scored the most important victory of his career
Men
Jaroslav Kulhavy scored the most important victory of his career when he won round six of the cross-country World Cup in his home country of the Czech Republic before nearly 20,000 cheering fans. The win, Kulhavy's fourth this season, also locked up the overall World Cup title, with one race still remaining. Sam Schultz was the top North American, finishing a career-high 15th.
The pressure was on Kulhavy to win the first cross-country World Cup to be held in the Czech Republic in 14 years, with his face plastered on posters and billboards in the surrounding towns and countryside. On paper, it was almost a sure thing, since Kulhavy has been so dominant this year, and he admitted, the night before the race, that this was more important than the world championships for him.
One thing he was certainly not lacking was confidence: "When I heard and saw all the people cheering for me, I knew I would win for sure," he stated.
Nino Schurter (Scott - Swisspower MTB - Racing)
He took no chances, attacking on the start loop and opening a gap of eight seconds on Nino Scurter by the start of the first lap, and then extending it steadily through the rest of the seven laps. Schurter, fighting an infection and having just finished a training camp at altitude, dropped back after he realized he could not match Kulhavy's pace.
"I wanted to get away early," explained Kulhavy, "so that I could avoid any traffic and ride at my own pace. It was almost a perfect race for me, with only some little mistakes. It was incredible."
Julien Absalon (Orbea) had a slow start to the race
Another favorite, Julien Absalon, had a slow start to the race, commenting afterwards "That was the worst start I have ever had for a World Cup! I did not have the power to be able to follow, so I started losing places. It was not until maybe halfway through the race that I began to feel better and could move up again."
World Champion José Hermida (Multivan Merida Biking Team) is always a contender
While Schurter and Absalon were fading, world champion Jose Hermida took up the chase, closing to within 31 seconds by the end of lap two. However, that was as close as he would get to Kulhavy, and he was eventually picked up and dropped by Schurter and Absalon as they recovered and began moving back through the chasers.
By the end of lap five, the pair were back with Hermida, and then dropped him in lap six. Schurter had opened a small gap on Absalon as they began the sixth lap, but the Frenchman quickly closed it up again, and the pair started the seventh and final lap together, one minute and 15 seconds down on Kulhavy. Kulhavy was beginning to cruise on the last lap, confident of his victory, and enjoying the cheers of his compatriots.
He rolled into the finishing stadium to the roar of over 5000 people in the stands, and lifted his bike over his head to stride across the finish line, with a wide grin cracking his normally serious demeanor. Behind, Schurter had finally managed to drop Absalon in the last kilometers to claim second by nine seconds over Absalon. Hermida hung on for fourth, and a last lap surge by Sergio Mantecon Gutierrez (Wild Wolf-Trek) gave the Spaniard the final podium spot.
Samuel Schultz (Subaru - Trek) had a career high finish in 15th
Race Notes
- Kulhavy's fourth win (plus a second and a third) give him 1360 points to Schurter's 1070 and Absalon's 810 (Absalon skipped the two North American rounds). With a win worth 250 points, the Czech rider now has an unassailable lead in the standings. Schurter is also assured of second by the same margin, but Absalon is not as secure in third, going into next weekend's final in Val di Sole, Italy. Maxime Marotte is 70 points back of Absalon, Hermida is 82 points behind and Burry Stander is at 102 points back.
- Schultz, as mentioned above, was the top North American finisher, in 15th, his best ever World Cup result. He was followed by team mate Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski in 22nd, and Canada's Geoff Kabush in 30th. Todd Wells remains the top North American in the overall standings, despite missing the race (to compete in and win Leadville), in 21st, followed by Kabush in 24th place.
Catharine Pendrel (Luna Pro Team) overtook Bresset and never looked back
Women
The women's cross-country World Cup standings tightened up after round six, as Catharine Pendrel took her second World Cup victory of the year at Nove Mesto, in the Czech Republic. Pendrel closed to within 140 points of series leader Julie Bresset. Bresset was followed across the line by Irina Kalentieva, who moved into third in the overall standings. Lea Davison was the top American, in seventh.
Julie Bresset took an early lead
The technical course clearly suited some riders more than others, as a number of top contenders finished well back. Bresset got off to her usual fast start, taking a 15 second lead by the end of the long start loop, with Pendrel chasing alone, followed by Eva Lechner a further 12 seconds back. For the first couple of laps the status did not change, but then Bresset started to lose ground as she crashed multiple times, and Pendrel passed and dropped the French rider on the third lap.
"It was a very difficult, technical course, and I had much problems," admitted Bresset. "I crashed three times and then Catharine passed me and I could not stay with her, she was too strong."
Pendrel took a 32 second lead by the halfway point in the race, and extended it to nearly a minute by the finish. Behind the two leaders, Kalentieva had caught Lechner on the second lap after a slow start, and so did the new European champion, Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjaa, as the Italian barely manage to fend off British champion Annie Last for the fifth and final podium spot.
Emily Batty (Subaru - Trek) finished 8th
Just behind the top-5 there was a battle for sixth through ninth, with Marie-Helene Premont moving up as high as fifth before fading to ninth, and Emily Batty battling with Lea Davison for seventh. The pair rode together for the last two laps, with Davison dropping Batty on the final straightaway to take seventh.
"It was a hard race," commented Pendrel, "and I had more than my share of mistakes out there. At the beginning Julie got a very strong start, and I made some mistakes. But I could see her in front of me, and I think maybe she went out a little too hard at the start. This is a great course, and I'm really happy to win here, and still keep the fight going for the [World Cup] title."
Race Notes
- The Under-23 race saw an upset, with series leader Pauline Ferrand-Prevot having her consecutive winning streak halted at four, as she could only manage third place today. After taking an early lead, the French rider was caught and dropped on the second lap by Ukrainian champion Yana Belomoyna, and then on the fifth lap by Barbara Benko. However, she still holds a commanding 75 point lead in the standings.
Results:
Elite Men
José Hermida, Nino Schurter, Jaroslav Kulhavy, Julien Absalon, Sergio Mantecon
1 Jaroslav Kulhavy (Cze) Specialized Racing
2 Nino Schurter (Sui) Scott - Swisspower MTB - Racing
3 Julien Absalon (Fra) Orbea
4 José Antonio Hermida Ramos (Esp) Multivan Merida Biking Team
5 Sergio Mantecon Gutierrez (Esp) Wildwolf - Trek Racing
6 Lukas Flückiger (Sui) Trek World Racing
7 Maxime Marotte (Fra) BH - Suntour - Peisey Vallandry
8 Christoph Sauser (Sui) Specialized Racing
9 Moritz Milatz (Ger) BMC Mountainbike Racing Team
10 Mathias Flückiger (Sui) Trek World Racing
11 Manuel Fumic (Ger) Cannondale Factory Racing
12 Florian Vogel (Sui) Scott - Swisspower MTB - Racing
13 Rudi Van Houts (Ned) Multivan Merida Biking Team
14 Carlos Coloma Nicolas (Esp) Wildwolf - Trek Racing
15 Samuel Schultz (USA) Subaru - Trek
16 Martin Gujan (Sui) Cannondale Factory Racing
17 Ruben Ruzafa Cueto (Esp) Orbea
18 Fabian Giger (Sui) Rabobank - Giant Off-Road Team
19 Burry Stander (RSA) Specialized Racing
20 Karl Markt (Aut) Felt Oetztal X - Bionic Team
21 Stéphane Tempier (Fra) TX Active Bianchi
22 Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (USA) Subaru - Trek
23 Marco Aurelio Fontana (Ita) Cannondale Factory Racing
24 Kristian Hynek (Cze)
25 Kevin Van Hoovels (Bel) Versluys - Evenza Team
Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjaa, Julie Bresset, Catharine Pendrel, Irina Kalentieva, Eva Lechner
Elite Women
1 Catharine Pendrel (Can) Luna Pro Team
2 Julie Bresset (Fra) BH - Suntour - Peisey Vallandry
3 Irina Kalentieva (Rus) Topeak Ergon Racing Team
4 Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjaa (Nor) Multivan Merida Biking Team
5 Eva Lechner (Ita) Colnago Farbe Sudtirol
6 Annie Last (GBr) British National Team
7 Lea Davison (USA) Specialized Racing
8 Emily Batty (Can) Subaru - Trek
9 Marie-Helene Premont (Can) Team Maxxis - Rocky Mountain
10 Esther Süss (Sui) Wheeler - iXS pro team
11 Elisabeth Osl (Aut) Ghost Factory Racing Team
12 Nathalie Schneitter (Sui) Colnago Farbe Sudtirol
13 Katerina Nash (Cze) Luna Pro Team
14 Georgia Gould (USA) Luna Pro Team
15 Heather Irmiger (USA) Subaru - Trek
16 Blaza Klemencic (Slo) Felt Oetztal X - Bionic Team
17 Marielle Saner-Guinchard (Sui) Bikepark.ch Scott
18 Sarah Koba (Sui) Giant Swiss SR - Suntour
19 Laura Metzler (Fra) BH - Suntour - Peisey Vallandry
20 Lene Byberg (Nor) Specialized Racing
21 Sabrina Enaux (Fra) Felt Oetztal X - Bionic Team
22 Anne Terpstra (Ned) MPL Specialized MTB Team
23 Vera Andreeva (Rus)
24 Elisabeth Brandau (Ger) Central Haibike Pro Team
25 Cécile Ravanel (Fra) GT Skoda Chamonix
U23 Women
1 Yana Belomoyna (Ukr) Infotre - Bi & Esse - Leecougan
2 Barbara Benko (Hun) Focus MIG Team
3 Pauline Ferrand Prevot (Fra) Lapierre Internationa
4 Mona Eiberweiser (Ger) Ghost Factory Racing Team
5 Serena Calvetti (Ita)
6 Fanny Bourdon (Fra) GT Skoda Chamonix
7 Elisabeth Sveum (Nor) Team Merida Smart Safety
8 Vivienne Meyer (Sui) Colnago Farbe Sudtirol
9 Katherine O'neill (NZl)
10 Samara Sheppard (NZl)
11 Laura Valentina Abril Restrepo (Col)
12 Noga Korem (Isr)
13 Jitka Skarnitzlova (Cze)
14 Hana Jezkova (Cze) GT Czech Team
15 Karolina Kalasova (Cze) Rubena - Birell - Specialized Cycling Team
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