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July 4, 2021
MTB World Cup 2021 – 4 – WE XCO – Les Gets
The UCI Mountain Bike World Cup is a multi-round mountain bike racing series that is sanctioned by the Union Cycliste Internationale.
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July 4, 2021
MTB World Cup 2021 – 4 – WE XCO – Les Gets
The UCI Mountain Bike World Cup is a multi-round mountain bike racing series that is sanctioned by the Union Cycliste Internationale. The first World Cup series – which was composed of cross-country events – was held in 1989. The Downhill World Cup was inaugurated two years later, and the Dual Slalom World Cup was launched in 1998. The dual-slalom format – which involved knock-out heats with two riders on the parallel courses in each heat – evolved into four-cross (with four riders on a single course per heat) in 2002 before being dropped after the 2011 season. Riders win points according to their placing in each event. The reigning series leaders in each class are identified by a special jersey.
For the second consecutive XCO World Cup, Mathias Flückiger (Thomus RN Swiss Bike) completed a perfect weekend of racing in Les Gets, France, winning the Short Track (XCC) on Friday and then the XCO on Sunday. Ondrej Cink (Kross Orlen) finished second to Flückiger in both races for the second consecutive World Cup, while world champion Jordan Sarrou (Specialized) gave the French fans something to cheer about with his third place. Tom Pidcock (Ines Grenedier), back for his first race after breaking his collarbone, was not a factor, appearing to have crashed in the opening lap by his ripped shorts, and then sliding well back before withdrawing from the race.
The rain that began on Saturday during the Downhill turned the course into a muddy, slippery mess. Almost every rider went down at some point, with the off camber grass descents sending riders sliding out of control.
Cink proved once again that he is currently the best climber on the World Cup circuit, moving to the front on the first climb of the seven lap race. Unfortunately for him, Flückiger was almost as quick on the climbs and a significantly better descender in the mud. The Swiss champion gap jumped a couple of rollers to pass Cink on the descent and then further opened a gap in the muddy and slippery off camber switchbacks. While others were gingerly going around the corners, Flückiger railed them, showing off his handling skills, and possibly better tire choice.
Cink rejoined Flückiger on the first climb of the next lap, only to get gapped again on the first descent, this time for good. Cink was joined by follow chasers Sarrou, Alan Hatherly (Cannondale Factory), Nino Schurter (Scott-SRAM) and Luca Braidot (Santa Cruz FSA). Braidot and Schurter were dropped before the end of the third lap, leaving the remaining chasers to fight for second.
Cink then attacked his fellow chasers on the fourth lap to move into solo position of second place. For the remainder of the race he would whittle Flückiger’s lead down on the climbs, only to see it grow again on the descents; particularly the final one into the finish. The gap would shrink to less then 20 seconds each lap before Flückiger took it back to 30-plus by the start of the next lap, with the Czech rider eventually finishing 25 seconds back. Sarrou attacked Hatherly on the final lap, urged on by the cheers of the French crowd.
“I have a lot of confidence from the last World Cup, and just from this season,” said Flückiger. “I was very motivated after winning [the XCC on] Friday and today was very special with the changed conditions from yesterday [training]. It was really tough. I’m happy with how I managed my gap that I made on the second lap. I just had in my mind that if I did a perfect job I could win.”
Cink admitted that second was the best he could manage. “I lost much time in the downhills, because everyone knows I don’t like these muddy conditions. I tried to risk everything in the climbs and went full gas, so in the end I am very happy with my result today, because this weather was not for me.”
Results :
1 Mathias Flueckiger (Swi) 1:27:33
2 Ondřej Cink (Cze) 0:00:25
3 Jordan Sarrou (Fra) 0:00:35
4 Alan Hatherly (RSA) 0:00:39
5 Nino Schurter (Swi) 0:01:21
6 Daniele Braidot (Ita) 0:01:24
7 Simon Andreassen (Den) 0:01:32
8 Luca Braidot (Ita) 0:01:44
9 Lars Forster (Swi) 0:01:55
10 Nadir Colledani (Ita) 0:01:58
11 Milan Vader (Ned) 0:02:46
12 Antoine Philipp (Fra) 0:02:49
13 Thomas Griot (Fra) 0:02:55
14 Vlad Dascalu (Rom) 0:03:08
15 Jens Schuermans (Bel) 0:03:12
16 Anton Cooper (NZl) 0:03:16
17 Marcel Guerrini (Swi)
18 Stephane Tempier (Fra) 0:03:18
19 David Valero Serrano (Spa) 0:03:19
20 Maxime Marotte (Fra) 0:03:40
21 Andri Frischknecht (Swi) 0:04:03
22 Victor Koretzky (Fra) 0:04:12
23 Pierre De Froidmont (Bel) 0:04:13
24 Luca Schwarzbauer (Ger)
25 Joshua Dubau (Fra) 0:04:21
26 Gioele Bertolini (Ita) 0:04:25
27 Pablo Rodriguez Guede (Spa) 0:04:35
28 Thomas Litscher (Swi) 0:04:53
29 Martin Fanger (Swi) 0:05:31
30 Christopher Blevins (USA) 0:05:41
31 Samuel Gaze (NZl) 0:05:43
32 Reto Indergand (Swi) 0:05:57
33 Jofre Cullell Estape (Spa) 0:06:04
34 Mário Costa (Por) 0:06:16
35 Bartlomiej Wawak (Pol) 0:06:19
36 Anton Sintsov (Rus) 0:06:27
37 Maximilian Brandl (Ger) 0:06:30
38 Jonas Lindberg (Den) 0:06:33
39 Sebastian Fini Carstensen (Den) 0:06:48
40 Emil Lindgren (Swe) 0:06:50
41 Leandre Bouchard (Can) 0:07:01
42 Emil Hasund Eid (Nor) 0:07:09
43 Filippo Colombo (Swi) 0:07:19
44 Ben Oliver (NZl) 0:07:20
45 Peter Disera (Can) 0:07:22
46 Simon Vitzthum (Swi) 0:07:36
47 Martins Blums (Lat) 0:07:39
48 Julian Schelb (Ger)
49 Manuel Fumic (Ger) 0:07:41
50 Sergio Mantecon Gutierrez (Spa) 0:08:05
51 Lukáš Kobes (Cze) 0:08:07
52 Andrin Beeli (Swi) 0:08:17
53 Matthias Stirnemann (Swi) 0:08:18
54 Vital Albin (Swi) 0:08:24
55 Niklas Schehl (Ger) 0:08:27
56 Jan Vastl (Cze) 0:08:51
57 Lukas Flückiger (Swi) 0:09:05
58 Marc Andre Fortier (Can) 0:09:17
59 Ismael Esteban Aguero (Spa) 0:09:23
60 David Nordemann (Ned) 0:09:35
61 Quinton Disera (Can)
62 Erik Hægstad (Nor)
63 Matej Ulik (Svk)
64 Sven Olivetti (Swi)
65 Jan Škarnitzl (Cze)
66 Bruno Vitali (Swi)
67 Daniel Mcconnell (Aus)
68 Nicholas Pettina’ (Ita)
69 Mirko Tabacchi (Ita)
70 András Parti (Hun)
71 Axel Lindh (Swe)
72 Andrew L’Esperance (Can)
73 Remy Duquesne (Fra)
74 Pierre-Geoffroy Plantet (Fra)
75 Basile Allard (Fra)
76 Maximilian Foidl (Aut)
77 Silas Graf (Ger)
78 Lucas Dubau (Fra)
79 Zsombor Palumby (Hun)
80 Alessio Agostinelli (Ita)
81 Anthony Zaragoza (Fra)
82 Ursin Spescha (Swi)
83 Maxime Loret (Fra)
84 Patricio Farias Diaz (Chi)
85 Clément Auvin (Fra)
86 Anthony Bergeron (Can)
87 Raphael Auclair (Can)
88 Nicolas Lüthi (Swi)
89 Dario Thoma (Swi)
90 Michael Olsson (Swe)
91 Zdeněk Vobecký (Cze)
92 Pau Romero Barcelo (Spa)
93 Tumelo Makae (Les)
94 Victor Selles Pardo (Spa)
95 Fabian Giger (Swi)
96 Mickael Brunello (Fra)
97 Vincent Jonatan Beckmann (Ger)
DNF Gerhard Kerschbaumer (Ita)
DNF Thomas Pidcock (GBr)
DNF Titouan Carod (Fra)
DNF Georg Egger (Ger)
DNF Shlomi Haimy (Isr)
DNS Ivan Filatov (Rus)
DNS Timofei Ivanov (Rus)
DNS Frazer Clacherty (GBr)
DNS Gioele De Cosmo (Ita)
 in 2002 before being dropped after the 2011 season. Riders win points according to their placing in each event. The reigning series leaders in each class are identified by a special jersey.
For the second consecutive XCO World Cup, Mathias Flückiger (Thomus RN Swiss Bike) completed a perfect weekend of racing in Les Gets, France, winning the Short Track (XCC) on Friday and then the XCO on Sunday. Ondrej Cink (Kross Orlen) finished second to Flückiger in both races for the second consecutive World Cup, while world champion Jordan Sarrou (Specialized) gave the French fans something to cheer about with his third place. Tom Pidcock (Ines Grenedier), back for his first race after breaking his collarbone, was not a factor, appearing to have crashed in the opening lap by his ripped shorts, and then sliding well back before withdrawing from the race.
The rain that began on Saturday during the Downhill turned the course into a muddy, slippery mess. Almost every rider went down at some point, with the off camber grass descents sending riders sliding out of control.
Cink proved once again that he is currently the best climber on the World Cup circuit, moving to the front on the first climb of the seven lap race. Unfortunately for him, Flückiger was almost as quick on the climbs and a significantly better descender in the mud. The Swiss champion gap jumped a couple of rollers to pass Cink on the descent and then further opened a gap in the muddy and slippery off camber switchbacks. While others were gingerly going around the corners, Flückiger railed them, showing off his handling skills, and possibly better tire choice.
Cink rejoined Flückiger on the first climb of the next lap, only to get gapped again on the first descent, this time for good. Cink was joined by follow chasers Sarrou, Alan Hatherly (Cannondale Factory), Nino Schurter (Scott-SRAM) and Luca Braidot (Santa Cruz FSA). Braidot and Schurter were dropped before the end of the third lap, leaving the remaining chasers to fight for second.
Cink then attacked his fellow chasers on the fourth lap to move into solo position of second place. For the remainder of the race he would whittle Flückiger's lead down on the climbs, only to see it grow again on the descents; particularly the final one into the finish. The gap would shrink to less then 20 seconds each lap before Flückiger took it back to 30-plus by the start of the next lap, with the Czech rider eventually finishing 25 seconds back. Sarrou attacked Hatherly on the final lap, urged on by the cheers of the French crowd.
"I have a lot of confidence from the last World Cup, and just from this season," said Flückiger. "I was very motivated after winning [the XCC on] Friday and today was very special with the changed conditions from yesterday [training]. It was really tough. I'm happy with how I managed my gap that I made on the second lap. I just had in my mind that if I did a perfect job I could win."
Cink admitted that second was the best he could manage. "I lost much time in the downhills, because everyone knows I don't like these muddy conditions. I tried to risk everything in the climbs and went full gas, so in the end I am very happy with my result today, because this weather was not for me."
<strong>Results : </strong>
1 Mathias Flueckiger (Swi) 1:27:33
2 Ondřej Cink (Cze) 0:00:25
3 Jordan Sarrou (Fra) 0:00:35
4 Alan Hatherly (RSA) 0:00:39
5 Nino Schurter (Swi) 0:01:21
6 Daniele Braidot (Ita) 0:01:24
7 Simon Andreassen (Den) 0:01:32
8 Luca Braidot (Ita) 0:01:44
9 Lars Forster (Swi) 0:01:55
10 Nadir Colledani (Ita) 0:01:58
11 Milan Vader (Ned) 0:02:46
12 Antoine Philipp (Fra) 0:02:49
13 Thomas Griot (Fra) 0:02:55
14 Vlad Dascalu (Rom) 0:03:08
15 Jens Schuermans (Bel) 0:03:12
16 Anton Cooper (NZl) 0:03:16
17 Marcel Guerrini (Swi)
18 Stephane Tempier (Fra) 0:03:18
19 David Valero Serrano (Spa) 0:03:19
20 Maxime Marotte (Fra) 0:03:40
21 Andri Frischknecht (Swi) 0:04:03
22 Victor Koretzky (Fra) 0:04:12
23 Pierre De Froidmont (Bel) 0:04:13
24 Luca Schwarzbauer (Ger)
25 Joshua Dubau (Fra) 0:04:21
26 Gioele Bertolini (Ita) 0:04:25
27 Pablo Rodriguez Guede (Spa) 0:04:35
28 Thomas Litscher (Swi) 0:04:53
29 Martin Fanger (Swi) 0:05:31
30 Christopher Blevins (USA) 0:05:41
31 Samuel Gaze (NZl) 0:05:43
32 Reto Indergand (Swi) 0:05:57
33 Jofre Cullell Estape (Spa) 0:06:04
34 Mário Costa (Por) 0:06:16
35 Bartlomiej Wawak (Pol) 0:06:19
36 Anton Sintsov (Rus) 0:06:27
37 Maximilian Brandl (Ger) 0:06:30
38 Jonas Lindberg (Den) 0:06:33
39 Sebastian Fini Carstensen (Den) 0:06:48
40 Emil Lindgren (Swe) 0:06:50
41 Leandre Bouchard (Can) 0:07:01
42 Emil Hasund Eid (Nor) 0:07:09
43 Filippo Colombo (Swi) 0:07:19
44 Ben Oliver (NZl) 0:07:20
45 Peter Disera (Can) 0:07:22
46 Simon Vitzthum (Swi) 0:07:36
47 Martins Blums (Lat) 0:07:39
48 Julian Schelb (Ger)
49 Manuel Fumic (Ger) 0:07:41
50 Sergio Mantecon Gutierrez (Spa) 0:08:05
51 Lukáš Kobes (Cze) 0:08:07
52 Andrin Beeli (Swi) 0:08:17
53 Matthias Stirnemann (Swi) 0:08:18
54 Vital Albin (Swi) 0:08:24
55 Niklas Schehl (Ger) 0:08:27
56 Jan Vastl (Cze) 0:08:51
57 Lukas Flückiger (Swi) 0:09:05
58 Marc Andre Fortier (Can) 0:09:17
59 Ismael Esteban Aguero (Spa) 0:09:23
60 David Nordemann (Ned) 0:09:35
61 Quinton Disera (Can)
62 Erik Hægstad (Nor)
63 Matej Ulik (Svk)
64 Sven Olivetti (Swi)
65 Jan Škarnitzl (Cze)
66 Bruno Vitali (Swi)
67 Daniel Mcconnell (Aus)
68 Nicholas Pettina' (Ita)
69 Mirko Tabacchi (Ita)
70 András Parti (Hun)
71 Axel Lindh (Swe)
72 Andrew L'Esperance (Can)
73 Remy Duquesne (Fra)
74 Pierre-Geoffroy Plantet (Fra)
75 Basile Allard (Fra)
76 Maximilian Foidl (Aut)
77 Silas Graf (Ger)
78 Lucas Dubau (Fra)
79 Zsombor Palumby (Hun)
80 Alessio Agostinelli (Ita)
81 Anthony Zaragoza (Fra)
82 Ursin Spescha (Swi)
83 Maxime Loret (Fra)
84 Patricio Farias Diaz (Chi)
85 Clément Auvin (Fra)
86 Anthony Bergeron (Can)
87 Raphael Auclair (Can)
88 Nicolas Lüthi (Swi)
89 Dario Thoma (Swi)
90 Michael Olsson (Swe)
91 Zdeněk Vobecký (Cze)
92 Pau Romero Barcelo (Spa)
93 Tumelo Makae (Les)
94 Victor Selles Pardo (Spa)
95 Fabian Giger (Swi)
96 Mickael Brunello (Fra)
97 Vincent Jonatan Beckmann (Ger)
DNF Gerhard Kerschbaumer (Ita)
DNF Thomas Pidcock (GBr)
DNF Titouan Carod (Fra)
DNF Georg Egger (Ger)
DNF Shlomi Haimy (Isr)
DNS Ivan Filatov (Rus)
DNS Timofei Ivanov (Rus)
DNS Frazer Clacherty (GBr)
DNS Gioele De Cosmo (Ita))
