UCI Mountain Bike World Series: Luca Schwarzbauer, Jenny Rissveds dominate Short Track World Cup

Luca Schwarzbauer (Canyon CLLCTV) and Jenny Rissveds (Team 31–Ibis Continentaland) picked up wins at the Cross-country Short Track World Cup in Lenzerheide, part of the UCI Mountain Bike World Series.

Schwarzbauer claimed victory in the men’s event courtesy of a powerful attack on the final lap.

The German national champion led much of the race from the front alongside Short Track world champion Samuel Gaze (Alpecin-Deceuninck) before Gaze crashed at the start of lap eight and took out home favourite Nino Schurter (Scott-Sram MTB Racing Team).

Following the crash, Jordan Sarrou (Team BMC) came to the fore with Schwarzbauer on his wheel and Sebastian Fini Carstensen (Lapierre Mavic Unity) close behind. They finished closest to the German in second and third but were unable to respond to his race-winning move on the final lap.

Schwarzbauer also took the overall lead of the Short Track rankings with Sarrou in second and Mathias Flückiger in third.

It was a superbly managed effort from Schwarzbauer throughout the 10 laps and once two of the other favourites crashed, he looked much too strong for the rest of the field.

He had enough horsepower to beat Sarrou in a drag race up to the highest point of the 1km course and only extended his advantage on the descent, root sections and over the bridge, allowing him to punch the air and lift his arms as he crossed the line in front of the crowd.

“My shape in general seems to be pretty good. I’m quite speechless still, it goes so fast and it’s quite overwhelming,” Schwarzbauer told Eurosport.

“Luckily I had the legs to overtake him [Sarrou] just on the last climb.

“I thought it might be too early, but in the end, it was exactly the right decision which I made instinctively.”

The German champion even credited Sarrou with giving him somewhat of a lead-out before he made his final move. He’s made his name being an absolute Short Track specialist due to his explosive power, and he showed that again.

Perhaps just as important as Schwarzbauer’s victory was the crash for Gaze and Schurter that ruined both their chances. Gaze slid out on lap eight’s first corner and collected Schurter with him as the field rode away.

The New Zealander also had to re-align his handlebars, further ruining his chances.

With only two laps left to try and make up places, they had no chance to make back the time, showing just how difficult it is to win a round of the Cross-country Short Track World Cup and making Schwarzbauer’s win all the more impressive.

A disappointed Schurter spoke after the race and said: “I felt strong at the beginning, had good legs, was riding well and unfortunately crashes happen and that’s racing.

“After the crash I had no energy, somehow It was all gone.

“Short Track is so short and one crash, one mistake and it’s over.

“It’s always a challenge after a crash to get back into the race, find the flow again and I just had to chase back quickly. From there on I was on the edge.”

Thankfully for the home fans in Lenzerheide, the 10-time Cross-Country world champion will start on the second row after finishing 16th and Gaze will also be with him after recovering well to come home in 14th.

Schurter won one of those titles in Lenzerheide in 2018, and if the Swiss rider does win Sunday’s race, he would have more XCO wins than any other rider with 34. After today’s thrilling race, it’s set to be a great battle once again.

Can Schurter make more history? Or will someone else step up to the plate.

Elsewhere, Swedish champion Rissveds (Team 31–Ibis Continental) timed her move to perfection to win her a Cross-country Short Track World Cup in Lenzerheide.

While Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon) and Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Ineos Grenadiers) put in vaillant performances, neither of them were able to close down Rissveds and finished second and third respectively.

It was Austria’s Laura Stigger (Specialized Factory Racing) who got off to the strongest start and gave herself an early lead at the beginning of the first lap. Puck Pieterse (Alpecin–Deceuninck), who was victorious in the Cross-country Olympic in Nové Město na Moravě, stayed close on her wheel, showing her strength in the shorter discipline as well as the Olympic race.

Stigger maintained her lead for the first lap as British rider Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing XC) moved her way up the ranks from fourth to second. At the end of the first lap the Austrian was ahead followed by Swiss rider Keller close behind in second on home soil with Richards in third.

It was then into the second lap where Rissveds moved up into second and began to stamp her authority as part of the front group of riders for the laps that remained. By the time they had completed the lap she had held onto a strong position in third while Stigger and Keller retained their front positions.

As another lap ticked by, it was world champion Ferrand-Prévot who had moved into third meaning Rissveds dropped into fourth and Pieterse was in fifth. Stigger and Keller still occupied the front two positions.

It wasn’t long before the group split, and a strong front group full of national champion jerseys powered on. There was more change in the top three as Ferrand-Prévot moved to second, slightly ahead of Keller, while Stigger remained ahead.

Swiss rider Sina Frei (Specialized Factory Racing), who finished in the top three in Nové Město na Moravě, then took an opportunity to attack on home soil, though her lead was short-lived.

By the time they had crossed the line for another lap it was the rainbow striped jersey of Ferrand-Prévot which was slightly ahead, with Pieterse in second and Rissveds biding her time in third. Stigger and Keller dropped into fourth and fifth with two laps remaining.

Rissveds momentarily moved to the front but at this point it wasn’t the move that secured her the win as Pieterse swiftly took over. When they approached the woods Rissveds was ahead, and her subsequent move to go clear would ultimately secure the win a lap later.

Rissveds’ victory puts her in prime position on the start line for the cross-country Olympic in the UCI Mountain Bike World Series on Sunday.

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