Evie Richards claims UCI World Cup Cross Country Short Track victory, Victor Koretzky also triumphs

Evie Richards secured a dominant first victory of the UCI World Cup 2023 season with success in Snowshoe, West Virginia on Friday.

The Trek Factory rider had come agonisingly close to a triumph throughout the campaign, but she took her performance up a level to finally cross the line first, in a time of 19:54.

The Briton was 0:05s ahead of second-placed Puck Pieterse, of Alpecin-Deceuninck, who extended her lead in the overall rankings over Alessandra Keller (Thomus Maxon), who was fourth.

Primaflor Mondraker Genuins rider Rebecca Henderson completed the podium, 0:09s behind the winner.

“I can’t believe it, I’m well happy,” a delighted Richards began.

“I’ve got no words, really, it’s just great.”

Asked to recall the moment she felt victory could be hers, Richards responded: “I wasn’t really thinking, I feel a bit jet-lagged still, maybe. I felt like in a bit of a daydream.

“Paulo shouted ‘two laps to go’ and I was like, ‘right I need two good laps to get a good gap’, so I was like, ‘right, let’s go’.

“And there wasn’t much of a plan other than that!”

“I’m just really happy with that,” she continued.

“To finally get a win at the end of the year with my new coach is sick, and we’re really happy.”

Meanwhile, Victor Koretzky took victory in the men’s race.

Specialized Factory Racing’s Koretzky crossed the line first in 20:54, ahead of Jordan Sarrou (Team BMC) who was 0:02s adrift.

Canyon CLLCTV’s Luca Schwarzbauer, who remains in the overall lead with 1,430 points, was 0:04s behind the race winner.

It was a third straight victory for Koretzky.

“I’m super happy about the race today,” the Frenchman told Eurosport.

“I feel super good. At the end it was the strongest who won. I think it was a little bit less strategy compared to another short race.”