Jordan Sarrou takes stylish victory in Cross-Country Short Track UCI event in Leogang

Jordan Sarrou (Team BMC) triumphed in round three of the UCI Mountain Bike Cross-Country Short Track World Cup with a powerful attack on the final climb in Leogang, Austria.

The former Cross-Country Olympic World Champion waited until the final lap, whilst staying in the top five riders throughout the race, before attacking up to and past Jens Schuermans (Giant Factory Off-Road Team) on the final ascent of the hill that categorised the race and descending to victory.

Luca Schwarzbauer (Canyon CLLCTV) maintained his overall lead in the Cross-Country Short Track World Cup with an impressive second place on a course that didn’t suit him on paper and there was another great performance in third as Martins Blums (KMC MTB Racing Team) achieved his first career podium in a short track race.

Sarrou, 30, has fond memories in Leogang having won his World Title here in 2020, and showed his dominance today again with a gap big enough to throw a whip in celebration over one of the jumps.

His win not only set up a thrilling Cross-Country Olympic race on Sunday, but also doubled the tally of French wins in the short track from Leogang after Pauline Ferrand-Prevot took a win in similar fashion in the women’s race.

This is Sarrou’s first UCI MTB World Cup victory in 2023 and his second victory of the year.

The typically thrilling race started with Schwarzbauer and overall short track World Cup winner from 2022, Alan Hatherly (Cannondale Factory Racing), taking the lead, but the front of the race wasn’t dominated much by one rider through the first three laps.

Mathias Fluckiger (Thömus Maxon) was the first to make a big move on the third lap, as he danced up the climb front 14th position into the top three, which he carried over the climb before shooting up the inside of Schwarzbauer and descending into an advantage.

He was reeled in by Schwarzbauer and Sarrou as the group hit the climb for another gruelling ascent and the Frenchman was ominously showing how strong he was.

Sarrou may have been shocked, however, when Schuermans shot off the front with a strong attack, but he stayed calm and was the only rider able to stay within a few bike-lengths of the Belgian.

The BMC rider clearly knew not to panic and trusted his legs as they hit the climb on the sixth and final lap and as Schuermans ran out of steam, Sarrou put the power down and gapped the rest of the field.

Only the descent was in his way of victory now and even the supreme strength of Schwarzbauer wasn’t to be enough to reel in the flying Frenchman who soloed to victory and completed a terrific performance.

This also set up a thrilling round three of the Cross-Country Olympic which is on Sunday. Sarrou will be looking to do the double as has been done in Leogang for the past two years by Fluckiger.

Will the Frenchman be able to hold off the field in the longer discipline for a fantastic double? Or will the Swiss veterans Fluckiger and Schurter prove too strong once again?

Make sure to come back and watch Sunday’s race on Eurosport, Discovery+ and GCN+ to see if Sarrou can do the double.

Full top ten

1. Jordan Sarrou (Team BMC) 21:08

2. Luca Schwarzbauer (Canyon CLLCTV) +0:02

3. Martins Blums (KMC MTB Racing Team) +0:03

4. Jens Schuermans (Giant Factory Off-Road Team) +0:05

5. Alan Hatherly (Cannondale Factory Racing) +0:07

6. Joshua Dubau (Rockrider Ford Racing Team) +0:09

7. Charlie Aldridge (Cannondale Factory Racing) +0:11

8. Anton Cooper (Trek Factory Racing) +0:13

9. Pierre de Frodimont (Orbea Factory Team) +0:17

10. Thomas Griot (Canyon CLLCTV) +0:23

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