Pauline Ferrand-Prevot delivers first World Cup win in Leogang with victory at Cross-Country Short Track UCI event

World Champion Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (Ineos Grenadiers) secured a well-deserved first World Cup win of the 2023 UCI Mountain Bike World Series season after a highly competitive race in Leogang.

After two top-three finishes so far this season in Nove Mesto na Morave and Lenzerheide, she was finally able to enjoy a place on the top step of the podium in Austria.

As has been the case on multiple occasions this season, it was Puck Pieterse (Alpecin–Deceuninck) who powered away from the line as soon as the red lights turned green to take an early lead. She wasn’t the only rider to have a swift start as Austrian national champion Laura Stigger (Specialized Factory Racing) also started strongly on home soil.

Pieterse was soon overtaken by Italian national champion Martina Berta (Santa Cruz – RockShox Pro Team) who had moved up the group from the start and up the first climb. Pieterse remained close to the front, but Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing XC) moved to overtake the young Dutch rider and pushed ahead into second.

At the end of the first lap, the front three of Berta, Richards, and Pieterse had retained their top three positions. Richards was the one to lead them up the climb this time, as Pieterse had done the lap before. As Richards led on the climb with Pieterse close behind, Berta began to drop back down the group.

As the bunch descended Richards and Pieterse remained ahead, however, last weekend’s short track champion Jenny Rissveds (Team 31 – Ibis Continental) who was behind them came off of her bike momentarily. She returned to the saddle quickly and was able to get her race back underway swiftly, however, this disruption created a gap between the front group of riders and those behind her.

Unaffected by the crash, Richards and Pieterse crossed the line for another lap, this time joined by Loana Lecomte (Canyon CLLCTV). Lecomte, who had done the double-double in Leogang for the past two events held there by winning both the short track and cross-country Olympic events, was unfortunately not able to hold on to her position in third to challenge for a third win.

Richards was overtaken by Pieterse at the front as Lecomte began to lose her third place and dropped down to sixth. Ferrand-Prevot then made a move up into third to join the two riders she would stay with for the majority of the race that remained. The group of three crossed the line for another lap, and it was Pieterse who narrowly led over the line. Rissveds, who had recovered well from her earlier crash, navigated the race well to move into fourth place.

For the next lap, it was Richards who led the front three after a big push up the climb. The efforts of the front three served them well, and there was a clear gap between them and the chasing group behind, led by Rissveds.

The standings were all changed once more in the front three as Pieterse then took over from Richards at the front of the race. At this point, Richards started to drop back by a few bike lengths, but she continued to chase Ferrand-Prevot who was marginally ahead of her.

The penultimate lap was completed with Pieterse and Ferrand-Prevot ahead, but Richards had managed to keep the gap between her and the World Champion to only two seconds. This was not the first time that Pieterse and Ferrand-Prevot had led a race as a pair this season, as the two had a close battle in the cross-country Olympic race in Nove Mesto na Morave a few weeks ago. On the day, Ferrand-Prevot finished second, but it was clear that this time around in Austria she would once again do everything in her power to push for the win.

The French rider then attacked out of the saddle and managed to gain a slight advantage on Pieterse as the finish line drew ever closer. She continued to apply the pressure and gained herself an important gap of a few seconds. She held onto her lead and crossed the line five seconds ahead of the young Dutch rider.

Pieterse finished second, while Richards took third seven seconds behind Ferrand-Prevot. They will be joined at the front of the start line on Sunday by the five other riders who finished in the top eight: Anne Terpstra (Ghost Factory Racing) who finished only a second after Richards, Rissveds (+0:18), Rebecca Henderson (Primaflor Mondraker Genuins Racing Team, +0:21), Austrian rider Mona Mitterwallner (Cannondale Factory Racing, +0:23), and Gwendalyn Gibson (Trek Factory Racing XC, +0:24).

Austrian national champion Stigger finished in 15th (+0:55), while Lecomte’s dreams of securing the triple-double in Leogang were shattered with a 10th-place finish (+0:40).

Full top ten

1. Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (Ineos Grenadiers) 20.37

2. Puck Pieterse (Alpecin–Deceuninck) +0:05

3. Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing XC) +0:07

4. Anne Terpstra (Ghost Factory Racing) +0:08

5. Jenny Rissveds (Team 31 – Ibis Continental) +0:18

6. Rebecca Henderson (Primaflor Mondraker Genuins Racing Team) +0:21

7. Mona Mitterwallner (Cannondale Factory Racing) +0:23

8. Gwendalyn Gibson (Trek Factory Racing XC) +0:24

9. Haley Batten (Specialized Factory Racing) +0:36

10. Loana Lecomte (Canyon CLLCTV) +0:40

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