The mountain bike community heads to the USA for the final rounds of the 2021 Mercedes-Benz UCI Mountain Bike World Cup. The West Virginia venue of Snowshoe hosted a thrilling finale to a brilliant 2019 season, both in cross-country Olympic (XCO and downhill (DHI). Athletes return for round 6 of the 2021 season on 18-19 September. But first, the downhill specialists will race in round 5 (14-15 September), replacing the cancelled Fort William (GBR) race. Riders in each category will fight for wins and podiums, and others may play tactically for points to attack or defend positions in the World Cup overall standings.
XCO: challenging course
Following the 3.7km course raced in 2019, the XC track is technical and tight with gravel, grass, rock climbs and descents, rooty treeline trails, off-camber turns and drop-offs. With many short climbs and some swooping singletrack it will be a tough test for riders coming at the season’s end, whether they’d tapered for UCI World Cup, UCI World Championships, or Olympics peaks.
XCO Men Elite: advantage Flückiger
After 5 rounds, two-race winner Mathias Flückiger (SUI) has a significant lead with 1429 points. He could be caught by either Ondrej Cink (CZE), on 1089, or the other double winner Victor Koretzky (FRA), 1075 – but not both. Those 2nd and 3rd placed men could each be caught by Nino Schurter (SUI), who has 1004 points, or Jordan Sarrou (FRA), on 935. Lars Forster (SUI) won the 2019 XCO race in Snowshoe from Schurter, winner of the cross-country Short Track (XCC).
XCO Women Elite: Lecomte has it sewn up
Wins at the first four XCO races meant finishing fourth at Lenzerheide was enough for Loana Lecomte (FRA) to have the overall title secured with 1550 points, almost 500 more than 2nd placed Jenny Rissveds (SWE). But only 130 points separate 2nd to 5th: Hard on the heels of Rissveds is Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (FRA), Rebecca McConnell (AUS) and the in-form Briton Evie Richards, who backed up her UCI World Championships win at the end of August with UCI World Cup victory in Lenzerheide, Switzerland. For the records, 2019 winner at the American venue was Ferrand-Prévot, while Rissveds took the Short Track and the U23 XCO victor was Richards.
XCO Under 23: last chances for the overall
The Women U23 UCI World Champion Mona Mitterwallner (AUT) has taken a maximum 90 points from every round, for a near untouchable 450. With 340 points, Caroline Bohé (DEN) could catch her, while Leonie Daubermann (GER) and Kata Blanka Vas (HUN) have 235 and 230 respectively. The Men U23 competition is incredibly tight: Canada’s Carter Woods sits on 242 points, Simone Avondetto (ITA) has 240, UCI World Champion Martín Vidaurre Kossmann (CHI) and Joel Roth (SUI) each have 230, while Riley Amos has 218 points… and home advantage. “The next stop is at home in the USA in West Virginia at the venue that started this whole journey for me,” he says.
DHI double-header
Two rounds mean twice the opportunity to take victories and score points towards the overall. The tracks’ initial fast open sections give way to rock gardens then drops in tight wooded sections with needles. It opens up again for successive jumps before one last big board sends the descenders to the finish!
DHI Men Elite: which Frenchman?
A glance at the Men Elite overall standings suggests it’s a case of which Frenchman will win the title, but it’s not quite that straightforward with a potential maximum of 500 points still available. Thibaut Dapréla (2019 Junior winner) has 752 points, Loris Vergier, who won the last two UCI World Cup races, has 566, and Loïc Bruni 454. They are followed by the Brits Laurie Greenland (422 points) and 2019 Snowshoe winner Danny Hart (391).
DHI Women Elite: Nicole in the hot seat
The winner of the last two UCI World Cup rounds, Myriam Nicole, occupies the hot seat with 810 points. The new UCI World Champion came second in Snowshoe 2019 behind her fellow Frenchwoman Marine Cabirou who’s looking to regain her blistering 2019 and 2020 form. 2020 UCI World Champion Camille Balanche (SUI) leads the charge with 695, followed by Britain’s Tahnée Seagrave, 662, Austria’s Valentina Höll, 645, and European Champion Monika Hrastnik (SLO) on 517. This year intense racing suggests a fight to the end.
Junior DHI: UCI World Champions looking strong
On-fire Jackson Goldstone’s 220 points could be overhauled by either Jordan Williams (GBR), who has 130 points, or Pau Menoyo (ESP), on 128. But the Canadian looks set to add the UCI World Cup overall to his rainbow stripes. Dylan Maples would love the home win! UCI World Champion Izabela Yankova leads the Women Junior overall with 160 points. Returning rapidly from a broken wrist, Britain’s Phoebe Gale (Les Gets and Maribor winner) is the only rider who can catch the Bulgarian. But that won’t deter the others – including home hopeful Ella Erickson – from giving everything to win in the USA.