The cross-country season of the 2017 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup presented by Shimano opened in Nove Mesto na Morave, Czech Republic, at the weekend. After warm weather throughout the week, conditions turned chilly for the competition days on Saturday and Sunday, although forecast rain did not materialize.
Last year, Nove Mesto hosted the UCI World Championships, and both the reigning Elite UCI World Champions returned to the top of the podium on Sunday. Annika Langvad (Specialized Racing) took control of the women's race on the first lap. Catharine Pendrel (Clif Pro Team), the defending UCI World Cup overall winner was initially in second place until two mechanical mishaps put her out of contention. Sabine Spitz (Wiawis Bikes Pro Team) moved into second, followed by Linda Indergand (Focus XC Team), and both held their positions to the finish line.
Men's UCI World Champion Nino Schurter (Scott-SRAM MTB Racing Team) took a similar strategy for his victory, dropping David Valero (MMR Factory Racing Team) at the halfway point to solo in for the win. Valero held on for second, with defending UCI World Cup overall winner Julien Absalon (BMC Mountainbike Racing Team) taking third.
In the Under-23 races, Petter Fagerhaug of Norway won the men's race and Kate Courtney (Specialized) took the women's.
Men's category, UCI World Champion Finnley Iles (Specialized Gravity) was the winner, followed by Kaos Seagrave (Transition Bikes/FMD Factory) and Sylvain Cougoureux (Les Gets Intense). In the Junior Women’s category, Mélanie Chappaz (Dorval AM Nicolai) clocked the fasted time followed by Flora Lesoin and GT Factory Racing’s Alessia Missiaggia.
Albstadt, GER, XCO World Cup #2 > May 27-28
Victor Koretzky is one of the rising stars of French mountain biking, and one of the riders expected to try and follow the legendary Julien Absalon. This season will be his first in the Elite ranks. Koretzky already has four world titles - as a Junior in 2011, when he was also a member of the gold medal Team Relay squad, plus two more Team Relay titles (as an Under-23) in 2015 and 2016. In the past two years he finished second in the Men Under-23 race at the UCI World Championships. Koretzky represented France at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where he finished 10th. He rides for the BH-SR Suntour-KMC team.
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