Sarrou wins under 23 men's cross country World Cup in Windham

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Jordan Sarrou (BH-Suntour-KMC) won the under 23 men's cross country World Cup in Windham, New York on Sunday. The French rider finished ahead of Anton Cooper (Cannondale Factory Racing) and Grant Ferguson (Betch.nl Superior Brentjens).

"My race was good, and I took a lot of pleasure in it," said Sarrou to Cyclingnews. This is the first time I've come here to Windham to race."

After Martin Frey of Germany led out the start, Sarrou was all business, quickly moving to the front on the first lap and setting a blistering pace.

Initially, Victor Koretsky (BH-Suntour-KMC) and Cooper went with Sarrou, but Koretsky seemed to blow up and start dropping back through the chasers.

About halfway through lap 2, Sarrou got away from Cooper and both would ride alone in their respective races for the rest of the five-lap race.

Cooper soon found himself in no man's land.

"I was feeling my legs after the first few laps and I thought they would catch me, but then I started to feel better and they didn't catch me. I was able hold them off," said Cooper, who skipped last weekend's World Cup in Mont-Sainte-Anne after winning the elite men's race at the Commonwealth Games just a few days prior.

Behind Sarrou and Cooper, the race was for third place with Ferguson riding onto the final podium spot.

"There was a group of us. Then we started to split and I managed to get away on the descent," said Ferguson. "Then I just held on for the last lap." The British rider had finished third in a World Cup once before in South Africa earlier this season, thus he equaled his best result to date.

American Howard Grotts (Specialized) put in his second-best U23 World Cup ride to date to finish in fourth place. The course suited him well, and he seemed to get stronger and keep moving up as the laps ticked by.

"I had a good start in the top 10, but pretty quickly two guys got away and I just didn't have it. We had a huge group going for third place - seven of us going for it. We'd be all together, then blow apart, then come back together. I gave it everything I had in the last lap to try to gain a position and especially not to lose a position out there."

Grotts said he enjoyed the course with its big long uphill followed by a long descent. "It's a great course for me - I've always had good races here. They say it's an old school course, but this is what I grew up on racing in Colorado - one big climb and one big descent."

Michiel Van Der Heijden (Giant Pro XC Team) rounded out the top five.

Leandre Bouchard was the top Canadian finisher. "It went well, and I'm very happy to finish eighth. The gaps were close here, which is interesting considering the competitions that are upcoming."

In the World Cup standings, Sarrou leads by 480 points over van der Heijden with 420 points. Koretzky is in third with 274 points.

"I keep the leader's jersey going into the last World Cup, and I'm so happy," said Sarrou, who will race the final World Cup in his home nation of France.

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