Langvad claims MTB XC world title

Denmark won it's first Elite cross-country title since the 1990's, with Annika Langvad's dominant performance on Saturday at the Mountain Bike World Championships in Nove Mesto, Czech Republic. Lea Davison (USA) took silver after the two riders in front of her flatted on the final lap, while Emily Batty (Canada) took bronze in sprint finish.

The women's race was down to eight riders by the end of the start loop, with Canada's Catharine Pendrel setting the pace, followed by Langvad, Jolanda Neff (Switzerland), Katerina Nash (Czech Republic), Emily Batty (Canada), Sabine Spitz (Germany), Maja Wloszczowska (Poland) and Linda Indergand (Switzerland). Missing from the group was perennial favourite Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjaa (Norway), who went down in a crash at the start, breaking her handlebars and having to drop out. This group was quickly whittled down to Langvad, Pendrel, Wloszczowska and Nash, with Batty and Spitz dangling off the back.

Langvad then showed her climbing skills, riding everyone off her wheel on the next lap. Wloszczowska and Pendrel started the lap chasing together, but the Canadian had to back off the pace, leaving Wloszczowska alone in second. Spitz recovered to move into third, with Davison moving up to fourth by the third lap, followed by Batty and Pendrel.

Then disaster struck for both Spitz and Wloszczowska, who both flatted in the final lap, enabling Davison to move into the silver medal spot. Batty also passed Wloszczowska in the Tech Zone, but the Polish rider caught up to her in the final 400 metres, setting the stage for a dramatic sprint, with Batty winning the bronze medal by a bike throw at the line.

"I knew on this course you have to be at the front because there are so many places you can't overtake," explained Langvad. "This year I feel so good. I arrived [at the Worlds] with lots of confidence and I kept everything together. I knew I didn't have to overdo things, because I knew I was strong. When you're at the front you can ride your own race and you can also make a few mistakes, because nobody rides this race on this course without making a few mistakes."

Full Results

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#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Annika Langvad (Denmark)1:30:13
2Lea Davison (United States of America)0:01:12
3Emily Batty (Canada)0:01:44
4Maja Wloszczowska (Poland)Row 3 - Cell 2
5Catharine Pendrel (Canada)0:02:53
6Irina Kalentyeva (Russian Federation)0:03:22
7Katerina Nash (Czech Republic)0:03:37
8Jolanda Neff (Switzerland)0:03:59
9Sabine Spitz (Germany)0:04:07
10Linda Indergand (Switzerland)0:04:53
11Erin Huck (United States of America)0:05:14
12Kathrin Stirnemann (Switzerland)0:05:20
13Daniela Campuzano (Mexico)0:05:44
14Chloe Woodruff (United States of America)0:06:16
15Georgia Gould (United States of America)0:06:19
16Pauline Ferrand Prevot (France)0:06:55
17Corina Gantenbein (Switzerland)0:06:56
18Katarzyna Solus-Miskowicz (Poland)0:07:06
19Adelheid Morath (Germany)0:07:33
20Karla Stepanova (Czech Republic)0:08:27
21Peta Mullens (Australia)0:08:33
22Tanja Zakelj (Slovenia)0:08:45
23Raiza Goulao-Henrique (Brazil)0:09:44
24Barbara Benko (Hungary)0:10:09
25Elisabeth Osl (Austria)0:10:32
26Janka Keseg Stevkova (Slovakia)0:10:39
27Nataliia Krompets (Ukraine)0:10:54
28Esther Suss (Switzerland)0:11:15
29Sandra Walter (Canada)Row 28 - Cell 2
30Mary McConneloug (United States of America)0:11:16
31Serena Calvetti (Italy)0:11:20
32Rose Grant (United States of America)Row 31 - Cell 2
33Laura Lorenza Morfin Macouzet (Mexico)0:11:47
34Eva Lechner (Italy)0:11:58
35Lisa Rabensteiner (Italy)0:12:31
36Cindy Montambault (Canada)0:12:47
37Iryna Popova (Ukraine)0:13:13
38Jovana Crnogorac (Serbia)0:13:20
39Agustina Maria Apaza (Argentina)0:14:05
40Rebecca Beaumont (Canada)0:14:12
41Larissa Connors (United States of America)0:15:18
42Haley Smith (Canada)Row 41 - Cell 2
43Elisabeth Brandau (Germany)Row 42 - Cell 2
44Jitka Skarnitzlova (Czech Republic)Row 43 - Cell 2
45Githa Michiels (Belgium)Row 44 - Cell 2
46Ping Yao (People's Republic of China)Row 45 - Cell 2
47Lisa Mitterbauer (Austria)Row 46 - Cell 2
48Rebecca Henderson (Australia)Row 47 - Cell 2
49Michelle Vorster (Namibia)Row 48 - Cell 2
50Noga Korem (Israel)Row 49 - Cell 2
51Fabienne Schaus (Luxembourg)Row 50 - Cell 2
52Rocio Martin Rodriguez (Spain)Row 51 - Cell 2
53Mio Suemasa (Japan)Row 52 - Cell 2
54Kateryna Naberezhna (Ukraine)Row 53 - Cell 2
55Viviane Favery Costa (Brazil)Row 54 - Cell 2
DNFAnna Oberparleiter (Italy)Row 55 - Cell 2
DNFTereza Nemcova (Czech Republic)Row 56 - Cell 2
DNFAnne Terpstra (Netherlands)Row 57 - Cell 2
DNFHelen Grobert (Germany)Row 58 - Cell 2
DNFYana Belomoina (Ukraine)Row 59 - Cell 2
DNFGunn-Rita Dahle Flesjaa (Norway)Row 60 - Cell 2
DNSAlexandra Engen (Sweden)Row 61 - Cell 2

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