Pendrel races to her first world championship title

Catharine Pendrel won a gold medal for Canada at the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Champery, Switzerland, on Saturday afternoon. It the first world title of Pendrel's career and the first elite women's cross country title for Canada since Alison Sydor won in 1996. Maia Wloszczowska (Poland) finished second and Eva Lechner (Italy) was third.

"There have been a few years of me getting sixth and fourth, but I never before got a world championship medal," said an elated Pendrel. "I was so consistent on the World Cup circuit in recent years, and I've always wanted to put it together on the big day. Today that finally happened."

On the start loop which preceded six full laps, Pendrel and Wloszczowska raced at the front together. Twelve seconds back, Gunn Rita Dahle Flesjaa (Norway) and Lechner chased. Alexandra Engen (Sweden), Irina Kalentieva (Russia) and Nathalie Schneitter (Switzerland) led the rest.

By the end of lap 1, Pendrel and Wloszczowska were firmly established in the lead together, with a 30-second advantage over Lechner and 45 seconds over Kalentieva and Dahle-Flesjaa.  The two leaders appeared well matched and seemed to work together well.

Then, disaster struck on lap two for the defending world champion Wloszczowska. She flatted and Pendrel immediately pulled away.

"I got the flat tire on the longest downhill at the end of the lap," said Wloszczowska. "I finished the downhill riding my bike, and then I ran to the tech zone plus rode the flat a bit more. I'm happy that my crew made a good switch of the wheel and that I could get back in it and chase the others."

Wloszczowska got a fairly speedy wheel change, but it cost her 1:15 and a place as Lechner went past while she was in the pits. The Italian had moved ahead of Kalentieva while Dahle Flesjaa still chased in fifth

With one lap to go, Wloszczowska had powered her way back into second place and was just 36 seconds off Pendrel. The Polish rider looked strong and chased well, but Pendrel wasn't going to let go of her first chance to win the rainbow stripes.

"I was nervous knowing Maja was coming back for me," said Pendrel. "At the beginning of the race, I had realized we were riding equally. She was climbing exceptionally well. I tried to get the descent on that third lap, and that's when she flatted. I knew she could come back and was motivated."

The Canadian national champion crossed the line to add the title of world champion to her palmares. She finished in 1:46:14.

"In the days before the race, I had had an email from (former Luna teammate and past world champion) Alison Dunlap, and she said that at the Worlds, you have to race the last lap like it's a time trial. She won her Worlds by moving from third to first on her final lap. I don't know if a climb has ever hurt as badly as that last climb today."

Wloszczowska took silver 28 seconds later - she had made up some time, but it wasn't enough.

"It's ok to have silver. I'm happy with it," said Wloszczowska. "I feel like a winner today. I'm happy that Catharine won. I think somebody out there wanted me to have a flat tire because Catharine deserved the rainbow jersey like nobody else. I know I was strong to ride with her today, but it's life in sport. I'm glad I could get to the tech zone, get a wheel and still get on the podium. That was the greatest battle of my life today."  The Polish rider may not have won the Worlds for the second time, but she rode like a world champion nonetheless.

Lechner ended up with bronze. "Today I had all the luck I was missing last year. It was a big battle. I always believed in my chances and gritted my teeth and fought hard the whole time. People were having problems everywhere. I was strong here last year, but this is really something very special."

Kalentieva held on to fourth at 2:05. The former world champion declined to speak with Cyclingnews after the event.

Schneitter overtook Dahle Flesjaa for fifth place and finished at 3:27, 13 seconds in front of the Norwegian.

Schneitter said she was spurred on by the crowds, including her fan club. "I had problems at the start and never had a chance to fight for the medals, but I moved up to fifth. I felt good and this shows that I can prepare for a big race and do well, so it's a good sign for the Olympic race next year." It was her best result yet this season and the best Worlds result for the third-year elite racer.

Dahle Flesjaa was happy to end her season on such a high note. "Being top six at a world championship is good. Being looked at as a medal candidate for this race, I wouldn't have dreamed that at the beginning of the season. I could feel very early on that I was missing that extra two to three percent today, but I still fought until the end. The most important thing is to be in good health again and to feel strong on my bike again."

It was a good day for the North Americans with three Canadians and four Americans in the top 20. Behind winner Pendrel, Emily Batty (Canada) was eighth and Marie Helene Premont was ninth. The Americans brought home 10th, 11th, 15th and 20th with Lea Davison, Heather Irmiger, Mary McConneloug and Georgia Gould.

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Full Results
1Catharine Pendrel (Canada)1:46:14
2Maja Wloszczowska (Poland)0:00:28
3Eva Lechner (Italy)0:01:36
4Irina Kalentieva (Russian Federation)0:02:05
5Nathalie Schneitter (Switzerland)0:03:27
6Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjaa (Norway)0:03:50
7Rosara Joseph (New Zealand)0:04:24
8Emily Batty (Canada)0:04:35
9Marie-Helene Premont (Canada)0:05:01
10Lea Davison (United States of America)0:05:52
11Heather Irmiger (United States of America)0:06:22
12Alexandra Engen (Sweden)0:07:07
13Blaza Klemencic (Slovenia)0:07:31
14Katerina Nash (Czech Republic)0:08:02
15Mary McConneloug (United States of America)0:08:09
16Vera Andreeva (Russian Federation)0:08:23
17Sabine Spitz (Germany)0:08:46
18Elisabeth Osl (Austria)0:08:54
19Cécile Ravanel (France)0:09:28
20Georgia Gould (United States of America)0:09:39
21Aleksandra Dawidowicz (Poland)0:10:01
22Katrin Leumann (Switzerland)0:10:11
23Hanlen Karen (New Zealand)0:10:21
24Tanja Zakelj (Slovenia)0:10:37
25Sabrina Enaux (France)0:10:54
26Katarzyna Solus-Miskowiez (Poland)0:11:15
27Sarah Koba (Switzerland)0:11:47
28Rie Katayama (Japan)0:11:51
29Laura Metzler (France)0:12:08
30Jean Ann Berkenpas (Canada)Row 29 - Cell 2
31Catherine Vipond (Canada)0:13:09
32Magdalena Sadlecka (Poland)0:13:39
33Janka Stevkova (Slovakia)0:13:45
34Esther Süss (Switzerland)0:13:46
35Amanda Sin (Canada)0:14:23
36Elisabeth Brandau (Germany)0:15:00
37Marielle Saner-Guinchard (Switzerland)-1lap
38Nina Homovec (Slovenia)Row 37 - Cell 2
39Qinglan Shi (People's Republic of China)Row 38 - Cell 2
40Katherine Compton (United States of America)Row 39 - Cell 2
41Noelia Rodriguez (Argentina)Row 40 - Cell 2
42Judy Freeman (United States of America)Row 41 - Cell 2
43Adelheid Morath (Germany)-2laps
44Pavla Havlikova (Czech Republic)Row 43 - Cell 2
45Krista Park (United States of America)Row 44 - Cell 2
46Katherine O'shea (Australia)Row 45 - Cell 2
47Nataliya Krompets (Ukraine)Row 46 - Cell 2
48Annika Langvad (Denmark)Row 47 - Cell 2
49Rocio Gamonal Ferrera (Spain)Row 48 - Cell 2
50Anja Gradl (Germany)Row 49 - Cell 2
51Laura Lorenza Morfin Macouzet (Mexico)Row 50 - Cell 2
52Maaris Meier (Estonia)-3laps
53Lee Craigie (Great Britain)Row 52 - Cell 2
54Viviana Andrea Maya Tabares (Colombia)Row 53 - Cell 2
55Sandra Santanyes Murillo (Spain)Row 54 - Cell 2
56Roberta Kelly Stopa (Brazil)Row 55 - Cell 2
57Alexandra Gabriela Serrano Rodriguez (Ecuador)Row 56 - Cell 2
58Elisa Maria Garcia (Chile)Row 57 - Cell 2
59Yu Xin (People's Republic of China)Row 58 - Cell 2
60Gabriela Vargas (Chile)-4laps
DNSLene Byberg (Norway)Row 60 - Cell 2
DNSAnna Szafraniec (Poland)Row 61 - Cell 2
DNSAnna Villar Argente (Spain)Row 62 - Cell 2
DNSHanna Klein (Germany)Row 63 - Cell 2
DNSPavlina Sulcova (Czech Republic)Row 64 - Cell 2
DNSCarina Kirssi (Finland)Row 65 - Cell 2
DNSAnn Berglund (Sweden)Row 66 - Cell 2
DNSAndrea Kirsic (Croatia)Row 67 - Cell 2
DNSLiliana Alejandra Uzcategui Vasquez (Venezuela)Row 68 - Cell 2
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Teams
1Canada165pts
2United States of America147Row 1 - Cell 3
3Poland134Row 2 - Cell 3
4Switzerland129Row 3 - Cell 3
5France110Row 4 - Cell 3
6Slovenia108Row 5 - Cell 3
7Russian Federation102Row 6 - Cell 3
8New Zealand92Row 7 - Cell 3
9Germany87Row 8 - Cell 3
10Czech Republic64Row 9 - Cell 3
11Italy58Row 10 - Cell 3
12Norway55Row 11 - Cell 3
13Sweden49Row 12 - Cell 3
14Austria43Row 13 - Cell 3
15Japan33Row 14 - Cell 3
16Slovakia28Row 15 - Cell 3
17People’s Republic of China24Row 16 - Cell 3
18Argentina20Row 17 - Cell 3
19Spain18Row 18 - Cell 3
20Australia15Row 19 - Cell 3
21Ukraine14Row 20 - Cell 3
22Denmark13Row 21 - Cell 3
23Mexico10Row 22 - Cell 3
24Estonia9Row 23 - Cell 3
25Great Britain8Row 24 - Cell 3
26Colombia7Row 25 - Cell 3
27Brazil5Row 26 - Cell 3
28Ecuador4Row 27 - Cell 3
29Chile4Row 28 - Cell 3

 

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Sue George is an editor at Cyclingnews.  She coordinates all of the site's mountain bike race coverage and assists with the road, 'cross and track coverage.

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