Rain had been forecast all week for Sunday's Mountain Bike World Cup in Albstadt, Germany, but the women lucked out, with only some sticky mud to contend with.
The women's race saw Jolanda Neff (Trek Factory) and world champion Kate Courtney (Scott-SRAM) drop the field early in the start loop, but by the end of the loop, it was all Courtney. The American, already in the World Cup leader's jersey after winning the Short Track on Friday, was untouchable, setting the fastest splits every lap as she rode away from the field, despite a crash. Neff dropped back to third with Anne Tauber (CST Sandd Bafang) moving into second, until she crashed on the third lap. Her team mate, Yana Belomoina moved ahead of Tauber into third, and was making time on Neff in second, but ran out of laps. Courtney's wins in both the XCC and XCO - the first of her career - solidified her lead in the standings, with 375 points to Neff's 300 and Tauber's 200.
"To win means everything," said Courtney. "Last year at the Worlds was a surprise and a sign that I could maybe make it to the top, but anyone can deliver at each of these races. So I'm happy to start the season with a strong ride. It was all about riding within myself and staying focussed and calm."
Full Results
| # | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kate Courtney (USA) | 1:26:03 | |
| 2 | Jolanda Neff (Swi) | 0:00:49 | |
| 3 | Yana Belomoina (Ukr) | 0:01:31 | |
| 4 | Anne Tauber (Ned) | 0:01:49 | |
| 5 | Anne Terpstra (Ned) | 0:02:20 | |
| 6 | Chloe Woodruff (USA) | 0:02:57 | |
| 7 | Elisabeth Brandau (Ger) | 0:03:00 | |
| 8 | Rebecca Ellen Mcconnell (Aus) | 0:03:10 | |
| 9 | Haley Smith (Can) | 0:03:16 | |
| 10 | Malene Degn (Den) | 0:03:29 | |
| 11 | Sina Frei (Swi) | 0:03:39 | |
| 12 | Catharine Pendrel (Can) | 0:04:02 | |
| 13 | Rocio Del Alba Garcia Martinez (Spa) | 0:04:14 | |
| 14 | Daniela Campuzano Chavez Peon (Mex) | 0:04:26 | |
| 15 | Githa Michiels (Bel) | 0:04:29 | |
| 16 | Ramona Forchini (Swi) | 0:05:15 | |
| 17 | Barbara Benkó (Hun) | 0:05:45 | |
| 18 | Candice Lill (RSA) | 0:05:58 | |
| 19 | Jitka Čábelická (Cze) | 0:06:00 | |
| 20 | Linda Indergand (Swi) | 0:06:03 | |
| 21 | Eva Lechner (Ita) | 0:06:19 | |
| 22 | Isla Short (GBr) | 0:06:24 | |
| 23 | Nadine Rieder (Ger) | 0:06:40 | |
| 24 | Aleksandra Podgorska (Pol) | 0:06:58 | |
| 25 | Kathrin Stirnemann (Swi) | 0:07:09 | |
| 26 | Tanja Žakelj (Slo) | 0:07:21 | |
| 27 | Lucie Urruty (Fra) | 0:07:38 | |
| 28 | Emily Batty (Can) | 0:07:44 | |
| 29 | Julie Bresset (Fra) | 0:07:56 | |
| 30 | Cherie Redecker (RSA) | 0:08:06 | |
| 31 | Jennifer Jackson (Can) | 0:08:14 | |
| 32 | Sandra Walter (Can) | 0:08:28 | |
| 33 | Janika Lõiv (Est) | 0:08:31 | |
| 34 | Chiara Teocchi (Ita) | 0:08:52 | |
| 35 | Sophie Von Berswordt (Ned) | 0:08:55 | |
| 36 | Adelheid Morath (Ger) | 0:08:56 | |
| 37 | Lena Gerault (Fra) | 0:09:17 | |
| 38 | Olga Terentyeva (Rus) | 0:10:23 | |
| 39 | Serena Calvetti (Ita) | 0:10:37 | |
| 40 | Perrine Clauzel (Fra) | 0:10:49 | |
| 41 | Hongfeng Li (Chn) | 0:11:04 | |
| 42 | Pauline Ferrand Prevot (Fra) | 0:11:08 | |
| 43 | Mariske Strauss (RSA) | 0:11:10 | |
| 44 | Lea Davison (USA) | 0:12:05 | |
| 45 | Hanna Klein (Ger) | 0:12:19 | |
| 46 | Irina Kalentyeva (Rus) | 0:13:35 | |
| 47 | Iryna Popova (Ukr) | 0:13:38 | |
| 48 | Nadja Heigl (Aut) | 0:14:51 | |
| 49 | Jovana Crnogorac (Srb) | ||
| 50 | Paula Gorycka (Pol) | ||
| 51 | Karla Štěpánová (Cze) | ||
| 52 | Linn Gustafzzon (Swe) | ||
| 53 | Janka Keseg Stevkova (Svk) | ||
| 54 | Chrystelle Baumann (Swi) | ||
| 55 | Bianwa Yao (Chn) | ||
| 56 | Lotte Koopmans (Ned) | ||
| 57 | Viktoria Smidth Knudsen (Den) | ||
| 58 | Cindy Montambault (Can) | ||
| 59 | Fabienne Schaus (Lux) | ||
| 60 | Rebecca Beaumont (Can) | ||
| 61 | Theresia Schwenk (Ger) | ||
| 62 | Janina Wüst (Swi) | ||
| 63 | Ellen Noble (USA) | ||
| 64 | Hana Ježková (Cze) | ||
| 65 | Wenjing Ren (Chn) | ||
| 66 | Faranak Partoazar (IRI) | ||
| 67 | Lejla Tanovic (BiH) | ||
| 68 | Lucie Veselá (Cze) | ||
| 69 | Jaqueline Mourao (Bra) | ||
| 70 | Alaina Casioppo (USA) | ||
| 71 | Tatsiana Soupel (Blr) | ||
| DNF | Sabrina Enaux (Fra) | ||
| DNF | Annie Last (GBr) | ||
| DNF | Natalia Fischer Egusquiza (Spa) | ||
| DNF | Katazina Sosna (Ltu) | ||
| DNF | Annika Langvad (Den) | ||
| DNS | Jenny Rissveds (Swe) |