Perrine Clauzel (BH-Suntour-KMC) was visibly satisfied with her second place finish in the under 23 women's cross country in Pietermaritzburg(Image credit: Darren Goddard / Gameplan Media)
Under 23 women's cross country ninth place finisher Candice Neethling (Velo Life/BMC-SA) celebrates with boyfriend, under 23 men's cross country fourth place finisher James Reid (Trek Racing SA)(Image credit: Darren Goddard / Gameplan Media)
The race is underway...(Image credit: Tour of Japan)
Perrine Clauzel (BH-Suntour-KMC)(Image credit: Tour of Japan)
Lisa Rabensteiner (Focus XC Italy Team)(Image credit: Tour of Japan)
Perrine Clauzel, Jenny Rissveds, Lisa Rabensteiner(Image credit: Tour of Japan)
Focus XC Italy Team's Lisa Rabensteiner claimed third place in the under 23 women's cross country (Image credit: Darren Goddard / Gameplan Media)
Jenny Rissveds of Scott Odlo MTB Racing Team was in a class of her own in the under-23 women's cross country race in Pietermaritzburg(Image credit: Darren Goddard / Gameplan Media)
The under 23 women's race was a no contest with Scott-Odlo MTB Racing team rider Jenny Rissveds producing a near flawless performance as she claimed victory by 36 seconds and her first ever World Cup cross country triumph.
"It feels amazing to have won!" said the 19-year-old Swede. "It is my first World Cup cross country win, and so I'm really happy!"
Conditions were brutal throughout the clash and, despite being the first race of the day out the blocks, temperatures were already uncomfortable midway through the clash.
"It was a tough race because it was really hot and I'm very relieved we started at 9 o'clock in the morning!" said Rissveds.
"The first lap was really tough and then I tried to keep focused and cool down a bit for two laps before accelerating a bit again on the last lap.
"I made a big mistake in the rock garden on the last lap. I didn't crash but I had to get off my bike and run down the whole rock garden but other than that I had a great race and didn't make a mistake."
The rejigged Cascades MTB Park cross country course has been well-received by the vast majority of riders and Rissveds echoed this sentiment having spent many hours out on course in training beforehand.
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"I tried a lot of different lines in training, especially in the new rock garden, which I think helped me today. I like the new course, it's tough, technical and fast.
"It was hard to keep pushing. During the middle laps I heard that the girls were catching me a little and that was tough to hear but I just looked to stay focused and keep positive and just keep pushing to the finish," an elated Rissveds said.
The race took a dramatic turn towards the back end of the encounter after third ranked rider Jovana Crnogorac (Salcano Alanya) crashed twice during her opening lap and ending her charge for the win.
Fourth place finisher Helen Grobert (Focus XC Team) then made a costly error in the Tree House rock garden on the second to last lap, losing valuable seconds and allowing a charging Perrine Clauzel (BH-Suntour-KMC) to leapfrog both Grobert and third place finisher Lisa Rabensteiner (Focus XC Italy) to claim second place while South Africa's Candice Neethling (Velo Life/BMC-SA) finished ninth.
Shortly after the conclusion of their female counterparts it was the turn of the under 23 men and as the mercury continued to rise there was no respite for the young men.
Full Results
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Under 23 women
#
Rider Name (Country) Team
Result
1
Jenny Rissveds (Swe) Scott-Odlo MTB Racing Team
1:21:30
2
Perrine Clauzel (Fra) BH-Suntour-KMC
0:00:36
3
Lisa Rabensteiner (Ita) Focus XC Italy Team
0:00:40
4
Helen Grobert (Ger) Focus XC Team
0:01:25
5
Lisa Mitterbauer (Aut) Feenstra Felt Pb Kenda Bike Team
0:02:57
6
Jovana Crnogorac (Srb) Salcano Alanya
0:05:12
7
Ingrid Boe Jacobsen (Nor) Sepura XC Superior
0:06:20
8
Nadezhda Antonova (Rus)
0:06:21
9
Candice Neethling (RSA)
0:07:19
10
Kristina Kirillova (Rus)
0:08:00
11
Vera Adrian (Nam)
0:16:05
12
Ashleigh Moffatt (RSA)
0:18:37
DNS
Yana Belomoina (Ukr) Betch.Nl Superior Brentjens MTB Racing Team
Row 12 - Cell 2
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Under 23 women World Cup standings after round 1
#
Rider Name (Country) Team
Result
Header Cell - Column 3
1
Jenny Rissveds (Swe) Scott-Odlo MTB Racing Team
90
pts
2
Perrine Clauzel (Fra) BH-Suntour-KMC
70
Row 1 - Cell 3
3
Lisa Rabensteiner (Ita) Focus XC Italy Team
60
Row 2 - Cell 3
4
Helen Grobert (Ger) Focus XC Team
50
Row 3 - Cell 3
5
Lisa Mitterbauer (Aut) Feenstra Felt Pb Kenda Bike Team
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