Pendrel, Gould go one-two for Luna in Offenburg

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This season, every cross country race in the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup has seen a new winner and a new leader for the series. Round three, in Offenburg, Germany, was no different, with Catharine Pendrel (Luna) taking the women's victory, and the overall lead for the World Cup.

Pendrel became the first Canadian rider in three years to don the leader's jersey in the World Cup series. Pendrel dominated the women's race, leading her American teammate Georgia Gould for the first two laps of the five lap race before dropping her on the third to solo in for her first European World Cup win, and the third World Cup victory of her career.

Gould finished second, 28 seconds behind Pendrel. Esther Süss of Switzerland was third, and 2008 World Cup champion Marie-Hélène Premont (Team Maxxis-Rocky Mountain) put a second Canadian on the podium by finishing fourth. 2009 World Cup champion Elisabeth Osl (Central Ghost) took the final podium spot.

After Offenburg, Pendrel holds a 40-point lead over American Willow Koerber (Subaru-Gary Fisher) in the World Cup standings, with three events remaining.

"I knew that I had the form for this," confirmed Pendrel. "The first two World Cups, I had the strength, but I just didn't have the best races that I could have. Here, I had a bit of a poor start, but I was able to make my way up to Georgia by the end of the first lap, and we rode together for the first couple of laps. When I heard that some chasers were catching us, I decided that it was time to go."

Gould went straight to the front at the conclusion of the start loop, opening up a small gap on traditional fast starter Katrin Leumann. It took Pendrel most of the first lap to work her way up to Gould, but when she did, the Canadian champion immediately went to the front to drive the pace. Behind, U23 series leader Julie Bresset (BH-Suntour) and Süss took up the chase, managing to hold the gap to less than 30 seconds for the first two laps, until Pendrel upped the pace.

Koerber, who had been remarkably consistent through the first two race, with two second places, came up short in Offenburg, finishing back in 13th. "It was a day when I just didn't have anything. Some days, you just don't have it," she said. "I'm just glad I didn't get passed more than I did."

Mary McConneloug (Kenda - Seven - No Tubes) finished 10th, putting two Americans in the top-10.

Race notes

- A number of riders who had done well in the first two races struggled in Offenburg - Koerber, Irina Kalentieva (Topeak Ergon) and Marga Fullana (Massi) were a few. Some complained of "dead legs" or no power, and few admitted that they may have overtrained.

- The cross country series now takes a very long break - until late July. Most riders say that they will take a break, get a good training block in and then race national series races (plus national championships) before returning to the World Cup for the final three rounds prior to the Worlds in Mont Sainte Anne, Quebec.

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