The cross country races at the World Cup final in Val di Sole, Italy, concluded with the junior challenge races. Coming just 10 days before the world championships, this event was well attended in the junior ranks, with numerous national teams participating.
The women's three-lap race was dominated, once again, by the Swiss champion Jolanda Neff, who rode clear of the rest of the 34-rider field on the first lap to win by over a minute. Johanna Techt (Germany) took second at 1:13, followed by her teammate Lena Putz. Canada had two riders in the race - national champion Frederique Trudel, who finished 17th, and Haley Smith, who was a lap down after suffering mechanical problems in the first lap.
Cyclingnews takes a deeper dive into the nasal strips you'll have seen plenty of pros wearing, what they promise and what they deliver in terms of improving breathing and performance on the bike
