UCI Mountain Bike World Championships 2015: Elite Women XC Results

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Ferrand Prevot wins the 2015 UCI MTB XC World Championship (Image credit: Tour of Japan)

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World Champions (Image credit: Tour of Japan)

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Ferrand-Prevot takes the lead on the Red Zone climb (Image credit: Tour of Japan)

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Catharine Pendrel (Canada) (Image credit: Tour of Japan)

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Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjaa (Norway) and Maja Wloszczowska (Poland) (Image credit: Tour of Japan)

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Irina Kalentieva (Russian Federation) (Image credit: Tour of Japan)

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Blaza Klemencic (Slovenia) (Image credit: Tour of Japan)

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Daniela Campuzano (Mexico) (Image credit: Tour of Japan)

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Catharine Pendrel, Irina Kalentieva, Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjaa (Image credit: Tour of Japan)

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Emily Batty (Canada) (Image credit: Tour of Japan)

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Lea Davison (USA) (Image credit: Tour of Japan)

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The sprint for fourth (Image credit: Tour of Japan)

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Annie Last (Great Britain) (Image credit: Tour of Japan)

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Annika Langvad (Denmark) (Image credit: Tour of Japan)

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Jolanda Neff (Switzerland) (Image credit: Tour of Japan)

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Lea Davison (USA) at the front at start (Image credit: Tour of Japan)

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Pauline Ferrand Prevot (France) (Image credit: Tour of Japan)

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Rebecca Henderson (Australia) (Image credit: Tour of Japan)

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Eva Lechner (Italy) (Image credit: Tour of Japan)

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Former downhiller Mio Suemasa had no problems with the rock garden (Image credit: Tour of Japan)

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Maja Wloszczowska (Poland) (Image credit: Tour of Japan)

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Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjaa (Norway) (Image credit: Tour of Japan)

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Sabine Spitz (Germany) (Image credit: Tour of Japan)

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Medals for the top three at the 2015 UCI MTB XC World Championships (Image credit: Tour of Japan)

Pauline Ferrand-Prevot of France accomplished an incredible feat on Saturday in winning the Elite women's Cross-country world title in Vallnord, Andorra. The young rider now holds, concurrently, four world titles across three cycling disciplines: Team Relay and Cross-country in Mountain Bike, the Elite Road title and the Elite Cyclo-cross title.

After a week of rain, the skies finally cleared for the Elite races, however, the damage had been done, leaving the forested sections heavily soaked, muddy and treacherous. Almost every rider crashed at some point, and the women's race ran to nearly two hours - 20 minutes longer then normal.

World Cup champion Jolanda Neff (Switzerland), always a fast starter, jumped into the lead on the first climb, but the steep climbs, combined with almost 2000 metres of altitude, saw her fade quickly and drop out of contention.

Ferrand-Prevot and defending world champion Catharine Pendrel (Canada) moved to the front, initially joined by Yana Belomoina (Ukraine) and Maja Wloszczowska (Poland). When Ferrand-Prevot laid down a blistering second lap, she was away on her own, and would stay away until the finish line.

Pendrel moved into second, holding that spot until the end of the fourth lap, when she was joined by Wloszczowska, Irina Kalentyeva (Russia) and Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjaa (Norway), with Belomoina coming up quickly from behind. When Kalentyeva attacked, Pendrel tried to follow, but was fading, and caught by Belomoina in the sixth and final lap, leaving the Russian with the silver medal and the Ukrainian with bronze.

"Well, I gave it everything," stated Ferrand-Prevot. "With the altitude, the climb and the slippery downhill it was so hard. I really gave it everything because I wanted this title. I want to say a big thank you to French staff and French Federation because they believed in me and that was a really big help."

She was also asked if she would try track racing, and said with a laugh, "No, for sure not [on the velodrome]. I now have to concentrate to keep my world title on the Road. After I will try to be very good for the Olympics."

Results

#	Rider Name (Country) Team	Result
1	Pauline Ferrand Prevot (Fra)	1:52:44
2	Irina Kalentyeva (Rus)	0:00:58
3	Yana Belomoina (Ukr)	0:01:36
4	Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjaa (Nor)	0:02:15
5	Catharine Pendrel (Can)
6	Maja Wloszczowska (Pol)	0:02:52
7	Emily Batty (Can)	0:03:42
8	Sabine Spitz (Ger)	0:04:02
9	Jolanda Neff (Swi)	0:04:57
10	Lea Davison (USA)	0:05:14
11	Helen Grobert (Ger)	0:05:56
12	Daniela Campuzano (Mex)	0:06:14
13	Adelheid Morath (Ger)	0:07:14
14	Esther Süss (Swi)	0:07:27
15	Blaza Klemencic (Slo)	0:07:58
16	Annika Langvad (Den)	0:08:16
17	Githa Michiels (Bel)	0:08:45
18	Tanja Zakelj (Slo)	0:09:36
19	Nathalie Schneitter (Swi)	0:10:01
20	Anne Terpstra (Ned)	0:10:31
21	Annie Last (GBr)	0:10:36
22	Georgia Gould (USA)	0:10:49
23	Eva Lechner (Ita)	0:12:15
24	Lisa Mitterbauer (Aut)	0:12:27
25	Aleksandra Dawidowicz (Pol)	0:12:56
26	Julie Bresset (Fra)	0:13:13
27	Sandra Walter (Can)	0:14:20
28	Raiza Goulao-Henrique (Bra)	0:14:35
29	Ekateryna Anoshina (Rus)	0:14:53
30	Mary Mcconneloug (USA)	0:14:56
31	Rose Grant (USA)	0:15:28
32	Elisabeth Osl (Aut)	0:15:43
33	Serena Calvetti (Ita)	0:16:21
34	Iryna Popova (Ukr)	0:16:50
35	Nataliia Krompets (Ukr)	0:17:04
36	Kathrin Stirnemann (Swi)	0:17:20
37	Karla Stepanova (Cze)	0:17:29
38	Janka Keseg Stevkova (Svk)	0:17:37
39	Erin Huck (USA)
40	Anna Oberparleiter (Ita)
41	Kate Fluker (NZl)
42	Jovana Crnogorac (Srb)
43	Agustina Maria Apaza (Arg)
44	Mio Suemasa (Jpn)
45	Tereza Hurikova (Cze)
46	Anna Konovalova (Rus)
47	Rocio Martin Rodriguez (Spa)
48	Chloe Woodruff (USA)
49	Paula Gorycka (Pol)
50	Cherie Vale (RSA)
51	Barbara Benko (Hun)
52	Mariske Strauss (RSA)
53	Isabella Moreira Lacerda (Bra)
54	Rotem Gafinovitz (Isr)
55	Maaris Meier (Est)