American Courtney wins 2018 mountain bike world title

The final day of XCO competition in Lenzerheide, Switzerland, at the 2018 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships presented by Mercedes Benz, saw a first time elite world champion in Kate Courtney of the USA for the women's competition. Courtney, in her first year in the Elite ranks, is the fourth American woman to win the Elite title, and the first since Alison Dunlap in 2001.

The women's race began with an attack by 2016 world champion Annika Langvad of Denmark, who opened a gap on Courtney and Emily Batty of Canada. Langvad seemed to have the race under her control, with the 35 second gap on the two chasers by the end of the second lap. However, Courtney dropped Batty on the fourth lap and caught Langvad by the end of the lap after Langvad crashed. The Danish rider pulled away slightly on the next lap, but they were back together by the penultimate sixth lap, and Courtney dropped her rival in the technical sections on the final lap to win by 47 seconds. Batty hung on for third behind a fast closing Jolanda Neff of Switzerland.

"It's an absolute incredible feeling to win," said Courtney, 'I don't know if it's really sunk in yet. I was so focussed on executing my race plan, and to look up at the finish and realize that I was first was an incredible feeling. I just focussed on riding the cleanest lines I could, and I knew that was my opportunity."

Batty clearly went 'all in' on her race, and had to lie down after the finish, then be helped to the podium.

"I'm so proud," said Batty. "When I was racing, I knew that there was no way I was going to walk away without a medal. I found my limit; I've never gone as hard as today. that was my goal: to turn myself inside out, and leave it all out there. We [Batty and Courtney] did get a good gap from behind early in the race, and I just tried to hold that. I feel like I'm just starting to grow into my potential."

Full Results

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#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Kate Courtney (United States Of America)1:34:55
2Annika Langvad (Denmark)0:00:47
3Emily Batty (Canada)0:01:58
4Jolanda Neff (Switzerland)0:02:13
5Maja Wloszczowska (Poland)0:03:15
6Haley Smith (Canada)0:03:39
7Anne Tauber (Netherlands)0:04:08
8Elisabeth Brandau (Germany)0:04:20
9Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjaa (Norway)0:04:29
10Irina Kalentyeva (Russian Federation)0:04:47
11Githa Michiels (Belgium)0:04:52
12Erin Huck (United States Of America)0:05:05
13Linda Indergand (Switzerland)0:05:13
14Catharine Pendrel (Canada)0:05:57
15Daniela Campuzano Chavez Peon (Mexico)0:06:50
16Barbara Benkó (Hungary)0:06:55
17Katarzyna Solus-Miskowicz (Poland)0:06:56
18Jitka Škarnitzlová (Czech Republic)0:07:07
19Mariske Strauss (South Africa)0:07:09
20Annie Last (Great Britain)0:07:53
21Sandra Walter (Canada)0:07:58
22Jovana Crnogorac (Serbia)0:08:18
23Ramona Forchini (Switzerland)0:08:38
24Lea Davison (United States Of America)0:08:53
25Eva Lechner (Italy)0:09:15
26Julie Bresset (France)0:09:48
27Karla Štěpánová (Czech Republic)0:10:38
28Kathrin Stirnemann (Switzerland)0:12:14
29Raiza Goulao Henrique (Brazil)Lap
30Laura Valentina Abril Restrepo (Colombia)Row 29 - Cell 2
31Cindy Montambault (Canada)Row 30 - Cell 2
32Yosiana Fareidy Quintero Pineda (Colombia)Row 31 - Cell 2
33Sabrina Enaux (France)Row 32 - Cell 2
34Fabienne Schaus (Luxembourg)Row 33 - Cell 2
35Candice Lill (South Africa)Row 34 - Cell 2
36Jaqueline Mourao (Brasil)Row 35 - Cell 2
37Tanja Žakelj (Slovenia)Row 36 - Cell 2
38Elyse Nieuwold (Canada)Row 37 - Cell 2
39Iryna Popova (Ukraine)Row 38 - Cell 2
40Janika Lõiv (Estonia)Row 39 - Cell 2
41Agustina Maria Apaza (Argentina)Row 40 - Cell 2
42Catherine Fleury (Canada)Row 41 - Cell 2
43Holly Harris (Australia)Row 42 - Cell 2
44Michelle Vorster (Namibia)Row 43 - Cell 2
45Hana Ježková (Czech Republic)Row 44 - Cell 2
46Sofia Gomez Villafane (Argentina)Row 45 - Cell 2
47Claudia Galicia Cortina (Spain)Row 46 - Cell 2
48Cherie Redecker (South Africa)Row 47 - Cell 2
49Faranak Partoazar (Islamic Republic Of Iran)Row 48 - Cell 2
50Olga Terentyeva (Russian Federation)Row 49 - Cell 2
51Janka Keseg Stevkova (Slovakia)Row 50 - Cell 2
52Imogen Smith (Australia)Row 51 - Cell 2
53Evelyn Denisse Muñoz Jaramillo (Chile)Row 52 - Cell 2
54Kittika Silapat (Thailand)Row 53 - Cell 2
55Sarah Riley (Australia)Row 54 - Cell 2
56Maria Fernanda Castro Gonzalez (Chile)Row 55 - Cell 2
57Siriluck Warapiang (Thailand)Row 56 - Cell 2
58Nancy Akinyi (Kenya)Row 57 - Cell 2
DNFAleksandra Podgorska (Poland)Row 58 - Cell 2
DNFPauline Ferrand Prevot (France)Row 59 - Cell 2
DNFAndrea Waldis (Switzerland)Row 60 - Cell 2
DNFAdelheid Morath (Germany)Row 61 - Cell 2
DNFAnne Terpstra (Netherlands)Row 62 - Cell 2
DNFElisabeth Osl (Austria)Row 63 - Cell 2
DNSChloe Woodruff (United States Of America)Row 64 - Cell 2
DNSLinn Gustafzzon (Sweden)Row 65 - Cell 2
DNSPaula Gorycka (Poland)Row 66 - Cell 2

 

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