McConnell retains World Cup lead for women while Flückiger moves to top spot for men
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Women's cross-country short track podium in Lenzerheide (L to R): Alessandra Keller in second, winner Jenny Rissveds and third-placed Jolanda Neff(Image credit: UCI/ Christian Egelmaier/Verein Bike Weltcup)
Men's cross-country short track race in Lenzerheide came down to a sprint won by Flippo Colombo of Switzerland, shown here in front of Mathia Flückiger(Image credit: UCI/Christian Egelmaier/Verein Bike Weltcup)
Jenny Rissveds won the fifth stop of the Short Track (XCC) series in Lenzerheide, Switzerland on Friday. The Swede held off the strong Swiss duo of Alessandra Keller and Jolanda Neff in picture-perfect conditions in Switzerland, which was held on a one-kilometre course around the Bike Arena.
“Lenzerheide is quite similar to Sweden. Many roots. I like that. I didn't really have a strategy, but found I was the fastest through the root passages, so I just went for it," Rissveds said after the UCI MTB World Cup victory, her third podium of the year in short track.
On the third lap, the leading group consisted of 18 riders. With the field led by Rissveds, Neff, Loana Lecomte (France), Caroline Bohé (Denmark), Sina Frei (Switzerland) and Ramona Forchini (Italy).
Rissveds took the lead with an acceleration on lap 6, chased by a quartet of riders - Neff, Keller, Lecomte and Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (France). On the final lap the two Swiss worked to reduce the distance to the solo leader, but could not close the gap at the end. Keller and Neff earned podium spots, followed by Ferrand-Prévot and then defending World Cup champion Lecomte. Overall World Cup leader Rebecca McConnell was 11th.
“Second place here is pretty cool for me. I finally made it to the top 3 on the World Cup podium in front of my home crowd,” Keller said. “Lenzerheide is a special place for me. The Swiss crowd is fantastic, they're screaming your name and they're really pushing you forward. Jenny drove away and we tried to catch up with her. In the end it was a great duel between Jolanda and me."
Colombo outsprints World Cup leader Flückiger for win
Filippo Colombo (Switzerland) won his first World Cup race on Friday, holding off defending World Cup champion Mathias Flückiger in the men's Short Track (XCC) series in Lenzerheide. Alan Hatherly edged Nino Schurter at the line to secure third and keep the Swiss contingent from a podium sweep.
“I didn't have the perfect start, missed a pedal step and lost a lot of places in the first 50 meters, but then I was able to overtake fairly easily in the first few laps," Colombo said.
"When Hatherly charged and tried to shake me off, I was able to follow. Mathias then attacked and I was able to follow again. On the last lap it was quite difficult to stay in front. But I knew that I was fast in the sprint and I used that to my advantage and won."
World Cup leader Luca Schwarzbauer (Germany) was the first to launch an attack in the men's race on the 1km track around the Bike Arena. While the large field began to fall apart, Flückiger then surged to the front and was followed by four others - Schurter, Colombo, Hatherly and Luca Braidot (Italy).
Colombo worked his way onto the final lap and used a seering sprint on the pavement for his first World Cup victory. Schwarzbauer finished seventh, and passed the leader's jersey to Flückiger.
"It's an overwhelming feeling to have the Leader Jersey. That's pretty cool and surprising at the same time. I'm proud, it was a tough final sprint. I'm happy with my performance and looking forward to Sunday. The altitude training definitely paid off," said Flückiger
Jackie has been involved in professional sports for more than 30 years in news reporting, sports marketing and public relations. She founded Peloton Sports in 1998, a sports marketing and public relations agency, which managed projects for Tour de Georgia, Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah and USA Cycling. She also founded Bike Alpharetta Inc, a Georgia non-profit to promote safe cycling. She is proud to have worked in professional baseball for six years - from selling advertising to pulling the tarp for several minor league teams. She has climbed l'Alpe d'Huez three times (not fast). Her favorite road and gravel rides are around horse farms in north Georgia (USA) and around lavender fields in Provence (France), and some mtb rides in Park City, Utah (USA).
