Denmark's Annika Langvad (Specialized) proved that last year's world championship win in Nove Mesto, Czech Republic, was no fluke, with a dominating victory at the opening round of the Cross-country World Cup on Saturday.
Linda Indergand (Focus XC) took the lead through the start loop, but then Langvad accelerated by her as the race hit the climbs on the first lap.
"Yes, I attacked early," admitted Langvad, "but I was really not sure I could keep it. I just felt so good, so I thought 'OK, if I feel good now I might as well make it difficult for everyone else and just ride my own pace'."
Rio bronze medalist Catharine Pendrel (Clif Bar) moved into second and, while not catching Langvad, was dropping the rest of the chasers. However, the Canadian dropped her chain through the final rock garden of the lap and then flatted on a descent as she tried to chase back, putting her out of contention.
Sabine Spitz (Wiawis Bikes) moved into second with Indergand maintaining a lock on third. Yana Belomoina (CST Sandd American Eagle) briefly challenged Indergand for third with a lap to go, but then dropped back and had to battle Maja Wloszczowska (Kross Racing) for fourth, with Wloszczowska winning the sprint at the finish.
"I did not expect this at all," said Langvad. "Since September I have been very busy at university, full time finishing school [Dentistry]. I was in school this week until Wednesday when I flew out. Monday morning I'll be back at school in surgery. The last couple of weeks I swapped my training a bit because I didn't have time for a huge amount of endurance training, so I have been doing more short intense stuff."
Full Results
| # | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Annika Langvad (Den) Specialized Racing | 1:28:45 |
| 2 | Sabine Spitz (Ger) Wiawis Bikes Pro Team | 0:00:56 |
| 3 | Linda Indergand (Swi) Focus XC Team | 0:01:19 |
| 4 | Maja Wloszczowska (Pol) Kross Racing Team | 0:01:23 |
| 5 | Yana Belomoina (Ukr) Cst Sandd American Eagle MTB Racing Team | |
| 6 | Adelheid Morath (Ger) | 0:01:43 |
| 7 | Helen Grobert (Ger) Cannondale Factory Racing XC | 0:02:17 |
| 8 | Rebecca Henderson (Aus) | 0:02:29 |
| 9 | Barbara Benko (Hun) Focus XC Team | 0:02:39 |
| 10 | Annie Last (GBr) Omx Pro Team | 0:02:58 |
| 11 | Anne Tauber (Ned) Habitat Mountainbike Team | 0:03:12 |
| 12 | Tanja Zakelj (Slo) Unior Tools Team | 0:03:33 |
| 13 | Alexandra Engen (Swe) Ghost Factory Racing | 0:03:44 |
| 14 | Gunn Rita Dahle Flesja (Nor) Team Merida Gunn-Rita | 0:04:04 |
| 15 | Erin Huck (USA) Cannondale-3Rox Racing | 0:04:24 |
| 16 | Alessandra Keller (Swi) Radon Factory XC Team | 0:04:34 |
| 17 | Emily Batty (Can) Trek Factory Racing XC | 0:04:43 |
| 18 | Jolanda Neff (Swi) Kross Racing Team | 0:04:53 |
| 19 | Irina Kalentyeva (Rus) Moebel Maerki MTB Pro Team | 0:04:54 |
| 20 | Sabrina Enaux (Fra) | 0:05:26 |
| 21 | Catharine Pendrel (Can) Clif Pro Team | 0:05:42 |
| 22 | Eva Lechner (Ita) Clif Pro Team | |
| 23 | Anne Terpstra (Ned) Ghost Factory Racing | 0:05:54 |
| 24 | Githa Michiels (Bel) | 0:05:57 |
| 25 | Katarzyna Solus-Miskowicz (Pol) Volkswagen Samochody Uzytkowe MTB Team | 0:06:02 |
| 26 | Raiza Goulao-Henrique (Bra) Primaflor Mondraker | 0:06:10 |
| 27 | Aleksandra Podgorska (Pol) | |
| 28 | Haley Smith (Can) Norco Factory Team XC | 0:06:21 |
| 29 | Mariske Strauss (RSA) OMX Pro Team | 0:06:27 |
| 30 | Kathrin Stirnemann (Swi) Radon Factory XC Team | 0:06:32 |
| 31 | Lea Davison (USA) Clif Pro Team | 0:06:33 |
| 32 | Elisabeth Osl (Aut) Ghost Factory Racing | 0:07:25 |
| 33 | Chloe Woodruff (USA) Stan's-Pivot Pro Team | 0:07:35 |
| 34 | Daniela Campuzano Chavez Peon (Mex) BH-Srsuntour-KMC | 0:07:36 |
| 35 | Sandra Walter (Can) | |
| 36 | Serena Calvetti (Ita) | 0:08:22 |
| 37 | Cindy Montambault (Can) | 0:08:27 |
| 38 | Andrea Waldis (Swi) Clif Pro Team | 0:08:41 |
| 39 | Lisa Rabensteiner (Ita) Focus XC Team | 0:08:42 |
| 40 | Elisabeth Sveum (Nor) | |
| 41 | Jitka Skarnitzlova (Cze) | 0:09:11 |
| 42 | Guzel Akhmadullina (Rus) | 0:09:25 |
| 43 | Ekateryna Anoshina (Rus) | 0:09:27 |
| 44 | Hanna Klein (Ger) | 0:09:46 |
| 45 | Cherie Redecker (RSA) | 0:09:56 |
| 46 | Janka Keseg Stevkova (Svk) | 0:10:00 |
| 47 | Lisa Mitterbauer (Aut) BH-Srsuntour-KMC | |
| 48 | Margot Moschetti (Fra) Cst Sandd American Eagle MTB Racing Team | 0:10:16 |
| 49 | Catherine Fleury (Can) | 0:10:56 |
| 50 | Ramona Forchini (Swi) Strüby-Bixs Team | 0:11:19 |
| 51 | Pauline Ferrand Prevot (Fra) Canyon Factory Racing XC | 0:11:43 |
| 52 | Linn Gustafzzon (Swe) | 0:12:08 |
| 53 | Marine Groccia (Swi) | 0:12:21 |
| 54 | Agustina Maria Apaza (Arg) | 0:12:22 |
| 55 | Alice Pirard (Bel) Merida Wallonie MTB Team | 0:12:44 |
| 56 | Corina Gantenbein (Swi) Moebel Maerki MTB Pro Team | 0:13:04 |
| 57 | Paula Gorycka (Pol) Team Strüby-Bixs | 0:13:07 |
| 58 | Perrine Clauzel (Fra) Scott Creuse Oxygene Gueret | 0:13:11 |
| 59 | Hana Jezkova (Cze) | 0:13:33 |
| 60 | Karla Stepanova (Cze) | 0:14:03 |
| 61 | Yosiana Fareidy Quintero Pineda (Col) | 0:14:07 |
| 62 | Jessica Pellizzaro (Ita) | 0:14:36 |
| 63 | Lucie Vesela (Cze) | 0:15:01 |
| 64 | Nadine Rieder (Ger) | |
| 65 | Joana Monteiro (Por) Primaflor Mondraker | |
| 66 | Britt van den Boogert (Ned) | |
| 67 | Vendula Kuntova (Cze) | |
| 68 | Noora Karoliina Kanerva (Fin) | |
| 69 | Magdalena Sadlecka (Pol) | |
| 70 | Ingrid Richter (Ger) | |
| 71 | Jovana Crnogorac (Srb) Salcano Cappadocia Cycling Team | |
| 72 | Faranak Parto Azar (IRI) | |
| 73 | Elena Lloret Llinares (Spa) | |
| 74 | Sarah Riley (Aus) | |
| 75 | Evelyn Denisse Munoz Jaramillo (Chi) | |
| 76 | Kelly Bartlett (Aus) | |
| DNS | Katrin Leumann (Swi) | |
| DNS | Estelle Boudot Morel (Fra) | |
| DNS | Katrina Jaunslaviete (Lat) ZZK |
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