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Kate Courtney (USA) Scott-SRAM MTB Racing wins (Image credit: Rob Jones)

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Start of the women's race in Nove Mesto na Morave, Czech Republic (Image credit: Rob Jones)

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Podium: l to r - Sina Frei, Rebecca McConnell , Kate Courtney, Haley Smith, Malene Degn (Image credit: Rob Jones)

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Second place for Rebecca McConnell (Aus) Primaflor Mondraker Rotor (Image credit: Rob Jones)

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Rebecca McConnell (Aus) Primaflor Mondraker Rotor (Image credit: Rob Jones)

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Anne Tauber (Ned) Cst Sandd Bafang MTB Racing Team being hunted down by Kate Courtney (USA) Scott-SRAM MTB Racin (Image credit: Rob Jones)

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Kate Courtney (USA) Scott-SRAM MTB Racing on a mission (Image credit: Rob Jones)

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Rio Olympic gold medalist Jenny Rissveds (Swe) returns to racing after a 2 year absence (Image credit: Rob Jones)

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Rebecca McConnell (Aus) Primaflor Mondraker Rotor and Sina Frei (Sui) Ghost Factory Racing (Image credit: Rob Jones)

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Kate Courtney (USA) Scott-SRAM MTB Racing (Image credit: Rob Jones)

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Kate Courtney (USA) Scott-SRAM MTB Racing and Sina Frei (Sui) Ghost Factory Racing (Image credit: Rob Jones)

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Lea Davison (USA) (Image credit: Rob Jones)

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Haley Smith (Can) Norco Factory Team and Malene Degn (Den) KMC-Ekoi-Orbea (Image credit: Rob Jones)

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Great ride for Rebecca McConnell (Aus) Primaflor Mondraker Rotor (Image credit: Rob Jones)

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Kate Courtney (USA) Scott-SRAM MTB Racing chased back after a flat (Image credit: Rob Jones)

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Anne Tauber (Ned) Cst Sandd Bafang MTB Racing Team took the lead (Image credit: Rob Jones)

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Jolanda Neff (Sui) Trek Factory Racing XC went out fast (Image credit: Rob Jones)

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World champion Kate Courtney (Scott-SRAM) took her second straight victory in the Mountain Bike World Cup on Sunday, at Nove Mesto, Czech Republic. Unlike the first round, a week earlier in Albstadt, Germany, when Courtney rode away from the field, this time she had to battle her way back to the front after having been dropped with a flat tire.

Anne Tauber (CST Sandd Bafang) attacked on the opening lap to take the lead, with Courtney, Jolanda Neff (Trek Factory), Rebecca McConnell (Primaflor Mondraker) and Sina Frei (Ghost Factory) chasing. Tauber was joined by Neff, while Courtney fell back to fourth by the second lap after flatting.

She worked her way back up to join Neff on Lap 4 and then went on a solo chase, joining and dropping Tauber on the last lap, after the Dutch rider crashed multiple times, bending her derailleur. McConnell moved up to take second, while Haley Smith (Norco Factory) had the fastest lap of the day to move from sixth to third. Courtney solidified her lead in the overall standings with 700 points, followed by Neff at 490 and Chloe Woodruff (Team USA) at 385.

"I think I started a little hard," said Courtney, "and when I had my flat it was tough mentally. But I was able to reset and focus on my own pace. It took every ounce of what I had, so I'm pretty happy."

Brief Results

#	Rider Name (Country) Team	Result
1	Kate Courtney (USA)	1:27:31
2	Rebecca Ellen McConnel (Aus)	0:00:36
3	Haley Smith (Can)	0:00:42
4	Sina Frei (Sui)	0:00:45
5	Malene Degn (Den)	0:01:33
6	Linda Indergand (Sui)	0:01:34
7	Anne Terpstra (Ned)	0:02:01
8	Jolanda Neff (Sui)	0:02:13
9	Pauline Ferrand Prevot (Fra)	0:02:26
10	Anne Tauber (Ned)	0:02:38