Julien Absalon won a record 31st cross-country World Cup in La Bresse, France, on Sunday. The win took place before a partisan crowd on a course less than 20 minutes from his home. Adding to the joy of the spectators, French riders took the next two spots on the podium, with Maxime Marotte (BH-SR Suntour-KMC) taking second and his team mate Victor Koretzky third. World Cup leader Nino Schurter (Scott-Odlo) suffered two flats and had to settle for fourth.
The rain that had been forecast for race day came the night before, leaving the descent muddy but rideable. After a long climb out of town, riders faced a technical section traversing the top of the course before a long, switchback descent back to the finish, for a total of 4.2 kilometres.
Absalon, Schurter and Mathias Fluckiger (Stoeckli Pro Team) opened a gap on the first climb, with Marotte, Koretzky and Jaroslav Kulhavy (Specialized) leading the chase. Absalon and Schurter dropped Fluckiger on the next lap, and then Schurter suffered his first flat, allowing Absalon to solo at the front.
After a fast wheel change, Schurter was back into third, but on the fourth lap he suffered another flat, dashing any hopes of rejoining his rival. Meanwhile, Fluckiger was fading as Marotte and Koretzky were speeding up, pushed on by the cheers of the crowd. The top three was set, with Schurter recovering in the final two laps to move into fourth.
"It's incredible to win at home, but the pressure was really great," admitted Absalon. "It was really hard because it's important for me to go do a good race to thank all the spectators and all the guys who who work really hard during this last month [to build the course]. So, yes, I am really happy, and it will be one of the best moments in my career. Four years ago, in 2012 [when he also won here], it was a really great moment and also a really great moment today."
Schurter continues to lead the overall standings as the first half of the World Cup draws to a close, with 650 points. However, Absalon is now only 40 points back in second, with Marotte in third, another 50 points in arrears.
Full Results
| # | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Julien Absalon (Fra) BMC Mountainbike Racing Team | 1:26:38 |
| 2 | Maxime Marotte (Fra) BH-SR Suntour-KMC | 0:01:00 |
| 3 | Victor Koretzky (Fra) BH-SR Suntour-KMC | 0:01:24 |
| 4 | Nino Schurter (Swi) SCOTT ODLO MTB Racing Team | 0:01:42 |
| 5 | Jaroslav Kulhavy (Cze) Specialized Racing | 0:02:06 |
| 6 | Mathias Fluckiger (Swi) Stöckli Pro Team | 0:02:25 |
| 7 | Jordan Sarrou (Fra) BH-SR Suntour-KMC | 0:02:31 |
| 8 | Matthias Stirnemann (Swi) Moebel Maerki MTB Pro Team | 0:02:43 |
| 9 | Reto Indergand (Swi) BMC Mountainbike Racing Team | 0:03:09 |
| 10 | Luca Braidot (Ita) | 0:03:53 |
| 11 | Carlos Coloma Nicolas (Spa) MMR Factory Racing Team | 0:04:04 |
| 12 | Jhonnatan Botero Villegas (Col) | 0:04:09 |
| 13 | Manuel Fumic (Ger) Cannondale Factory Racing XC | 0:04:10 |
| 14 | Thomas Litscher (Swi) Multivan Merida Biking Team | 0:04:27 |
| 15 | Marco Aurelio Fontana (Ita) Cannondale Factory Racing XC | 0:04:38 |
| 16 | Anton Sintsov (Rus) JBG - 2 Professional MTB Team | 0:04:39 |
| 17 | Pablo Rodriguez Guede (Spa) MMR Factory Racing Team | 0:04:59 |
| 18 | Howard Grotts (USA) Specialized Racing | 0:05:06 |
| 19 | David Valero (Spa) MMR Factory Racing Team | 0:05:22 |
| 20 | Leandre Bouchard (Can) | 0:05:23 |
| 21 | Florian Vogel (Swi) Focus XC Team | Row 20 - Cell 2 |
| 22 | Martin Fanger (Swi) BMC Mountainbike Racing Team | 0:05:29 |
| 23 | Jose Antonio Hermida Ramos (Spa) Multivan Merida Biking Team | 0:05:46 |
| 24 | Daniel McConnell (Aus) Trek Factory Racing XC | 0:06:13 |
| 25 | Jan Skarnitzl (Cze) SRAM Mitas Trek | 0:06:32 |
| 26 | Stephen Ettinger (USA) | 0:06:43 |
| 27 | Lukas Fluckiger (Swi) BMC Mountainbike Racing Team | 0:06:48 |
| 28 | Fabian Giger (Swi) Kross Racing Team | 0:06:54 |
| 29 | Catriel Andres Soto (Arg) MMR Factory Racing Team | 0:07:03 |
| 30 | Karl Markt (Aut) Haibike Oetztal Pro Team | 0:07:10 |
| 31 | Ruben Scheire (Bel) Habitat Mountainbike Team | Row 30 - Cell 2 |
| 32 | Gerhard Kerschbaumer (Ita) Bianchi Countervail | 0:07:11 |
| 33 | Bartlomiej Wawak (Pol) Kross Racing Team | 0:07:12 |
| 34 | Raphael Gagne (Can) | 0:07:21 |
| 35 | Martin Loo (Est) | 0:07:22 |
| 36 | Rudi Van Houts (Ned) Cst Superior Brentjens Mountainbike Racing Team | 0:07:33 |
| 37 | Michiel Van Der Heijden (Ned) SCOTT ODLO MTB Racing Team | 0:07:39 |
| 38 | Luis Miranda Costa Mario (Por) | 0:07:45 |
| 39 | Martin Gujan (Swi) Wheeler Pro Team | 0:07:58 |
| 40 | James Reid (RSA) | 0:08:08 |
| 41 | Lars Forster (Swi) BMC Mountainbike Racing Team | 0:08:13 |
| 42 | Hector Riveros (Col) | 0:08:16 |
| 43 | Sergio Mantecon Gutierrez (Spa) Trek Factory Racing XC | 0:08:17 |
| 44 | Derek Zandstra (Can) Scott-3Rox Racing | 0:08:22 |
| 45 | Jan Nesvadba (Cze) Expres CZ-Merida Team Kolin | 0:08:36 |
| 46 | Andrea Tiberi (Ita) FRM Factory Racing Team | 0:08:44 |
| 47 | Kevin Van Hoovels (Bel) Versluys Team | 0:09:11 |
| 48 | Christian Pfaffle (Ger) | 0:09:15 |
| 49 | Emilien Barben (Swi) | 0:09:32 |
| 50 | Miguel Martinez (Fra) | 0:09:41 |
| 51 | Bart De Vocht (Bel) Versluys Team | 0:09:49 |
| 52 | Emil Lindgren (Swe) Serneke Allebike MTB Team | 0:09:53 |
| 53 | Alexander Gehbauer (Aut) | 0:10:12 |
| 54 | Fabio Hernando Castaneda Monsalve (Col) | 0:10:16 |
| 55 | Daniele Braidot (Ita) | 0:10:24 |
| 56 | Michele Casagrande (Ita) | 0:10:29 |
| 57 | Jeff Luyten (Bel) | 0:10:44 |
| 58 | Evan Mcneely (Can) | 0:10:47 |
| 59 | Hector Leonardo Paez Leon (Col) | 0:10:50 |
| 60 | Frank Beemer (Ned) Habitat Mountainbike Team | 0:11:00 |
| 61 | Geoff Kabush (Can) Scott-3Rox Racing | 0:11:06 |
| 62 | Maximilian Vieider (Ita) | 0:11:15 |
| 63 | Marcel Wildhaber (Swi) SCOTT ODLO MTB Racing Team | 0:11:23 |
| 64 | Cameron Ivory (Aus) | 0:11:40 |
| 65 | Shlomi Haimy (Isr) Novus OMX Pro Team | 0:11:54 |
| 66 | Henrique Avancini (Bra) Cannondale Factory Racing XC | 0:12:02 |
| 67 | Keegan Swenson (USA) | 0:12:16 |
| 68 | Rotem Ishay (Isr) | 0:12:20 |
| 69 | Spencer Paxson (USA) Kona Factory Team XC | 0:12:54 |
| 70 | Steffen Thum (Ger) Rose Vaujany Fueled By Ultrasports | 0:13:07 |
| 71 | Russell Finsterwald (USA) SRAM/TLD Racing | 0:13:37 |
| 72 | Michael Stunzi (Swi) | - 1 Lap |
| 73 | Phillip Pearce (GBr) | Row 72 - Cell 2 |
| 74 | Fabian Paumann (Swi) Wheeler Pro Team | Row 73 - Cell 2 |
| 75 | Moritz Milatz (Ger) | Row 74 - Cell 2 |
| 76 | Martin Gluth (Ger) Novus OMX Pro Team | Row 75 - Cell 2 |
| 77 | Kohei Yamamoto (Jpn) Trek Factory Racing XC | Row 76 - Cell 2 |
| 78 | Evan Guthrie (Can) | Row 77 - Cell 2 |
| 79 | Tomas Paprstka (Cze) Expres CZ-Merida Team Kolin | Row 78 - Cell 2 |
| 80 | Gregor Raggl (Aut) Haibike Oetztal Pro Team | Row 79 - Cell 2 |
| 81 | Maximilian Holz (Ger) | Row 80 - Cell 2 |
| 82 | Brendan Johnston (Aus) | Row 81 - Cell 2 |
| 83 | Pieter Geluykens (Bel) Focus Rotor G-Skin Racing Team | Row 82 - Cell 2 |
| 84 | Mirko Tabacchi (Ita) | Row 83 - Cell 2 |
| 85 | Florian Chenaux (Swi) | Row 84 - Cell 2 |
| 86 | Simon Gegenheimer (Ger) Rose Vaujany Fueled By Ultrasports | Row 85 - Cell 2 |
| 87 | Tobias Rotermund (Ger) | Row 86 - Cell 2 |
| 88 | Andrew L'esperance (Can) | Row 87 - Cell 2 |
| 89 | Diyer Rincon (Col) | Row 88 - Cell 2 |
| 90 | Lysander Kiesel (Ger) | - 2 Laps |
| 91 | Mathieu Van Der Poel (Ned) | Row 90 - Cell 2 |
| 92 | Thomas Sampson (USA) | Row 91 - Cell 2 |
| 93 | Zdenek Vobecky (Cze) | Row 92 - Cell 2 |
| 94 | Matthias Grick (Aut) | Row 93 - Cell 2 |
| 95 | Chris Baddick (GBr) | Row 94 - Cell 2 |
| 96 | Erik Groen (Ned) Stappenbelt Specialized MTB Team | Row 95 - Cell 2 |
| 97 | Jorgen Flion (Bel) | Row 96 - Cell 2 |
| 98 | Russell Nankervis (Aus) | Row 97 - Cell 2 |
| 99 | Louis Wolf (Ger) | Row 98 - Cell 2 |
| 100 | Jan Withaar (RSA) | Row 99 - Cell 2 |
| 101 | Tudor Oprea Ovidiu (Rom) | Row 100 - Cell 2 |
| 102 | Wolfram Kurschat (Ger) Koch Engineering / Muesing Racing Team | Row 101 - Cell 2 |
| 103 | Roger Jenny (Swi) | Row 102 - Cell 2 |
| 104 | Cristobal Silva Ibaceta (Chi) FRM Factory Racing Team | Row 103 - Cell 2 |
| 105 | Stuart Marais (RSA) | - 3 Laps |
| 106 | Zhen Wang (Chn) China Jiangsu ZGL MTB Team | Row 105 - Cell 2 |
| 107 | Maximilian Maier (Ger) | Row 106 - Cell 2 |
| 108 | Titouan Perrin Ganier (Fra) Focus Rotor G-Skin Racing Team | Row 107 - Cell 2 |
| 109 | Guy Diaz Grollier (And) | Row 108 - Cell 2 |
| 110 | Andras Parti (Hun) Waberer's Evopro MTB Team | Row 109 - Cell 2 |
| 111 | Nathan Byukusenge (Rwa) | Row 110 - Cell 2 |
| 112 | Lucian Logigan (Rom) | Row 111 - Cell 2 |
| 113 | Kirill Kazantsev (Kaz) Fastos Development Team | Row 112 - Cell 2 |
| 114 | Jan Schaer (Swi) | Row 113 - Cell 2 |
| 115 | Cristian Correa (Chi) | - 4 Laps |
| 116 | Jason Bouttell (GBr) | Row 115 - Cell 2 |
| DNF | Grant Ferguson (GBr) Cst Superior Brentjens Mountainbike Racing Team | Row 116 - Cell 2 |
| DNF | Hugo Drechou (Fra) Calvisson VTT | Row 117 - Cell 2 |
| DNF | Didier Bats (Bel) | Row 118 - Cell 2 |
| DNF | Ivan Seledkov (Rus) | Row 119 - Cell 2 |
| DNF | Luiz Cocuzzi (Bra) | Row 120 - Cell 2 |
| DNF | Stephane Tempier (Fra) Bianchi Countervail | Row 121 - Cell 2 |
| DNF | Andrea Righettini (Ita) | Row 122 - Cell 2 |
| DNF | Sascha Weber (Ger) | Row 123 - Cell 2 |
| DNF | Jens Schuermans (Bel) Versluys Team | Row 124 - Cell 2 |
| DNF | Ondrej Cink (Cze) Multivan Merida Biking Team | Row 125 - Cell 2 |
| DNF | Hans Becking (Ned) Cst Superior Brentjens Mountainbike Racing Team | Row 126 - Cell 2 |
| DNF | Nicola Rohrbach (Swi) | Row 127 - Cell 2 |
| DNF | Markus Schulte-Luenzum (Ger) Focus XC Team | Row 128 - Cell 2 |
| DNS | Anton Cooper (NZl) Cannondale Factory Racing XC | Row 129 - Cell 2 |
| DNS | Sebastien Carabin (Bel) Merida Wallonie MTB Team | Row 130 - Cell 2 |
| DNS | Marc Stutzmann (Swi) | Row 131 - Cell 2 |
| DNS | Sakari Lehtinen (Fin) | Row 132 - Cell 2 |
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