On the second day of the 2021 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships, it was gold for Sina Frei of Switzerland and Christopher Blevins of the USA as they claimed the first ever UCI World titles for cross-country Short Track (XCC) at Val di Sole. These moments in mountain biking history followed double success for France earlier in the day with victories in both the Junior cross-country Olympic(XCO) races. Here’s how the four races went...
A 61-strong field took to the start line in Val di Sole on Thursday morning to decide the Women Junior cross-country Olympic UCI World title. Line Burquier of France, fresh from her important role in winning the cross-country team relay on Wednesday, took her - and France’s - second rainbow jersey of the week, beating her compatriot Olivia Onesti into second place by 5 seconds. The 17-year-old came home in silver medal position just a second ahead of Italy’s inspired home rider Sara Cortinovis after a great battle, both of them having led the race during the last two laps.
It was another French rider, Tatiana Tournut (also part of the cross-country team relay sextet) who set the early pace, leading after the first of four full laps, but went on to finish in fourth position (+1:10), as the French team made an undeniable statement about strength in depth!
Switzerland’s Lea Huber was the only other rider to finish within 2 minutes of Burquier’s winning time of 58:29 as the young French woman celebrated her success in style.
Next up, 91 Junior Men hit the start loop before the four full laps of their cross-country Olympic race. Doubtlessly inspired by Burquier’s victory, and still glowing from his own role in the French team relay win, it was Adrien Boichis who secured a commanding victory to earn his country’s third rainbow jersey of the week.
The 18-year-old French rider took the win ahead of his Swiss rival Nils Aebersold and Camilo Andres Gomez of Colombia, who had stayed on the Swiss rider’s wheel until lap 3 when he pushed ahead into second. Ukraine’s Oleksandr Hudyma got a great start, hitting the holeshot, then held station in fourth, while the USA’s Brayden Johnson – who had helped set up his team’s silver medal the previous day – worked his way steadily through the field to cement 5th at the line, just ahead of Great Britain’s Corran Carrick-Anderson.
But it was the young Frenchman, wearing number 1, who looked every inch the highest ranked rider. He extended his lead to 49sec by the end of lap 2, then 1:16 after three laps before taking the win in a time of 59:29, more than a minute clear of Gomez, who maintained a gap over Aebersold throughout the second half of the race.
The first ever rainbow jersey for Elite cross-country Short Track (XCC) was awarded to Switzerland’s Sina Frei in a thrilling race that ended with a photo finish.
Of the 35 starters XCO Olympic Champion Jolanda Neff (SUI) took the holeshot from home rider Eva Lechner (ITA), with Tokyo 2020 bronze medalist Linda Indergand (SUI), Evie Richards (GBR) and Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (FRA) completing the first of seven 0.95km laps in 2:50 as a group. Double 2020 XCC UCI World Cup winner Richards and UCI World Championship podium finisher Rebecca McConnell (AUS) pushed the pace, thinning the group to six.
On the penultimate lap, XCO UCI World Champion Ferrand-Prevot (FRA) moved up to the shoulder of the Briton then attacked, followed by Tokyo silver medalist Sina Frei, the first of three Swiss chasers.
As Neff slipped coming into the last lap, former Under-23 XCO UCI World Champion Frei attacked up the hill, pulling a gap over Richards on the descent. The blast down the final straight ended with Frei just holding off the British challenger and the French rider 1 second back in third.
The first ever UCI World Champion for Elite Men cross-country Short Track is Christopher Blevins, who won the eight-lap race in a time of 19:30, beating Henrique Avancini and Max Brandl into second and third in a hard-fought race with a gripping finale!
After 39 riders representing 18 countries scorched off the line, the pace settled in contrast to the breathless pace of the women’s race. After the first lap Alan Hatherly (RSA) – the first ever UCI E-Mountain Bike World Champion in 2019 – led and by lap 3 the top five ran together with double XCC World Cup winner Sam Gaze (NZL), Bathlomiej Wawak (POL), one of the favourites, Henrique Avancini (BRA) and Anton Cooper (NZL).
By half distance Avancini – who sprinted to win a UCI World Cup XCO race in Nové Město, Czech Republic in 2020 – took the lead before Ondrej Cink (CZE) pushed ahead, forcing a lead over Gaze and Blevins as Maximillian Brandl (GER) and Hatherly rejoined the party.
On lap 7, Brandl put in a huge attack on the climb, pulling a 7-sec gap over the four chasers going into the final 0.95km loop. The Brazilian worked hard to reel in the German as the American made contact with half a lap remaining… and it was Blevins who managed his race best to save enough energy for the sprint.
“This is the sweetest race ever!” said Blevins. “It’s incredible to win this one. We’ve wanted rainbow stripes for the men for a long time… it’s a special honour.”
The 2021 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships continues on Friday with E-Mountain Bike cross-country (E-MTB) and four-cross (4X), followed on Saturday with cross-country Olympic (XCO) and downhill (DHI) on Sunday.