May 14/23 10:19 am - Pieterse & Pidcock Win First XCO World Cups of 2023
Posted by Editoress on 05/14/23
The first round of the 2023 XCO World Cup concluded on Sunday with the Elite races. Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) took his third consecutive win at Nove Mesto in the men's Elite race, while cyclo-cross pro Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck) won the women's competition in her first-ever World Cup mountain bike race.
The women raced in dry but cool and overcast conditions, while the men were hit with steady rain that made rocks and roots slippery.
Jenn Jackson
Jenn Jackson (Liv Factory) was the top Canadian woman, finishing 35th, while Gunnar Holmgren (Pivot OTE) was the top man, in 28th. Jackson rode consistently in the mid-30s in her race, with other Canadian women finishing 66th (Sandra Walter), 76th (Cindy Montambault) and 87th (Laurie Arseneault, Pittstop Racing).
"Done and dusted, for the women at least," said Jackson. "Done and rained for the men... Nothing special happened for me out there today, but it was a hard, extremely competitive race. I think I got stuck riding within myself more than with ambition, and lacked a bit of fight, because honestly I was a bit shell shocked by the pace relative to position. I know I'm riding well technically, but am going to take the next few weeks to try and sort out how I can have more confidence to get more out of my legs and head for the climbs."
In the men's race, Holmgren came back from getting caught up in traffic on the opening lap that saw him finish the start lap in 91st place. A number of top-20 lap splits - including the tenth fastest for the penultimate lap - moved him up steadily to a top-30 result. Other Canadian results were Sean Fincham (Berria Vittoria Factory) in 30th, Leandre Bouchard (Foresco Holding Proco RL) in 32nd, Peter Disera (Pivot OTE) 52nd, Quinton Disera (Pivot OTE) 71st, Tyler Orschel (Zerouno Factory) 77th, Raphael Auclair (Pivot OTE) 83rd and Victor Verreault (Foresco Holding Proco RL) 87th.
Gunnar Holmgren
"Today's theme was patience," said Holmgren. "I had a rough start loop and first lap but was able to get some open track after that. I was feeling strong and rode well up to 28th in the end. It was a proper battle out there and I'm glad to have put down another great performance."
In the women's race, Pieterse was one of the most dominant riders all race. Evie Richards (Trek Factory) attacked early in the race, followed by Pieterse and world champion Pauline Ferrand Prevot (Ineos Grenadiers). After Richards suffered a mechanical on Lap 4, it was only Pieterse and Ferrand Prevot left at the front, with Loana Lecomte (Canyon Collective) dangling less than 20 seconds behind. The two leaders looked evenly matched, but Ferrand Prevot suffered her own mechanical issues on the last lap, enabling Pieterse to win by five seconds. Lecomte hung on for third.
"I don't know how it happened," said Pieterse, "normally my start is really good, but we were going so fast that I thought I totally blew myself up. But it looked like the others did too! Then Pauline and I were going in front of each other and Evie had a flat or something. Suddenly I was racing for the front and I didn't know what to do, so I just tried to keep calm and it worked out."
The men's race saw usual fast starter Luca Schwarzbauer (Canyon Collective) go to the front with a small gap on the first lap. However, he was then joined by Pidcock, Joshua Dubau (Rockrider Ford), world champion Nino Schurter (Scott-SRAM), Sam Gaze (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Jordan Sarrou (Team BMC), Luca Braidot (Santa Cruz RockShox) and Mathias Fluckiger (Thomus Maxon). Pidcock then took over pace setting duties on Lap 2, with the group riding together until a bobble on the wet rocks of a technical climb opened a gap. Only Pidcock, Dubau and Schwarzbauer were in front of the mistake by Braidot that forced everyone behind off their bikes, and it proved to be the decisive mistake.
Tom Pidcock wins
L to r: Jordan Sarrou, Joshua Dubau, Thomas Pidcock, Nino Schurter, Thomas Griot
Pidcock set a punishing pace that only Dubau could follow, with Schwarzbauer falling back to the chasers. The chase came down to Schurter and Sarrou, but they could not get closer than 20 seconds to the two leaders. Pidcock slid out on a corner on Lap 5, allowing Dubau to open a11 second gap that the Olympic champion took a lap to close. Dubau continued to lead into the final lap and it looked like it might come down to a sprint after an initial attack by Pidcock failed. However, the Brit attacked again on the final rooty climb and opened a five second gap that he was able to hold to the finish line. Schurter outsprinted Sarrou for third.
"Today was a hard race, honestly," admitted Pidcock. "The conditions were super tricky; we haven't ridden at all in the rain [in training], so it was tricky. I think my tires were a bit hard and I was struggling a bit on the roots. When it [the crash] happens, I think it is important to take a minute and don't panic and reset. So I just came to the pits, got a bottle, took a drink and a gel, and then focussed on trying to get back to the front."
Results from the Elite races in Nove Mesto na Morave, Czechia
| Elite Women, 25.7 km ( start loop 2.6km+7x3.85km) | |
| 1 Puck Pieterse * (Ned) Alpecin-Deceuninck | 1:23:01 |
| 2 Pauline Ferrand Prevot (Fra) Ineos Grenadiers | at 0:05 |
| 3 Loana Lecomte (Fra) Canyon CLLCTV | 0:11 |
| 4 Evie Richards (GBr) Trek Factory Racing XC | 0:16 |
| 5 Alessandra Keller (Sui) Thömus Maxon | 0:38 |
| 6 Anne Terpstra (Ned) Ghost Factory Racing | 0:38 |
| 7 Caroline Bohé (Den) Ghost Factory Racing | 0:39 |
| 8 Rebecca Henderson (Aus) Primaflor Mondraker Genuins Racing Team | 0:56 |
| 9 Sina Frei (Sui) Specialized Factory Racing | 1:09 |
| 10 Martina Berta (Ita) Santa Cruz Rockshox Pro Team | 1:42 |
| 11 Haley Batten (USA) Specialized Factory Racing | 1:49 |
| 12 Mona Mitterwallner * (Aut) Cannondale Factory Racing | 1:50 |
| 13 Kate Courtney (USA) Scott-SRAM MTB Racing Team | 2:10 |
| 14 Jenny Rissveds (Swe) Team 31 Ibis Cycles Continental | 2:28 |
| 15 Jolanda Neff (Sui) Trek Factory Racing XC | 2:42 |
| 16 Linda Indergand (Sui) Liv Factory Racing | 2:55 |
| 17 Fem Van Empel * (Ned) | 2:55 |
| 18 Laura Stigger (Aut) Specialized Factory Racing | 3:05 |
| 19 Ramona Forchini (Sui) Jb Brunex Superior Factory Racing | 3:21 |
| 20 Anne Tauber (Ned) Orbea Factory Team | 3:24 |
| 21 Line Burquier * (Fra) Canyon CLLCTV | 3:32 |
| 22 Léna Gerault (Fra) Berria Vittoria Factory Team | 3:32 |
| 23 Nicole Koller (Sui) Ghost Factory Racing | 3:41 |
| 24 Chiara Teocchi (Ita) Ktm Protek Elettrosystem | 4:01 |
| 25 Candice Lill (RSA) | 4:03 |
| 26 Seraina Leugger (Sui) Bixs Performance Race Team | 4:25 |
| 27 Giada Specia (Ita) Wilier - Pirelli Factory Team XCO | 4:25 |
| 28 Gwendalyn Gibson (USA) Trek Factory Racing XC | 4:46 |
| 29 Janika Lõiv (Est) KMC MTB Racing Team | 4:48 |
| 30 Annie Last (GBr) Lapierre Mavic Unity | 4:59 |
| 31 Malene Degn (Den) Lapierre Mavic Unity | 5:14 |
| 32 Jitka Cábelická (Cze) Gapp System - Kolofix MTB Racing Team | 5:17 |
| 33 Leonie Daubermann (Ger) KTM Factory MTB Team | 5:23 |
| 34 Emeline Detilleux (Bel) Rockrider Ford Racing Team | 5:28 |
| 35 Jennifer Jackson (Can) Liv Factory Racing | 6:18 |
| 36 Lia Schrievers (Ger) | 6:21 |
| 37 Lotte Koopmans (Ned) KMC MTB Racing Team | 6:37 |
| 38 Savilia Blunk (USA) Rockrider Ford Racing Team | 6:38 |
| 39 Paula Gorycka (Pol) Strüby Sting | 6:38 |
| 40 Yana Belomoina (Ukr) KMC MTB Racing Team | 7:03 |
| 41 Steffi Häberlin (Sui) Team BMC | 7:16 |
| 42 Ronja Eibl (Ger) Alpecin-Deceuninck | 7:50 |
| 43 Aleksandra Podgorska (Pol) | 8:00 |
| 44 Rocio Del Alba Garcia Martinez (Esp) BH Coloma Team | 8:00 |
| 45 Nina Benz (Ger) Lexware Mountainbike Team | 8:21 |
| 46 Isla Short (GBr) Ghost Factory Racing | 8:32 |
| 47 Linn Gustafzzon (Swe) Team 31 Ibis Cycles Continental | 8:33 |
| 48 Theresia Schwenk (Ger) | 8:57 |
| 49 Chrystelle Baumann (Sui) | 8:58 |
| 50 Klaudia Czabok (Pol) | 9:01 |
| 51 Kelsey Urban (USA) Team 31 Ibis Cycles Continental | 9:17 |
| 52 Githa Michiels (Bel) | 9:20 |
| 53 Tina Züger (Sui) Team Pedale Simplon | 9:37 |
| 54 Greta Seiwald (Ita) Rockrider Ford Racing Team | 9:48 |
| 55 Hongfeng Li (Chn) | 10:00 |
| 56 Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado (Ned) | 10:06 |
| 57 Sophie Von Berswordt (Ned) Watersley R+D Offroad Team | 10:21 |
| 58 Tanja Zakelj (Slo) Gapp System - Kolofix MTB Racing Team | 10:43 |
| 59 Lucie Urruty (Fra) Berria Vittoria Factory Team | 10:54 |
| 60 Rae Hannah Otto (USA) | 10:54 |
| 61 Raiza Goulao Henrique (Bra) | 10:56 |
| 62 Barbora Prudková (Cze) | 11:14 |
| 63 Antonina Bialek (Pol) | -1 Lap |
| 64 Giorgia Marchet (Ita) Trinx Factory Team | -1 Lap |
| 65 Sara Öberg (Swe) | -1 Lap |
| 66 Sandra Walter (Can) | -1 Lap |
| 67 Ingrid Sofie Bøe Jacobsen (Nor) Massi | -1 Lap |
| 68 Karen Fernandes Olimpio (Bra) | -1 Lap |
| 69 Marie Dufosse (Fra) Team Superior Rafalsocks | -1 Lap |
| 70 Karla Ztepánová (Cze) | -1 Lap |
| 71 Isaure Medde (Fra) Lapierre Mavic Unity | -1 Lap |
| 72 Corina Druml (Aut) KTM Factory MTB Team | -1 Lap |
| 73 Jana Czeczinkarová (Cze) Berria Vittoria Factory Team | -1 Lap |
| 74 Rebekka Estermann (Sui) | -1 Lap |
| 75 Virág Buzsáki (Hun) Jb Brunex Superior Factory Racing | -1 Lap |
| 76 Cindy Montambault (Can) | -1 Lap |
| 77 Raquel Queirós (Por) Mmr Factory Racing Team | -1 Lap |
| 78 Nina Mosser (Aut) | -2 Laps |
| 79 Naama Noyman (Isr) | -2 Laps |
| 80 Mari-Liis Mõttus (Est) | -2 Laps |
| 81 Caixia Ma (Chn) | -2 Laps |
| 82 Natalia Fischer Egusquiza (Esp) BH Coloma Team | -2 Laps |
| 83 Gabriela Wojtyla (Pol) | -2 Laps |
| 84 Romana Carfora (Ned) | -2 Laps |
| 85 Hercilia Najara Ferreira De Souza (Bra) | -2 Laps |
| 86 Merili Sirvel (Est) | -2 Laps |
| 87 Laurie Arseneault (Can) Pittstop Racing Team | -2 Laps |
| 88 Erika Monserrath Rodriguez Suarez (Mex) Massi | -3 Laps |
| 89 Maria Sherstiuk (Ukr) | -3 Laps |
| 90 Britt Segers (Bel) | -3 Laps |
| 91 Mwangi Nancy Akinyi (Ken) | -4 Laps |
| DNF Vita Movrin (Slo) Trinx Factory Team | |
| DNS Regina Schmidel (Hun) | |
| *=U23 | |
| Elite Men, 29.55 km (start loop 2.6km+8x3.85km) | |
| 1 Thomas Pidcock (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers | 1:22:46 |
| 2 Joshua Dubau (Fra) Rockrider Ford Racing Team | at 0:05 |
| 3 Nino Schurter (Sui) Scott-SRAM MTB Racing Team | 0:23 |
| 4 Jordan Sarrou (Fra) Team BMC | 0:23 |
| 5 Thomas Griot (Fra) Canyon CLLCTV | 0:48 |
| 6 Luca Schwarzbauer (Ger) Canyon CLLCTV | 1:21 |
| 7 Mathias Flückiger (Sui) Thömus Maxon | 1:50 |
| 8 Lars Forster (Sui) Thömus Maxon | 1:59 |
| 9 Luca Braidot (Ita) Santa Cruz Rockshox Pro Team | 2:09 |
| 10 Alan Hatherly (RSA) Cannondale Factory Racing | 2:26 |
| 11 Vital Albin (Sui) Thömus Maxon | 2:35 |
| 12 Titouan Carod (Fra) Team BMC | 2:40 |
| 13 Simone Avondetto (Ita) Wilier - Pirelli Factory Team XCO | 2:46 |
| 14 Pierre De Froidmont (Bel) Orbea Factory Team | 2:48 |
| 15 Vlad Dascalu (Rou) Trek Factory Racing XC | 2:53 |
| 16 Cameron Orr (GBr) Wilier - Pirelli Factory Team XCO | 2:53 |
| 17 Maximilian Brandl (Ger) Lexware Mountainbike Team | 3:07 |
| 18 Anton Cooper (NZl) Trek Factory Racing XC | 3:13 |
| 19 Mathis Azzaro (Fra) Rockrider Ford Racing Team | 3:17 |
| 20 Jens Schuermans (Bel) Giant Factory Off-Road Team - XC | 3:30 |
| 21 Nadir Colledani (Ita) Santa Cruz Rockshox Pro Team | 3:36 |
| 22 Filippo Fontana (Ita) Cs Carabinieri - Cicli Olympia Vittoria | 3:46 |
| 23 Martins Blums (Lat) KMC MTB Racing Team | 3:51 |
| 24 Martin Vidaurre Kossmann (Chi) Specialized Factory Racing | 4:11 |
| 25 Marcel Guerrini (Sui) Bixs Performance Race Team | 4:28 |
| 26 Daniele Braidot (Ita) CS Carabinieri - Cicli Olympia Vittoria | 4:38 |
| 27 David Valero Serrano (Esp) BH Coloma Team | 4:41 |
| 28 Gunnar Holmgren (Can) Pivot Cycles - OTE | 4:42 |
| 29 Samuel Gaze (NZl) Alpecin-Deceuninck | 4:45 |
| 30 Sean Fincham (Can) Berria Vittoria Factory Team | 4:52 |
| 31 Christopher Blevins (USA) Specialized Factory Racing | 4:56 |
| 32 Leandre Bouchard (Can) Foresco Holding Proco Rl Pro Team | 4:56 |
| 33 Petter Fagerhaug (Nor) | 5:06 |
| 34 Alexandre Balmer (Sui) Giant Factory Off-Road Team - XC | 5:07 |
| 35 Juri Zanotti (Ita) Team BMC | 5:20 |
| 36 Luca Schätti (Sui) Bike Team Solothurn | 5:28 |
| 37 David Domingo Campos Motos (Esp) Orbea Factory Team | 5:29 |
| 38 Knut Røhme (Nor) | 5:30 |
| 39 Georg Egger (Ger) | 5:30 |
| 40 Andri Frischknecht (Sui) Scott-SRAM MTB Racing Team | 5:31 |
| 41 Fabio Spena (Sui) Team Pedale Simplon | 5:44 |
| 42 Joel Roth (Sui) Bixs Performance Race Team | 5:48 |
| 43 Henrique Da Silva Avancini (Bra) Caloi Henrique Avancini Racing | 5:50 |
| 44 Maximilian Foidl (Aut) KTM Factory MTB Team | 5:53 |
| 45 Simon Andreassen (Den) Cannondale Factory Racing | 5:54 |
| 46 Thomas Litscher (Sui) Lapierre Mavic Unity | 6:05 |
| 47 Krzysztof Lukasik (Pol) | 6:09 |
| 48 Maxime Marotte (Fra) Rockrider Ford Racing Team | 6:13 |
| 49 David Nordemann (Ned) KMC MTB Racing Team | 6:24 |
| 50 Nick Burki (Sui) Bike Team Solothurn | 6:32 |
| 51 David List (Ger) Lexware Mountainbike Team | 6:34 |
| 52 Peter Disera (Can) Pivot Cycles - OTE | 6:37 |
| 53 Leon Reinhard Kaiser (Ger) Team Bulls | 6:37 |
| 54 Simon Walter (Sui) | 6:50 |
| 55 Gregor Raggl (Aut) Jb Brunex Superior Factory Racing | 6:56 |
| 56 Jofre Cullell Estape (Esp) BH Coloma Team | 6:57 |
| 57 Filip Helta (Pol) | 6:59 |
| 58 Charlie Aldridge * (GBr) Cannondale Factory Racing | 7:14 |
| 59 Pablo Rodriguez Guede (Esp) BH Coloma Team | 7:20 |
| 60 Ursin Spescha (Sui) Ka Boom - Krapf | 7:20 |
| 61 Tomer Zaltsman (Isr) Jb Brunex Superior Factory Racing | 7:20 |
| 62 Christopher Dawson (Irl) | 7:35 |
| 63 Jan Zkarnitzl (Cze) Gapp System - Kolofix MTB Racing Team | 7:55 |
| 64 Mats Tubaas Glende (Nor) | 7:55 |
| 65 Loan Cheneval (Fra) Scott Creuse Oxygene Gueret | 7:56 |
| 66 Erik Hægstad (Nor) Lapierre Mavic Unity | 8:15 |
| 67 Sam Fox (Aus) | 8:15 |
| 68 Matej Prudek (Cze) | 8:16 |
| 69 Pawel Bernas (Pol) | 8:17 |
| 70 Julian Schelb (Ger) Stop&Go Marderabwehr MTB Team | 8:30 |
| 71 Quinton Disera (Can) Pivot Cycles - OTE | 8:57 |
| 72 Gil Ly Gonen (Isr) Teamisgav-Orbea | 9:20 |
| 73 Jan Vastl (Cze) Rouvy Specialized | 9:43 |
| 74 Michal Topor (Pol) | 10:12 |
| 75 Thibault Daniel (Fra) Creuse Mainsat Evaux | 10:48 |
| 76 Lukas Baum (Ger) | -1 Lap |
| 77 Tyler Orschel (Can) Zerouno Factory Racing | -1 Lap |
| 78 Sebastian Fini Carstensen (Den) Lapierre Mavic Unity | -1 Lap |
| 79 Cristofer Bosque Ruano (Esp) X-Sauce Factory Team | -1 Lap |
| 80 Lukás Kobes (Cze) Gapp System - Kolofix MTB Racing Team | -1 Lap |
| 81 Clement Horny (Bel) BH- Wallonie MTB Team | -1 Lap |
| 82 Matej Ulík (Svk) Expres CZ - Tufo Team Kolín | -1 Lap |
| 83 Raphael Auclair (Can) Pivot Cycles - OTE | -1 Lap |
| 84 Roberto Ferreira (Por) | -1 Lap |
| 85 Alex Bregenzer (Ger) | -1 Lap |
| 86 Valentin Remondet (Fra) Team Performance Cycling | -2 Laps |
| 87 Victor Verreault (Can) Foresco Holding Proco Rl Pro Team | -2 Laps |
| 88 Robert Hula (Cze) Expres CZ - Tufo Team Kolín | -2 Laps |
| 89 Ben Oliver (NZl) | -2 Laps |
| 90 Karol Ostaszewski (Pol) | -2 Laps |
| 91 Jose Gabriel Marques De Almeida (Bra) | -2 Laps |
| 92 Zsombor Palumby (Hun) | -2 Laps |
| 93 Joris Ryf (Sui) | -2 Laps |
| 94 Ulan Bastos Galinski (Bra) Caloi Henrique Avancini Racing | -2 Laps |
| 95 Jan Rajchart (Cze) | -2 Laps |
| 96 Jinwei Yuan (Chn) | -2 Laps |
| 97 Mirko Tabacchi (Ita) RDR Italia Factory Team | -2 Laps |
| 98 Catriel Soto (Arg) BH Coloma Team | -3 Laps |
| 99 Riki Kitabayashi (Jpn) | -3 Laps |
| 100 Silas Graf (Ger) | -3 Laps |
| 101 Hugo Boulanger (Fra) Team Vosges KTM | -3 Laps |
| 102 Samuel Shaw (NZl) | -3 Laps |
| 103 Micah Schmidt (Ger) | -3 Laps |
| 104 Liyun Chen (Chn) | -3 Laps |
| 105 Serdar Anil Depe (Tur) TB Performance Lab - Arc8 | -4 Laps |
| 106 Jiujiang Mi (Chn) | -4 Laps |
| 107 Sven Strähle (Ger) Cube Next Generation XC | -4 Laps |
| 108 Vincent Jonatan Beckmann (Ger) | -4 Laps |
| 109 Kirill Tarassov (Est) | -4 Laps |
| 110 Oleksandr Koniaiev (Ukr) | -4 Laps |
| 111 Mohammadreza Entezarioon (Ref) | -5 Laps |
| 112 Jose Manuel Meza Bucio (Mex) | -6 Laps |
| DNF Bartlomiej Wawak (Pol) KTM Factory MTB Team | |
| DNF Jose Gerardo Ulloa Arevalo (Mex) Massi | |
| DNF Milan Vader (Ned) | |
| DNF Antoine Philipp (Fra) Giant Factory Off-Road Team - XC | |
| DNF Alessio Agostinelli (Ita) Ktm Protek Elettrosystem | |
| DNF Maxime Loret (Fra) Massi | |
| DNF Arne Janssens (Bel) BH- Wallonie MTB Team | |
| DNF Luiz Henrique Cocuzzi (Bra) Sense Factory Racing | |
| DNF Rok Naglic (Slo) | |
| DNF Tobias Steinhart (Ger) | |
| DNS Ondrej Cink (Cze) Primaflor Mondraker Genuins Racing Team | |
| DNS Cameron Mason (GBr) Trinity Racing Mtb | |
| DNS Karl Markt (Aut) Jb Brunex Superior Factory Racing |
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