During the Elite Women’s racing Loana Lecomte showed her strength from the off never leaving the leading group of riders. Loana was met with plenty of challenges through the race as she battled with Anne Terpstra, Pauline Ferrand Prevot, Alessandra Keller and more through the six laps. The deciding moment in the French rider’s race came with a final lap attack up the first climb building a massive lead against World Champion Pauline Ferrand Prevot. From here on Loana would hold a lead of around 18 seconds all the way to the line. Pauline Ferrand Prevot would feel the effects of trying to keep with Loana Lecomte as she would fall back to fourth place being passed by Anne Terpstra and Alessandra Keller in the final lap.
Nino Schurter was the clear rider to beat as he finally broke the World Cup win record of Julien Absalon taking his 34th win at his home race in Lenzerheide. Nino was looking sharp from the start as he spent the initial laps figuring out the competition and testing their strength. The fourth lap saw a small mistake from the riders following Nino allowing him and Mathias Flückiger to build a strong lead. From this point, the World Champ never looked back extending his lead to around thirty seconds heading into the final lap. With a large lead into the last lap, Nino could take things steady as he soaked in the wild Swiss crowd on his way to a huge moment for cycling as he further shows he is truly unmatched in XC racing.
Following his record-breaking win Nino Schurter said: “There is definitely no better place than here. Yeah, that took me a long time for this 34th win, but it’s insane. Back home I was really looking forward to this race, to race one last time in Lenzerheide it was already quite emotional. To know that this is probably going to be my last race here and I wanted really to give it my all and hopefully get this win here.”
It’s worth adding here that there is no sign Nino is retiring anytime soon, but the World Cup is not returning to Lenzerheide for at least the next two years.
Check out the results and how the racing unfolded below.
Results:
Elite Women
1st. Loana Lecomte: 1:24:41
2nd. Anne Terpstra: 1:24:59
3rd. Alessandra Keller: 1:25:13
4th. Pauline Ferrand Prevot: 1:25:20
5th. Puck Pieterse: 1:25:35
Elite Men
1st. Nino Schurter: 1:24:04
2nd. Alan Hatherly: 1:24:19
3rd. Jordan Sarrou: 1:24:20
4th. Thomas Griot: 1:24:20
5th. David Valero Serrano: 1:24:44
4:00 am PDT: The Elite Women are Off
The Elites are off the line with Puck Pieterse leading into a shortened start loop.
4:02 am PDT: Sina Frei Moves to the Front
As the riders head up the first climb it’s Sina Frei who takes control of the pace at the front with Puck Pieterse and Martina Berta close behind.
4:07 am PDT: Sina Frei Leads as the Only Swiss Rider Inside the Top 10
Despite the strongest field of riders Sina Frei is the only Swiss inside the top ten on the start loop so far. Sina leads with Jenny Rissveds 2nd, Loana Lecomte 3rd, Martina Verta 4th and Puck Pieterse 5th.
4:09 am PDT: Jenny Rissveds Almost Loses Control Over the Rock Roll
Jenny Rissveds almost crashes as she has to plant a foot over the awkward rock roll feature.
4:14 am PDT: Loana Lecomte Leads After the Start Loop
After the start loop Loana Lecomte leads a group of seven riders featuring Jenny Rissveds, Sina Frei, Puck Pieterse, Martina Berta, Evie Richards and Pauline Ferrand Prevot. Kate Courtney leads the chasing group in 8th.
4:15 am PDT: Pauline Ferrand Prevot Closes the Gap to Lecomte
Loana Lecomte is keeping the pace high at the front and as a gap begins to form Pauline Ferrand Prevot stands up on the pedals to catch the breakaway.
4:28 am PDT: The Top Riders After Lap Two
After the first full lap and the start loop the leading riders are:
1st. Loana Lecomte: 27:17
2nd. Alessandra Keller: +0
3rd. Pauline Ferrand Prevot: +0
4th. Jenny Rissveds: +1
5th. Puck Pieterse: +1
6th. Anne Terpstra: +2
7th. Evie Richards: +4
8th. Martina Berta: +4
9th. Anne Tauber: +5
4:30 am PDT: Alessandra Keller Takes the Lead After the First Climb of Lap Three
Alessandra Keller has picked up the pace as she leads into the first section of singletrack with Puck Pieterse and Loana Lecomte on her back wheel.
4:34 am PDT: The Speed is Picking Up at the Front
Alessandra Keller is heating things up at the front as she picks up the pace to try and separate the front group of riders. Currently, only Loana Lecomte, Pauline Ferrand Prevot, Puck Pieterse and Anne Terpstra are sticking with her.
4:43 am PDT: The Top Riders After Lap Three
After the second full lap and the start loop the leading riders are:
1st. Alessandra Keller: 41:42
2nd. Loana Lecomte: +0
3rd. Pauline Ferrand Prevot: +1
4th. Anne Terpstra: +1
5th. Puck Pieterse: +1
4:50 am PDT: Anne Terpstra Takes the Lead
Anne Terpstra is now leading with Loana Lecomte and Pauline Ferrand Prevot as a group at the front of the race. Alessandra Keller sits three seconds back in 4th with Puck Pieterse nine seconds back.
4:56 am PDT: The Top Riders After Lap Four
After the third full lap and the start loop the leading riders are:
1st. Loana Lecomte: 56:10
2nd. Pauline Ferrand Prevot: +0
3rd. Alessandra Keller: +0
4th. Anne Terpstra: +1
5th. Puck Pieterse: +7
4:58 am PDT: Puck Pieterse is Closing in on the Leaders
Puck Pieterse looks to be closing the gap to the leading four riders as just in the last part of the previous lap she found over two seconds. The gap sits at seven seconds.
5:06 am PDT: Pauline Ferrand Prevot & Loana Lecomte Break Off from the Leading Group
Pauline Ferrand Prevot and Loana Lecomte have upped the pace as we near the final lap building a nine-second gap to third-placed Anne Terpstra.
5:09 am PDT: Pauline Ferrand Prevot Tries to Slow the Pace
Pauline Ferrand Prevot almost comes to a complete stop as she seems to try to slow the pace. Loana Lecomte quickly takes back the lead as she ups the speed once again.
5:11 am PDT: The Top Riders into the Final Lap
Going into the final lap the leading riders are:
1st. Loana Lecomte: 1:10:27
2nd. Pauline Ferrand Prevot: +0
3rd. Anne Terpstra: +5
4th. Alessandra Keller: +10
5th. Puck Pieterse: +28
5:14 am PDT: Loana Lecomte Attacks Up the Tarmac Climb
Loana Lecomte has used her strength on the climbs to build an 18-second gap on the first climb of the last lap. The big climb is very early in the lap but Pauline Ferrand Prevot and Anne Terpstra are struggling to keep up.
5:24 am PDT: Loana Lecomte Keeps her Lead
Loana Lecomte has kept her 18-second lead as Anne Terpstra tries to catch from 2nd place. Pauline Ferrand Prevot is struggling and could lose 3rd place to Alessandra Keller.
5:25 am PDT: Back-to-Back Wins in Lenzerheide for Loana Lecomte
After an incredible performance Loana Lecomte backs up her win here last year.
6:32 am PDT: The Elite Men’s Race is Underway
The final race of the weekend is off as Jordan Sarrou and Luca Schwarzbauer fly off the line.
6:34 am PDT: Nino Schurter Goes Straight to the Front
Nino Schurter means business today as he makes his way from a little way back at the start after the XCC race all the way to 2nd place behind Luca Schwarzbauer.
6:36 am PDT: It’s Raining in Lenzerheide
The predicted rain is starting to fall on course. As the course is so dry this may not change much but it could make the large number of roots on the course spicier for the riders.
6:40 am PDT: Luca Schwarzbauer Puts the Power Down on the Start Loop
There is still plenty of racing left but Luca Schwarzbauer is going hard on the start lap as he continues to lead the race. Nino Schurter had tried to make a move to the front but he almost lost the front wheel over the now slippery rock roll.
6:42 am PDT: Luca Schwarzbauer leads the Start Loop
Going into the first full lap it is Luca Schwarzbauer who continues to lead with a big group of riders closely behind.
6:43 am PDT: Nino Schurter Pushes Hard Up the First Climb
As riders get their first taste of the big initial climb on the first lap it is Nino Schurter who leads and pushes a big gear to try and split up the riders at the front.
6:51 am PDT: Nino Schurter is Putting the Power Down Again in the Second Part of Lap One
Nino Schurter is looking like the rider to beat today as he continues to keep the pace high at the front of the race. So far the attacks aren’t changing too much as there is a group of six leading the race.
6:54 am PDT: The Top Five Riders After Lap Two
After the first full lap and the start loop the leading five riders are:
1st. Nino Schurter: 23:04
2nd. Vital Albin: +1
3rd. Jordan Sarrou: +1
4th. Luca Schwarzbauer: +1
5th. Mathias Flückiger: +1
6:57 am PDT: Jordan Sarrou Takes the Lead into the Technical Downhill Section
Jordan Sarrou has decided to take control of the pace as he passes Nino Schurter to lead into the first downhill of lap three.
7:02 am PDT: It’s Now Four Riders at the Front
As the pace remains high it is Jordan Sarrou, Nino Schurter, Mathias Flückiger and Daniele Braidot leading the race. Alan Hatherly is just off the front five seconds back.
7:06 am PDT: The Top Five Riders After Lap Three
After the second full lap and the start loop the leading five riders are:
1st. Jordan Sarrou: 35:24
2nd. Nino Schurter: +0
3rd. Mathias Flückiger: +0
4th. Danielle Braidot: +1
5th. Alan Hatherly: +3
7:07 am PDT: Nino Schurter Leads Again up the Tarmac Climb
Nino Schurter doesn’t seem happy about the chasing group closing in as he puts the power down on the first climb of the lap.
7:09 am PDT: A Big Mistake at the Front
A mistake heading into the first off-road climb has stalled Jordan Sarrou, Alan Hatherly and Daniele Braidot leaving just the two Swiss riders of Nino Schurter and Mathias Flückiger at the front. Let’s hope there isn’t a repeat of last year’s incident.
7:12 am PDT: Nino Schurter Pull Away from the Leading Rider
Nino Schurter has built a seven-second gap out of nowhere. Interestingly Mathis Flückiger has dropped back to fifth somewhere in the last section.
7:15 am PDT: Jordan Sarrou is Pushing Hard but the Gap is Still Growing
Jordan Sarrou is trying to catch Nino Schurter but the gap continues to grow to nine seconds. Jordan is the only rider within 14 seconds of Nino.
7:18 am PDT: The Top Six Riders After Lap Four
After the third full lap and the start loop the leading six riders are:
1st. Nino Schurter: 47:27
2nd. Jordan Sarrou: +7
3rd. Alan Hatherly: +14
4th. Danielle Braidot: +14
5th. Sam Gaze: +21
6th. Mathias Flückiger: +22
7:26 am PDT: The Gap has Doubled at the Front
The distance between Nino Schurter and Jordan Sarrou doubled during lap five as it extended from seven seconds to 15. The margin to the chasing group led by Sam Gaze has also risen from 14 to 24 seconds.
7:30 am PDT: The Top Six Riders After Lap Five
After the fourth full lap and the start loop the leading six riders are:
1st. Nino Schurter: 59:34
2nd. Jordan Sarrou: +19
3rd. Sam Gaze: +32
4th. Alan Hatherly: +32
5th. Danielle Braidot: +33
6th. Thomas Griot: +33
7:43 am PDT: The Top Six Riders Going into the Final Lap
As Nino Schurter starts the last lap on his way to a potential record-breaking 34th World Cup win the top six riders are:
1st. Nino Schurter: 1:11:43
2nd. Jordan Sarrou: +29
3rd. Alan Hatherly: +36
4th. Thomas Griot: +37
5th. David Valero Serrano: +44
6th. Danielle Braidot: +45
7:46 am PDT: Thomas Griot Battles Jordan Sarrou for 2nd
Thomas Griot has ridden his way to the front of the way making his way up the rankings to 3rd. As the riders tackle the final lap it is a fight between Griot and Sarrou for the 2nd place position.
7:49 am PDT: Alan Hatherly Joins the Fight for 2nd
Not wanting to let the 2nd and 3rd spots go to Jordan Sarrou and Thomas Griot, Alan Hatherly has picked up the pace to make it a three-way battle for the 2nd place position.
7:54 am PDT: Nino Schurter Breaks Records in Lenzerheide!
Nino Schurter further cements himself as one of the greatest riders of all time as he breaks the World Cup wins record with a 34th victory.
Elite Women
Elite Men
Elite Women
Elite Men
