Ferrand-Prévot doubles up in Italy as Schurter takes 8th title
French rider dominates Val di Sole and World Cup titles for Keller and Schurter.
French riders Pauline Ferrand-Prévot and Titouan Carrod both doubled up to win the XCC and XCO races at the final UCI Mountain Bike Cross-Country World Cup round in Val di Sole, Italy, but the overall World Cup titles went to Swiss riders Alessandra Keller and now eight-time champion Nino Schurter. Here is all you need to know:
– Fresh from taking an historic XCC and XCO double at the 2022 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships at home in France the previous weekend, Ferrand-Prévot did the same once again in Val di Sole.
– Ferrand-Prévot just beat fellow countrywoman Loana Lecomte in a thrilling dead heat finish in Friday evening’s, but was in a class of her own in Sunday’s full XCO race.
– After dropping main rival Lecomte early in the race, Ferrand-Prévot rode away from the field at will and built a lead that stretched out to a huge 1m 27s by the finish to complete her second perfect weekend in a row and end the season in incredible style.
– Lecomte rode a lonely race behind Ferrand-Prévot to finish second, one minute clear of third placed Jolanda Neff, with Hayley Batten and Sina Frei completing the podium.
– The overall XCO World Cup title went to none of the podium finishers, but sixth place Alessandra Keller.
– The Swiss rider, who took her first XCO World Cup win earlier in the season in Snowshoe, started the race third in the overall standings behind Anne Terpstra and Rebecca McConnell.
– With Terpstra suffering from illness however, Keller saw her opportunity and rode a strong race to leapfrog both her rivals and snatch the overall title for the very first time, finishing on 1682 points to McConnell’s 1626 and Terpstra’s 1618.
– Winning the XCO overall title made Keller a double World Cup champion for 2022 , as she also secured the XCC series win with her third place in Friday night’s short-track race. A consistent podium finisher in the XCC races all year, she comfortably won the title over McConnell, with Jolanda Neff finishing third.
– Just like his compatriot Ferrand-Prévot, Titouan Carrod did the XCC and XCO double in the men’s events and claimed his second XCO win in a row after victory in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada, last month.
– After pipping new XCC World Cup overall winner Alan Hatherly of South Africa to the race win by four seconds in Val di Sole on Friday night, Carrod dominated the Olympic distance race on Sunday afternoon.
– At the front from the very first few turns, Carrod showed an unbeatable combination of sublime technical skill and endurance to dominate the field and ride away to a winning margin of 35s over Nino Schurter, who wrapped up an eighth overall World Cup series title with his second place finish
– Following his 10th World Championships title win the previous weekend in Les Gets, France, this latest overall World Cup title shows that the legendary Swiss champion had no intention of slowing down any time soon.
– Former world champion Jordan Sarrou scored his best result of the season with a third place in with Victor Koretzky and two-time race winner this year, Luca Braidot, competing the podium in the final race of the year.
Women’s XCO result
1. Pauline Ferrand-Prévot FRA 1h 20m 23s
2. Loana Lecomte FRA +1m 27s
3. Jolanda Neff SUI +2m 29s
4. Hayley Batten USA +3m 18s
5. Sina Frei SUI +5m 11s
Men’s XCO result
1. Titouan Carrod FRA 1h 22m 02s
2. Nino Schurter SUI +35s
3. Jordan Sarrou FRA +1m 08s
4. Vikctor Koretzky FRA +1m 27s
5. Luca Braidot ITA +1m 36s
2022 UCI MTB World Cup women’s cross-country standings
1. Alessandra Keller SUI 1682 points
2. Rebecca McConnell AUS 1626
3. Anne Terpstra NED 1618
4. Loana Lecomte FRA 1469
5. Mona Mitterwallner AUT 1461
2022 UCI MTB World Cup men’s cross-country standings
1. Nino Schurter SUI 1723 points
2. Titouan Carod FRA 1620
3. Luca Braidot ITA 1533
4. David Valero-Serrano ESP 1511
5. Alan Hatherly RSA 1475
