UCI MTB World Cup: Stigger grabs podium finish on home soil in Leogang
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Laura Stigger secured her second top three finish of the UCI MTB World Cup season but was unable to prevent Dutch ace Puck Pieterse from claiming the XCO victory, while in the men’s race Lars Forster showed a return to form as she stormed to victory.
In Friday’s XCC race, Pauline Ferrand-Prevot secured victory as she finished ahead of Pieterse, with Briton’s Evie Richards grabbing third just ahead of Anne Terpstra.
Two days later in the XCO race, Pieterse was clearly determined to ensure she didn’t finish as runner-up this time around as she stormed clear of the rest of the field by the end of lap 1.
Terpstra, Rissveds and Stigger all gave chase but by the end of the third lap the lead was increasing as Pieterse continued to charge and established a lead of more than 45 seconds.
With the final lap approaching, Jenny Rissveds and Mona Mitterwallner began working together to try and close the gap, but the former started to fade and it was left to the Austrian duo of Mitterwallner and Stigger to try and chase down the leader.
Both riders gave it their all, cheered on by home supporters, but Puck Pieterse stayed strong and won by 38 seconds, with Mitterwallner finishing well clear of Stigger in third.
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In Friday’s men’s XCC race, Frenchman Jordan Sarrou emerged victorious as he finished two seconds ahead of Luca Schwarzbauer, with Martin Blums a further one second back.
In the XCO race on Sunday, Germany’s Luca Schwarzbauer started strong and held a healthy advantage after two laps, with Pierre De Froidmont and Sarrou leading the chasing pack.
With one lap remaining, Schwarzbauer remained at the front, but he was now just one second clear of Ondrej Cink, with Lars Foster also pushing and moving to within two seconds of the leader.
As the leaders took on the final lap and tackled the brutal climb for the last time, it was Forster that built up a lead as he moved 15 seconds ahead, with Schwarzbauer and Cink having no answer to the Swiss rider.
Forster continued to extend his advantage, eventually claiming victory by an impressive 14-second margin over Schwarzbauer who took second and Cink claimed third.
UCI MTB World Cup women’s Leogang XCO result
1. Puck Pieterse NED 1:16:38
2. Mona Mitterwallner AUT +38
3. Laura Stigger AUT +56
4. Jenny Rissved SWE: +1:25
5. Loana Lecomte FRA +1:54
UCI MTB World Cup men’s Leogang XCO result
1. Lars Forster SUI 1:17:41
2. Luca Schwarzbauer GER +14
3. Ondrej Cink CZE +23
4. Alan Hatherly RSA +30
5. Mathias Flückiger SUI +44
UCI MTB World Cup women’s XCO standings
1. Puck Pieterse NED 781 points
2. Pauline Ferrand-Prévot FRA 640
3. Loana Lecomte FRA 630
4. Anne Terpstra NED 544
5. Alessandra Keller SUI 532
UCI MTB World Cup men’s XCO standings
1. Jordan Sarrou FRA 580 points
2. Nino Schurter SUI 565
3. Luca Schwarzbauer GER 548
4. Lars Foster SUI 534
5. Alan Hatherly RSA 516
