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For the second time in as many weeks, the best cross-country mountain bikers have put on a show in Brazil. After the Cross-Country World Cup began in Mairiporã last weekend, the competition continued in Araxá over the weekend just gone.
You can find reports from the elite women’s and men’s Cross-Country Olympic (XCO) races right here on Escape – courtesy of writer Ryan Simonovich – but if you want to see what Sunday’s XCO races looked like, well, you’re in the right place.
Scroll or swipe on down the page to see Piper Albrecht’s photos from round 2 of the XCO World Cup, starting with the elite women’s race.
After winning last weekend, Jenny Rissveds was again at the fore on Sunday.Evie Richards was up there too.Richards would eventually finish the day in eighth.After winning the short-track race in Araxá, Haley Batten was one to watch in the XCO too.Canadian champ Jenn Jackson was very impressive early but struggled later in a technical section.Batten ended up in a duel with Rissveds but the American got separation on the final lap and rode away to take the win.Second for Rissveds after her win in Mairiporã a week earlier.US national champ Savilia Blunk made it a 1-3 for the USA.Pressure might be on Kate Courtney now to earn her spot for the USA at the Paris Olympics.Batten first (centre), Rissveds second (second from left), third for Blunk (second from right), fourth for Alessandra Keller (far left), and fifth for Anne Terpstra (far right).
And here’s how Piper saw the elite men’s race.
And they’re off, with Luca Schwarzbauer (#7) doing his regular holeshot thing.Sam Gaze has had a strong start to the World Cup season and looked good again on Sunday.Steep ramp, loose surface – many riders were forced from their bikes by the Araxá course (including Euro champ Vlad Dascalu, pictured here).Kiwi Ben Oliver negotiates a rocky descent on his way to 47th (after starting in 51st).Gaze put in a long effort to reel in lone leader Martin Vidaurre at one point.Victor Koretzky wore #1 after winning the XCC race earlier in the weekend.French champion Titouan Carod started the race in 12th but slipped back to 25th by day’s end.In the words of Ryan Simonovich: “Simon Andreassen was hardly in the picture until suddenly he was – at just the right moment.” After an ordinary start, the Dane made his way towards the front …… and took the lead very late before leading out the sprint. Fun fact from photographer Piper Albrecht: Andreassen had hairy legs on the day, something you don’t see often in elite MTBing.Andreassen first (center), Koretzky second (second from left), Alan Hatherly third (second from right), Filippo Colombo fourth (far left), and Jordan Sarrou rounding out the podium (far right).And so concludes the Cross-Country World Cup’s first visit to Brazil.
The next round of the Cross-Country World Cup will be held in Nové Město na Moravě, Czech Republic, on May 24-26.
