Just when the sport of mountain biking feels too mechanical and robotic, the inherent entropy of racing bicycles through grimy dirt and hard rocks gives us something to make our hearts pound. After so much technological innovation, it can be hard to fathom that a dropped chain is the X-factor that turns a simplistic solo ride into a mad dash from an underdog.
Simon Andreassen (Cannondale) was hardly in the picture until suddenly he was – at just the right moment.
A routine start in Araxá turned to drama in just a few seconds. Last week’s winner Christopher Blevins of Specialized snagged a course-tape pole and hit the deck. He sprung up, but twisted handlebars stalled him further and the dangerman began the first lap in dead last.
Up front, it was Mathias Flückiger (Thömus maxon) who set a furious pace the first lap, followed by Luca Schwarzbauer (Canyon), Sam Gaze (Alpecin), Charlie Aldridge (Cannondale), Jordan Sarrou (BMC), Victor Koretzky (Specialized), and Scott teammates Nino Schurter and Fillipo Colombo.
The Swissman may have gone out too hard though as he dropped back to an eventual 21st-place finish. However, it wasn’t long before Specialized’s Martin Vidaurre sent himself on a long-range attack, opening up a few seconds and then a few more, eventually garnering more than a 15s lead.
After a couple of laps with the Chilean off the front, Gaze put in a massive pull for the chase group, the New Zealander appearing more like a freight train than a Kiwi. He towed the likes of Schurter, Koretzky, Sarrou, Alan Hatherly (Cannondale), and Simone Avondetto (Wilier-Vittoria) back to Vidaurre.
Gaze then continued his aggression with a lap 5 attack, with Koretzky and Schurter looking the strongest behind him, but it wouldn’t stick. Andreassen found his way to the front after an average start too.
In the final laps, Koretzky hit the front and rode the roots section well. He kept his pace up and began opening a large gap in a solo bid for another win after claiming yesterday’s short track race.
Koretzky extended his lead into the double digits, but Colombo found his legs and began making his way back to the leader, taking Sarrou and Hatherly and the others, including Andreassen, with him. As they were closing in, Koretzky’s chain jumped off the chainring, and suddenly it was anybody’s race.
Colombo led as Koretzky sprinted back up after fixing his drivetrain. Danish Andreassen leapt past Colombo in a game of mid-air racecraft, taking the lead as the race came to a quick close. He led out the sprint, and Koretzky galloped beside him, but Andreassen had the best kick to take his first World Cup win since 2020.
Brief Analysis
- Blevins rode from dead last up to 22nd by the end of the race, showing his form and ability to overtake the majority of the field despite the poor circumstances.
- Andreassen has not been at the top of minds in recent years, but the Cannondale rider has finally found his legs again. And his riding skills and tattooed arm brings an accent of undeniable cool flair.
- Andreassen and his teammates Hatherly and Aldridge signaled to Specialized that they will bring some hard-fought battles to the track this year.
- Schurter was a bit off form last weekend, but he was mostly back to his recognizable self today.
- It feels inevitable that Gaze will pull something special together this season.
Results
| Place | Name | Country | Team | Age | Time | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ANDREASSEN S. | DEN | CANNONDALE | 27 | 01:20:00 | 250 |
| 2 | KORETZKY V. | FRA | SPECIALIZED | 30 | 01:20:01 | 200 |
| 3 | HATHERLY A. | RSA | CANNONDALE | 28 | 01:20:01 | 160 |
| 4 | COLOMBO F. | SUI | SCOTT-SRAM | 27 | 01:20:01 | 150 |
| 5 | SARROU J. | FRA | TEAM BMC | 32 | 01:20:10 | 140 |
| 6 | SCHURTER N. | SUI | SCOTT-SRAM | 38 | 01:20:23 | 130 |
| 7 | VIDAURRE K. O. | CHI | SPECIALIZED | 24 | 01:20:23 | 120 |
| 8 | GAZE S. | NZL | ALPECIN-DECEUNINCK | 29 | 01:20:35 | 110 |
| 9 | DASCALU V. | ROU | TREK FACTORY | 27 | 01:20:39 | 100 |
| 10 | AVONDETTO S. | ITA | WILIER-VITTORIA | 24 | 01:20:46 | 95 |
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