Photo Epic: Comebacks & Upsets - Lenzerheide World Cup XC 2019
Photo Epic presented by Topeak
Just when we thought that XC racing couldn't get any more exciting, today happened. It's one of those days that will be remembered for a long time. It was a day of epic comebacks and incredible upsets. When Jenny Rissveds returned to World Cup racing after a two-year absence, it was anyone's guess what kind of form she would be in. After missing Albstadt due to illness, Jenny made her way from the back of the field to the front, in what has been an astonishing comeback. Each step closer, Jenny seemed shocked by the result. After a podium in Andorra, and again in Val di Sole, it all came together today here in Switzerland. Jenny Rissveds, U23 World Champion and Olympic Champion, rode her way back to the top step of the podium in dramatic fashion, as only a champion does. Anne Terpstra took second, and Pauline Ferrand Prevot took third in the Elite Women.
While Nino Schurter has had a bit of a roller coaster of a season, frequently foiled by the Dutch Destroyer, Mathieu van der Poel, it was widely thought he could take the win here. Nino should have had the advantage at altitude on home soil but in the end, MVDP would once again walk away with a win. This time in Nino's house. Mathias Flueckiger would take third in what has been an incredible season for the young Swiss. So now we roll on to World Championships, and the question has to be asked, with Mathieu van der Poel absent, will the rainbow stripes be a bit of a hollow victory for Nino? Time will only tell.
Ronja Eibl firing up the engines.
Haley Batten ready to race.
Riders ready.
U23 women off to a roaring start.
Haley Batten came out swinging. She lead the race for two laps and would take third.
Martina Berta stepped on the gas and rode away.
Ronja Eibl has been dominant this season, but today wasn't her day. She finished second.
Martina Berta takes the win in the U23 Women's race.
Haley Batten put in a hell of an effort today.
A hard day at the office for Evie Richards.
Martina Berta's winning Torpado.
Martina Berta, Ronja Eibl, and Haley Batten. Women's U23 Winners.
Jolanda Neff was the home favorite, but today it wasn't meant to be.
Pauline had the confidence of the last win in VDS and Friday's short track behind her.
Jenny Rissveds warming up before heading into battle.
Rissveds leads the women off the line.
Jolanda Neff had a bit of bad luck with a rear flat and would finish eighth.
Anne Terpstra made a run for the win and was in touch at several points. She settled for second after being overtaken by Rissveds with 1.5 laps to go.
Catherine Pendrel had a come back of her own today taking fifth place.
Jenny Rissveds got out in front when the others were starting to crack and never looked back.
Pauline was out in front, but the brutal course took its toll lap after lap. She would finish third in the end.
Sina Frei on her way to fourth place. The first-year elite has been on a tear.
An elated Rissveds crosses the line.
Jenny left nothing out on the track.
Kate Courtney hugs Lea Davison after a hard race.
The winning steed of Jenny Rissveds.
In her short time back on the World Cup circuit, Jenny Rissveds has staged the comeback of the decade.
Jenny Rissveds, Anne Terpstra, Pauline Ferrand Prevot, Sina Frei, and Catharine Pendrel. Your elite women's podium.
U23 Men's start.
Christopher Blevins had a good start with the lead group until being dropped before the final lap.
Filippo Colombo all charged up.
Series leader, Vlad Dascalu, knows today will be anything but easy.
Max Brandl dialing in. He just couldn't find the pace today.
Jofre Cullell Estape eying up the start line. He'll have his work cut out for him today.
Dascalu ahead immediately while the pace set in. He'd eventually go back and forth with Colombo only to lose on a sprint finish.
Simon Andreassen is almost back to form and he showed us today before a mechanical held him back
Filippo Colombo had a great ride and battle with Dascalu. He'd keep his composure and win after a big race on the finish straight.
Lots of stones and roots hidden in the grass that love feeding on wheels.
At first glance, it did not seem that Jofre Cullell Estape would pull a podium performance until he'd claw back lap after lap and into third.
Colombo victorious after a big sprint with Dascalu.
Hard work payed off well for Colombo.
Dascalu absolutely drained out.
No easy task as bodies lay everywhere trying to recover.
Colombo's weapon.
Filippo Colombo, Vlad Dascalu, and Jofre Cullell Estape for U23 Men.
Van der Poel ready to get it all started.
Victor Koretzky all called up and ready.
Men's Elite start.
Mathieu van der Poel added to his already amazing season today. He was battling right at the front from the very beginning of the race with Nino Schurter and did not let up, even after a few attempted attacks.
Nino Schurter had to play both defense and offense today. He may have pulled ahead shortly but never convincingly. Second on the day for him.
Gerhard Kerschbaumer rolling off the drop above the dual slalom section for the final spot on the podium.
Koretzky grinding out the grassy climb around back. He fought hard for that fourth place finish.
Mathias Flueckiger stayed with it and earned third. He managed to fend off a few opponents during.
Massive win for Van der Poel.
Anton Cooper feeling his efforts.
Trying to regain normal breathing.
Mathieu van der Poel, Nino Schurter, Mathias FLueckiger, Victor Koretzky, and Gerhard Kerschbaumer close out the Men's Elite podium.
A well earned shower.
Mathieu van der Poel's race machine.
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Someone would need extremely deep pockets to get him away from Canyon. Then again, if someone puts a buy out deal of EUR30M+ in front of Canyon, on top of EUR5M+ salary P/A for MvdP , they might be tempted to walk away with a huge payday, takes a lot of bikes to earn that kind of money.
I hope he doesn't leave his current team. They allow him to do what he likes; mixing disciplines throughout the year - and managing his rest. Going to a World Tour team would end that; and that would be a waste. I think Corendon may go World Tour in the next year or 2.
He says he enjoys riding off road, and that he finds road often boring, so I wonder if he'll cut back on CX and possibly do half the races he currently does - and mix MTB & Road during the spring/ summer.
I would be nice though if he does a complete season of XC in the future. Right now Nino is set to win the overall and probably the Word Championship, but you get the feeling it's only because MvdP skipped a bunch of races. I think it's not really good for the sport that he comes in and out when it suits his schedule (I'm Dutch, not Swiss, so I do support him).
No kidding. How much more money/effort would it cost Canyon to have top tier road, CX, and mtb riders on the roster separately?? Not to mention the added buzz / star power he generates from being a generalist and keeping everyone questioning when he'll join the world tour. And VDP gets to do exactly what he wants.... seems like a huge win-win.
The problem for him will be if Evenepoel decides to do the same. That kid will rewrite the rule book on what a single rider is capable of.
The guy breaks the mold is so many ways, including the idea that you have to race exclusively on the road to make big money.
maybe because I alway root for the underdogs, I do find exciting to see other riders showing up as great contenders;
nothing wrong with the pretty guys and gals front lining, someone gotta show perfect teeth to make them billboards work - but I'm glad it takes more than that ( backed up with unconditional brand support ) to make things happen;
unfortunate to have such great riders out due to injury, but not riding the absolute limits and taking the safe line has to pay off in some way.....
mad crush on Tracey, really hope she takes the overal, but glad Marine is not making it any easier for her......love without a fight it's like beer without alcohol.... Right !?
On MvdP topics, he'll jump to road once he's more satisfied off-road and honestly I think the itch for the royalty that comes with winning some classics or grand tours will eventually get to him. The classics make sense with cross and MTB success, for others with his power demonstration at Amstel I could see a team grabbing him for a points effort before testing him for a GC effort at a major tour.
Giving it all.
Respect.
I would die.
Seriously, don’t embarrass yourself with that argument.
The most prestigious scientific journals in the also think you're wrong.
As I said, the reality is very different from the politically correct (read politically driven by governments) clown world ideology as is clear from the link you posted and is summarized below.
“Some evidence suggests that transgender identity has genetic or hormonal roots, but its exact biological correlates are unclear.”
Well isn’t that a surprise? Just maybe it’s environmental and developmental as was understood decades ago before the academic rot set in. Do we really have to get a 12 year old child in to do the math to explain how improbable a 1/100 genetic anomaly, that is critical to procreation, still persists in a 200,000 year old species...?
Here’s a quote from a great man that you should take on board.
“If you thought that science was certain – well, that is just an error on your part.”
― Richard Feynman
Link please
Still genuinely interested in the electromagnetism connection. Not hopeful it’s no hoax but also ever heard about that one.
Clink, Of course the climate in changing. Funny enough we’re in an interglacial period right now. How do you suggest we came out of the last glacial period or recovered from the 1200ppm periods of the past (by the way the Earth was absolutely exploding with life in the latter).
Here’s another small thing to consider. Why, if humans are the cause for the warming, are we not limiting the population as the Chinese did for decades? Hint, there's no money involved in reduction.
Lulz at the junk science.
Enjoy these.
hockeyschtick.blogspot.com/2010/06/ipcc-consensus-on-solar-influence-was.html
m.youtube.com/watch?v=2lNnggKFYu0
m.youtube.com/watch?v=Rg3MqdBX0_k
Not to mention the historical data is a joke. NOAA manipulates historical temperature data and is systematically moving every rural sensor to urban heat sinks.
Don’t let that affect your consensus trance though.
Adjusted for inflation, current Total US government spending on climate change is over $10 billion per annum. That’s more than the Apollo space program.
There is no such thing as “clean energy”. Have you seen a lithium mine? What about an African child labour cobalt mine? Have you looked into how few solar panels will recycled in the coming decades? Millions will be dumped in landfills. What about the effect of wind farms on bird populations and their unreliability etc, etc. Now compare those effects to a naturally occurring trace gas that zero historical or observed correlation with atmospheric warming.
Ummm...
In the interview prior to xc, she was out of breath: nervous and anxious. Then, a mechanical, moving her down the list just like so many other riders.
I think she'll have a much better showing at worlds and then snowshoe with far fewer media and fan obligations and a lot more time to rest.
She may be dealing with a bit of burnout after such a long period of better than expected results. Time will tell at the end of the month, but the return of Prevot and Rissveds to form signal a serious roadblock for her as well.
Nino 2018- 11:15
Kerschbaumer got the fastest lap last year with a 11:03. On average, Nino's lap times last year were equivalent or faster than MVDP this year, except for the lap where MVDP attacked. That lap was the difference.
Well worth it IMPO.
It's a closed system. You can't adjust the pressure if it starts to move slow or not fully extend.
With the Integra you can fix that with a Shock Pump, with the Brand-X it's time for a new dropper.
Ever have the most unpleasant of experiences with a tool breaking in the middle of a job?
To me a dropper post is a tool. Always get the best tools you can afford even if you have to save up for them.
You'll be disappointed a whole lot less.
If $75 is a "ton of money" you need a better occupation. I piss more away on a cheap night out on the town.
Secondly, the primary failure of cheap droppers is the air system being compromised.
No amount of cleaning or Slick Honey is going to fix that. Period.
Bye!