Results & Race Recap: Nove Mesto XC World Cup

May 15, 2022
By Myles Kelsey

Brit secures back-to-back World Cup wins after a thrilling sprint with Vlad Dascălu.

121 riders and 30 nations lined up for the start of what would be an action-packed Elite Men’s Race. Reigning Olympic XCO champion Tom Pidcock secured back-to-back victories in Nové Město today. Making his second start of the year in the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup, as he splits his time between bike disciplines, Pidcock finished second in Friday’s XCC short track race behind German first-time winner Luca Schwarzbauer to earn a front row start for Sunday’s XCO race at the classic Czech circuit. Pidcock dominated the race in Nové Město last year to claim his first elite XCO win, but amid dry, dusty conditions this year’s race was an extremely close and hard-fought battle all the way to the finish between multiple contenders that included Nino Schurter, Vlad Dascălu, Alan Hatherly, Matthias Flückiger and Anton Cooper. With no rider able to make a clear break during the early laps of the race, a decisive moment came on Lap 5 when Nino Schurter, who was chasing the all-time XCO World Cup wins record, suffered a rear the puncture. The Swiss rider lost over one minute to the leading group before he rejoined the race with a new wheel, but staged an incredible comeback to recover the lost time and rejoin the lead group at the start of the final lap of the race. Third in the two previous XCO races so far this year, Dascălu produced the attack that finally broke the race apart on the final lap of the race, with only Pidcock able to follow the Romanian as they broke away. Pidcock powered past Dascălu in a thrilling final sprint to deny the Romanian his first elite win and secure back-to-back XCO World Cup wins before departing the series for road completion again. Schurter hung on for an extremely impressive third place, 30 seconds behind the leading duo, with Anton Cooper fourth and Alan Hatherley fifth.

results 2022 nove mesto cross-country world cup — Friday night’s XCC winner Luca Schwarzbauer leads the pack down the start straight.

RESULTS – Elite Men
1st. Thomas Pidcock: 1:21:19
2nd. Vlad Dascalu: +01
3rd. Nino Schurter: +30
4th. Anton Cooper: +33
5th. Alan Hatherly: +33

Rebecca McConnell’s win streak continues

In the women’s race, there was another dominant display from overall series leader Rebecca McConnell, who rode away from the field from the very first lap to secure her third successive World Cup race by 40 seconds over reigning World Cup champion Loana Lecomte, while Jenny Rissveds claimed a second consecutive podium finish in third. McConnell, who’d never won a World cup race before the start of this season, just lost out on victory in Friday’s XCC race by less than one second to Olympic champion Jolanda Neff, but took over the lead of the standings in that series and now holds the leader’s jersey of both World Cup chases as her dream season continues. South Africa’s Candice Lill placed a credible 31st with Mariske Strauss in 55th spot.