July 28/12 5:21 am - Val d'Isere World Cup: Women's XC UPdates

Posted by Editoress on 07/28/12
 

Welcome to our coverage of the World Cup Final XC from Val d'Isere France.

After a dry HOT week,  the rain overnight has cooled things off a lot and damped down the dust, but the rutted track will test the riders

A small women's field of 54 riders with some of the Olympic riders opting to not ride the World Cup final, and many N. American riders not attending.  They will do 5 laps of the 4.897 course.

See our Preview for descriptions and background info on this new course.

Lap 1:

Women are on Lap 1 and a group of 6 are leading up the climb

1/2 way round

Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjaa (Multivan Merida Biking Team) leading Katerina Nash (Luna Pro Team), Annie Last  (Milka Brentjens MTB Racing Team), Georgia Gould (Luna Pro Team), Julie Bresset (BH - SR Suntour - Peisey Vallandry), Sabine Spitz (Sabine Spitz Haibike Team)

Batty at 31 sec

Lap 2  5:47 am

Heading out at the start of the 2nd lap: Dahle and Gould now take the lead. 3rd is Katerina Nash (Luna Pro Team), Julie Bresset (BH - SR Suntour - Peisey Vallandry)  4th, Last 4th, Emily Batty (Subaru - Trek) 6th at 23 sec, Sabine Spitz (Sabine Spitz Haibike Team) 7th at 28 sec

Pendrel  11th, Premont 15th

5:50 am

Bresset, Nash  and Last have joined the lead bunch and Bresset has taken the lead with Gould on her wheel.

5:59 am

1/2 way through lap 2

Dahle Flesjaa lreading Bresset at 16 sec, Nash at 20 sec, Gould at 25 sec, Last at 29 and Batty at 40 sec

Catharine Pendrel is sitting 9th, but is not having a good ride.  She had a very bad start, got boxed in and seems to not be focussed.  BUT, she has won the World Cup and with the Olympics at just over 2 weeks, she will be focussed on THAT.  Taking the risks to regain positions is not advisable with the Olympics coming up so soon.

Lap 3  6:06 am

Dahle has opened up a gap on Bresset now 22 sec.   Gould 3rd at 28 sec, Nash at 31 sec, Last 5th at 35 sec and Batty 6th at 51 sec

Pendrel well back

6:12 am

Up the climb  - Dahle leading.  The 4 chasers have regrouped and are all together

Interesting: Dahle is riding the climb and has 30+ sec on the now 3 chasers who are off running.

6:17 am

Descending Dahle scoots down the  technical section.  Bresset 2nd, with Last 3rd, Gould and Nash nearly taking each other out for 4th and batty right behind

1/2 way through

Dahl with Bresset at 34 sec, with Last 3rd at 48 sec, Nash 4th at 29 sec , Batty now 5th at 1:02, Gould 6th at 1:07

Nash has had a mechanical and has lost positions as the mechanic do a wheel change.

Lap 4 start  6:25 am

Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjaa (Multivan Merida Biking Team) with 37 seconds on Julie Bresset (BH - SR Suntour - Peisey Vallandry). Annie Last  (Milka Brentjens MTB Racing Team) 3rd at 49 sec, Emily Batty (Subaru - Trek) now 4th at 1:04, Georgia Gould (Luna Pro Team) 5th at 1:11 and Katerina Nash (Luna Pro Team) 6th at 1:42

Catharine Pendrel (Luna Pro Team) 9th at 2:53

Marie-Helene Premont (Rocky Mountain) 16th at 4:50

1/2 way  6:37 am

Dahle Flesjaa with Bresset making a bit of a surge, now just 24 sec back.  Last 3rd at 47, Batty 4th at 1:05, Gould falling back to now  1:31

Pendrel 9th at 2:57, Premont 16th at 5:40

Last lap  6:43 am

Dahle sets out on the final lap with 33 sec on Bresset, Last 3rd at 33 sec, Batty 4th at 1:19, Gould 5th at 1:46.  Spitz 6th at 2:31, Elisabeth Osl (Ghost Factory Racing Team) 7th at 2:52, Katerina Nash (Luna Pro Team) 8th at 3:12, Esther Süss (Wheeler - IXS Team) 9th at 3:19, Catharine Pendrel (Luna Pro Team) 10th at 3:21

Rain is making a re-appearance on course.  Hopefully it won't come down too hard until AFTER the women finish, though it could make the men's race intersting..

6:56 am

1/2 way thru the final lap

Dahle w. Bresset at 49 sec, Last 3rd at 1:10, Batty 4th at 1:32 and Gould 5th at 2:18

Rain is getting intense

Final

1 Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjaa (Multivan Merida Biking Team), 1:32:07

2 Julie Bresset (BH - SR Suntour - Peisey Vallandry) at 0:46

3 Annie Last  (Milka Brentjens MTB Racing Team), 1:09

4 Emily Batty (Subaru - Trek), 1:34

5 Georgia Gould (Luna Pro Team), 2:26

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