Jenn Jackson’s string of World Cup bad luck continued on Sunday in Val di Sole. A flat derailed her effort mid-race in Araxa, Brazil in round two. On Sunday, the Canadian national champ barely didn’t make it through the first corner before misfortune struck.
As the elite women converged on a quick right-hander on rain-slicked grass, Samara Maxwell was pushed off balance and into Jackson and several other riders. Many went down. The speeds were slow enough, fortunately, that most riders were up and back on their bike. Jackson, though, found herself near the back on the field and fighting her way forward.
Ferrand-Prevot powers away
While Jenn Jackson (Liv Factory Racing) was chasing through the pack from the back, Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (INEOS) was busy riding away from the group. At the end of the first lap, an elite trio briefly formed. Ferrand-Prevot led Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Loana Lecomte (Canyon Cllctv).
Lecomte was the first to drop off the fierce pace set by the reigning world champion, fading back to be joined by South African veteran campaigner and privateer, Candice Lill. Savilia Blunk (Decathlon Ford) and Laura Stigger (Specialized Factory Racing) were slightly further back.
Pieterse was the next to fall off Ferrand-Prevot’s pace. After losing ground, the young Dutch racer, and winner of the 2023 World Cup overall, held the gap at 30-45 seconds back of the lead for much of the race. At one point, Lill overtook Lecomte and started closing in on Pieterse, only to fade slightly in the closing laps.
Ferrand-Prevot, though, was untouchable. The French woman takes another dominant win, repeating her solo exploit from Nove Mesto.
Puck Pieterse holds on for second place, 50 seconds behind the world champion.
“I tried to follow Pauline as long as possible, but she was too fast today,” Pieterse said after the race. “At one point it was more trying to stay in front of Candice, not trying to chase Pauline, yeah, but I managed to keep the gap close to the same for most of the race…
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