A last lap surge that delivered the women’s short-track win to home-nation rider Gwendolyn Gibson (Norco Factory Racing) was soon followed by a victory from XCC world champion Chris Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing), making it an all U.S. day for Round 7 of the XCC at Snowshoe, West Virginia.
Rain through the week leading up to Friday’s race made for a muddy and slippery course, the women lining up first with 31 riders at the start out of a possible 40. Top contenders Loana Lecomte (Canyon CLLCTV), Pauline Ferrand Prevot (BMC) and Linda Indergand (Liv Factory Racing) all elected to skip the race.
Jenny Rissveds (Team 31 Ibis) got the holeshot, with World Cup leader Rebecca McConnell (Primaflora Mondraker Genuins) and Anne Terpstra (Ghost Factory) right behind her. By the end of the first lap, the race was down to five – Rissveds, McConnell, Terpstra, Jolanda Neff (Trek Factory Racing) and Alessandra Keller (Thomus Maxon). McConnell then crashed hard on lap 2, putting her out of contention, while Rissveds kept the pace high at the front, discouraging breakaways.
By the start of the fifth lap, Rissveds had a gap, with Terpstra and Keller chasing. Terpstra began steadily reeling her in on the last lap, catching Rissveds, but Gibson was having an incredible second half to her race, catching both Rissveds and Terpstra in the final 500 metres to take her first World Cup win.
“It hasn’t even sunk in yet,” said Gibson, “even…
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