In a breakthrough performance, Jenn Jackson came fantastically close to a huge World Cup result on Sunday in Araxá, Brazil. The Canadian national champion converted her excellent short track XC result (and the front row XCO start that came with it) into an early lead in the elite women’s race. Before a flat tire derailed her race effort, the Liv Factory Racing rider was looking on track to finish with the leaders.
Elite Women’s XCO: Jackson arrives on the front
After earning a front row XCO start via her fifth in XCC on Saturday (top eight XCC finishers get a front row start in the XCO), Jackson was quick to take advantage of the opportunity. Wearing her national champion’s kit, Jackson launched off the front of the race, leading through the first corners of the elite women’s XCO. Liv teammate Linda Indergand was close on her wheel.
As the race settled, Jackson found herself in a group with Haley Batten (Specialized), 2016 Olympic champion Jenny Rissveds, Savilia Blunk (Decathlon Ford) and Thomus Maxon’s Alessandra Keller. That lasted until, approaching the half way point, Jackson suffered a mechanical, losing air in her rear tire far from the pit area and a fresh wheel.
Batten would go on to win the race, her first elite XCO World Cup win.
Jackson would, with a fresh wheel, finish 17th. While the result is good, it is more exciting seeing Jackson look so comfortable and solid riding among the worlds best for so much of Sunday’s race. It is only the second World Cup of a long season. It will be exciting to see what the Canadian champ can do when the series resumes in Nove Mesto, Czech Republic.
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