In a thrilling duel on Lenzerheide’s iconic World Cup course, France’s Loana Lecomte scored another win.
It is a venue Lecomte is clearly comfortable at. She won the Swiss World Cup in 2022 as well.
Canadians in Switzerland
Jenn Jackson (Liv Factory Racing) once again was Canada’s top finisher in the elite women’s XCO. Jackson crossed the line 39th in Lenzerheide on Sunday, the only Canadian on the lead lap.
Laurie Arseneault (Pittstop Racing) and Sandra Walter (Liv Canada) followed in 63rd and 64th. Roxane Vermette was 75th, Emma Olson 79th and Juliette Tetreault 80th.
Lecomte lands late win
While Loana Lecomte (Canyon Cllctv) made a name for herself by winning through impressive solo efforts, Sunday’s victory was more of a battle.
Puck Pieterse (Alepcin-Deceuninck) was the early aggressor, bringing Friday’s XCC winner Jenny Rissvends (Team 31-Ibis), Sina Frei (Specialized) and Evie Richards (Trek) with her.
Alessandra Keller (Thomus-Maxon) quickly joined the fray, looking for a big result on home turf. Lecomte followed, with world champion Pauline Ferrand-Prévot and the Netherlands’ Anne Terpstra (Ghost) joining in as well.
Lecomte put in a series of attacks before one finally stuck and she was able to gain a small advantage on the field. The 23-year-old French rider crossed the line alone with an 18-second advantage to second place.
“The last few weeks I have a lot of questions and it was hard after the short track. I had a lot of bad emotion and I spoke a lot with Jolanda Neff. She helps me a lot with this world and her own experience,” Lecomte said after her win. “Today I just want to play with my bike and take a lot of fun.”
Anne Terpstra escaped the chasers to take second place. Alessandra Keller put the Swiss on the podium in third place with Ferrand-Prévot in fourth and Pieterse fifth.
World Cup cross country continues next week in Leogang, Austria. It will be the first World Cup race to bring Enduro World Cup (EDR), XCC/XCO and Downhill together in one massive weekend of racing.
Highlights: Elite Women’s XCO World Cup #2 (Lenzerheide, Switzerland)
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