Jolanda Neff in action in La Bresse
A day to remember for Northwave in Mountain Bike World Cup’s closure in La Bresse,France: Jolanda Neff (Elite Women), Sina Frei (U23 Women) and Petter Fagerhaug (U23 Men) conquered the stage win and the overall standings for a memorable hat-trick.
In the World Cup’s final showdown, on Sunday August 26th, the overall leadership of the World Champions equipped with Jolanda Neff (Elite Women category) and Sina Frei (U23 Women), was never in discussion. In La Bresse, Neff and Frei did more than defend the overall lead, claiming the third and sixth stage win respectively in this World Cup. In the U23 Men’s race, Petter Fagerhaug turned things around in the category’s overall ranking, taking over the lead with a resounding success after a solo action.
NEFF CLAIMS THIRD WORLD CUP CROWN
World and European Champion Jolanda Neff secured her third Elite Women’s World Cup, after 2014 and 2015. In La Bresse, the Kross Racing Team Swiss controlled her main rival Annika Langvad, before unleashing the decisive attack in the last lap. Behind the day’s winner, Canadian Emily Batty claimed the second place at 5 seconds, with Langvad in third position at 27 seconds. Fifth place for another Northwave’s rider, Alessandra Keller (Thömus/RN Racing Team), tenth for Tanja Zakelj (Unior Devinci Factory Racing). In the overall rank, Neff tallied 1930 points, ahead of Langvad (1743), Batty (1305) and Keller (1275).
FREI RULES AS GHOST XC SWEEPS UNDER 23 WOMEN RANKS
Sina Frei crossing the finish line
The last day of the World Cup season had started in the name of Sina Frei, who had already secured the overall win with one stage to go after the Mont-Sainte Anne weekend, in Canada. In the first event of the day’s program, the U23 Women’s race, the Swiss biker preceded Brit Evie Richards (+33”) and German Ronja Eibl (+1’37”), giving Team Ghost Factory Racing the perfect season in the category. In addition to the six victories claimed by Sina Frei, Ghost Factory Racing had grabbed also the opening round in Stellenbosch,South Africa thanks to Dane Malene Degn. In the final classification, Frei (610 points) preceded her teammate Degn (435) and Richards (410).
TWIST OF FATE IN THE U23 MEN’S CATEGORY: FAGERHAUG BRINGS SUCCESS
If the verdicts in the U23 Women’s category were immutable, in the U23 Men’s race, Petter Fagerhaug overturned the classification’s hierarchies with a great performance. The Norwegian preceded at the finish line Spain’s Jofre Cullell Estape (+14”) and Denmark’s Simon Andreassen (+33”). Fagerhaug’s main rival, Joshua Dubau, finished fourth at 33 seconds, hence coming short in the duel for the overall success. In the GC, Fagerhaug totalized 390 points, preceding Dubau (360) and Swiss Filippo Colombo (280).
ELITE MEN: MAROTTE THIRD IN THE STAGE AND IN THE OVERALL
The podium of the Men’s Elite category. From left: Avancini, Van der Poel, Schurter, Marotte and Kerschbaumer
Maxime Marotte finished third in the Men’s Elite race, claiming the third overall place in the category. Cannondale Factory Racing’s Frenchman crossed the finish line behind Swiss Nino Schurter and Italian Gerhard Kerschbaumer. Two more Northwave bikers entered the day’s top-10: Mathias Flückiger (Thömus/RN Racing Team), sixth, and Florian Vogel (Focus XC Team), eighth. In the overall standings, Cannondale’s athletes Marotte and Henrique Avancini finished third and fourth respectively with 1242 and 1213 points, behind Schurter (1861) and Mathieu Van der Poel (1355). Cannondale Factory Racing – entirely equipped with Northwave Ghost XC – also won the overall teams’ classification.
NORTHWAVE GHOST XC RULES IN WORLD CUP
The 2018 Mountain Bike World Cup ended for Northwave with 16 stage wins and 41 top 3 placements between Cross Country and Short Track. An outstanding season for the Northwave riders, who relied on Ghost XC, the top-performance cross country shoes by Northwave.
Onigo di Pederobba (Italy), August 26th, 2018
