Ladies
The women's short track race kicked off the Worlcup weekend in Nove Mesto, Czech Republic. New this year: a longer lap was ridden in the XCC, including the Rock'n Roll Rockgarden. At the start of the race, Albstadt winner Loana Lecomte set the pace, but all the favourites stayed on the Frenchwoman's wheel. In the third of six laps, world champion Pauline Ferrand-Prevot crashed and had to end the race. It is still uncertain whether the Absolute Absalon rider suffered a more serious injury. Lecomte and 22-year-old American Haley Batten then pushed the pace and pulled away. Batten was even able to extend her lead of six seconds at the start of the last lap and took her first World Cup victory in the elite category by 16 seconds. Second was Lecomte, who is now the new overall World Cup leader. Jenny Rissveds also rode strongly and was rewarded with third place ahead of Great Britain's Annie Last. Ronja Eibl was the best German in 24th place and will therefore start from the third row of the grid on Sunday.
Gents
It was the expected duel between the two cyclocross stars Mathieu van der Poel and Tom Pidcock. Only the young Brit was able to keep up with an attack by the Dutchman on the last lap. A few bends before the home straight, he even overtook van der Poel, but the latter sprinted past Pidcock in the final metres to take his eighth consecutive short track victory. World champion Jordan Sarrou finished third, ahead of the overall World Cup leader Victor Koretzky. Max Brandl also made a real statement. The German champion held his own in the leading group, finished fifth and will therefore start Sunday's cross-country race from the front row of the grid. Manuel Fumic finished the race in 16th place, Georg Egger was 32nd.
Broadcast via livestream Red Bull TV all races of the World Cup in Nove Mesto. The women's XCO race starts on Sunday at 11:00 amthe men's main race is from 15:00 on Red Bull TV. >> click here for the livestream
