Alan Hatherly signs the double and also wins the XCO World Cup in Les Gets

Alan Hatherly takes the victory in the Les Gets XCO World Cup. The South African broke the race with a devastating attack that exhausted Fluckiger, who had accompanied him in his solo escape. Fluckiger showed his strength to hold on to second place, while Andreassen finished third.

 

Alan Hatherly dominates the Les Gets XCO World Cup

The XCO World Cup moved to the French town of Les Gets with the absence of its two big stars: Tom Pidcock - who is currently at the Tour with his own schedule - and Nino Schurter - who announced he would focus on preparing for the Olympics. The race started promptly on a heavy and slippery track, punished by the rain that had fallen in the last hours. The start happened without incidents and left Simon Andreassen as the first leader of the day.

The calm start ended when Luca Braidot took the lead and increased the pace. The Italian champion pushed hard in a ride that rewarded him with a gap of several seconds. The group stretched out in a dance of positions that lifted Fluckiger to second place.

Braidot enjoyed a lead of 9 seconds before Hatherly and Fluckiger distinguished themselves among the chasers and began the chase. The efforts of the pair found success shortly after and caught up with the escapee. Behind them, Schwarzbauer took on the challenge of leading the chasing group, which was already trailing by 30 seconds.

And then Fluckiger unleashed his full potential. The hostilities reached the leading trio with a surge from the Swiss rider that forced his companions to increase the pace. Braidot gave up early, unable to match the pedal strokes; Hatherly responded with discipline and latched onto his wheel.

Fluckiger led the way, while Hatherly stayed in the background sheltered behind him. Fluckiger's attempts to shake off the South African were futile, as against all odds, he made a move that shattered his rival's quadriceps. The surge was productive and gave him an eight-second cushion.

The change of pace punished Fluckiger more than expected. The advantage grew to 20 seconds in just half a lap, and the Swiss rider's face revealed the struggle he was having to hold onto Hatherly's wheel.

Braidot, previously in no man's land, suffered his second fall and had to rejoin the race as a new wagon in the group formed by Gaze, Andreassen, and Avondetto. With the positions stable in the top two spots, the real battle shifted to the chasing quartet.

Hatherly's offensive held up over time while a visibly fatigued Fluckiger was unable to stop the bleeding of seconds. Baridot gave in while Gaze, Andreassen, and Avondetto prepared for a fierce battle for the final part of the race.

Meanwhile, a spectacular Jofre Cullell was making his way up in a comeback that seemed endless. The Catalan recovered from a poor start with overtakes and climbed up to the noble positions on the leaderboard. The BH Coloma Team rider was on fire, leaving everyone behind: Vidaurre, Schelb, Zanotti, De Foidmont, and List to break into the top ten.

Gaze crashed moments before Braidot rejoined the group. Still, the New Zealander raised the stakes and took off. But Braidot resurfaced when no one expected it and was the only one able to catch up again. Gaze crashed again and lost ground in the final stretch.

Alan Hatherly rode comfortably in the last lap and crossed the finish line with his arms raised to confirm his victory in the Les Gets XCO World Cup. The South African had a dream weekend after his win in the Short Track on Friday.

Fluckiger finished second after showing great determination to keep up with the race. Andreassen and Braidot fought a close battle that ultimately left the Dane on the third step of the podium, while Avondetto had to settle for fourth place and Gaze for fifth.

XCO World Cup Results Les Gets 2024 - Men

1. Alan Hatherly 1h 23' 14"
2. Mathias Fluckiger +1'31"
3. Simon Andreassen +2'02"
4. Luca Braidot +2'05"
5. Simone Avondetto +2'19"
6. Sam Gaze +2'38"
7. Luca Schwarzbauer +2'48"
8. Jofre Cullell +2'50"
9. Antoine Philipp +2'52"
10. Nadir Colledani +2'55"