Jenny Rissveds wins the Short Track in La Thuile with a powerful final attack

The La Thuile World Cup has its first winner. Jenny Rissveds (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) triumphed this Friday in the debut of the women's Short Track at the Italian venue after winning a very tactical race marked by difficulties in overtaking on much of the new alpine circuit.

Rissveds remains unstoppable and conquers the XCC of La Thuile

La Thuile made its debut this year in the XCO and XCC calendar under ideal weather conditions. Local rider Martina Berta wanted to take advantage of the crowd's support and took the lead in the early stages, being the first to pass through the initial technical descent. From there, the peloton began to stretch out on a narrow course where regaining positions proved particularly challenging.

The race, scheduled for eight laps, also marked the return of Evie Richards after the concussion suffered in Nové Město. The British rider started aggressively and tried to position herself among the leaders from the beginning, but the effort took its toll and she had to give up ground to try to recover in the following laps.

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As the laps went by, the group of favorites began to take shape. Jenny Rissveds, Sina Frei, Laura Stigger, Alessandra Keller, Savilia Blunk, and Ronja Blöchlinger set the pace at the front while riders like Rebecca Henderson and Puck Pieterse tried to connect from behind.

The World Cup leader then began to toughen the race. Rissveds launched several demanding pace changes that only Frei and Keller could follow. Although she did not manage to definitively break the group, she did succeed in wearing down her rivals before the finish.

The decisive maneuver came in the last lap. Rissveds accelerated again and this time maintained the effort for much of the final lap. Sina Frei was the only one able to stay relatively close, but she never managed to catch up with the Swede, who crossed the finish line with a second advantage to secure her first victory of the season in Short Track. Behind, Savilia Blunk completed the podium after winning the battle for third place.

The victory confirms Rissveds' excellent form, having already secured victories in XCO at Leogang and Lenzerheide, and she continues to establish herself as the leading female reference in this World Cup.

Top 10 XCC Elite Women - La Thuile

1. Jenny Rissveds (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) – 20:27
2. Sina Frei (Specialized Factory Racing) – +1 s
3. Savilia Blunk (Decathlon Ford Racing Team) – +16 s
4. Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon) – +20 s
5. Nicole Koller (Lapierre PXR Racing) – +28 s
6. Martina Berta (Origine Racing Division) – +44 s
7. Rebecca Henderson (Orbea Fox Factory Team) – +51 s
8. Sofie Heby Pedersen (Wilier-Vittoria Factory Team) – +55 s
9. Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck) – +1:02
10. Evie Richards (Trek Unbroken XC) – +1:08