Victor Koretzky wins the XCC of Nove Mesto with an explosive sprint

Victor Koretzky takes the victory in the XCC World Cup in Nove Mesto. The Frenchman was the fastest in the final meters after a rocky race in which no one was able to make a difference. The Specialized Factory team secured a one-two finish with Belvins in second place, while Litscher finished third.

Koretzy wins a closely contested race from start to finish in the XCC in Nove Mesto

The layer of clouds covering the sky of Nove Mesto welcomed the forty riders called this morning on their pedals. The start occurred without incidents and Aldridge emerged as the first leader of the day. The quadriceps of the British rider were in tune from the beginning and found a good cushion of seconds, to the point that the British rider turned his head and let himself be caught by the army of bikes pedaling a few meters behind.

Andreassen, in a display of the great form he is in at the beginning of this campaign, replaced Aldridge at the front. However, he set a discreet pace that proved futile in leaving the forty contenders for victory without options, although it was useful for storing energy for the decisive part.

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The race entered a phase of tense calm with Andreassen at the front and with Litscher, Schurter, Foidl, and Blums behind him. The protagonists took turns with brief appearances that barely shook things up. Schwarzbauer, who had remained in an unknown background, took the lead of the race.

Pidcock showed up on the finish straight after a trouble-free start in which he preferred to let others take the lead and play a modest role as a mere spectator. The British rider quickly sought the shelter of other riders again, while the leadership of Schwarzbauer had not changed the status quo of the race.

The laps went by and the attacks were slow to come. Koretzky first and Schurter later timidly increased the pace and forced the rest to do the same. The evident equality only postponed the climax and the changes in position were constant.

The last lap started with a tentative attack from Pidcock, who took the lead and put the watts machine into action. The British rider found the response from a Schurter who seemed to have found inspiration again in a World Cup weekend. However, Litscher took the lead and threatened the peloton with pedal strokes that made an impact and put several meters of distance.

Koretzky and Blevins closed the gap with Litscher until they came out of his slipstream and fought for victory in a beastly sprint that crowned the Frenchman above his teammate. The victory serves to continue adding joy for the Specialized Factory Racing team in this early part of the season and for Koretzky to increase his lead in the overall standings.

Results XCC World Cup in Nove Mesto - Men

1. Victor Koretzky 19'34"
2. Chris Blevins +0"
3. Thomas Litscher +0"
4. Luca Schwarzbauer +1"
5. Filippo Colombo +1"
6. Alan Hatherly +1"
7. Thomas Pidcock +2"
8. Nino Schurter +3"
9. Sam Gaze +4"
10. Jens Schuermans +4"