Lecomte wins brilliantly in the torment of the Mont Sainte Anne XCO World Cup

Lecomte shows her best version and takes the victory in the XCO World Cup of Mont Sainte Anne. The Frenchwoman recovered after a flat tyre and a crash in a tough race marked by mud and rain. Rissveds signed a great performance and was second, while Pieterse crossed the finish line in third place.

Lecomte reigns over the mud at the XCO World Cup in Mont Sainte Anne

Pieterse was the fastest at the start and was the first leader of the race. Henderson, Berta, Stigger and Frei followed closely behind. The Italian was true to her usual good start and took on the responsibility of opening the lead. The rider in the tricolore jersey upped the intensity and caused the first gaps.

The peloton stretched out and Pieterse had to crank up the watt machine to catch up in Berta's wake. Rissveds and Batten lost time, although they were able to close the gap in the next few minutes. Frei, Henderson and Lecomte were next behind, although they were twenty seconds behind.

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Berta overtook Pieterse when the Dutchwoman put her foot down to ride through a muddy area dismounted. However, Pieterse returned the move and bit spurs. 9 seconds.

The adjustments and the doubts were constant; Pieterse could hardly avoid the most difficult areas, Berta was losing time in the slipperiest areas and Lecomte showed a confidence that allowed him to pass the Italian and get on the Dutchwoman's wheel.

And then bad luck visited Lecomte. A flat tyre. The rider made it to the assistance, but lost many seconds in the wheel change.

Pieterse was left alone. Rissveds remained at a distance of about 20 seconds. That was enough cushion to face the rest of the race with confidence. However, although Pieterse stretched the lead when the cranks had to be moved, she lost many meters when she reached the technical areas.

Rissveds took advantage to close the gap until she caught Pieterse. For her part, Lecomte got rid of as many riders as she could find in her way and went solo to Pieterse. The Frenchwoman joined the leading pair and showed her chances of victory.

Pieterse relieved Rissveds in the lead, but it didn't take long for Lecomte to move to the front. The Dutchwoman held off the strength of the newcomer and took the lead in the umpteenth change of position.

Pieterse's speed contrasted with the problems she encountered every time she had to overcome the slippery parts. The Dutchwoman played accordion with Rissveds and Lecomte, who moved in and out depending on the difficulty of the area.

Lecomte and Rissveds overtook Pieterse and took off. Lecomte crashed at the end of a descent, causing Rissveds to go down as well. The incident did not cause any major damage, but allowed Pieterse to rejoin the race.

And again change of positions. Lecomte and Rissveds in the lead; Pieterse -perhaps in less risky mood after winning the XCC and XCO generals victories- lost steam and 19 seconds.

The duel for the lead fell to Lecomte. The Frenchwoman set a pace that even Rissveds, who had shown great strength since the start of the race, could not follow. Lecomte was able to extend her lead to 25 seconds, while Rissveds was in no man's land, with Pieterse almost half a minute behind her.

The Dutchwoman started to ride looking in the rearview mirror: Neff was slowly approaching when it started raining again.

Last lap. Lecomte at the front, without fissures. And with no surprises she finished the final kilometers, pedaled hard and pulled skill to reach the finish line in first position and proclaim herself winner of the XCO World Cup of Mont Sainte Anne. Lecomte signed her second victory of the season after the one in Lenzerheide.

Rissveds finishes the year with her best race and takes silver, while Pieterse was able to resist the threat of Neff and finish third.

Results XCO Mont Sainte Anne 2023 World Cup - Women's

1. Loana Lecomte 1h28'09"
2. Jenny Rissveds +15"
3. Puck Pieterse +1'03"
4. Jolanda Neff +1'18"
5. Martina Berta +2'29"
6. Laura Stigger +3'15"
7. Savilia Blunk +4'01"
8. Alessandra Keller +4'46"
9. Sina Frei +4'53"
10. Nicole Koller +5'03"

You can find all the results at MTBData.