Batten signs a perfect weekend with a great victory in the XCO World Cup in Araxá

Haley Batten takes the victory in the XCO World Cup in Araxá. The American defeated Rissveds after both riders fought a spectacular battle in which they launched several attacks in the last lap. Blunk, Keller and Terpstra completed the podium.

Batten achieves a top victory at the XCO World Cup in Araxá

The heat and humidity welcomed the 59 riders gathered in Araxá. The start occurred without incidents and Jackson emerged as the first leader of the day. The peloton struggled through the tough climbs, and except for the riders in the top positions, many had to dismount, obstructing those behind them and forcing them to do the same.

Keller, Indergand, and Batten skillfully tackled the first challenges of the Brazilian circuit and opened a small gap with the rest. However, the passage through the finish line brought this group back to square one. Shortly after, the first serious leading group was formed - Batten, Indergand, Stigger, Rissveds, Batten, Blunk, Jackson, and Berta - who pulled away.

The eight leaders hammered the pedals hard and the first victims arrived: Berta and Stigger dropped off the leading group and joined the pack with Henderson, Tauber, Lecomte, and company.

The leading group settled in and maintained the pace over the next kilometers. What seemed like a temporary truce - not the moment to waste energy on attacks or aggressive moves - ended up increasing the number of dropouts: Indergand gave up and lost contact with her former companions.

Rissveds took over the lead and led the race. The Swedish rider set a steady and relentless pace, although the other four members of the group stayed close to her wheel. Lecomte crashed - she also crashed in Mairipora - and, despite having to retire, she was able to walk away on her own.

The carnage at the front claimed another rider: Jackson suffered a puncture, lost a lot of ground, and left the quartet formed by Rissveds, Keller, Blunk, and Batten at the front of the race. And then Rissveds made a move that left her three companions without a response: a solo break to open a six-second gap and stake a claim for victory.

Despite the efforts of the Swedish rider, the quartet came back together. With the chasers almost a minute behind, it was time to think calmly and plan the most appropriate strategy. Keller took the lead but Batten replaced her shortly after. The American tried to shake things up and found an immediate response from Rissveds. Meanwhile, Blunk lost some ground and Keller struggled to maintain visual contact.

Batten and Rissveds worked well together to distance Blunk and Keller. The leading pair showed an extra touch of freshness that translated into a 10-second cushion with one and a half laps to go. Batten led the way while Rissveds, following closely, shared the good feelings of the American.

The truce between Batten and Rissveds, which seemed to have postponed the outcome to the last lap, allowed Blunk to catch up again and return to the front. They even left the door open for Keller to rejoin despite

Last lap. Batten stood up and attacked at the finish line in a burst of fury in a brutal sprint that squeezed the watts from quadriceps that had already covered many kilometers. Rissveds matched the effort in a response that definitively knocked out Blunk and Keller.

The Swedish rider tried a move that Batten responded to calmly. Tense calm in anticipation of new attacks. And Batten again. Rissveds suffered and seemed to falter, but managed to come back. Batten in front, Rissveds behind. And then the American spurred the pedals and crushed the cranks. The move shattered Rissveds' hopes and handed the victory to Batten.

Thus, Batten rode triumphantly to the finish line to secure victory in the XCO World Cup in Araxá. A perfect weekend for her, as she also won the XCC on Saturday. With no last-minute surprises, Rissveds - second, Blunk - third, Keller - fourth, and Terpstra - fifth - followed her. Special mention to Jolanda Neff - sixth, who climbed back up after a bad start.

Araxá 2024 XCO World Cup Results - Women

1. Haley Batten 1h 23' 04"
2. Jenny Rissveds +17"
3. Savilia Blunk +40"
4. Alessandra Keller +1'05"
5. Anne Terpstra +1'46"
6. Jolanda Neff +2'10"
7. Nicole Koller +2'13"
8. Evie Richards +2'33"
9. Kate Courtney +2'44"
10. Linda Indergand +2'50"