The final round of the UCI World Cup presented by Shimano concluded in Val di Sole, site of the 2008 world championships. In the cross-country final, Catharine Pendrel (Luna) took her third World Cup victory of the season at the World Cup Final in Val di Sole, Italy, but it wasn't enough to beat Julie Bresset (BH-Suntour-Peisey Vallandry) for the overall title, trailing by a mere 40 points in the final standings. Jaroslav Kulhavy (Specialized) is proving to be unbeatable, as he took his fifth win in seven races at the Elite Men's World Cup final. Kulhavy fended off a strong challenge by the Swiss duo of Nino Schurter and Florian Vogel (both Scott-Swisspower) to outsprint Schurter for the win.
Pendrel came into the final race 140 points behind Bresset, and decided to attack from the start. "I figured I had nothing to lose, so I just went hard for the whole race," she explained.
By the start of the second lap it was just Pendrel and Bresset, and the Canadian dropped her French rival on the steep climbs. Bresset was struggling with the heat and the climbs, and first Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjaa Multivan Merida) bridged up and dropped her, and then world champion Maja Wloszczowska (CCC Polkowice) did the same, joining Dahle Flesjaa.
Wloszczowska, dropped Dahle Flesjaa in the final half lap, and took second place, establishing herself as a strong contender to retain her rainbow jersey, while Dahle Flesjaa, taking her second World Cup podium in two weeks with third has also moved into the ranks of possible champions.
Bresset saw her lead in the standings drop from 190 points to 40 after two consecutive victories by Pendrel, but it was enough for the young French rider to take her first World Cup title in the Elite ranks. Irina Kalentieva (Topeak Ergon) finished third, just 20 points ahead of Marie-Helene Premont (Maxxis-Rocky Mountain), with Eva Lechner (Colnago Farbe Sudtirol) rounding out the podium.
In the Under 23 World Cup, Yana Belomoyna (Infotre-Bi & Esse - LeeCougan) took her second consecutive win, with World Cup leader Pauline Ferrand Prevot (Lapierre) finishing second to win the overall title.
In previous World Cup races this year Kulhavy had attacked early, riding away from the rest of the field. This time, he allowed Schurter and Vogel to set the pace over the six laps, content to follow them up the steep climbs, but never looking to be in difficulty.
The trio dropped Julien Absalon (Orbea) by the second lap, and the Frenchman chased in vain all race, eventually finishing fourth. Behind Absalon, a chase group formed, but this group steadily lost ground, and started shedding riders as the race wore on, with Lukas FlÃÂückiger (Trek World Racing) eventually dropping the remaining members to take the fifth and final podium spot.
In the front trio, Vogel was finally dropped on the fifth lap, leaving Schurter to try and ditch Kulhavy, without success. Kulhavy attacked in the final kilometre and easily outsprinted Schurter, popping a wheely as he crossed the line.
"He was playing with us," commented Schurter, a little bitterly. "I tried to attack, but he just sat on, and I could not drop him. I will have to think about what I can do in the next two weeks, to be able to beat him at the Worlds, but it will be hard."
"I am very happy to have won the World Cup," said Kulhavy, "but I am surprised that I was able to ride so well on a course with so much climbing. This has been a perfect season for me."
Kulhavy finishes the series with five firsts, one second and a third, for a total of 1610 points. Schurter is a distant second, with 1270 and Absalon holds onto third with 960 points. Hermida took four with 813 points, just squeaking ahead of Maxime Marotte (BH-Suntour-Peisey Vallandry) at 810.
World Cup leader Gerhard Kerschbaumer (TX Active Bianchi) easily took his fifth victory of the World Cup series. Kerschbaumer had already won the overall title coming into the race, but was clearly anxious to win in front of his home fans. Marek Konwa (Milka Trek) took second and Markus Schulte-Luenzum (Focus MIG) third. Fabian Canal (GT Skoda Chamonix) took second in the overall standings, followed by Konwa.
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