Today races have been characterized with regular changes in the the front positions and excitement until the closing stages of the race. In the men’s race, there have been a dozen riders in a range of 40″ who have been exchanging positions in the leadership, with tactics playing an important role. The champion of the World Cup, Titouan Carod, has been the first favourite being left out of the fight for the medals due to a crash. After the first two rounds, the New Zealander Anton Cooper has taken the reins of the race and has not relented in its fight for the victory.
After the first half of the race, a few riders have not been able to stay in the front positions, with Grant Fergusson chasing a leading duo that has offered us a battle to remember between two old friends as Anton Cooper and Viktor Koretzky. In muddy conditions featuring dangerous sections, Cooper tried to pull away on the climbs, while the French trimmed the gap on the descents, demonstrating the technique that characterizes him. 20 seconds back Fergusson was still holding and was hoping that the energies of the leading duo would decrease.
The victory was decided in a final round with continuous attacks, with Cooper arriving the last 200 meters with a small margin. Finally, after nearly an hour and a half of fighting, the rainbow jersey has been decided for just 2″; what a great victory from Cooper.
In the women’s category, the first rider to take the responsibility on the competition has been one of the favorites for the final victory, the Swedish Jenny Rissveds. Behind her, two riders were focused on her individual pursuit, both riding solo and seeking to reduce the distance between them and the athlete in front.
The Swiss Forchini has performed at a good level and has been closing the gap on the leader as minutes went by. When she has ben able to lead the race, she has quickly gone away and has gone for the victory. But the positions were not yet determined. The Russian Olga Terentyeva was closing the distance on Rissveds to and passsed her with less than two laps remaining. The hardness of the circuit, increased by altitude and rain, has had a high impact on the endurace of the athletes.
Finally, the podium has been for the Swiss Forchini, Russian Terentyeva, exultant after a success that she did not expect, and the Swedish Rissveds.
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