The World Cups follow one another and the KTM Vittoria Team heads to Vallnord for the Andorran round. The heat wave in the south-west of France did not spare the principality and added to the riders a major constraint that they knew how to manage by confirming the good performances of the previous weekends!

The XC course rides a 3.8 km track around the ski resort of Pal-Arinsal, at an altitude of nearly 2000m. Riders accustomed to the high mountains clearly have a card to play. This circuit is a mix of steep, rocky climbs and winding switchback descents. The climb called “Big Wall” is one of the longest on the World Cup circuit, the spectacle and thrills are guaranteed!

Léna Gérault, 18th XCC & 11st XCO

XCC : Léna Gérault took the start on the second row of the “short track” event, in overwhelming heat. A good start propels her to the front, she is 6th at the top of the first climb. The traditional game of overtaking is set up on this ultra tight race. She manages to stabilize her position until halfway through, but Keller’s attacks in particular blast the groups. At the back, the girls also come back and Léna suffers from heat. She crossed the line in 18th place just 1 minute 26 from the lead. Enough to ensure a 3rd line start on Sunday for the XCO event !

XCO : Departure in 3rd line for Léna, allowing him to be certainly in the first tier, but requires to make big efforts to return to the front. In the first split, Léna is placed 18th. Then begins an ascent race. Overtaking is not always easy on this Andorran course but on the climbs, Léna makes the difference. So it revives and resists heat well. She came back to 11th place in the 3rd lap, along with Last and Batty. The three of them will go a long way and it is in this position that Léna will conclude this hard, hot and dusty round.

Mathis Guay, 6th !

His confidence in himself and his Scarp is growing every weekend. The desire to make a new Top 5 is strong, on this course which suits him. So he tries to go strong but the sensations are not necessarily as expected. The start is complicated, without watts. He takes his pace on the steep climbs and takes pleasure on the technical portions. Mathis manages his effort not to burn himself out and despite a mixed state of form, he grabs a very nice and promising 6th place.

Maxime Loret, 45th

It’s hot on the starting line, we note 35 degrees at 2000m altitude, and not a bit of wind. These conditions are challenging for all riders, but the dust makes it even more difficult for those who start at the end of the pack. This is the case of Maxime who starts in 93rd place. From there, he goes full gaz and keeps up the pace. He manages to sneak in, even in the tight places. Gradually, he came back, took the wheels and thanks to good race management and good feelings, he crossed the line 45th. A great performance that says a lot about the shape of the moment!

the gallery

Photos : Léo Gruber – lgrprod

“The weather conditions this weekend were really not easy to manage, for the riders, for the staff and for the equipment. But despite everything, we ensured well and the riders shape is constantly improving ! ”

Jérôme Dericbourg – Team Manager

Next step in snowshoe – USA, from 29 to 31 july, Stay tuned !

Kévin Laporte | 17-07-2022