Dry conditions ensure speed

After the wet conditions last year, Loudenvielle was dry and fast this time. The dusty surface and the high speed on the descents presented riders with new challenges, especially in the densely wooded sections of the course.

Conolly takes a commanding lead

Ella Conolly rode to her first victory of the season at the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series - by a large margin. The British rider won four of the five stages and relegated Morgane Charre (Pivot Factory Racing) to second place, 40 seconds behind. Conolly thus further extended her lead in the overall classification.

She had already pulled clear after the two longest stages. On the technically demanding course, characterized by steep descents and very demanding trails, she controlled the race and didn't let anything get in her way on the later stages either. Charre was only able to make up time on one short stage, but this made no difference to Conolly's overall victory.

"It was great to experience Loudenvielle in dry conditions," said Conolly. "After a crash at the start, I rode a bit more controlled and was still able to push where I needed to. I'm very happy with the day and my position in the overall classification."

From a German perspective, Helen Weber impressed with sixth place, while Swiss riders Ysaline van Kampen and Sidonie Jolidon rode strong races and finished eleventh and 14th respectively.

Results

Booker wins heat battle against Łukasik

In the men's race, the decision was only made on the final stage. Daniel Booker celebrated the second World Cup victory of his career after his first win in Pietra Ligure. The Canadian narrowly beat Alex Rudeau and Sławomir Łukasik (Yeti / Fox Factory Race Team).

The day began with one of the most challenging stages of the race: a 3.6-kilometre descent with an elevation gain of 730 meters. Booker took the first seconds here. Łukasik countered later on the "Privilege" stage and took the overall lead with a wafer-thin lead of 0.006 seconds.

The decision was finally made on the fourth stage: Łukasik made a mistake and dropped back, Booker took the opportunity and went into the final stage with a seven-second lead. There he put in a confident ride, while Łukasik lost time again. Rudeau moved up to second place, while Łukasik finished third.

"I love this track, even though I've never really been successful here before," said Booker. "Despite a few mistakes, it was a strong day. After the drama in Poland, it feels good to be back at the front."

Łukasik retains the leader's jersey despite third place, but is now only 310 points ahead of Booker. In the junior classification, Lacey Adams and Melvin Almueis (both Yeti / Fox Factory Race Team) extended their overall lead with their victories.

The best Swiss rider was Urien Minuty in 29th place. The fastest German was Frederik Matz, who celebrated his personal best with 46th place.

Results