American riders dominated the short track at the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup at Snow Shoe, WV. Both US riders, Gwendalyn Gibson (Norco Factory Racing) and Current Short Track World Champion Christopher Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing), made history as they claimed back-to-back wins in front of a US crowd.
Rissveds attacks from the start
Gwendalyn Gibson was aggressive from the start but not so aggressive to reel in Jenny Rissveds solo. Rissveds was dominant and calm during the race, executing lines efficiently and with enough room from the pack to choose the best lines without pressure.
As the laps ticked down, Rissveds lead started to dwindle and go out again, but after a decisive bridge by Alessandra Keller on the penultimate lap, the group was in full chase mode, looking to close the gap.
Keller worked to bring back Rissveds, possibly not aware that Gibson and Terpstra were about to make contact right after the rock garden b-line, a very decisive sector on the short track course.
As the group chased through the heavy sector of slightly uphill mud, Keller faded slightly, giving Gibson the chance to move into second and then first.
The sprint and crowd
Gibson led the group into the town finishing straight with the crowd noise drowning out the announcers. She made the bend and let the sprint rip; though the sprint was timed earlier than most we’ve seen on this course, it was decisive and crushed the competition.
As she crossed the finish, Gibson broke into tears and stepped off her Norco Revolver FS 1 to the welcoming arms of the crowd and her team.
The 23-year-old Colorado native had many fantastic rides this season, with many short-track top ten finishes over the year.
A knee injury in Albstadt has kept her from the competition; now, three months from surgery, she’s back in the game and now sits seventh overall in the World Cup short track standings.
Tech Specs: Gwendalyn Gibson XCC World Cup winning Norco:
- Frame: Norco Revolver FS 1 100
- Fork: RockShox SID
- Shock: RockShox SID LUXE
- Handlebar: FSA Carbon MTB
- Saddle: WTB
- Stem: FSA KFX Flat
- Grips: SRAM lock-on
- Drivetrain: SRAM XX1 Eagle AXS, CeramicSpeed Pulley Wheels
- Brakes: SRAM Level Ultimate
- Pedals: Crank Bros. 4-Ti Egg Beaters
- Dropper post: RockShox AXS Reverb
- Wheels: DT-Swiss ARC
- Tires: Kenda Booster Pro
- Headuntit: Wahoo
