Jordan Sarrou accomplished a sweep for France on the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships on Saturday in Leogang, Austria, successful the elite males’s cross-country (XCO) after his nation additionally received each the elite and under-23 ladies’s titles earlier within the day. Mathias Flueckiger (Switzerland) took the silver medal after a tough fought battle with Titouan Carod (France).

The boys began with looming gray clouds and wind, however the rain held off till the race was virtually over and didn’t impression the course. Nonetheless, the mud from every week’s value of rain made the descents slick and treacherous, with virtually each rider entering into issue at one time or one other.

Milan Vader (Netherlands) attacked on the beginning loop, opening small hole, however on the primary of six laps, Sarrou bridged throughout to him. Behind, a chase group fashioned consisting of Henrique Avancini (Brazil), Flueckiger, Carod, Luca Braidot (Italy) and Victor Koretzky (France). Lacking was defending champion Nino Schurter (Switzerland), who was by no means an element within the race, finally ending ninth.

Sarrou and Vader rode on the entrance till the third lap, when Vader crashed pretty laborious on a descent, chasing Sarrou. The Dutch rider acquired again up and going, however seemed to be shaken by his fall. He was caught by the chase group after which slid again by means of the sphere to finally end twenty third. 

Sarrou continued to experience easily and powerfully all through the race, making solely small errors on the rooty descents. Staring the final lap he had over a minute lead, however virtually did a face plant on a quick part of descending earlier than backing off to experience extra conservatively to the end, 45 seconds forward of Flueckiger.