World Cup Season Champions’ Titles Up for Grabs

Of the six season titles up for grabs, only one — four-cross — has been mathematically won. Prendrel, Lechner and Koerber all aiming for women's XC overall honors.

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By Singletrack.com

Watch the video interview with the Luna Pro Team’s Catharine Pendrel

Close point spreads atop the overall categories mean the final World Cup stop of the 2010 season at Windham, New York Aug. 28-29 will be a fight to the finish.

American Willow Koerber is vying for the World Cup overall season championship.

Of the six titles up for grabs, only one has been mathematically won: Jared Graves (Yeti Fox Shox) is once again the men’s 4-cross champion after three victories this season. In the women’s 4-cross, defending champion Anneke Beerten (Suspension Centre) holds a 45-point lead over her nearest rival, Austrian Anita Molcik, so that title is still in contention.

The cross-country finals will be equally exciting, with Catharine Pendrel (Luna Pro Team) leading Eva Lechner (Colnago Arreghini Sudtirol) by 54 points and Willow Koerber (Subaru Gary Fisher) by 59. All three have led the World Cup this season, so Saturday’s race is up for grabs.

In the men’s race, world champion Nino Schurter (Scott-Swisspower) wrested the leader’s jersey from Julien Absalon (Orbea) in round five, but his lead is only 26 points, so the title will go to whoever crosses the finish line first in Windham on Saturday.

In the downhill competition, Sabrina Jonnier (Maxxis-Rocky Mountain) holds a significant 175 point lead over world champion Emmeline Ragot (Suspension Centre), but Ragot is coming off two consecutive victories so Jonnier cannot celebrate yet.

The men’s race for the title is one of the tightest in memory, with a mere seven points separating the current leader Gee Atherton (Commencal) from rival Greg Minnaar (Santa Cruz Syndicate). Whichever rider finishes ahead of the other will decide the title.

Next week the UCI Mountain Bike and Trials World Championships will bring the season to a close. The riders will gather in Mont Saint Anne, Quebec from Aug. 31 to Sept. 5 with the aim of claiming the rainbow jersey in the various specialties.