Intro:

Catharine Pendrel of Canada and and Julien Absalon of France take wins in the women's and men's Elite XCO (Cross Country) race at the UCI MTB World Championship finals in Norway on Saturday (September 6).

Script:

The UCI MTB World Championship finals continued in Norway on Saturday, with both the men's and women's Elite XCO races getting under way early on.

In the women's race Catharine Pendrel of Canada grabbed the lead from the start - and stayed in front over the gruelling six lap event.

Russia's Irina Kalentieva tried her hardest to reduce the gap and close in on her rival in the late stages but was unable to challenge Pendrel, who crossed the line 21 seconds in front of Kalentieva to become 2014 world champion.

Lea Davison from USA came in third.

In the men's race, favourite Nino Schurter of Switzerland assumed the early race lead.

However it was charging Frenchman Julien Absalon who quickly went on the hunt.

Absalon climbed from eigth place on lap one and moved through to field to challenge the head of the race.

The Frenchman passed the Swiss at the midway point and surged onwards, clinching the win with a margin of almost two minutes from Schurter in second.

Marco Aurelio Fontana of Italy came home in third place.