Raphaël Giambi (Speed Project) and privateer Ella Conolly delivered standout performances to claim UCI Enduro World Cup victories in La Thuile–Valle d’Aosta, following a spectacular day of racing in one of Enduro’s iconic destinations. Nestled in the Alps, La Thuile Bike World once again lived up to its reputation as a rider favourite, providing a dramatic backdrop for the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series.
Set on the Italy–France border, the challenging Alpine venue featured 28.4 kilometres of racing across four stages, with almost 3,000 metres of descending. The day concluded with a unique spectacle: a 600-metre night stage, illuminated by 23 floodlights and featuring the fan-favourite rock garden, creating a memorable finale for riders and spectators alike.
Giambi secured the first Men’s Elite UCI Enduro World Cup victory of his career thanks to a composed and consistent performance across the venue’s dusty, technically demanding trails. In the Women’s Elite competition, Conolly claimed her fifth UCI Enduro World Cup win, strengthening her bid for the overall title.
The Junior races followed a familiar script, with overall series leaders Nežka Libnik and Hugo Marti Montessinos once again standing on the top step of the podium. In the teams classification, Speed Project continued their dominant season, securing a fourth consecutive victory to remain the benchmark squad in the series.
GIAMBI MASTERS LA THUILE’S CHALLENGE TO TAKE MAIDEN UCI WORLD CUP VICTORY
Raphaël Giambi claimed the first Men’s Elite UCI Enduro World Cup victory of his career with a masterclass in consistency and technical precision on the demanding trails of La Thuile–Valle d’Aosta.
Defending overall champion Sławomir Łukasik (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) took to the start despite suffering a crash during practice the previous day, setting the stage for a fiercely contested race. Even on the opening stage, a near nine-minute test across exposed alpine terrain, the margins remained remarkably tight at the front of the field.
Adrien Dailly (Speed Project) laid down an early marker, finishing 2.3 seconds quicker than Jt Fisher (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team), with Giambi a further two seconds adrift. Having finished runner-up in Loudenvielle-Peyragudes earlier this season, Giambi arrived determined to go one step better. He found his opportunity on the steep and technical 1.43-kilometre Belface stage, where he showcased his descending prowess to claim the stage win on a challenging mix of bike park features and wooded singletrack.
Joe Millington posted the second-fastest time on the stage, with Łukasik third. Meanwhile, overall contenders Fisher and Alex Rudeau remained firmly in the hunt as the battle intensified. Dailly’s challenge, however, suffered a major setback when a puncture cost him 19 seconds and valuable ground in the overall standings.
The notoriously demanding Cambogia test, a 3.58-kilometre stage packed with technical sections and little margin for error, proved decisive. Dailly responded impressively to his earlier misfortune, setting the benchmark time and finishing eight seconds clear of his nearest rival to reignite his podium hopes.
Canadian rider Lief Rodgers clocked the second-fastest time, while Giambi limited his losses with the third-best stage result, 10 seconds back. Fisher conceded 15 seconds, while Łukasik dropped a further 23 seconds to his rivals in the overall battle.
Giambi ensured there would be no late drama by also taking victory on the final stage, ahead of Dailly, who finished second, and William Bordie, who completed the stage podium a year after crashing out on La Thuile’s iconic night test.
At the end of four demanding stages, Giambi secured the overall victory by five seconds over team-mate Dailly, delivering a one-two finish for Speed Project. Alex Rudeau rounded out the podium in third and strengthened his position at the top of the overall standings, where he now holds an 85-point advantage after four rounds.
Following his victory, Giambi said: “It was a dream day for me. I was consistent from start to finish, avoided mistakes, and led after the first three stages. Heading into the night stage as the last rider on course was an incredible experience. It felt unreal, almost like I wasn’t riding anymore, just floating down the track.”
CONOLLY STRENGTHENS TITLE BID WITH DOMINANT VICTORY IN LA THUILE
Ella Conolly claimed her second Women’s Elite UCI Enduro World Cup victory of the season with a commanding performance in La Thuile–Valle d’Aosta, pairing outright speed with remarkable consistency across the demanding Alpine terrain. The race was missing two of its expected contenders before it had even begun, with both Winnifred Goldsbury and Simona Kuchyňková (Cube Action Team) ruled out following crashes during practice.
After finishing runner-up in Val di Fassa–Trentino a week earlier, where severe weather forced the cancellation of two key stages, Conolly arrived determined to make amends. The Briton wasted no time asserting herself, producing a dominant ride on the opening 4.42-kilometre Touraisse stage. Her aggressive yet controlled run through the loose, open terrain earned her a stunning stage victory by 13 seconds, immediately putting her rivals on the back foot.
Fresh from her win in Val di Fassa–Trentino, Mélanie Pugin (Speed Project) recovered well from an early mistake to finish second on the opening test, although she conceded valuable time to the race leader. Raphaela Richter completed the top three, keeping herself firmly in contention heading into the more technical stages.
Reigning UCI Enduro World Champion Elly Hoskin found herself on the defensive after losing 18 seconds on the opening stage. Determined to respond, she attacked the steep and highly technical Belface stage, a 1.43-kilometre descent packed with 525 metres of vertical drop. The short but intense test rewarded both precision and commitment, and Hoskins delivered exactly that, edging out Conolly for the stage victory by just one second. Pugin remained within striking distance in third as the battle for the podium tightened.
Pugin showcased her technical skill once again on the infamous Cambogia stage, a 3.58-kilometre test featuring steep rock gardens, wooded sections and high-speed descents. The French rider set the fastest time to reignite her challenge, but crucially managed to claw back only four seconds on overall leader Conolly.
New Zealander George Swift impressed with the third-fastest stage time, while Hoskins endured a difficult run and lost 26 seconds, reopening the fight for the final podium place and allowing Richter to move back into contention.
Hoskins bounced back by claiming victory on the spectacular floodlit final stage, but Richter stayed close, finishing just 1.8 seconds behind. Rebecca Baraona completed the stage podium in third as the crowd-lined night test delivered a dramatic conclusion to the weekend.
Despite the late pressure, Conolly held firm to secure overall victory by seven seconds over Pugin. Richter completed the overall podium after edging Hoskins by a razor-thin one-tenth of a second. The result also strengthened Conolly’s grip on the UCI Enduro World Cup standings, extending her series lead to 70 points over Pugin as the two riders continue to emerge as the main protagonists in the fight for the overall title.
Following her victory, Conolly said: “Nightfall is such a cool stage. Having such a huge crowd up there really gets you pumped up. I rode quite cautiously because I knew I had a small advantage, maybe even a little too cautiously as it ended up being pretty close. But it was an amazing way to finish the weekend. I’m taking it one round at a time and just focusing on giving everything every race weekend. My goal is simple: I want to fight for the win every time I line up.”
LIBNIK AND MARTI MONTESSINOS EXTEND THEIR JUNIOR DOMINANCE IN LA THUILE
Nežka Libnik continued her remarkable run of form by extending her winning streak in the Women’s Junior category. Fresh from a dominant victory in Val di Fassa–Trentino (Italy), where she claimed every stage win, the Slovenian once again set the benchmark in La Thuile–Valle d’Aosta.
Libnik laid the foundations for victory on the opening 4.42-kilometre Touraisse stage, where she immediately opened up an advantage of more than 30 seconds over her rivals. The championship leader further strengthened her position on the demanding Cambogia test, extending her lead as the battle for the remaining podium places intensified. Bélinda Baudet established herself in second after gaining 26 seconds on Romy Williams (Speed Project), creating a clear gap in the fight for the runner-up spot.
The final floodlit Nightfall stage saw the podium order remain unchanged, with Libnik completing a flawless weekend to secure overall victory by an impressive 1 minute 48 seconds over Baudet, while Williams finished a further minute adrift in third.
Despite missing the opening round of the season, three consecutive victories have propelled Libnik to the top of the overall standings, where she now holds a 30-point lead.
Following her victory in La Thuile–Valle d’Aosta, Libnik said: “It’s so special to come to places like this and be able to win. My goal is to race the remaining rounds and do my best to secure the overall title. The night stage was incredible, the atmosphere in the rock garden was amazing, with so many people cheering us on.”
In the Men’s Junior race, overall leader Hugo Marti Montessinos arrived in La Thuile determined to bounce back after a crash last weekend denied him victory in Val di Fassa-Trentino. The French rider immediately signalled his intent by winning the opening Touraisse stage and carving out an advantage of almost five seconds over his rivals.
Fellow French riders Tommy Bougon and Jules Janniaud emerged as his closest challengers, while the second stage produced one of the tightest battles of the weekend. Marti Montessinos edged out Guillaume Marmillon by a mere two hundredths of a second, with Bougon once again completing the top three.
There was no stopping the championship leader on the demanding Cambogia stage, where he added another five seconds to his advantage. Janniaud mounted the strongest challenge, while Harper Nelmes recovered from a difficult start to the day to secure third on the stage.
Bougon finally earned a stage victory on the spectacular Nightfall test, finishing ahead of Marmillon and Matej Šrail. With a comfortable advantage in hand, Marti Montessinos was able to manage his effort through the floodlit finale and seal overall victory by 15 seconds, with Janniaud finishing second and Bougon rounding out the podium in third.
After claiming three victories in the opening four rounds, Marti Montessinos has strengthened his grip on the championship and now leads the overall standings by 80 points. Following his victory, he said: “The final stage at night was really exciting. There were so many spectators around the rock garden, which is one of the toughest sections of the course. Racing at night is something completely different, and we had a lot of fun out there.”
The WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series continues on Sunday in La Thuile–Valle d’Aosta, where UCI Cross-country Olympic (XCO) World Cup riders will tackle the venue’s demanding course for the first time. The series then heads to Pal Arinsal, Andorra (10–12 July), where both endurance and downhill racing return to centre stage. Enduro competitors will resume their campaign the following weekend with a two-day challenge at Aletsch Arena–Bellwald, Switzerland (17–19 July).
