After a huge season of UCI Mountain Bike World Series racing, it all comes down to this weekend for the stars of cross-country and downhill as they head to Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada, for the final race of the year.
This most iconic of venues, steeped in mountain biking history, is a fitting location to crown the overall winners of the UCI Cross-country Olympic (XCO), Short Track (XCC) and Downhill (DHI) World Cups. However, with one race left to go, a few standout riders are already assured of victory.
In the women’s XCO, Puck Pieterse’s (Alpecin-Deceuninck) sixth place finish in Snowshoe, USA, last weekend was enough to hand her the overall title. The 21-year-old from the Netherlands will take the series win in her first year in the Elite category. However, the other spots on the podium remain wide open, so expect an intense battle between Austrian Mona Mitterwallner (Cannondale Factory Racing Team) and Frenchwoman Loana Lecomte (Canyon CLLCTV) who lie second and third in the standings respectively.
While in the men’s category Switzerland’s Nino Schurter (Scott SRAM MTB Racing Team) leads the overall points - but just 89 points back is Frenchman Jordan Sarrou (Team BMC), who’ll be riding high after his stunning victory in Snowshoe last weekend. Third placed Swiss rider Mathias Flückiger (Thömus Maxon) and fourth placed German Luca Schwarzbauer (Canyon CLLCTV) are also within touching distance of the top spot.
It’s a similar story in the downhill competition, with the women’s overall winner wrapped up in Snowshoe last weekend. Current UCI World Champion Valentina Höll (Rockshox Trek Race Team), of Austria, added to her collection of titles when a third place finish in West Virginia secured her the overall title.
But things are much less certain below her in the points table - with just 29 points separating second placed Nina Hoffman (Santa Cruz Syndicate), of Germany, and last weekend’s winner from France, Marine Cabirou (Scott Downhill Factory) in third.
Meanwhile, in the men’s race, it’s very much all still to play for. Frenchman Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity) leads the points race, but just 60 points behind him is his compatriot, Trek Factory Racing Gravity’s Loris Vergier. Canadian Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) is in third and a further 92 points back on Vergier. Meanwhile another Canadian, Finn Iles (Specialized Gravity), is also still in with a chance of a podium finish and will be looking to put down the power in front of his home crowd.
Racing gets underway in Mont-Sainte-Anne on Thursday with the U23 short track - full schedule and events details are available here.
You can find where to watch all of the racing action live in Mont-Sainte-Anne here.
