French duo Adrien Dailly (Speed Project) and Morgane Charre (Pivot Factory Racing) delivered masterclasses in technical riding across two demanding days to claim victory at the UCI Enduro World Cup finale in Morillon, Haute-Savoie (France).
For Dailly, the triumph carried even greater significance, as it propelled him past Lief Rodgers to snatch the Men’s Elite overall title in a dramatic conclusion to the UCI Enduro World Cup season.
In the Women’s Elite competition, there was reason for double celebration. Charre delighted the home crowd with the race win, while Ella Conolly secured back-to-back overall series titles after another outstanding season.
In the Junior categories, Hugo Marti Montessinos and Nežka Libnik capped remarkable seasons by securing both the race victories in Morillon and the overall UCI Enduro Junior World Cup titles.
The four overall winners were presented with newly unveiled trophies, designed to reflect the prestige and significance of The Globe, the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series’ ultimate symbol of achievement. Crafted from metal and recycled carbon fibre, the awards made their debut in Morillon.
Speed Project also celebrated another milestone, becoming the inaugural winners of The Summit, the new UCI Mountain Bike World Cup Team Trophy. Having already wrapped up the team title at the previous round in Aletsch Arena-Bellwald (Switzerland), the squad underlined its dominance by finishing the season with yet another victory.
DAILLY SEIZES THE CROWN AS MORILLON DELIVERS A DRAMATIC TITLE DECIDER
Nestled in the heart of France’s Haute-Savoie region, Morillon returned as the host of the UCI Enduro World Cup finale following its successful debut as the overall title decider in 2025. The pine-clad slopes of the Grand Massif’s renowned Enduro Bike Park provided the perfect stage for a thrilling weekend of racing. Eight stages spread across two days, covering 84.4km and 4,110m of descent, ensured the battle remained finely poised until the very end, with a decisive five-kilometre final stage ultimately determining the overall winners.
Adrien Dailly delivered a composed and relentlessly consistent performance across the weekend to claim victory in the Men’s Elite race and, with it, the overall UCI Enduro World Cup title. Arriving in Morillon, Lief Rodgers held an 82-point advantage over Dailly in the overall standings. Behind them, Raphaël Giambi (Speed Project), Alex Rudeau, Ryan Gilchrist (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) and reigning overall champion Sławomir Łukasik (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) all remained mathematically in contention for the crown.
Rodgers endured a difficult opening day, with a series of costly mistakes leaving the Canadian down in seventh place after the first four stages. Meanwhile, defending champion Łukasik kept his slim title hopes alive by drawing on his experience to win two of the opening four tests. Yet Dailly remained firmly in the hunt, ending day one just 1.5 seconds off the lead and, crucially, in a strong position to collect valuable points.
The race took a decisive turn on stage 5 when disaster struck Łukasik. A puncture near the top of the brand-new stage cost the Pole around 30 seconds and effectively ended his challenge. Dailly capitalised immediately, taking the stage win by three seconds from teammate Giambi, while Finland’s Tarmo Ryynänen set the third-fastest time.
Giambi then showcased his technical skills on the demanding Reverse River stage, mastering the rutted terrain and dense forest sections to take victory by two seconds over Marius Tenet Berrat. Dailly’s measured ride to third further strengthened his position, extending his overall advantage to almost 30 seconds.
The penultimate Morillon Village stage, though only 1.3 kilometres in length, provided an intense test featuring a short climb and 209 metres of descent. Ryan Gilchrist and teammate Jt Fisher powered to first and second respectively, while Dailly opted for a more conservative approach. His ninth-place finish was enough to carry a 27-second cushion into the decisive final stage, ahead of Ryynänen and Tenet Berrat.
Attention then turned to the overall title battle. Rodgers needed to recover 16 seconds over the final five-kilometre test to secure a crucial podium result in the overall standings. Ryynänen produced a stunning run to win the stage, but Dailly was just four tenths of a second slower, comfortably sealing both the race victory and the overall title. Further behind, Belgian rider Gabriel Sainthuile climbed onto the Morillon podium after gaining enough time on the final stage to secure third overall.
Dailly ultimately secured the series title by 43 points from Rodgers, with Gilchrist completing the overall podium in third. Reflecting on his achievement, the Frenchman said: “I’m super happy. It wasn’t my goal at the beginning of the season, it’s crazy. I’ve improved a lot this year and adapted better to my bike. At the start of the season I was struggling to feel comfortable and fast, but now I’m feeling much better and having more fun on the bike.
“I wasn’t feeling in amazing shape coming into this weekend, so I had to manage my energy and save something for the final run. The heat made it really tough, probably the hardest conditions of the season for me. The liaisons were tight as well, so it was a demanding weekend, and I’m really happy to have pulled it off.”
CHARRE CLAIMS THE WIN, CONOLLY CLAIMS THE CROWN
Morgane Charre (Pivot Factory Racing) held her nerve on a dramatic final stage to secure victory in the Women’s Elite race, while Ella Conolly did exactly what was required to retain her UCI Enduro World Cup crown.
Conolly arrived in Morillon brimming with confidence after claiming her third victory of the season in Aletsch Arena-Bellwald (Switzerland). The defending champion held a commanding 170-point lead over Mélanie Pugin (Speed Project) and knew that a top-six finish would be enough to secure back-to-back overall titles. Further down the standings, Elly Hoskin, Raphaela Richter and Winnifred Goldsbury were locked in a battle for third place overall.
However, the opening day did not go entirely to plan for Conolly. Struggling in the intense heat, the Briton ended day one in seventh place, nearly 40 seconds adrift of the race lead. Pugin also found the opening stages difficult and sat just one position ahead of her rival overnight.
The surprise story of the first day came from German privateer Helen Weber, whose consistency across the opening four stages earned her the overall lead. Charre, winner of the opening test, sat just 1.5 seconds behind, while Nadine Ellecosta (Abetone Vittoria Nencini Sport Factory Team) completed a tightly packed top three.
Weber continued her impressive form on day two, expertly navigating the dusty and demanding terrain to extend her advantage. Yet Conolly responded like a true champion. On the technical Reverse River stage, the British rider delivered a crucial performance, claiming victory by just one tenth of a second over Weber. The result lifted her to fifth overall and, more importantly, gave her an 11-second buffer over Pugin in the title battle.
Isabeau Courdurier prevailed on the penultimate stage, while Weber carried a 10-second lead into the decisive final test. But the gruelling five-kilometre finale turned the race on its head. A crash cost Weber around 30 seconds, dropping her to ninth on the stage and from first to third in the overall classification.
Charre seized the opportunity in front of her home crowd. The French rider set the fastest time on the final stage, eight seconds quicker than her nearest rival, to secure victory in Morillon. Ellecosta completed a breakthrough weekend by finishing second overall.
Reflecting on her win, Charre said: “This race is really special for me. I live here, so I’ve been looking forward to it for a long time. I missed it last year because of injury, and after crashing in Loudenvielle at the start of the season I also had to sit out a few races. It’s been a tough year, which makes this result even more meaningful.
“To race here, feeling fit and ready, and to take the win in front of a home crowd is incredible. The stages were fantastic, really physical and with a great mix of terrain. I pushed hard all weekend and I’m so happy it paid off.”
Conolly’s fifth-place finish proved more than enough to secure the overall title for a second consecutive season. She ended the year 220 points clear of Pugin, while Elly Hoskin rounded out the overall podium in third.
Speaking after securing the title, Conolly said: “It’s such a relief. Honestly, it hasn’t been my best race weekend, but it feels amazing to have done enough to take the overall title. Enduro is about showing up at every round and making the most of what you have on that day. Nobody has a perfect race every weekend. You have to stay mentally focused, adapt to what the race throws at you and give absolutely everything you’ve got. That’s what I tried to do, and I’m really proud to come away with the overall.”
LIBNIK AND MONTESSINOS CAP OFF TITLE-WINNING SEASONS IN MORILLON
Nežka Libnik capped a dominant season in style, claiming both the Women’s Junior victory in Morillon and the overall UCI Enduro World Cup title. The Slovenian was untouchable throughout the weekend, winning all eight stages and crossing the line an astonishing 3 minutes and 47 seconds ahead of her nearest rival.
Libnik arrived in Haute-Savoie with just a 25-point cushion over Romy Williams (Speed Project) in the overall standings, but quickly erased any doubts about the destination of the title. By the end of the opening day, she had won all four stages and established a commanding 32-second lead over Bélinda Baudet.
Williams faced an uphill battle heading into day two, sitting third overall and nearly two minutes off the lead at the halfway mark. Any hopes of a comeback were extinguished as Libnik continued her flawless run, completing a clean sweep of all eight stages to secure a memorable victory.
British rider Katie Allsop emerged as her closest challenger on the second day, finishing runner-up on stages 5 and 6. In the battle for the remaining podium places, however, Williams fought back strongly to claim second, while French rider Julia Gay secured third after strong performances on the final two stages.
Libnik ultimately secured the overall UCI Enduro World Cup title by 35 points ahead of Williams, with Alice Farinelli completing the season podium in third.
Reflecting on her achievement, Libnik said: “It’s my first time here in Morillon. The two days were quite demanding and the heat definitely didn’t make things easier. But the organisation was great and I really enjoyed the tracks. They felt quite similar to what I’m used to riding in Slovenia, so I felt at home. It’s really special to win here and to secure the overall title.”
Meanwhile, Hugo Marti Montessinos arrived in Morillon having already wrapped up the Men’s Junior overall title at the previous round in Aletsch Arena-Bellwald (Switzerland). However, he still had one final challenge ahead of him as he looked to end the season with another race victory.
The Frenchman’s task was far from straightforward. Two crashes on the opening day allowed Jules Janniaud to edge ahead by just three-tenths of a second overnight, setting up an intriguing battle for the round victory.
Montessinos responded emphatically on day two, overturning the deficit by beating Janniaud by 11 seconds on the opening stage. Although the Frenchman struck back with a stage win of his own later in the day, Montessinos maintained control to secure the overall victory by 14 seconds. Lorenzo Cesari rounded out the podium in third.
The result underlined Montessinos’ dominance throughout the season. He finished the season 130 points clear at the top of the standings, ahead of Janniaud in second and Cesari in third.
After taking the win, Montessinos said: “I had a lot of fun this weekend. The two training days were pretty intense with the heat and we were already quite tired before racing started. The first day wasn’t easy because I crashed on stages 1 and 3, which left me just behind Jules [Janniaud]. Today I rode well, stayed consistent throughout the day and managed to secure the win with a bit of a margin.”
While the UCI Enduro World Cup season has now drawn to a close, the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series continues next weekend (20-23 August) with the UCI Cross-country World Cup and UCI Downhill World Cup in Les Gets, Haute-Savoie (France).
