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A day after his toughest win of the season, Riley Amos (Trek Factory Racing-Pirelli) romped to his most dominant victory in the U23 UCI Cross-Country Olympic (XCO) World Cup at Crans-Montana, Valais. Amos was pushed all the way in yesterday’s U23 UCI Cross-Crountry Short Track (XCC) World Cup race and crossed the line just two seconds ahead of Bjorn Riley (Trek Factory Racing) but it was a different story in XCO as he enjoyed a comprehensive 37-second margin of victory. Amos took the bull by the horns on the starting loop and only Bjorn and Rens Teunissen van Manen could live with the pace, the Dutchman leading the field onto the first lap for KMC Ridley MTB Racing. Riley and Teunissen van Manen were able to just about stay in touch with Amos in the opening two circuits, but the overall leader kicked fully clear on lap three, putting 16 seconds into his compatriot whose race soon got more exciting. Teunissen van Manen’s afternoon came unstuck when he dropped a minute to the leaders on the second lap and would go on to finish ninth, promoting Luca Martin (Orbea Factory Racing team) onto the podium after he’d previously been the clear best of the rest behind the top trio. As Amos continued to set the pace up front, Riley suffered a crash in the muddy conditions, then chain and handlebar problems and hemorrhaged almost a minute to Martin, dropping behind the Frenchman having looked set for second from the moment Teunissen van Manen fell away. But Riley responded magnificently, using the A-Line in the drier sections to hunt Martin down and eventually retake second place. But it was still a strong result for Martin in his battle with Finn Treudler (Cube Factory Racing) for third place in the overall standings with his rival finishing seventh, and Cole Punchard recorded his best result of the season in fourth for Pivot Cycles-OTE. I think that was the hardest, most difficult race of my entire U23 career today,” Amos said afterwards. “Everyone knew it was going to be an absolute war, I went all out from the gun to try and get out front early, make the race my own and make as little mistakes as possible and just try and stay off your ass, it was one hell of a day out there.  “I tried to stay calm, get off the bike early and run rather than falling over halfway up the hill, and just riding your own race, slow and steady today was the race for sure. While losing ground to Amos, Riley further solidified his own position in the top three of the standings but was made to work for it due to those problems on the fourth lap. I literally just couldn’t find my line, it was a comforting crash in a sense, it didn’t hurt but it was a wild ride,” Riley explained. “I was pretty p****d after that, my bars were turned, then my chain falling off and maybe that p****d off energy gave me a little more gas. “I was like ‘I’ve been second the whole race, I don’t want to crash and be off the podium’, I knew I could go a lot quicker so I just bided my time and tried to go a little above VO2 then settle back into threshold when I could. “It was a fun race, I don’t know if I hated these conditions, I do good in them, but I just want the sun! The women’s U23 XCO World Cup race kickstarts Sunday’s action in Crans-Montana, as the weekend climaxes with the men’s and women’s elite XCO events on the penultimate round before riders turn their attention to the Paris Olympics.

Tom Pidcock (INEOS Grenadiers) was dead last after the start of the Men’s Elite UCI Cross-country Short Track (XCC) World Cup race, but provided a champion’s response by storming through the field to take victory by two seconds in Crans Montana, Valais.  However, knee problems consigned world champion Sam Gaze (Alpecin-Deceuninck) to 36th out of 37 finishers and prevented him from closing in on overall leader Victor Koretzky (Specialized Factory Racing) who missed the round due to illness and injury.  In a pulsating Women’s Elite race, Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck) enjoyed only a slightly more straightforward afternoon as she distanced the favourites with a ferocious attack on the final lap to win a second consecutive XCC round. PIDCOCK OVERTURNS 23-SECOND MARGIN FOR STATEMENT WIN On his final weekend of mountain biking before heading south to the Grand Depart of the Tour de France, then defending his Olympic title in Paris, Pidcock showed he’ll be a force to be reckoned with on all fronts with a scarcely believable comeback from worst to first. The INEOS Grenadiers slipped a pedal after starting on the second row and sunk through the field like a stone, then collided with a rival as he attempted to recover on the descent. Nino Schurter (Scott-SRAM MTB Racing) eventually led the field across the line to start the second of six laps after a merciless first circuit that saw a four-wide bunch sprint up the opening climb in the battle to lead into the technical descent. Gaze was the holeshot but quickly lost touch with the leaders with eventual fourth-place finisher Christopher Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing) later admitting they ‘shot themselves in the foot’ by going too quickly from the off. A whopping 23 seconds ahead of Pidcock after the first lap, Schurter briefly broke away with Luca Schwarzbauer (Canyon CLLCTV) but the pair couldn’t make the move stick as a washing machine effect at the front also saw Blevins and Thomas Litscher (Lapierre Mavic Unity) kick on to no avail. However, a lull on the third and fourth laps allowed the Olympic champion to fight his way back and he dragged a rested bunch with him when he finally made contact, quickly ascending to the podium positions alongside Schwarzbauer and Schurter. Finally making his first attack from the front at the start of the penultimate lap, only the Scott-SRAM pair of Schurter and Filippo Colombo could live with Pidcock’s pace initially before Charlie Aldridge (Cannondale Factory Racing) joined the party and made it a British one-two to start the final circuit. The national champion was a spent force though and the most patient man on the course got his reward at last with Julian Schelb (Stop&Go Marderabwehr MTB Team) punching past Aldridge, Schwarzbauer and the tiring Swiss riders to slot into a second pace that he’d never relinquish. The fastest finisher down the last descent, the German was even visibly closing on the win but left it too late to make the difference as Pidcock could post up before the line and celebrate what seemed like the unlikeliest of victories in the opening minute of racing - less than a week after he was sixth in the Tour de Suisse general classification. “I didn’t make it easy that’s for sure,” Pidcock said afterwards. “At the start I unclipped then I was at the back, and I was actually getting dropped on that first climb, they were going so fast. “Coming from a week-long stage race it’s something a little bit different but I was just riding it full, just to pick off riders every time on the climb and it was just my tactic, just ride full gas. “Going into the descent if you’ve got riders in front, you can only lose time so I was trying to time it right so I could make up time on the descents.” “I got there and I was suffering and I looked around and no one was pulling faces so I thought ‘Oh God, these guys have had it easy’ but I just carried on and obviously they were suffering.” Gaze lined up at the start with heavy strapping on his knee and his paltry return means a three-figure deficit remains to Koretzky at the top of the UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup tree. Schwarzbauer was one of the main protagonists in the early part of the race but faded at the death meaning Blevins jumps up to third in an exciting battle for the final place on the overall podium - just 142 points separate the American from ninth-placed Jordan Sarrou (Team BMC) UNSTOPPABLE PIETERSE SURGES TO SECOND SUCCESSIVE WIN Chiara Teocchi (Orbea Factory Team) hit the front early in the Women’s Elite XCC race with Pieterse distanced before recovering that ground in the first descent. The race-winning selection was made almost immediately with Loana Lecomte (Canyon CLLCTV) and Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon) completing a lead quartet after Lotte Koopmans (KMC Ridley MTB Racing) lost control on the brutally steep Red Bull Roots and Rolls section and speared straight into the netting at the corner. And there was barely a moment’s rest from there in a race full of haymakers in the lead group, Lecomte landing the first (albeit glancing) blow when she gapped the rest on the second lap but failed to make the move stick.  Teochchi was shaken loose but the Orbea Factory green continued to light up the front of the race as Anne Tauber bridged across followed shortly by Gwendalyn Gibson (Trek Factory Racing – Pirelli), in a hugely encouraging showing after the American broke her collarbone in Mairiporã (Brazil) at the start of the season and only returned to racing last time out in Val di Sole, Trentino (Italy). Pieterse had been an ever-present at the front but wasn’t able to make it pay as five riders took the bell with Tauber the first to make her move entering the long drag at the start of the lap. It was a brave effort and one that distanced all but her compatriot, who immediately hit the front and crested the top of the climb with a three-second lead. Pieterse’s descent wasn’t the smoothest as she dropped a couple of seconds losing the back end momentarily, but the lead she’d fought so hard to establish meant she had time to celebrate before crossing the line - though promptly collapsing into a fetal position on the Swiss tarmac. But ironically for someone who gave a fisherwoman celebration at the finish, no one else had a chance at reeling Pieterse in, she spent her energy at the perfect moment to dance away from the field with a victory margin of four seconds. “It was very tactical, every time especially on the last part of the climb we went all in then on the descents it stayed quite together and on the road it was just looking at each other,” Pieterse said. “I knew they’d have to push really hard to come back every time and we saved the energy for the climb. Luckily, I could profit off Anna’s attack a bit, I had the feeling I maybe wasn’t the fastest in the descent, I didn’t want to take any big risks. Let’s hope for such good legs tomorrow.” Keller won the sprint behind to strengthen her position in the overall standings while Tauber was overjoyed to secure a podium finish having put a few bike lengths into Lecomte on the run into the finish. Teocchi paid for her early efforts, plummeting down the field in the final couple of laps to eventually finish 24th - three places ahead of Haley Batten (Specialized Factory Racing) who entered the weekend sat second in the overall rankings. Batten was predicted to flourish on the testing course but never featured in the fight at the front, instead dropping further and further back and ceding the runner-up position to Pieterse, who now enjoys a 260-point advantage at the top.  LATE MOVES MAKE THE DIFFERENCE IN UCI U23 UCI XCC WORLD CUP Women’s U23 UCI XCC World Cup leader Kira Böhm (Cube Factory Racing) crashed early in yesterday’s race allowing Emilly Johnston (Trek Future Racing) to close the overall gap to just 26 points with a solo victory. Johnston broke away early with Carla Hahn (Lexware Mountainbike Team) and Madigan Munro (Trek Factory Racing-Pirelli) and though she shook the American early, Hahn matched every acceleration entering the penultimate lap. “I knew that in the sprint she would get me nine times out of ten,” Johnston explained afterwards. “So I had to be away before then. I just gave it the beans up the climb.” And that she did, eventually distancing her rival to win by five seconds with Böhm trailing home ninth, admitting her injuries sustained in the crash had handicapped her fightback. Riley Amos (Trek Factory Racing-Pirelli) revealed his victory in the men’s U23 XCC race was his hardest of the season, as the runaway series leader made it eight wins from nine after breaking clear on the final lap. Amos was made to work for it, with several attacks failing to dislodge his rivals before he threw everything at the long road climb on the final lap. He finally made it count though, crossing the line two seconds ahead of Bjorn Riley (Trek Future Racing) with Luca Martin (Orbea Factory Team) in third. Amos said: “It kept coming back together on the finish, but then with two laps to go I put in a hard dig, because I didn't like how many of us were together. That split us into three or four.” “I just went for it completely. I told myself I couldn’t drop a gear and just held the gear to the top and it was enough.” The UCI Cross-Country Olympic World Cup returns tomorrow to round out the Crans Montana weekend with the men’s and women’s elite races plus the women’s U23 field taking to the trails, in the penultimate round before competitors take on Les Gets (Haute-Savoie, France) and then catch the TGV to Paris and the Olympics.

An early crash by leader Kira Böhm (Cube Factory Racing) in the women’s U23 UCI Cross-Crountry Short Track (XCC) World Cup allowed second place Emilly Johnston (Trek Future Racing) take advantage and seize a first victory of the year.  Johnston attacked Carla Hahn (Lexware Mountainbike Team) late in the race, soloing to the win by five seconds. In the men’s U23 XCC, the almost flawless season of Riley Amos (Trek Factory Racing-Pirelli) continued with his eighth win out of a possible nine. The XCC winner in Val Di Sole, Trentino, Bjorn Riley (Trek Future Racing) finished a close second. JOHNSTON ON CLOUD NINE Emilly Johnston (Trek Future Racing) was overjoyed to take her first victory of the season in Crans-Montana, Switzerland.  “I can’t believe it,” she said afterwards. “I think I’m a bit in awe still.” Johnston escaped early with Carla Hahn (Lexware Mountainbike Team) and Madigan Munro (Trek Factory Racing-Pirelli.) Early efforts to dispense with the German were unsuccessful and by the penultimate lap she still had Hahn hot on her heels. The situation forced her hand. “I knew that in the sprint she would get me nine times out of ten,” Johnston explained, “so I had to be away before then. I just gave it the beans up the climb.”  Despite her high overall position and strong results until today the win had proved elusive. “This year I’ve struggled with knowing if I can do it and believing,” Johnston said. Tactically “I went out there racing to win,” she said, “and I just sent it as hard as I could on every downhill. That definitely helped me out there today.”  She had into this weekend determined to reboot, summing up her approach as “don’t be scared” and “just send it, and it worked. I’m so stoked.” For overall leader Böhm “It was not my best day.”  “I had a crash on the first lap on the last downhill and it cost me a lot of time,” she said. “but after the crash I didn’t feel good [anyway].”  EIGHT OUT OF NINE FOR AMOS Riley Amos’ eighth victory of the season in men’s U23 XCC in Crans-Montana was “the hardest one of the year for me, for sure.” The field stayed largely as one for most of the race’s duration, before breaking into smaller groups in the latter stages. Following a number of failed moves, Amos committed to an attack on the course’s climb on the very final lap. “It kept coming back together on the finish,” he explained afterwards, “but then with two laps to go I put in a hard dig, because I didn't like how many of us were together. That split us into three or four.” The group hesitated on the last lap which was when Amos “just went for it completely. I told myself I couldn’t drop a gear and just held the gear to the top and it was enough.”  Weather conditions ahead of the event had created questions in his mind about how the course would ride. That rendered pre-race decision-making and early tactics even more important. “I was honestly scared before the race because it was so different [to practise.]” he said. “I wasn’t sure how slick it was going to be, or if the lines we practised were going to be good. I went with a safe tyre choice that had a tonne of grip. It was slow on the climb but when we got onto the descent I had a tonne of traction.”  For the opening laps Riley “just tried to follow wheels for the first couple of laps. You don’t want to be too far back in case someone crashes and you miss the split, but I honestly didn’t want to be the trailblazer on those descents.” Amos’ compatriot Bjorn Riley (Trek Future Racing) finished 2nd, with Luca Martin (Orbea Factory Team) in third. Saturday sees the Men’s and Women’s UCI Elite Cross-country Short Track World Cup races from Crans-Montana, Valais, as well as the men’s U23 Cross-country Olympic (XCO) World Cup.  

We’re almost at the halfway point of the six back-to-back weekends of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series racing, and this weekend’s Crans-Montana, Valais UCI World Cup in Switzerland promises more of the same adrenaline-fueled action. After Val di Sole’s Downhill and Cross-country combo, the focus falls on the Endurance formats at the third new Cross-country Short Track (XCC) and Cross-country Olympic (XCO) venue of the season. While little was known about the two new Brazilian venues that kicked off the season, several high-profile Swiss riders have already got to grips with the Crans-Montana course, having ridden it during last year’s National Championships.  Two hours away by car from Geneva, Crans-Montana, in the canton of Valais, is in the heart of the Swiss Alps, where beautiful backdrops of pine forests and snow-capped peaks can be found around every corner. Riders won’t have a chance to drink in the views while racing though, and with this the penultimate UCI World Cup before the Olympics, expect it to act as a good yardstick for who’s in form heading into the biggest race of the year. Finally, this weekend’s racing could also be an indicator of who’s likely to be a future rainbow jersey wearer, with Crans-Montana, Valais set to host the cross-country Olympic and cross-country team relay races of the 2025 UCI Mountain Bike World Championship. TIGHT, TECHNICAL COURSE While most riders won’t have experienced the Crans-Montana course ahead of this week’s build-up to the UCI World Cup, they’re in for a tight, technical race if last year’s Swiss nationals parcours is anything to go by. Long, drawn-out climbs on narrow singletrack are punctuated by twisting, undulating sections of forest, where exposed roots could cause some interesting developments if there’s a pre-race downpour. The regular lap of the UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup course is 3.5km with 162m elevation gain, while the UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup is 1.6km with 72m elevation gain. Both will reward explosive climbers and fearless descenders. OLD GUARD VS FUTURE HEIRS Age is just a number for Nino Schurter (Scott-SRAM MTB Racing Team) and Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Ineos Grenadiers). While neither have said that they’ll be hanging up their mountain bikes for good at the end of 2024, it wouldn’t be a surprise if this was the last year that we see them stand at the top of a UCI World Cup podium – particularly Ferrand- Prévot, who has said she wants to concentrate on road cycling next year. The multi-time UCI World Champions showed that they’ve still got it in Val di Sole though, winning their 36th and 7th UCI World Cups respectively, and few would bet against them doing the same in Crans-Montana, Valais.  Two riders trying to stop them though will be Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) and Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck). Pidcock already has one from one in the XCO format of this year’s WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series and will be aiming to use this weekend’s race to apply his final preparations for defending his Olympic gold medal, with the British multi-discipline rider switching his attention to the Tour de France between now and then. Pieterse meanwhile finished second best to Ferrand-Prévot in Italy, and the 2023 UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup overall winner will be looking to go one better in Switzerland after putting in a winning performance in the Val di Sole UCI Cross-country Short Track Olympic World Cup. Other riders to keep an eye on are local favourite Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon), who did the women’s XCC and XCO double at last year’s Swiss nationals, and current series leader Haley Batten (Specialized Factory Racing), who will be aiming to return to the podium after a disappointing weekend in Val di Sole.  In the men’s, Mathias Flückiger (Thömus Maxon), knows what it takes to win on the course after claiming the XCO national jersey in Crans-Montana, Valais in 2023, while another Swiss star, Filippo Colombo (Scott-SRAM MTB Racing Team), has podiumed in three out of four XCO races so far this season. All of the above will be in contention during the XCC, but a handful of specialists might also have a say in how the spoils are shared. Reigning UCI Cross-country Short-Track World Champion Sam Gaze (Alpecin-Deceuninck) has a 50 per cent win record from the first four UCI XCC World Cups this year, and with the winner of the other two, Victor Koretzky (Specialized Factory Racing), not racing in Crans-Montana, Valais, the New Zealander is the clear favourite.  Others to look out for include Koretzky’s teammate Christopher Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing) and Luca Schwarzbauer (Canyon CLLCTV XCO). In the women’s field, UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup winner in Mairiporã, Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing - Pirelli), is getting back to her best after a concussion caused by a crash in Araxá (Brazil) ruled her out for almost two months. Racing gets underway in Crans-Montana, Valais on Friday with the U23 short track. Full schedule and event details are available here.

While the dust has only just settled in Val di Sole - Trentino, the Endurance athletes are gearing up to go again as the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series rolls into Crans-Montana, Valais, Switzerland for the venue’s first-ever UCI Cross-country World Cup. We look at everything you need to know about the Crans-Montana, Valais round of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series races, including when the Cross-country Short Track (XCC) and Cross-country Olympic (XCO) World Cup events are scheduled to take place, who is racing and how to watch. WHEN? The 2024 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series round in Crans-Montana, Valais starts with the Women’s U23 short track at 14:00 (UTC+2) on Friday, June 21, and concludes with the Men’s Elite cross-country Olympic at 14:30 (UTC+2) on Sunday, June 23. Below are the key timings for race weekend. All times are UTC+2 (EST+6/BST+1/CEST):  Friday, June 21 14:00 – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Women U23 14:35 – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Men U23 Saturday, June 22 13:00 – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Women Elite 13:35 – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Men Elite 15:30 – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup | Men U23 Sunday, June 23 10:00 – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup | Women U23 12:00 – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup | Women Elite 14:30 – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup | Men Elite WHERE CAN I WATCH? You can watch all the action from the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series round in Crans-Montana, Valais, Switzerland wherever you are in the world. Both the men’s and women's U23 cross-country Olympic races will be broadcast live on the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series YouTube channel, and for the elite races, tune in to one of the below channels or streaming services:  EUROPE: Austria: discovery+ Belgium: HBO Max, Eurosport 1 Czech Republic: Max, Eurosport 1, Czech TV Denmark: Max, Eurosport 1 France: Max, Eurosport 1 Germany: discovery+, Eurosport 1 Hungary: Max, Eurosport 1 Ireland: discovery+, Eurosport 1 Italy: discovery+, Eurosport 1 Netherlands: HBO Max, Eurosport 1 Norway: Max, Eurosport 1 Poland: Max, Eurosport 1 Portugal: Max, Eurosport 1 Romania: Max, Eurosport 1 Slovenia: Max, Eurosport 1 Spain: Max, Eurosport 1 Sweden: Max, Eurosport 1 Switzerland: Eurosport player, RTS 2, SRF Zwei, RSI la 2, SRF Info UK: discovery+, Eurosport  CENTRAL/SOUTH AMERICA : Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela: Claro Belize, Brasil, Suriname: Staylive Puerto Rico: Max AFRICA: Staylive  NORTH AMERICA: USA: Max Canada: Flosports  ASIA: Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Palau, Philippines, Russia, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan : Staylive Indonesia, Macao, Malaysia, Mongolia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand: Eurosport Asia OCEANIA: Australia: Stan Sport New Zealand: Staylive REST OF THE WORLD: Staylive The full list of official broadcasters is available on our website. Check your local listings for exact details of live coverage, race highlights and special programs. RIDERS TO WATCH The Crans-Montana, Valais course will be a new experience for most of the field, with the high alpine venue’s most high-profile race to date the Swiss national championship in June 2023. On that weekend, Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon) did the women’s XCC and XCO double, while Thomas Litscher (Lapierre Mavic Unity) and Mathias Flückiger (Thömus Maxon) were successful in the men’s short track and Olympic formats. One Swiss star who wasn’t riding that weekend was Nino Schurter (Scott-SRAM MTB Racing Team), and after the 38-year-old’s win last time out at Val di Sole, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the G.O.A.T giving the partisan local fans a win to celebrate.  Tom Pidcock (Ineos-Grenadiers) is likely to be Schurter’s greatest challenger – the Nové Město Na Moravě XCO winner racing his last mountain bike event in Switzerland before a packed summer that will see him ride the Tour de France and attempt to defend his Olympic gold medal at Paris 2024. In the women’s field, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Ineos-Grenadiers) is in commanding form, winning her second consecutive XCO win in Val di Sole. Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck) will be attempting to prevent the Frenchwoman from making it three from three, while series leader Haley Batten (Specialized Factory Racing) has a return to the podium in her sights after finishing 8th last time out. In the UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup, expect Sam Gaze (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Victor Koretzky (Specialized Factory Racing) to battle it out once again at the front of the men’s field, while Pieterse could face opposition from a resurgent Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing - Pirelli), who returned to racing last weekend after suffering with concussion since a crash in the second round of the 2024 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series in Araxá, Brasil. Racing gets underway on Friday, June 21 in Crans-Montana, Valais. Full schedule and event details are available HERE.

Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Ineos Grenadiers) put on another show in the Women’s Elite UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup in Val di Sole, Trentino. The French favourite opened a gap on UCI Cross-country Short Track (XCC) World Cup race winner Puck Pieterse (Alpecin Deceuninck) on lap two and rode away to victory by almost a minute. In the men’s race the Greatest of All Time, Nino Schurter (Scott-Sram MTB Racing Team) had more of a battle with Alan Hatherly (Cannondale Factory Racing), but raced hard from the start, sealing the win over Hatherly on the final lap.  FERRAND-PREVOT DESTROYS THE FIELD AGAIN IN VAL DI SOLE The women’s elite cross-country riders must have feared another PFP rout, but it was Chiara Teocchi (Orbea Factory Team) who got off to the best start. She accelerated up the inside of the immediate right hand be, with Ferrand-Prévot just behind. On the outside the course was much more slippery, and a number of riders took early tumbles.  As they continued along the start loop, Teocchi was on the front, followed by Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon) and Friday’s winner Puck Pieterse. Onto the first proper lap of six, riders opted for different lines up the rocky section, borrowed from the four-track course. A few riders struggled and were forced to put feet down. Ferrand-Prévot had slipped down the order but into the woods she was back up to 4th place. Candice Lill was looking more than up for it.  Five minutes into the race and gaps were already opening up between a top five and the rest, with a few of the riders struggling to negotiate the technical rooty sections, some of which were made more difficult by being off camber. After a long stretch of climbing it was back onto the faster, sweeping section of four-cross that allowed them to gather and take a breath. Before long they were back onto the second climb which had been torn up by the earlier women’s U23 race after a lot of rain fell on the course on Saturday night. That was where Pieterse put in the hurt, as she had repeatedly in Friday’s XCC race. Towards the end of the first lap, Loana Lecompte (Canyon CLLCTV XCO), Pieterse and Ferrand-Prévot had pulled clear of the field. A second group of chasers including Alessandra Keller, Savilia Blunk (Decathlon Ford Racing Team), Lill and Teocchi had formed behind. Ferrand-Prévot was determined to prevent them from coming back, pushing hard out of the saddle at every opportunity, which served to gap Lecompte. It was all Pieterse could do to hold her wheel. The Frenchwoman seemed to have the advantage on the climbs, which Pieterse was able to even it out on with superior technical proficiency on those sections of the course. Heart rates were tipping towards their maximums as they negotiated the Red Bull Roots & Rolls. Ferrand-Prévot continued to make it hard for Pieterse and a small gap between them became a measurable one, already growing to 13 seconds as they arrived at the second climb of the lap. Lecompte formed an alliance with Lill a further 20 seconds back, with everyone outside the top ten more than a minute in arrears. Ferrand-Prévot took a gel as she rode solo onto the third lap, separated from Pieterse by almost the entire length of the straight. Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing - Pirelli) suffered a crash in the feed zone when she missed a bottle snatch. Half an hour in and Ferrand-Prévot was riding away with the race as she did in Nové Město Na Moravě. Pieterse had second in the bag if she could pace herself sensibly. Lill and Lecompte were in a tussle for the final podium spot with Blunk a bridgeable and steady ten seconds down the track. The approach of lap four revealed that Lill had been able to dispense with Lecompte with big time gaps opening up, showing how selective the Val di Sole course can be - only made more so by the rain which caused both long climb to become even longer. Pieterse managed to stabilise her deficit to Ferrand-Prévot at around 30 seconds, and even eat into it a little in places. Whether that was because she was fatiguing relatively less or Ferrand-Prévot was just taking her foot off slightly was an open question. Two thirds of the race - 16km - completed and the race had blown apart. The time between Ferrand-Prévot in 1st and Keller in 10th was north of three minutes. Lill, for her part, was having the ride of her life and even closing in on Pieterse who had herself dropped ten seconds to the leader over the fourth lap. An hour of racing completed, Pieterse had been able to re-establish her advantage, even as the WHOOP data showed her heart was pounding at upwards of 185 BPM. As she took the bell and a final bottle, Ferrand-Prévot was out of sight, but with her lead not as solid as it had been. A single crash-causing drop of concentration on the final lap would be all it took to evaporate the 30 seconds to Pieterse. No other rider was within a minute of the UCI World Champion. Pieterse began to pay for her effort to keep in touch with the leader on the last lap. She had to work hard and fight her bike on the second climb, as the gap to Ferrand-Prévot ballooned back out to nearly a minute. She was in no danger of losing second place, but the strength of the French rider was irrepressible. Ferrand-Prévot high fived her mechanic as she came to the line, punching the sky to celebrate a second dominant UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup win in a row. In second Pieterse took plaudits too and could be pleased with her own improvement. Candice Lill was as happy as anyone with her podium, marking herself out as a potential medalist in Paris. Fourth place went to Loana Lecompte, with US national champion Savilia Blunk filling the final step on the podium. As straightforward as the victory looked, “it was not an easy one,” said Ferrand-Prévot afterwards. “Today I was a bit tired, but I was able to take the front and stay in the lead so I’m quite happy with that. It was just about focusing on my own pace and my own tempo and go as fast as possible.”  Lill couldn’t have been happier with her own result. “It’s been a long time coming for me,” she said. “Today feels really triumphant for me and all the people who believed in me.” Haley Batten (Specialized Factory Racing) finished in 8th place to pick up 110 points. She continues to lead the overall competition by 158 points from Keller. Despite only riding two of the four rounds this year Ferrand-Prévot is already up into the top 5. NINO SCHURTER IN CONTROL FROM START TO FINISH IN VAL DI SOLE Seven-time winner in Val di Sole Nino Schurter (Scott Sram MTB Racing Team) promised before the race to “go hard from the start.” UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup winner on Friday, Sam Gaze (Alpecin-Deceuninck) was a little less ebullient. He would “just ride my own race [and] get from point A to point B as fast as possible.” It would serve, he said, as “a steppingstone to July to see what I can do.” Gaze got a good fast start down the centre, but it was Schurter who was indeed leading through the start loop from Jordan Sarrou (Team BMC) and Alan Hatherly (Cannondale Factory Racing). Schurter roared up the hill, stringing out the field which fought to remain in contact going into the woods.  Martín Vidaurre (Specialized Factory Racing) was another rider who had made a good start to hold onto the three ahead of him, while Gaze had dropped down to 12th. Onto the first proper lap and four riders, Schurter, Sarou, Hatherly and Vidaurre were escaping up the course, with a chase group, containing Gaze, already ten seconds down. Fourth in Nové Město Na Moravě (Czechia), Charlie Aldridge (Cannondale Factory Racing) was struggling on the climbs and down to 50th place. The race was more than 12 minutes old before Schurter looked behind and allowed anyone else to come through to take a pull. Early on the second lap Filippo Colombo (Scott-Sram MTB Racing Team) was riding strongly to claw the chasers back into contention, though their presence caused the front quartet to put the hammer down and draw the gap out again. After two laps the front group was twice as large, as Colombo, Mathis Azzaro (Decathlon Ford Racing Team), Jens Schuermans (Giant Factory Off-Road Team-XC) and first Italian Luca Braidot (Santa Cruz Rockshox Pro Team) made contact with the Schurter-led four. The Swiss great didn’t like that and applied the pressure on the very first climb of lap three. He went even harder on the next and Hatherly was the only rider willing and/or able to go with him. In a flash they had opened out a double-digit lead on Vidaurre with the rest only going backwards. By Lap 4, Braidot had moved into “best of the rest” position, fighting it out with Forster and Azzaro for third. 20 seconds ahead and rising Hatherly was matching Schurter stroke for stroke. Until he wasn’t.  Schurter attacked through the feedzone to get a bit of a gap which he carried onto the first climb and extended in the woods. Hatherly seemed to opt to ride tempo rather than blow up by burying himself with an effort to bring Schurter back. Third place to 11th were 48 seconds down but engaged in a very real race of their own for placings. Gaze and Luca Schwarzbauer (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) were the biggest name riders to have missed out. Two laps to go and Schurter was on his way, but not out of sight of Hatherly and not able to ease off. He made it count the most on the climb, drawing out his advantage to 17 seconds, but the South African hadn’t left his legs in the bus either. The main group had been whittled down to six. Into the last fifteen minutes and Hatherly was looking more labored than he had all day, more psychologically beaten than physically. Still, at the bell he was less than 20 seconds behind Schurter. The Italian champion looked to crack the chasing group on the final ascent of the shorter of the two climbs. Only Colombo had enough in the tank to stay with him. Schurter took on the very last climb with his lead being dented, dropping a few seconds here and there but with enough in hand to showboat his way to the finish. Enjoying himself he executed a couple of tail whips on his way to an impressive first UCI World Cup win of the year, eighth career win in Val di Sole. Hatherly came in safely for second. Three riders sprinted for third, of them Azzaro having the fastest kick with Braidot 4th and Colombo 5th. “I’m super happy about this victory,” a smiling Schurter said afterwards. “It’s a really cool course - tactical but also physical… It’s nice to still be able to win at 38, great to still be at the top. It’s a track where riding in the group doesn’t help you very much so my plan was to make it hard from the start.” For Hatherly, “it was quite a wild one. The crucial point was when Nino went when I was in the feedzone taking a bottle. At that point I thought I’d ride at my own steady pace and get back. It ended up being a time trial - Nino versus me. Unfortunately I came off second best, but a close second. I’m really happy, at this point in the season with the [Olympic] Games not far away.” UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup leader, Victor Koretzky (Specialized Factory Racing) finished in 25th place. THIRD U23 WORLD CUP WIN OF THE SEASON FOR HOLMGREN, SEVENTH FOR RILEY The women’s U23 UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup was a similarly one-sided affair, as Canada’s Isabella Holmgren won by 1’26 from Olivia Onesti (Trinx Factory Team) and Elina Benoit of Switzerland. “It was a super tough race today with a lot of strong girls,” said Holmgren, “so I’m really happy to come away with the win. I didn’t come in with any expectations. It was a bit more slippery than the rest of the week, so I just really tried to stay focused on the descents, take my time, and stay safe while smashing the climbs.” Despite finding it more difficult, series leader and Friday’s UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup race winner Kira Böhm (Cube Factory Racing) was “really proud” of her personal performance and final result. “Today was super super hard,” she said. “I had a feeling I couldn’t push to the limit today but on the last lap I could do it. I think I went from 10th to 5th.”  A tight, hard fought men's race ended with series leader Riley Amos (Trek Factory Racing-Pirelli) taking his second win of the weekend, after Friday's XCC. It was another American 1-2 with Bjorn Riley (Trek Future Racing) runner-up again, and Finn Treudler (Cube Factory Racing) in third. Amos counted himself lucky to come out on top for the 7th time this season: “Every time it's been by the smallest of margins that I've got it,” he said. “I'm so lucky that everything’s gone according to plan, no mechanicals and with great legs every time.” The racing, he added, “was so hard early. Luca (Martin) was so close to getting it last year I think he just went out with a vengeance today, driving the pace so hard. I settled the pace down for a couple of laps then Finn (Treudler) tried to slide up and block us into the downhill, so I had to match him over the top of one of the climbs and that was the split that drove it. Then I had a small gap and when you're given a gap you have to take it.” Next weekend, the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series heads to a new venue. Located in the stunning Swiss canton of Valais, Crans-Montana is a special stop this season, with the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Valais just over a year away. Its vineyards, forests, lakes and waterfalls will provide a scenic backdrop for a new round of the UCI Cross-country World Cups.

Tahnée Seagrave (Canyon CLLCTV FMD) celebrated her 29th birthday in the finest possible style - by taking her first UCI World Cup Downhill win in three years on Val di Sole’s notorious Black Snake track. Also rolling back the years and blowing everyone else away was 2018 champion Amaury Pierron (Commencal/Muc-Off By Riding Addiction) on his to the course for the first time since breaking his back.  DELIGHT FOR SEAGRAVE ONCE AGAIN IN VAL DI SOLE A 2.1km long with 555m of drop “physical and gnarly” was how Josh Carlson described Val di Sole’s notorious Black Snake track ahead of finals. As the sun stayed hidden and clouds came over “treacherous” was another that could be added to the mix. Due to an injury sustained this morning, the fastest of the women’s semi-finalists Jess Blewitt (Cube Factory Racing), was unable to take her place as the last rider out of the gate. With a few drops of rain falling on the course, Valentina Roa Sánchez (Transition Factory Racing) was therefore the first of eleven. The Colombian national champion was riding her first final as an elite woman on arguably the most difficult course on the circuit. Sánchez carried good speed, picked good lines through the trees, and rode steady to set a solid time of 4’46.7 - five seconds quicker than she managed the day before. French rider Lisa Bouladou showed how easy it was for the course to trip a rider up, losing it in the early section and riding steady to the finish. Monika Hrastnik (Dorval AM Commencal) took a deep breath and charged towards a serious time. The Slovenian was quickest at the top and only got quicker as she descended. By the fourth split she was 13 seconds up and had added one more to it by the line to take her place in the hotseat. Phoebe Gale (Canyon Collective) showed no fear and only struggled physically towards the bottom, losing momentum over the biggest rocks on what was otherwise a clean run. Arms straining, she sprinted to the finish and into provisional second place. The next rider to hit the ground was Lisa Baumann (Commencal Les Orres.) Baumann fell twice in the second sector and was unable to regain contact with the fastest times of the early riders. Nina Hoffmann (Santa Cruz Syndicate) has had a difficult start to the season and came into the Val di Sole final with low expectations. She executed a solid but not spectacular ride to produce her best result of the year since Fort William. Despite struggling to find her flow in the qualifying rounds, Tahnée Seagrave (Canyon CLLCTV FMD) wasn’t in Val di Sole just to make up the numbers. She attacked the top part of the course with an intent that had been missing on Friday. Two seconds in hand over Hrastnik, fatigue seemed to catch up with the Brit a bit, as she lost a sliver of time in the third and fourth sectors. Nonetheless she kept it relaxed and steady, riding her own race all the way to the finish to comfortably claim the hotseat. Second in Leogang, Anna Newkirk (Beyond Racing) wanted to prove it was no fluke but had a hard time on the attritional parts of the track, dropping several seconds to Seagrave in every sector. Fearless to the finish, she could manage no better than 6th place provisionally and shook her head in disappointment. As the fog rolled over the top of the hill, Marine Cabirou (Scott Downhill Factory) hit the track. She wasn’t in touch with Seagrave at the top of the course but got closer further down. By split three she was enjoying her run, had built a platform, and was less than one second down at the 4th check. On the gas to the line, Cabirou missed out on top spot by just 0.3 seconds. Time for rainbows in the fog, Valentina Höll (YT Mob) was just 0.5 seconds off the lead at the first check. Looking good until she wasn’t, a mistake on the rocks caused a slip that sent her toppling heavily to her right. Mercifully uninjured, Höll regained her composure but even on the downhill was always facing an uphill task to take back 8 seconds. An impressive mid-section put her within reach of the podium, pulling back seconds to leave her in 4th at the final check. With a couple of drops to go, she sprinted for the line into 4th. After two great rides in qualifying Myriam Nicole (Commencal/Muc-Off By Riding Addiction) was riding with fire. At the first split she was where she needed to be - 3rd, just 0.5 seconds off Seagrave’s super-fast start. Nicole attacked the lower half of the visibly deteriorating track but had lost a second to Seagrave at the second check. At the Oakley rock garden, she picked good lines and charged into sector three, but was flagging - at the third check she had slipped to provisional 4th place. Four seconds was too much to make up. Tahnée Seagrave could barely believe it. She leapt out of the hotseat - back on top of the podium for the first time since Les Gets in 2021. “I didn’t think it was possible today,” she said. “I was so far behind yesterday. I had so much work to do and I haven’t turned something like that around in a long time. I think today we saw Tahnée who used to race like this. I’m stoked.” The result puts her into second place in the UCI Downhill Women’s Elite World Cup standings, 229 points behind Valentina Höll. Marine Cabirou is in third place, just nine points behind Seagrave. PIERRON PUTS A DIFFICULT YEAR BEHIND HIM “I think today could be Amaury’s day” said Reece Wilson (Trek Factory Racing Gravity) ahead of the men’s UCI Downhill World Cup final, of the French rider who came first in the semi and who would be last to go. Another Frenchman, Antoine Vidal (Commencal Les Orres) was also the first rider onto the rocks, pedaling hard out of the gate. Vidal, who has recently switched from Enduro to Downhill, rode loose and brave, staying low. A slip in the final sector cost him what was otherwise a clean run. He crossed the line to set a first fastest time of 4’04 - seven seconds slower than he managed in the semi-final. Greg Minnaar (Norco Factory Racing) the 2021 UCI World Champion who crashed at Fort William was riding well, almost dead level with Vidal but just ahead at the top of the track. He lost a few seconds lower down, but no major errors meant he went into the hotseat by almost six seconds. After saying he had been a bit disappointed with his qualifying times Richie Rude (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) blew the cobwebs off and everyone before him away. He kept it clean and rode hard to gain time at every split, keeping his momentum to go into the lead by three seconds. The times kept tumbling and although Greg Williamson (Madison Saracen Factory Team) took a while to get going, when he was fast, he was rapid. The British rider took two more seconds off the impressive time set by Rude. The first big crash of the day came from Bodhi Kunh (Trek Factory Racing Gravity) who ejected while hurtling through the woods in the second sector. He was able to get back on his bike to at least record a time. Dante Silva (Canyon CLLCTV Pirelli) was a massive two seconds quicker than anyone at the first split, but had he gone too hard too early? He lost some of that in each of the next sectors, reclaimed a fraction in the fourth, and lost too much in the final stretch of track. Second place for him showed quite how strong Williamson had been in the finale. Luke Meier Smith (Giant Factory Off-Road Team - DH) was aggressive high up the hill to set the fastest first intermediate time but found it harder the further he progressed through the course. It was perhaps a sign of how the weather was beginning to affect the lower slopes. Jacob Jewitt (Pivot Factory Racing) didn’t seem to mind the rain, making no mistakes and mincemeat of every part of the course. He was in touch until he was ahead, leaving it late but finishing even faster than Williamson, crossing the line two seconds to the good. Thibaut Daprela showed gains, marginal or maximal, could be found on all sections of the track. Daprela chipped away at Jewitt’s time, gaining a tenth here and there, to sneak into the hotseat by a fifth of second. Danny Hart (Continental GT Racing) went quickest at the top of the hill and was charging by the middle. He was looking intense and swinging towards the finish, with less than 0.1s in hand at the final time check. Furious pedaling doubled that by the line as he took the lead with 3’51.5. “It’s nice to see number 1 as you go over the line,” he said afterwards. The day’s only DNF was that of Oliver Davis (Santa Cruz Syndicate) who went a little too far to the right and caught a slippery section of rock to go down hard in the second section. The next man on track Ryan Pinkerton (Mondraker Factory Racing) went down even earlier, on the final corner of the very first stretch. Reigning UCI World Champion Charlie Hatton (Continental Atherton), who has never finished higher than 7th in Val di Sole, made a few mistakes here and there at the top of the track but nothing to put him completely out of contention. He made up some of the two second deficit on the lower rock garden, helping him to go into 4th with a time of 3’53. “The course is so so hard,” he said. “One section in the trees is dry and you come into the open and it’s incredibly slippery.” The course was beginning to seriously slip and slide as Dylan Maples (Commencal/Muc-Off By Riding Addiction) hurtled his way across it. He seemed to find better grip in the mid-section than many of the riders before him - though a second-and-a-half down at split one, by the third he was 0.7s up. He seemed to be getting stronger and braver as he went, flying over the final drop and sprinting into the hotseat by 1.2 seconds. Dakotah Norton (Mondraker Factory Racing) started as he meant to go on, with a 47 seconds dead first sector, giving him an early lead of almost 2.5 seconds. He opted for lines no-one else had dared, linking it all together to build on that strong start. Norton drifted on the final bend, powering to the line six seconds up. His 3’43.9 was quicker than anyone had managed in the semi and the first time with a chance of a podium spot or better. “I was really nervous going up and knew it would be super slippery and easy to push past the limit,” he said as he watched the racing unfold. An unusually early start for UCI Downhill World Cup leader Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity), who had a great qualifying run and then crashed in the semi-finals. The Val di Sole monkey appeared not to be leaving his back and though his run was good it didn’t quite click for him the way it had in Leogang. He picked up good speed in the lower section to stay in second, coming into the arena and stopping the clock 3.3 seconds down on Norton. His was still the second fastest time of the day. Into the final ten riders, where three minutes between starts became five. The first of the top ten was Simon Chapelet (Cube Factory Racing). Visibility at the top of the track was severely reduced and the Frenchman had a wild first section, crossing the line 11 seconds down in 13th. Oisin O’Callaghan (YT Mob) looked calm and composed as he came down the mountain, threading the needle through the high trunks. He picked up speed the further through the course he went, possibly too much as he almost went over his bars but just about kept it together. Never quite close enough but with a good enough run to guarantee himself another top ten finish. With three to go, the podium was Norton, Bruni, and Ronan Dunne (Mondraker Factory Racing.) Troy Brosnan (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) is no stranger to the Val di Sole podium himself and evidently had decided to send it from top to bottom. His start was just two tenths off that of the leader, and he was still in touch at the second split, despite almost losing the front end. Brosnan needed to keep building to remain competitive and was hitting every one of his entrances and exits to achieve just that. At check four he was 1.7 seconds down and held it to move into second place and dislodge Ireland’s Ronan Dunne from the top three. Finn Iles (Specialized Gravity) was calm as can be as he came out of the gate, his WHOOP heart rate monitor recording his pulse as just 122 BPM. He was the only rider to go quicker than Norton at the first split, 0.6 seconds up but just lost a bit of speed into the second sector. He successfully beat the slipperiest early parts of the course and was still up - just - at halfway. He gained a bit, but a slip cost him almost 1.5 seconds. He charged to the bottom but had too much to make up. Bridesmaid last year, second was the best he would be able to manage again. Only Amaury Pierron (Commencal/Muc-Off By Riding Addiction) could deny Norton. After breaking his back in 2023 he was making the most of every moment. Pierron’s start was as clean and confident as he could have hoped for, giving him a full second over Norton at the first check. He executed everything as perfectly as possible in the second sector, going 2.7 seconds quicker at split 2 while showing he was willing to risk it all to gain everything. Pierron added another second in the third sector, losing no speed whatsoever and putting the bike exactly where he wanted it to go. He crossed the line to claim an enormous win by a massive 4.9 seconds. Afterwards the rider was in disbelief: “It’s insane,” he said. “This week marks the one year since surgery on my broken neck. I’ve been through so much this year. It was really bad, but I never gave up, kept dreaming… To win a World Cup on the toughest track is insane… This track was super technical - it was not much full gas, flat-out, it was more of a smart race with good lines. It was really hard mentally and physically. I couldn’t be more stoked.” ALRAN AND HULSEBOSCH WIN MEN’S AND WOMEN’S JUNIOR DOWNHILLS The Men’s Junior UCI Downhill World Cup Final was won by Pierron’s team-mate Max Alran (Commencal/Muc-Off By Riding Addiction) with Asa Vermette (Frameworks Racing) second and Mylann Falquet (Goodman Santacruz) in third. It was a second win in a week for Alran. “That was so fun but really hard,” he said afterwards. He described the track as “a warzone. The holes are so big and if you want to push it’s physically so hard.” The women’s race was practically an all-Kiwi affair as Eliana Hulsebosch (Union - Forged By Steel City Media) topped the podium by 10 second with compatriots Sacha Earnest (Trek Factory Racing Gravity) and Erice van Leuven (Commencal Les Orres) second and third. Hulsebosch was overjoyed to take her first ever win at this level: “I’ve felt good all season,” she said. “It’s just been getting used to the World Cup stage. Finally got that mental state and I’m feeling really good, just out here riding my bike. I don’t really know what I did, I just wanted to get down and have fun. I did that and it worked.” Saturday sees the UCI Cross-Country Olympic (XCO) World Cup Finals from Val Di Sole, Trentino. Friday’s UCI Cross-country Short Track (XCC) World Cup delivered elite wins for Alpecin-Deuninck’s Puck Pieterse and UCI World Champion Sam Gaze. In the U23 races, UCI XCO World Cup leaders Riley Amos (Trek Factory Racing - Pirelli) and Kira Böhm (Cube Factory Racing) will be looking to do the double, after they won their respective XCC races on Friday.

In the Women’s Elite UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup races, multiple accelerations from Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck) depleted the hill and set the Dutch rider up for the win over Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Ineos Grenadiers). A closer men’s race saw five riders approach the finish together, with UCI World Champion Sam Gaze (Alpecin-Deceuninck) out-sprinting the rest to the line.  PUCK PIETERSE PUTS ALL TO THE SWORD A bad start from Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon) in the middle saw her drop down from the front row of the grid. Jenny Rissveds (Team 31 Ibis Cycles Continental) in contrast, exploded off the line, while Italian riders Chiara Teocchi (Orbea Factory Team) and Martina Berta (Santa Cruz Rockshox Pro Team) also wasted no time in the opening loop.  UCI World Champion Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Ineos Grenadiers) found herself boxed in going into lap two, and a little further down the pack than she would have wanted. Teocchi led from Rissveds up the hill but at a steady pace, which meant the field was more bunched than strung out going into the third lap of ten. After a cagey first five minutes, riders began to jostle for position, as Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck) muscled her way to the front and began to wind up the pace. Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing - Pirelli) and Ferrand-Prévot knew they would need to be alert to not lose position. Midway through the fourth lap Pieterse put in the first visible attack, stretching out the field. Approaching halfway through the race, Rissveds experienced a problem that saw her slip out of the top ten but was able to recover and regain her place among the elite of the elite. Teocchi seemed determined to control the pace, returning to the front with five laps remaining. Lap 6 brought the first appearance at the head of the race from US National Champion Savilia Blunk (Decathlon Ford Racing Team.) Pieterse looked to use her as a launchpad, putting in another attack that did significant damage and allowed a front group of five to briefly pull clear. That became twelve riders with three laps to go, as Pieterse eased off the gas, but it was surely a lull at best. Another kick from the Dutch rider on the short but punchy mid-loop climb was one that only Ferrand-Prévot and Blunk could handle. With just a couple of minutes of racing to go, the Frenchwoman had ominously not shown her hand for a second. By the bell Teochhi had been able to close the gap to the front and it was almost anyone’s race. Pieterse, who had spent most of the race at the front, had one more chance to break the bunch but taking it only played into the hands of Ferrand-Prévot. The UCI World Champion’s one and only move came in the closing metres and meant it would be a two-up sprint between Pieterse and Ferrand-Prévot. The Dutch rider had the more explosive kick and proved she had succeeded in her early and continual efforts to hurt her rival.  Five seconds behind Savilia Blunk was able to win the race behind for 3rd, beating South African Candice Lill who achieved her best result of the season so far. Afterwards Pieterse spoke proudly of the improvement she had made from the previous WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series round to this one: “I think Nove Mesto wasn’t my weekend, I wasn’t there yet,” she said. “Here I played my own tactic by riding on the front. I’m so happy I could play it smart in the final and take the win in the end.” “I thought I would use everything in the course that was hard to spread out the field and make sure I was racing for the podium” Ferrand-Prevot suggested she possibly could have played things differently: “It was fast but a comfortable pace,” she said, “and I was waiting waiting waiting, but in the end I was waiting too long. Puck attacked many times and was so strong. In the end she deserved the win.” TACTICAL MASTERCLASS FROM GAZE TO TAKE SECOND WIN IN RAINBOWS With the wind picking up, the sun shining and game faces on, the elite men’s XCC got underway. The UCI World Champion Sam Gaze got off the line quickest, leading Simon Andreassen (Cannondale Factory Racing) and Filippo Colombo (Scott-Sram MTB Racing Team) into the first corner. Victor Koretzky (Specialized Factory Racing) had a bit of early work to do, and he made a point of doing it. Nino Schurter (Scott-Sram MTB Racing Team) had successfully elbowed his way into the top five by the end of lap one. On lap two Colombo looked to stretch things out, as Gaze played a more cautious game. Charlie Aldridge (Cannondale Factory Racing) led over the line for the start of the third circuit as the early fight for position began in earnest. After five minutes of racing Gaze had not spent a second out of the top three. The fourth push up the hill was where Luca Schwarzbauer (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) emerged, before handing a turn to Schurter and Jordan Sarrou (Team BMC). Schurter began to boss things. The race was eight wide as the riders began their fifth lap with few having been shelled. This time up the hill Luca Braidot (Santa Cruz Rockshox Pro Team) launched a bold but very serious attack, pulling out to a visible and measurable lead over the field by the line. That gap only looked larger and was only increasing as the riders behind looked around at each other.  Four laps from the end and Braidot was nine seconds to the good. Sebastian Fini (Lapierre Mavic Unity) was doing the donkey work behind, as none of the rest were willing to spend energy they may want later. Despite the valiant effort, Braidot could not have hoped to hold out for that long on his own. He was gradually being brought back over the next couple of rotations and the catch came just before lap 9 of 11. That was when Schurter decided to play a hand, throwing in a few chips with a testing rather than committed acceleration, that served more to up the pace. Aldridge and Alan Hatherly (Cannondale Factory Racing) were two of those who could not stay with the main field at that speed. At the bell there were six riders left in contention, as Jens Schuermans (Giant Factory Off-Road Team - XC) hurt everyone with a massive effort on the climb. He ended up leading out the five riders who sprinted it out for the win.  Sam Gaze had the strongest, longest kick, taking the win from Koretzky and Schuermans, with Nino Schurter in 4th. For Gaze the win felt “really good. It’s been a lot of work over the last weeks, and I wasn’t 100% sure what to expect coming here,” he said. “I’m just really happy to pull it off, have a good feeling and have as much fun racing my bike.” Koretzky, who remains the overall leader in the UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup, was delighted with his podium. The Frenchman has recently been suffering from Covid.   “I’m really happy,” he said afterwards. “If before the race I’d finish second, I would say ‘yes.’ I’m looking forward to resting and having 100% of my lungs.” BÖHM AND RILEY CONTINUE TO RULE THE ROOST IN THE U23 CATEGORY In the women’s U23 UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup, leader Kira Böhm (Cube Factory Racing) took her third victory of the season. Böhm outsprinted Isabella Holmgren (Lidl-Trek), the only other rider to win a UCI World Cup cup round in 2024, into second, with Emilly Johnston (Trek Future Racing) beating Olivia Onesti (Trinx Factory Team) to third. “It was so much fun today,” said Bohm afterwards. “The first two laps were actually quite chilled and then the last two laps were super hard. The last lap was super hard especially, it was all out. Issy made it super hard for me today.” The men’s U23 race was won by Bjorn Riley (Trek Future Racing) with a successful solo attack two laps from the end. “I've never attacked in a World Cup before, so two laps to go I just tried,” said an elated Riley afterwards. “I was scared everyone was going to catch me on the flats but when I looked back at the end of the last climb, and I saw how big the gap was, it blew my mind.” Second place was his fellow American Riley Amos (Trek Factory Racing-Pirelli) with Oleksandr Hudyma (KMC Ridley MTB Racing Team) in third. Saturday sees the UCI Downhill World Cup Finals from Val Di Sole, Trentino. The qualifiers and semi-finals raced today delivered drama and surprises, demonstrating that early season dominance is no guarantee of continued success.  Neither Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity) nor Valentina Höll (YT Mob) will be last to go in their respective finals on Sunday. Höll was pushed into third in her semi-final by a world class run from Jess Blewitt (Cube Factory Racing) while an early slip from Bruni in his own semi will mean a much earlier start for him in the final than he’s used to. Both the men’s and women's UCI Downhill World Cup Junior Finals will be broadcast live on the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series YouTube channel. For the Elite races, check the channels or streaming service available in your country.

The opening day of the WHOOP UCI Downhill World Cup in Val di Sole, Trentino (Italy) delivered drama and surprises, demonstrating that early season dominance is no guarantee of continued success. Neither Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity) nor Valentina Höll (YT Mob) will be last to go in their respective finals on Sunday. Höll was pushed into third in her semi-final by a world class run from Jess Blewitt (Cube Factory Racing) while an early slip from Bruni in his own semi will mean a much earlier start for him in the final than he’s used to. From her opening run in Val di Sole, you’d have thought Myriam Nicole (Commencal/Muc-Off By Riding Addiction) had never been away. The Frenchwoman, who has podiumed here six times over the course of her career, including three victories, missed last year’s event due to injury. Nevertheless, Nicole took to the track like she knew every bump and bend both blindfold and backwards, setting a stunning benchmark time of 4:35.308. The rider in second in that opening heat Jess Blewitt (Cube Factory Racing) had put in such a formidable run of her own that she might have justifiably expected the time to hold up. More than three seconds separated the kiwi from Camille Balanche (Dorval AM Commencal) in third. Balanche will have been delighted by her own opening effort which saw UCI Downhill World Champion Valentina Höll (YT Mob) pushed into fourth place. Balanche had a harder time in the semi-final. A crash in sector 2 left her no choice but to leave the course and ride down to the finish. At the top the tables were turned in the semi-final, as Blewett stormed down the track as if she was late for a train. She was fastest of anyone out of the gate and only slipped back slightly in the middle part of the course. Blewett must have kept more in the tank that the rest, however. Virtually level with Höll and Nicole at the final checkpoint, She gained almost 2.5 seconds between there and the finish. Her semi-final time was almost four seconds quicker than her opening heat. Nicole couldn’t quite repeat the first-round brilliance that gave her the quickest run of anyone all day, but her 4’39.4 was good enough for second place, and for keeping the looming threat of Valentina Höll contained. For her part Höll put in such a blistering second sector - which put her fastest by three seconds at the split - it seemed as if she was going to cruise to victory. The half a second she lost to Hewett in the penultimate sector was always going to be hard to make up, and in the end the risks taken towards the line cost her more time. It means she will start 3rd from last in the final, tomorrow afternoon. Three seconds further back Marine Caribou (Scott Downhill Factory) put in a solid ride for 4th place. Meanwhile Phoebe Gale (Canyon CLLCTV FMD) got one over on older team-mate and close friend Tahnee Seagrave, as the British rider struggled to find her rhythm on the course.  WILL THE MEN’S EVENT LOOKS BE ANOTHER BATTLE OF THE BOYS FROM SPECIALIZED GRAVITY? It certainly looked that way from the opening heat. A few days ago Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity) called Val di Sole’s ‘Black Snake’ run “one of those tracks where I've never found the right feeling.” He certainly found a groove in his opening timed run, denying his junior team-mate maximum points by 0.11 seconds. Seventh place in the overall standings Dakotah Norton (Mondraker Factory Racing) produced an above expectations ride for 3rd in the opening heat, while 2nd in the standings Luca Shaw (Canyon CLLCTV FMD) had a more difficult descent. Shaw had been tipped by a few of his rivals as a possible winner of the round but was six seconds off the pace on the first round. 9th place is his second worst result this season. The last rider to squeak through to the semis was Kye A’hern (Kenda NS Bikes UR Team), qualifying in 60th place by three tenths of a second over Antoine Rogge (Lapierre Zipp Collective). In the semifinals the 15th rider to start Simon Chapelet (Cube Factory Racing) set the first fast time with 3.52.5 but it was one that was never likely to hold up. His spell in the hotseat was short-lived, as first Joe Breeden (Intense Factory Racing) then Andreas Kolb (Continental Atheron) undercut him. The first seriously quick time was set by Amaury Pierron (Commencal/Muc-Off By Riding Addiction), however. Pierron’s 3’44.3 was four seconds better than anyone had managed in the qualifying round. The penultimate rider to go, Finn Iles had Pierron by more than a second at the third split, only to lose twice that in the fourth sector. That meant he would have to settle for second at best. The only rider who might challenge was Bruni, but the Frenchman once again fell victim to the problems that have beset him here in the past.  He was in touch, but not winning, at the first split. A crash in sector 2 was one he could not recover from. It cost him 8 seconds over that sector, which multiplied to more by the finish. It means he will start the final with 23 riders behind him.

Valentina Höll (YT Mob) might be in possession of a commanding overall lead after three rounds of the women’s UCI Downhill World Cup, but her rivals still have their eyes on first prize.  “We’re still pretty early in the season,” says second place Tahnee Seagrave (Canyon CLLCTV FMD). “It would just take one race where Vale crashes and doesn’t get any points to catch her up again. I’m not in the race for second.”  Although Höll won by seven seconds in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland, Seagrave, who will turn 29 on Saturday, suggests that’s the trend points towards tighter results: “When you see the results sheet, you can see that we’re super close - not last week because everyone had issues - but Fort William was the closest it’s ever been.” “We will fight to the end,” agrees Marine Cabirou (Scott Downhill Factory), currently in third position in the series. “The women's races are always tighter, she adds. “It’s crazy, we all fight for the win in every race.  Cabirou has good reason to believe she can win in Val di Sole, having finished on every UCI World Cup podium here since 2019. The French rider denies having “the special key to success, but it’s a track that I like. It’s technical, so that’s maybe why I always have a good result here.” The men’s side finds Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity) with a similarly insurmountable lead at the top. One of Bruni’s closest rivals is his own team-mate, Finn Iles. Isles had a difficult time in Saalfelden Leogang - Salzburgerland. He crashed on Friday and decided to sit out Saturday’s qualifying runs. Nonetheless he managed to fly down the track and put in a strong time that was only bettered by Bruni. “I never really felt like I was going to win on Sunday but for him to come down and put that much time into us was pretty frustrating,” Isles says ahead of round 4. The Canadian isn’t bitter, however, and in fact enjoys the rivalry that has built up between the pair: “Being on the same team, he has a little bit of an older brother relationship with me - anything you can do I can do better. It makes me work harder, be more driven and to want to be a better racer. He’s been a good mentor to me. It’s hard to be mad when someone’s just better than you that day. It’s more reflective - how can I do better?” After Iles finished second a year ago in Val di Sole, he is looking forward to returning to the infamous ‘Black Snake’ in hope of going one better:  “It’s really physical but I feel like my preparation is really strong and the way I ride my bike suits this track,” he says. “It’s quite similar to a lot of the stuff I ride back home, with the roots and the rocks and how rough and physical it is. I think it’s a good track for me, and I really enjoy it because I like it when it’s harder and fast. Coming down this track on a race run is hard but it’s a lot of fun too. When I’m having fun I thrive.” Winning the UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup in Val di Sole in 2023 gave Luca Schwarzbauer (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) the confidence that “I can perform more or less on any short track course… I think with the right tactic and with the right legs I can be strong here again, but first I have to get my stuff together. The characteristics should suit me okay.” Schwarzbauer, who sits in 9th place in the standings but less than 100 points behind 2nd, can’t see past one man for the UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup victory in Trentino: “It’s so so tight at the moment [in the overall standings] but there’s one guy who is always at the top. Nino [Schurter] won last year on the long distance and if I have to pick one it’s probably him. It’s the easiest answer.”  While taking the season one weekend at a time for Schwarzbauer, like almost all riders this year, the Olympics is seldom far from his mind. He is, however, determined not to talk up his chances too much. “A[n Olympic] medal is the biggest goal an athlete in our sport can have… It’s maybe a bit too much but I think it should be the goal. If I say I go for top ten the motivation is not high enough to give 100%. When everything comes together, and that’s what we have to hope for, I think I have the physical and mental abilities, but there are for sure some riders who can have bigger hopes.” Like Schwarzbauer, UCI World Cup U23 Cross-country leader Riley Amos (Trek Factory Racing - Pirelli) is similarly excited about Paris 2024 but is similarly managing his own expectations, while talking up those of another American. “Chris [Blevins] has shown that on the right day he can beat the best in the world,” says Amos. “I’m getting there but this year it was a goal just to get to go. LA ‘28 is my goal at this point. I’m going to soak it in and enjoy the moment.” In his own competition Amos’ pick for the weekend is a Frenchman: “I think Luca Martin will be really strong. Last year he was so strong, but he had a mechanical on the last lap that was a heartbreaker. I know he’ll be fired up to come take it from me this week.” Of the female cross-country riders, all home eyes will be on Martina Berta (Santa Cruz Rockshox Pro Team). Berta put in a great ride in Val di Sole last year to finish 2nd. “I didn’t expect last to be that strong,” she says. “I was working well and knew a podium was a possibility. But you never know on the day, when everybody looks strong. This year there will be a lot of crowds, and friends and people that I know really well. It’s a good motivation and I’m really excited to race here in Italy.” Her pick for victory the weekend? No surprises that she opts for the great Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Ineos Grenadiers), who dominated the UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup in Nové Město na Moravě, winning by more than a minute from Haley Batten (Specialized Factory Racing.) “I think Pauline will be strong again this weekend,” says Berta. Racing gets underway tomorrow, June 14 in Val di Sole, Trentino. Full schedule and event details are available HERE.

After seven fast and furious rounds, the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series has reached its halfway point. After letting the Enduro riders have a turn in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland last weekend, the Cross-country crew are set to make a comeback at one of the most celebrated locations in the sport. The Downhill riders have patched themselves up after their own hard-fought battles and are ready to go again on the infamous ‘Black Snake’ trail. We look at everything you need to know about the Val di Sole, Trentino round of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series calendar, including when the Cross-country Olympic (XCO), Cross-country Short Track (XCC), and Downhill (DHI) Worlds Cups are scheduled to take place, who is racing and how to watch. WHEN? The 2024 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series round in Val di Sole, Trentino, Italy starts tomorrow with the Women’s Downhill qualification at 14:00 (UTC+2) and concludes with the Men’s U23 UCI Cross-country Olympic at 16:00 (UTC+2) on Sunday, June 16. Full schedule available here. WHERE CAN I FOLLOW THE ACTION? You can watch the action from the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series round in Val di Sole, Trentino wherever you are in the world. For all races, there will be live timings on the official WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series website and highlights on the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series’ Instagram and Facebook channels, with top stories from the race weekend on YouTube. The Elite races of the UCI Cross-country Olympic and Short Track World Cups will be broadcast live. To follow the action, tune in to one of the below channels or streaming services. UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup  EUROPE Austria: discovery+ Belgium: HBO Max, Eurosport 2 Czech Republic: Max, Eurosport 2 Denmark: Max, Eurosport 2 France: Max, Eurosport 2 Germany: Max, Eurosport 2 Hungary: Max Ireland: discovery+ Italy: discovery+, Eurosport 2, RAI Play Netherlands: HBO Max, Eurosport 2 Norway: Max, Eurosport 2 Poland: Max, Eurosport 2 Portugal: Max, Eurosport 2 Romania: Max, Eurosport 2 Slovenia: Max Spain: Max, Eurosport 2 Sweden: Max, Eurosport 2 Switzerland: Eurosport player UK: discovery+  CENTRAL/SOUTH AMERICA : Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela: Claro (not live) Belize, Brasil, Suriname : Staylive Puerto Rico : Max AFRICA: Staylive NORTH AMERICA: USA : Max,   Canada : Flosports ASIA: Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Palau, Philippines, Russia, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan : Staylive Indonesia, Macao, Malaysia, Mongolia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand: Eurosport OCEANIA : Australia : Stan Sport,  New Zealand: Staylive REST OF THE WORLD: Staylive UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup  EUROPE: Austria: discovery+ Belgium: HBO Max, Eurosport 2 Czech Republic: Max, Eurosport 1 Denmark: Max, Eurosport 1 France: Max, Eurosport 2 Germany: discovery+, Eurosport 1 Hungary: Max, Eurosport 1 Ireland: discovery+, Eurosport 1 Italy: discovery+, Eurosport 1, RAI Play Netherlands: HBO Max, Eurosport 1 Norway: Max Poland: Max, Eurosport 1 Portugal: Max, Eurosport 1 Romania: Max, Eurosport 1 Slovenia: Max, Eurosport 1 Spain: Max, Eurosport 1 Sweden: Max, Eurosport 1 Switzerland: Eurosport player UK: discovery+, Eurosport 1 CENTRAL/SOUTH AMERICA : Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brasil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, Venezuela: Staylive (not live) Puerto Rico : Max AFRICA: Staylive NORTH AMERICA : USA : Max, Canada : Flosports ASIA : Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Palau, Philippines, Russia, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan : Staylive Indonesia, Macao, Malaysia, Mongolia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand: Eurosport OCEANIA : Australia : Stan Sport, New Zealand : Staylive LIVE TIMING: live.ucimtbworldseries.com UCI Downhill World Cup  Both the men’s and women's UCI Downhill World Cup Junior Finals will be broadcast live on the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series YouTube channel, on Saturday June 15. For the Elite races, tune in to one of the below channels or streaming services: EUROPE: Austria: discovery+ Belgium: HBO Max Czech Republic: Max, Eurosport 2 Denmark: Max, Eurosport 2 France: Max, Eurosport 2 Germany: Max, Eurosport 2 Hungary: Max Ireland: discovery+ Italy: discovery+, Eurosport 2, Rai Sport Netherlands: HBO Max, Eurosport 2 Norway : Max, Eurosport 2 Poland : Max, Eurosport 2 Portugal: Max, Eurosport 2 Romania: Max, Eurosport 2 Slovenia: Max Spain: Max, Eurosport 2 Sweden: Max, Eurosport 2 Switzerland: Eurosport player UK: discovery+ CENTRAL/SOUTH AMERICA : Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brasil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, Venezuela: Staylive Puerto Rico : Max AFRICA: Staylive NORTH AMERICA :   USA : Max, Canada : Flosports ASIA : Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Palau, Philippines, Russia, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan : Staylive Indonesia, Macao, Malaysia, Mongolia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand: Eurosport China: Zhibo OCEANIA : Australia : Stan Sport,  New Zealand : Staylive TUNE IN TO MAX European fans are now able to watch the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series on Max. Already available in the U.S, the enhanced streaming service has now been extended to selected European markets, with more to follow later this summer. Max has something for everyone, combining HBO Max’s can’t-miss boxsets, Discovery’s real-life entertainment and Eurosport’s world-class sports. It will be the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series’ new streaming home for the remaining UCI Mountain Bike World Cups of the year, and the only place to stream every event, medal, and world record at the Olympic Games Paris 2024. RIDERS TO WATCH The first three rounds of the UCI Cross-country Olympic and Short Track World Cup 2024 have provided a good idea of the riders to beat this weekend. In the women’s field, none fits the bill better than Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Ineos Grenadiers.) Following her dominant victory in Nové Město na Moravě, and with her home Olympics just six weeks away, Ferrand-Prévot will be looking to make a statement. Hoping to deny the French rider airtime will be XCO series leader Haley Batten (Specialized Factory Racing) who has only once been off the podium this season, and not since the first round Short Track in Mairiporã, Brazil back in April. Similarly consistent and targeting a second win of the year will be Switzerland’s Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon), while Last year’s winner in Val di Sole, Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck), will be aiming for the double. Italian National Champion Martina Berta (Santa Cruz RockShox Pro Team) exceeded her own expectations by finishing behind Pieterse a year ago and is now reconsidering whether the course might suit her after all. The overall standings of the men’s side of the same event might make it look like a one horse race, with Victor Koretzky (Specialized Factory Racing) a massive 170 points ahead of the pack on, but 20th in the XCO in Nové Město na Moravě proved that he’s human after all. Koretzky’s team-mate Christopher Blevins is his closest challenger, though just 31 points separate Blevins in 2nd from the great Nino Schurter (Scott-Sram MTB Racing Team) in 6th. Schurter was a comfortable second two weeks ago, but he’s been inconsistent compared to the likes of Sam Gaze (Alpecin-Deceunick) and Alan Hatherly (Cannondale Factory Racing.) On the UCI Downhill (DHI) World Cup, the elite women must be wondering what they have to do to beat Valentina Höll (YT Mob.) Höll’s immaculate ride at home in Austria last weekend means she leads the overall competition by nearly 300 points. Tahnee Seagrave (Canyon CLLCTV FMD) is her closest competition and would be closer but for a big crash in Sunday’s final. The only woman other than Höll to stand atop a podium this season is Marine Cabirou (Scott Downhill Factory) and the French woman will believe she can do it again. Among the DHI men, although Loic Bruni (Specialized Gravity) is looking unstoppable, the 30-year-old has never won on the notorious Trentino track, finishing a lowly (for him) 14th last year. Best placed to beat him might be his team-mate, Finn Iles. The Canadian silver medalled behind compatriot Jackson Goldstone on the Black Snake in 2024. If not Iles, then maybe Luca Shaw (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team.) The US national champion has been Mr Consistency this season, as the only rider to finish every race - qualifiers, semis, and finals - inside the top ten. Racing gets underway tomorrow, June 14 in Val di Sole, Trentino. Full schedule and event details are available HERE.

After seven fast and furious rounds, the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series 2024 reaches its halfway point this weekend in Val di Sole, Trentino. Last weekend in Saalfelden Leogang - Salzburgerland gave us some of the most aggressive racing we’ve seen all season, with Enduro and Downhill stars pushing themselves up to - and often past - their limits. This time it’s the turn of the Enduro crew to tag out while the Cross-Country kids tag back in to tackle the legendary Val di Sole trails. Located in the heart of the Italian Alps, Val di Sole is known globally as a mountain biking paradise. When it comes to top level competition its pedigree is no less long and illustrious: Since the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships were first held there in 2008 it has never failed to thrill and it has been a regular UCI World Cup venue since 2010. The Black Snake is one of the most notorious runs on the Downhill circuit. Some riders like it better than others but everyone starts with a clean slate on Friday. BEWARE THE SNAKE IN THE GRASSHopefully the riders are paying attention, because the Val di Sole organizers have made some significant alterations to the UCI Cross-country Olympic (XCO) World Cup course they raced last year. The changes include shortening the final climb by a few meters, incorporating a section of the four-track course, and adding an entirely new one ahead of a completely redesigned last descent. It’s all in service to spectacle and should allow for fans to follow even more of the races, more closely than ever. Course Technical Director Sergio Battistini says, "The TV show and the spectators on the course will gain even more". The UCI Cross-country Short Track (XCC) World Cup course consists of a 940m circuit and 29m total elevation, with the XCO course beginning on the same short-track loop. It then proceeds onto the 3.54km main course, with 224m of ascent. The downhill riders will take on the infamous “Black Snake” track, considered a monument in international downhill racing. The name comes from the treacherous tree roots that characterize the most famed track in the Val di Sole Bike Park. When it rains, the roots turn black, resembling a snake. The course is 2.1 km long, with an average gradient of 24% and a total drop of 550 meters. The Black Snake is unique due to its natural look and feel, and the straight line it takes through the forest. From top to bottom, riders are presented with different challenges. They must navigate roots, rocks, and avoid coming unstuck on the thin, sandy surface. The Black Snake announced itself on the international stage in 2008, when the first UCI Mountain Bike World Championships were organized in Val di Sole. Such is its prestige that the track hosted three more UCI Mountain Bike World Championships - in 2016, 2018 and 2021. Between the most recent two, the run was treated to a major overhaul in line with sporting trends, without sacrificing the unique character that makes it such a fan and rider favorite. The focus of the mods was primarily on the upper track, where a rock garden was added, while in the lower section, the Sam Hill curve - where the Australian famously crashed in 2008 - has also seen some adjustments made to it. The Black Snake contributed to the legends of sporting greats such as Rachel Atherton, Aaron Gwin, and Myriam Nicole, all of whom have won here. This week’s Val di Sole start lists are a veritable ‘who’s who’ of mountain bike in 2024. Every elite, junior and U23 rider from the current top 5 of both cross-country categories and downhill is due to line up in Val di Sole. The only major name missing in action is that of Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers). The men’s UCI Cross-country Olympic World Champion who stormed to victory in Nové Město na Moravě (Czechia) will still be in the Alps, only on the other side, racing on the road in the UCI WorldTour event, the Tour de Suisse. HOLDING FERRAND-PREVOT’S FEET TO THE FIRE Women’s UCI Cross-country Olympic World Champion Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Ineos Grenadiers) will be present however, as she looks to make it two wins from two this season. Her storming performance a fortnight ago shows she’s as far from rusty as a rider can be. Ferrand-Prévot might have grabbed headlines earlier in the week in relation to her road racing ambitions, but this weekend the 32 year-old will be all about the mountain bike. Among those looking to deny the Frenchwoman two wins on the spin will be XCO series leader Haley Batten (Specialized Factory Racing), who has only once been off the podium this season, and not since the first UCI XCC World Cup round in Mairiporã, Brazil back in April. Similarly consistent and targeting a second win of the year will be Switzerland’s Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon). Last year’s winner in Val di Sole, Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck), will be aiming for a second victory in Trentino. This season the Dutch rider has only one UCI World Cup ride under her belt, though that was a strong 5th place in Nové Město na Moravě’s UCI XCO World Cup. Having previously believed the Daolasa di Commezzadura park wasn’t suited to her proficiencies, Italian National Champion Martina Berta (Santa Cruz RockShox Pro Team) surprised herself by finishing second to Pieterse last year. She’ll be aiming to go one better this week and has spent time thinking about how she can. Val di Sole has a very demanding course, she says. It doesn’t leave you any room to breathe. Both climbing and descending skills are very important, and after the effort on the climb you really need to find a way to follow the best trajectories to save energy for the following sectors. Making a difference in the descents is very difficult in Val di Sole: there you need to balance the need to go fast while also keeping a margin of safety. Last year I managed to do this all. It was, she continues The turning point in my career. Of course I was in good physical shape, but it was the mental aspect that made the difference at such a high level. KORETZKY KRUIZING? At a glance the overall standings of the men’s side of the same event might make it look like a one-horse race. On (a devilish) 666 points Victor Koretzky (Specialized Factory Racing) leads the pack by a massive 170 points, but Nové Město na Moravě demonstrated that he’s human after all. The Frenchman sprinted to victory in the UCI Cross-country Short Track race, but had a tougher day in the XCO and finished way down in 20th. Koretzky’s team-mate Christopher Blevins is his closest challenger, 170 points back, though just 31 points separate Blevins in 2nd from the great Nino Schurter (Scott-Sram MTB Racing Team) in 6th. Schurter was a comfortable second two weeks ago, but he’s been inconsistent, especially compared to the likes of Sam Gaze (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Alan Hatherly (Cannondale Factory Racing.) Val di Sole seems set to make or break a few Cross-country riders’ seasons. IT WILL TAKE A SPECIAL PERFORMANCE TO STOP VALENTINA HÖLL Among the women’s downhill elite riders, the big question is whether anyone can stop Valentina Höll (YT Mob.) The UCI World Champion rode out of her skin in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland, delighting home crowds with an impeccable technical and physical performance. Hers was the last run of the day, and the Austrian made it look easy. She evidently holds no fear of the snake, having taken a very special victory in Val di Sole last year. Höll’s closest competition in the overall - though still nearly 300 points down - Tahnee Seagrave (Canyon CLLCTV FMD) might have been able to challenge her time. Seagrave was riding well until she and her bike parted company in the woods. The only woman other than Höll to stand atop a podium this season, Marine Cabirou (Scott Downhill Factory), might be the rider best placed to beat her. Cabirou was only five seconds off the pace on the same track in 2023. BRUNI TAKING NOTHING FOR GRANTED IN VAL DI SOLE Despite dominating the 2024 UCI Downhill World Cup with two victories from the three rounds so far, and 300+ point lead in the overall standings, reigning men’s champion Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity) seems to be feeling the pressure. The 30-year-old has never won on the Trentino track, and finished a lowly (for him) 14th here last year. Val di Sole is one of those tracks where I've never found the right feeling, Bruni admits.  I have to manage the race differently… It's a mix of many things I haven't been able to put together. I'm feeling more positive now, and I hope that helps break the Val di Sole spell. If that inspires anyone it might be his Specialized Gravity team-mate Finn Iles. The Canadian was one small mistake by Bruni away from his first UCI World Cup win of the season on Sunday. If he can take it anywhere, it’ll be in Val di Sole, where he silver medaled behind compatriot Jackson Goldstone a year ago. Goldstone will not appear this weekend due to injury. Luca Shaw (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) must fancy his chances as well. The US national champion has been Mr Consistency this season, as the only rider to finish every race - qualifiers, semis, and finals - inside the top ten. He may have been nine seconds off the pace at Val di Sole in 2023, but he also finished one place higher than Bruni. That but with a gold medal around his neck would certainly do on Sunday, Racing gets underway in Val di Sole on Friday with the UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup. Full schedule and events details are available here. The Trentino valley that will host the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series action this weekend will also be home of the 2026 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships from August 26th to 30th, 2026.

The highly anticipated documentary "Not Done Yet," showcasing the legendary career of Greg Minnaar, is now available to watch on Eurosport Cycling, offering fans an exclusive look at the remarkable journey of one of the most successful UCI Downhill World Cup rider in history. Greg Minnaar, often referred to as the Greatest Of All Time (GOAT) in downhill mountain biking, has enjoyed a career spanning over two decades. With 23 UCI World Cup wins and four UCI Downhill World Championships under his belt, Minnaar’s story is one of unparalleled success, determination, and resilience. Premiered globally at a special event in Fort William a few weeks ago, the 45-minute film covers the highlights of Minnaar’s illustrious career and follows his preparation for the 2023 UCI Downhill World Championships. Despite facing challenges, including a mechanical failure during his final run, Minnaar's passion for the sport and his determination to succeed are vividly captured in this documentary. Speaking after the global premiere, Greg Minnaar said: "It is an amazing documentary capturing the events as they unfolded. I enjoyed seeing the historical footage as it brought back such good memories. I've been racing over two decades and the film showed that very well. I'm excited for what this season will bring and the film showed my new, exciting role with Norco Race Division". Fans can now tune in to Eurosport Cycling to watch the documentary and get inspired by Minnaar’s extraordinary achievements. 

Women’s and men’s UCI Downhill World Cup finals go to form as hot favourites Valentina Höll (YT Mob) and Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity) lived up to self-set expectations in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland. The final riders to go in their respective races, thanks to semi-final successes, both executed near flawless runs to each take their second wins of the season. After a torrential storm hit Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland overnight, the finals would present different challenges and oblige different approaches to the semi-final. The conditions did not put off the spectators, however. 20,000 fans turned out to watch across the entirely weekend. In the women’s final, Mille Johnset (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) was first onto a drying but still somewhat treacherous track. The Norwegian picked her lines well in the early sections, only to lose her rear wheel and go down briefly in the later wooded section, three minutes into her run. She was nevertheless able to quickly remount, crossing the line to set a solid benchmark time of 3’47.9. Following Johnset down was Louise-Anna Ferguson (Intense Factory Racing) whose more cautious approach cost her precious seconds, and prevented her from taking the lead. Third down the ramp and straight into the hotseat was French rider Myriam Nicole (Commencal / Muc Off by Riding Addiction.) Nicole held nothing back to give herself every chance of landing on the eventual podium. Having made the most of the faster sections, she flew across the line 5.6 seconds faster than Johnset. After suffering a crash in Saturday’s semi-final Camille Balanche (Dorval Am Commencal) opted not to participate in Sunday’s final. That made Nina Hoffmann (Santa Cruz Syndicate) the seventh rider to start, but lost around 10 seconds by hitting the deck on a relatively easy grassed section. She then struggled to regain momentum, falling further back, only to go down a second time in the trees. New Zealander Jess Blewitt (Cube Factory Racing) started quick and only got quicker, gaining two seconds in the third sector. As she was looking likely to dislodge Nicole from top spot, tragedy struck as her front wheel hit a hole between the trees.Could Tahnee Seagrave (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) challenge Nicole’s supremacy? The early indications were positive as the British rider got everything right in the top section. She lost a few tenths mid-way through the run but gained whole seconds in the next split. Into the woods her dreams of victory also came crashing down as, opting for a riskier high line, she and her bike parted company. Despite the drama she came away largely uninjured and was at least able to set a time. As Anna Newkirk (Beyond Racing) left the gate, Nicole knew she was guaranteed at least a podium. Newkirk rode with eyes wide open all the way, keeping it upright and rolling all the way where others before had lost momentum. Though behind for most of her run, she remained in touch with the race lead and was 0.8 seconds up at the final split. Through the final turns the American lost none of her composure and barely a fraction of time, coming home to take the lead. With one rider left, the provisional podium was Newkirk, Nicole, Baumann. UCI World Champion and home favourite Valentina Höll (YT Mob) was the only rider left who could deny Newkirk the victory. The Austrian honoured the rainbow stripes with a stylish, rapid first half of the run. The only rider to clear the double early jumps, she approached the wall ride with a massive three seconds in hand. At that point all she really had to do was get down, but she wasn’t content with simply taking the win. Precise drop-ins and impeccable handling gained her even more on those lower parts of the course that had frustrated several rivals. The Austrian fans erupted as Höll crossed the line to take the victory by an enormous 7 seconds. Despite the dominant way in which she secured her second victory of 2024, Höll said afterwards that the course was anything but straightforward: I don’t think anyone expected Leogang to be that technical, she said. All the riders were complaining it was too easy but man, this track is not easy at all. It’s so rough and hard to find a fine line. I’m just happy to secure it at home. I love it. BRUNI THE BEST SAVED TILL LAST In classy new kit Greg Williamson (Madison Saracen Factory Team) got the larger men’s elite field underway at 3pm on the dot. The British rider charged down the higher part of the course, staying low along the motorway section and maintaining his speed. He came into the woods hot, attacking the roots and mud without missing a trick. Just as he was looking to set a strong benchmark he fell victim to a rear flat and could only nurse his bike down to the finish for a much slower time than his performance had deserved. Jakob Jewitt (Pivot Factory Racing) then was tasked with putting in the first true time, but his first four splits found him four seconds down on Williamson, showing just how fast the Brit had been going. Despite the mechanical, Jewitt could not go quicker, and missed out on top spot by 0.1 seconds. Antoine Perrin (Commencal Icstudio) was the first of the men’s elite finalists to take a tumble, in the mid-section of the course that has seen so many caught out over the weekend. 16 seconds down at the fourth split that was his deficit at the finish. Loris Revelli dropped in but got caught out in the same off-camber grass section as Nina Hoffmann. He did a better job of recovering but was never able to claw himself into contention. Straight after Revelli, Remy Meier-Smith (Giant Factory Off-Road Team-DH) suffered a near identical fall in the same spot.Having looked as if he might threaten the lead Oliver Davis (Santa Cruz Syndicate) saw his challenge disintegrate on a root. It took first year elite Bodhi Kuhn (Trek Factory Racing Gravity) to finally dislodge Williamson from the hotseat. The Canadian took an aggressive approach to his run but seemed to be taking big risks. White knuckling his ride, Kuhn at points seemed to be hanging on more than he was in control. Despite kissing a root himself, he kept it up and went quickest by three tenths of a second. Tenth rider out Joe Breeden (Intense Factory Racing) rode the first three sections smoothly, entering the woods very much in touch with the lead. In the biggest gear he had he laid it down on the final part of the course to go quickest by almost 1.5 seconds. Kye A’hern (Kenda NS Bikes UR Team) was flying until he literally hit the final timing gate, a fall which took him from 1.5 up to six seconds behind at the finish. Jordan Williams (Specialized Gravity) negotiated the trickiest early sections nicely and only got quicker. The Briton was 2.3 up at split four, eventually crossing the line in 3’13.08 to announce himself as the latest rider into the hotseat. UCI World Champion Charlie Hatton (Atherton Racing) needed a result. A little rough and ready, Hatton was behind throughout his run but in touch, stopping the penultimate timing point with 0.5 seconds still to make up. He couldn’t do it, but managed enough to put himself onto the provisional podium and what would end up 18th on the day. A DNS from Cube Factory Racing’s Max Hartenstern meant Lachlan Stevens-McNab had an extra-long wait in the start gate. That didn’t dampen his commitment, as the Kiwi was already almost a second up at the first split. Fast over the stumps and into the motorway he was close to doubling his lead and going long on the jumps, hitting the fastest speeds of the whole day. Flirting with the limits and full gas, Stevens-McNab had three seconds at the final split, gaining another 1.5 to go quickest with a 3’08.6. Whether it would hold up for a podium or even the win seemed to depend on how much the course would dry over the weekend’s final hour of racing. British National Champion Matt Walker (Madison Saracen Factory Team) was fastest in the first two sections but made a few small mistakes in the middle of the course before a few bigger ones cost him speed and time where the course got rocky and rooty. Though able to keep it upright, he was evidently frustrated at having not made more from the effort. Austrian home rider Andreas Kolb (Continental Atherton) kept calm as the crowd around him brought the noise. A solid first half and a steady second meant there was nothing in it with a couple of corners to go but even the Austrian support was not enough for him to go into the lead. As he had opted out of the qualifiers with a hand injury and the semi-finals the final was the first chance of the weekend to see Finn Iles (Specialized Gravity) put down a run. The Canadian rode strong and low, making the most of every opportunity to pick up speed. was up for most of the run and made it to sector four a second to the good. He crossed the line to claim the hotseat by 0.7 seconds from Stevens-McNab. With the top ten riders left to hit the course the provisional podium was: Isles, Stevens-McNab, Benoît Coulanges (Dorval AM Commencal.) In his hot pink uniform, Loris Vergier (Trek Factory Racing Gravity) rode an easy, almost flawless run, but one that was not sufficiently aggressive to put him right among the top times. A slip in the lower third of the course took him out of it completely, and as he failed for most of a minute to get clipped back in, he would have been happy enough just to finish in one piece. Ireland’s Ronan Dunne (Mondraker Factory Racing) was more inclined to take risks, too many perhaps, as he nearly lost it completely over the stumps in the opening minute. Dunne recovered well but had to dig deep to restore lost speed. He had slipped from 5th to 12th  by third split before crossing in a respectable 8th place. Into the final riders, and YT Mob’s Oisin O’Callaghan took time to settle into his run and find his flow. The young Irishman seemed to struggle with oversteer early on. Two seconds down in the middle sectors he was able to halve that deficit by split four, ultimately stopping the clock 3:08.75 which was good enough for third. Despite making no notable errors, Troy Brosnan (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) was unable to trouble the top places, which meant there were only two competitors remaining who might deny Iles the win. Of them Brosnan’s team-mate Luca Shaw was fast, even briefly fastest, but a small mistake on the corner that had caught out so many riders cost him over a second and left him in 6th place. Then came the headline act, Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity.) If time could be found on the course, it seemed likely the five-time UCI World Champion would find it. Riding in the driest conditions of anyone, Bruni rode lightly and was already into the lead at the first split. He briefly relinquished that advantage but reached the steepest section of the course 0.6 seconds to the good. With his heart rate clearing 170 the Frenchman picked the perfect places to push, and knew when to be patient. He had gained another second on Iles by the fourth timecheck. Just a few turns to go Bruni was in complete control, as he soared over the last jump and crossed the line in 3’05.5 - more than two seconds quicker than anyone on the day. I really thought I didn’t have it today, said Bruni afterwards.  The conditions changed so much today compared to yesterday which was more my style. I tried everything I had - I was betting on the track drying up a bit. I was glad to start last. I pushed so much and made little mistakes at the top…. I finally got going after the motorway. Three rounds and a 100% record of podiums sees Bruni 320 points clear of Luca Shaw at the top of the overall standings. Finn Isles is in third on 647 points. NEW ZEALAND AND FRENCH VICTORIES IN WOMEN’S AND MEN’S JUNIOR FINALS The women’s and men’s junior downhill finals were won in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland by Erice Van Leuven (Commencal Les Orres) and Max Alran (Commencal / Muc Off by Riding Addiction) respectively. Van Leuven denied Britain’s Heather Wilson (Muc-Off Young Guns) her third win in a row. After what she described as “a rough start to the season,” victory for the Kiwi felt “so good.” She enjoyed the slippery conditions more than some of her competitors - “my main goal was to get through the woods safely. I made a few minor errors but basically it was a pretty good run.” Second place by four seconds was Eliana Ulsebosch (Union - Forged by Steel City Media) with Wilson finishing off the podium, just 25 thousandths of a second further down. Wilson maintains her 1st place overall, as Van Leuven goes 10 points clear of Ulsebosch in second. Alran beat Dane Ewett (Pivot Factory Racing) into second place by less than half a second, with Mike Huter (Gamux Factory Racing) almost three seconds back in third. For Alran it was not only his first win but first podium of the season. I’m really happy, really stoked, he said afterwards. I did a pretty good run. I made a small mistake in the wood but I’m really happy. Despite finishing 21st due to a bad early crash, series leader Asa Vermette (Frameworks Racing) maintains his place at the top of the overall standings.The UCI Cross-country and UCI Downhill World Cup series resumes in Val di Sole, Trentino next weekend.  

It was a tale of two leaders in the third round of the UCI E-enduro World Cup in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland (Austria). Florencia Espiñeira (Orbea Fox Enduro Team) strengthened her advantage at the top of the women’s standings with a commanding 51-second win in the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series but a nightmare for Ryan Gilchrist (YETI / FOX Factory Racing) saw him surrender first position overall. Canyon Collective Facturo Enduro’s Manuel Borges is now top dog, but it was Martin Maes (Orbea Fox Enduro) who was the man to beat in Austria as he took a crushing victory by over a minute and won every single downhill stage. The triumphs of Isabeau Courdurier (Lapierre Zipp Collective) and Richie Rude (YETI / FOX Factory Racing) in the UCI Enduro World Cup were followed by an electrified day of action on the 84.5km course that featuring two power stages totaling 121m of climbing and 2,692m of descent in the remaining seven stages. MAES RECOVERS FROM TOUGH POWER STAGE Riders were thrown straight in at the deep end with a 300-metre power stage ascending 50 metres over brutally rooty terrain that caught even the best riders out. Maes finished down in 13th but crucially hemorrhaged less than a quarter of a minute, while Gilchrist didn’t offer many signs of the difficulties he’d face later in the day as the only member of the top five in the overall standings to also place in the top five of the stage. On such a short power dash, the time gaps weren’t major as Diego Giordanengo took the win, but Maes would assert himself at the next opportunity, putting nine seconds into Kevin Marry (Lapierre Zipp Collective) who inherited the overall lead after he was also runner-up on the Matzalm Oberer Teil. But the major shock was Gilchrist as the slowest finisher, losing almost 100 seconds over 2.4km and 535m of descent, and he’d drop another 25 seconds on stage three as Maes showed everyone that he wasn’t just here to win, but dominate. Things got even worse for Gilchrist when Borges - the Australian’s closest UCI World Cup competitor entering the round - proved he was growing into the day by placing second on the X Line and putting himself on the brink of the top three now completed by Lévy Batista (Rocky Mountain Gravity Racing) and Andrea Garibbo (Haibike), both men well behind the rampant Maes. Raphaela Richter’s (Simplon Trailblazer) run was also far from smooth as she finished just behind winner Sofia Lena Wiedenroth (Specialized Enduro Team), but she hit the front on the Bergstadl Trail to move almost half a minute clear in the overall standings with Espiñeira showing no-one was immune to the root hell of the opening power stage.  The Chilean fell further behind on stage two but halved that deficit on the steep slopes of the X Trail that featured 801m of descending in a stage only 1.6km long. Laura Charles was perhaps the biggest beneficiary of stage 3 though, jumping into the top three overall as she marked herself as one to watch in the battle behind the lead pair. RICHTER MISFORTUNE HANDS ESPIÑEIRA THE LEAD Espiñeira continued her scorching speed into stage 4 and though Richter retained the lead - now down to nine seconds - her day came unstuck thanks to a broken chain delaying her arrival at the start of stage five, won by France’s Charles by just 0.086 ahead of the new leader in the clubhouse. Alia Marcellini (Haibike) appeared to suffer a similar catastrophe when she was handed a three-minute penalty for changing her battery without notifying the officials before heading back out to the second loop. However, the penalty was later dropped with the Italian flying high in the top three at the time, thanks to finishing in the top four of every downhill stage. With Richter now out of the running, Espiñeira pressed home her advantage still further to enter the second and final power stage with a 35-second advantage, completely flipping the script from earlier. But incredibly, that was still over a quarter of a minute less than Maes’ dominance. The unbeatable German put on a downhill clinic, chased by Batista who held second from stage 3 until the end despite ultimately hanging on by just a couple of seconds from Kevin Miquel (Specialized Enduro Team) - who surged up the leaderboard with strong showing on stage 6, 1.6 seconds behind Maes. The Matzalm Trail also gave star guest Manuel Lettenbichler a chance to shine, taking a break from his romp to a third successive FIM Hard Enduro World Championship crown. After cheering on the Enduro competitors out on the course yesterday, the moto enduro great was competing on those same trails today and placed in the top 20 on that stage, Lettenbbichler’s best result of the day en route to 21st overall for YT Mob. It was more pain for Gilchrist though, he lost another three-quarters of a minute to Maes with Borges picking up more points on stage 5 and thanking his lucky stars that he kept on his bike on his next run as he seemed to lose complete control but somehow saved himself. MAES AND ESPIÑEIRA APPLY THE CHOKEHOLD Gilchrist enjoyed a brief resurrection with fourth place on the Knappen power stage as Giordanengo was the fastest man uphill yet again, over a monster course that demanded riders ascend 70m in only 0.3km.  Batista clawed back a handful of seconds on Maes for the last time before he resumed his unstoppable descending form on a stage 8 that was just over a kilometer in length. With such small-time gaps - less than eight seconds separating the top 10 - the overall win was done and dusted but Miquel pegged back Batista’s advantage by a couple of seconds to give himself a chance at the runner-up spot on Bongo Bongo. Miquel threw everything he had at stage 9 to dislodge his compatriot but ultimately ran out of road on the lightning-quick trail, finishing 15 places ahead and chipping another 4.5 seconds away from the deficit but to no avail as Garibbo also held off Borges’ charge for fourth.  However, it was still a successful afternoon as the Portuguese rider outscored Gilchrist by 113 points and celebrated becoming the first man to break the four-figure barrier in the 2024 UCI E-enduro World Cup: “It means a lot to me, not a bad day for me, I crashed a lot, but I finish fifth so overall it’s important. For sure it’s the biggest goal for me and for the team, to keep this jersey until the end is the best.” It’s the first time Maes’ has scored this season, but he did it in some style and is now into the top 20 thanks to a performance that redefined dominance - after he was 11th in yesterday’s UCI Enduro World Cup round, a minute off top spot. “Yesterday wasn’t a good day for me, I struggled a lot and I wanted to turn it around today with the e-bike. I had tons of fun; the bike was way more planted to the ground than yesterday and I know a bit more where I was riding. “I had a lot of fun today and I rode conservative but fast all day long, I had obviously some blind stages, the power stages that I didn’t have time to practice on Thursday but overall, it was a good day.” Espiñeira was relegated to second by Wiedenroth on the final power stage but came back swinging on the Schwarzleo Trail, jumping the German who was a woman transformed in the final part of the day. After the earlier battery mixup, Marcellini had the last laugh on the final stage, taking the win with Espiñeira knowing injury was the only thing preventing her opening up a big lead in the UCI E-enduro World Cup. Britain’s Tracy Moseley was 106 points behind at the start of the weekend but didn't compete in Austria and Charles, Weidenroth and Marcellini all took advantage. Despite Marcellini beating Weidenroth by nine seconds on Bongo Bongo she was an agonising three-tenths short of claiming third on the day. So Espiñeira now enjoys a lead of 310 points, and reflected happily on a job well done:  “Pretty good day, for my teammate Martin as well. It can’t get any better than this.  “The start of the day’s always difficult for me, I crashed a little bit, so I had to reset the mindset and push. Unfortunately, Raphaela had a mechanical, it’s always a bummer for the competition, I would’ve loved to see how that could’ve been but at the end everything worked out.  “It’s good, it’s a relief to do half of the season with three wins, that’s always the main goal for me and motivation to keep pushing. PLENTY OF WHOOP UCI MOUNTAIN BIKE WORLD SERIES ACTION TO COME As if the Saalfelden Leogang - Salzburgerland weekend wasn’t action-packed enough already, the UCI raised the stakes even further on Friday morning by announcing the very first edition of the Mountain Bike Enduro and E-enduro World Championships will take place in Val di Fassa Trentino, Italy, on 14 - 15 September 2024. But before that, Espiñeira, Maes, Borges and every other mountain biking fan can watch the Saalfelden Leogang - Salzburgerland weekend climax with the UCI Downhill World Cup final tomorrow. Overall leaders Valentina Höll (YT Mob) and Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity) already set the pace in the preliminary rounds today