The sixth round of the UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup offered fast and relentless racing at the UCI Mountain Bike World Series Festival Haute-Savoie this evening. The Elite Women’s race was a show of strength by Dutch rider Puck Pieterse (Alpecin Deceuninck) who took her first Short-Track win of the season with a characteristically gritty display in the heat and dust of Les Gets.France’s Loana Lecomte (Canyon CLLCTV) led early on but Pieterse, Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing XC) and Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon) ended up breaking away from a group of five going into the last of seven laps.Pieterse dropped the hammer hardest though as the three splintered off the front and the Dutch rider managed to eke out a lead of a few bike lengths which she held to the line. Britain’s Richards passed Keller in sight of the finish straight and consigned the Swiss rider to third place.France’s Short-Track World Champion Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (Ineos Grenadiers) was sick and unable to start the race.Pieterse now leads the Short-Track rankings with Keller in secondIn the men’s race it was another hard-fought battle that exploded in the final lap with France’s Victor Koretzky (Specialized Factory Racing) holding off his countryman Jordan Sarrou (Team BMC) to take the win.Koretzky’s win was all the more special after the home nation rider had battled through the field from 32nd place on the grid.Luca Schwarzbauer (Canyon CLLCTV) surprised no one by leading for much of the race but the German had to settle for third place after Koretzky’s final-lap punch proved too strong.Switzerland’s Nino Schurter (Scott-SRAM MTB Racing Team) missed the race due to sickness.Schwarzbauer continues to lead the standings after six rounds of eight.The U23 race kicked off racing on Thursday evening, with the women first to take the start. Ronja Blochlinger’s (Liv Factory Racing) dominance showed no signs of abating, crossing the line first to take her sixth XCC win of the season. New Zealand’s Samara Maxwell was two seconds back in second place, with Noelle Buri (BIXS Performance Race Team) in third.There was equally tight racing in the men’s competition, when Adrien Boichis (Trinity Racing MTB) secured the win, just ahead of Riley Amos (Trek Factory Racing XC) in second, followed by Carter Woods (Giant Factory Off-Road Team XC) rounding out the podium in third. Racing continues on Saturday with the U23 cross-country Olympic and UCI Downhill World Cup tomorrow (Saturday), before the Elite cross-country Olympic on Sunday. Next weekend the action transfers to Morzine-Avoriaz for the third round of the UCI Cross-country Marathon World Cup and Chatel for the final round of the UCI Enduro World Cup. Full race results are available here.
The series’ flagship event, the UCI Mountain Bike World Series Festival Haute-Savoie, takes place in the iconic Portes du Soleil region in the towns of Les Gets, Châtel and Morzine-Avoriaz. Alongside no less than 20 individual UCI Mountain Bike World Cup races, a wider festival will see fans treated to activations across the area that include autograph signing sessions, live music and freestyle riding demonstrations. The festival represents the first time all the major mountain biking formats have come together across a single event, with cross-country Olympic, cross-country short track, cross-country marathon, downhill, enduro and E-enduro all on the roster for 10 days of non-stop action. The spotlight is on the UCI Cross-country and Downhill World Cups this weekend, where the stakes will be higher than ever as the series titles come into sharp focus - each format only has three races left this season. In cross-country Olympic, Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck) remains the name to beat in the Women's Elite category. Her early season dominance means she sits on top of the leaderboard, however, she faces stiff competition from the likes of UCI World Champion Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Ineos Grenadiers) and Loana Lecomte (Canyon CLLCTV) who will be looking to put down the power in front of their home crowd. Ferrand-Prevot will be hoping to recreate her 2022 World Champs form in Les GetsIn the Men's Elite racing, it’s still Nino Schurter (Scott-SRAM MTB Racing Team) who leads the points, however, Mathias Flückiger’s (Thömus Maxon) win in Andorra means he is very much still in the contention for the series title, as is Luca Schwarzbauer (Canyon CLLCTV) whose strong form has seen him rack up two wins already this season. In the downhill Vali Höll’s (Rockshox Trek Race Team) winning streak shows no signs of abating, as the reigning UCI World Champion is now over 600 points clear of closest competitor Nina Hoffman (Santa Cruz Syndicate) in the series points. However, both will be wary of Marine Cabirou (Scott Downhill Factory), as a French rider on home soil can never be discounted. And it’s a similar story in the men’s race, with Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity) the clear favourite heading into Sunday’s race. Bruni’s win in Loudenvielle-Peyragudes last weekend propelled him to the overall series lead, which coupled with his legendary winning run at the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Les Gets last year, means he’s very much the man to beat this weekend. Specialized Gravity Teammate Finn Iles will have a point to prove - his disqualification last weekend saw him lose the title lead - and a win in Les Gets would get his overall series campaign back on track. Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) is just five points behind Iles, so expect a fierce battle to play out between these two. les will be gunning for a win after losing the series leader's jersey in LoudenvielleThe marathon and enduro riders get their chance to shine next weekend, when the penultimate round of the UCI Marathon World Cup takes place in Morzine on Saturday (September 16), followed by the final round of the UCI Enduro World Cup in Châtel on Sunday (September 17). More information on the UCI Mountain Bike World Series Festival Haute-Savoie is available here.
The UCI Mountain Bike World Series Festival Haute-Savoie, taking place in Châtel, Les Gets and Morzine-Avoriaz, will combine no less that 20 individual UCI Mountain Bike World Cup races alongside a 10-day festival that celebrates mountain biking within this iconic French region, from September 7 - 17. Watch on GCN+, which is available globally, on the Eurosport App and discovery+, as well as catch all of the highlights from the UCI Enduro World Cup on the UCI Mountain Bike World Series YouTube channel.Friday 8 SeptemberLive on UCI Mountain Bike World Series YouTube channel:From 12:30 CEST UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup - Junior FinalsLive on GCN+ globally, Eurosport 1, Eurosport app and discovery+ across Europe:From 18:00 CEST UCI Mountain Bike Cross-country Short Track World Cup - EliteSaturday 9 SeptemberLive on UCI Mountain Bike World Series YouTube channel:From 10:30 CEST UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup - Elite Semi-FinalLive on GCN+ globally, and across Europe on the Eurosport app and discovery+:12:45 CEST UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup - Elite FinalsSunday 10 SeptemberLive on UCI Mountain Bike World Series YouTube channel:08:30 CEST UCI Mountain Bike Cross-country Olympic World Cup - U23Live on GCN+ globally, and across Europe on the Eurosport app and discovery+:From 12:30 CEST UCI Mountain Bike Cross-country Olympic World Cup - EliteSunday 17 September Catch all of the highlights from the UCI Enduro World Cup on the UCI Mountain Bike World Series YouTube channel.
In the women’s race, reigning Champion Valentina Holl (Rockshox Trek Race Team) remained typically unfazed by the conditions, continuing her winning form to take her third UCI Downhill World Cup win of the year.Nina Hoffmann (Santa Cruz Syndicate) was just 2.8 seconds back in second, while Marine Cabirou (Scott Downhill Factory) equalled her best result of the season so far to round out the podium in third. Holl’s win extends her overall series lead, she’s now over 400 points clear of Hoffman who sits in second, with Camille Balanche (Dorval AM Commencal) in third place. In the men’s race, overall points leader Finn Iles (Specialized Gravity) caused the biggest shock of the race, after an uncharacteristic mistake saw him leave the course and pick up a DSQ in the process. Having a very different day at the office was Dakotah Norton (Intense Factory Racing), who put down a flawless run to take the early lead. However, an on-form Loic Bruni (Specialized Gravity) in front of a home crowd proved unstoppable, taking his first UCI World Cup win of the season by less than a second, pushing Norton into second. Laurie Greenland (Santa Cruz Syndicate) was also within the same second to take third place. With three races left this season, Bruni now leads the overall standings, with Iles’ disqualification costing him valuable points and relegating him into second place. Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) is just five points behind Iles in third place. In the Junior competition, New Zealand once again proved they are the nation to beat in the Women’s race, claiming the top two spots on the podium in the form of Sacha Earnest (KIWIDH) in first and Erice Van Leuven (Commencal Les Orres) in second. In third place was Colombia’s Valentina Roa Sanchez (Transition Factory Racing). However, it’s still Lisa Bouladou of France who still leads the overall points. Meanwhile in the Junior Men’s race Ryan Pinkerton (GT-Continental Factory Racing) took the win ahead of Nathan Pontvianne (Pinkbike Racing) in second, with Christian Hauser (Union-Forged by Steel City) in third. Pinkerton’s win today has propelled him to the top of the leaderboard in the overall series points. Santa Cruz Syndicate were awarded team of the day and also lead the overall standings.Full results and overall standings from today’s race are available here. The UCI Downhill World Cup returns next weekend when the series remains in France to head to the UCI Mountain Bike World Series Festival Haute-Savoie taking place in Les Gets, Chatel and Morzine-Avoriaz.
Loudenvielle Peyragudes hosted the penultimate round of the UCI Enduro World Cup, and what a show it put on! Enduro riders enjoyed prime conditions for the five-stage, 38km epic, with racing brought forward a day in order to miss a storm due to roll into the French venue late on Saturday afternoon.Tight times and full gas racing were the story of the day, with new faces, comebacks, and faultless performances all playing part in what was a truly epic UCI Enduro World Cup!You can watch all the action from the UCI Downhill World Cup on GCN+, which is available globally, on the Eurosport App and discovery+ tomorrow, Sunday 3 September. To find out more on where to watch, click here.
The UCI Mountain Bike World Series brings the UCI Downhill World Cup and UCI Enduro World Cups to Loudenvielle-Peyragudes in France, alongside a festival in the heart of the French Pyrenees.You can watch all the action from the UCI Downhill World Cup on GCN+, which is available globally, on the Eurosport App and discovery+, as well as catch all of the highlights from the UCI Enduro World Cup on the UCI Mountain Bike World Series YouTube channel. *OFFICIAL COMMUNICATION - 2 SEPTEMBER*Due to overnight storms and significant rainfall, today's UCI Downhill World Cup Junior Finals race has been cancelled. This is a safety decision based on the difficulty of the conditions on course and the welfare of the riders. Official qualifying results will be used to determine the final result. Tomorrow's UCI Downhill World Cup Elite race is set to proceed as planned. Sunday 3 SeptemberLive on UCI Mountain Bike World Series YouTube channel:From 10:30 CEST UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup - Semi FinalsLive on GCN+ globally, and across Europe on the Eurosport app and discovery+:12:45 CEST UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup - Elite FinalsYou can learn more about the event here.
The enduro riders enjoyed prime conditions for the five stage epic, with racing brought forward a day in order to miss a storm due to roll into the French venue late on Saturday afternoon. And if anyone made the most of the dry weather, it was the host nation, who dominated the top spots on four of the six podiums that were up for grabs. Series leader Isabeau Courdurier (Lapierre Zipp Collective) cemented her series lead with another dominant performance in the women’s category, finishing the race with an incredible 22 second lead. Fellow Frenchwoman Morgane Charre (Pivot Factory Racing) would claim second place, with Scotland’s Ella Conolly (Cannondale Enduro Team) rounding out the top three. The French proved equally strong in the men’s race, with Youn Deniaud (Giant Factory Off-Road Team - EDR) taking his first UCI Enduro World Cup win in front of his home crowd. Joining him on an all French podium would be last year’s Loudenvielle winner Alex Rudeau (Commencal Enduro Project), who was less than one second back in second place. Rudeau’s Commencal teammate Louis Jeandel posted his best Elite result to date to take third. In the U21 Women it was Canada’s Emmy Lan (Forbidden Synthesis Team) who took the win by the slimmest of margins, beating Scotland’s Emily Carrick-Anderson by less than a second. Lily Planquart (Lapierre Zipp Collective) took third. Meanwhile, in the U21 Men, Planqaurt’s teammate Lisandru Bertini (Lapierre Zipp Collective) took his third win of the season, whilst Raphael Giambi (Specialized Enduro Team) came second, with Sascha Kim (Raw Racing Team) in third. Over in the E-EDR category, reigning series champion Flo Espineira (Orbea Fox Enduro Team) won four of the seven stages to add another e-bike victory to her impressive roster. The UK’s Tracy Moseley put on a strong performance to take second, with Laura Charles (Miranda Factory Team) finishing in third. Espineira leads the overall standings with one race to go. In the men’s E-EDR race it was France’s Fabien Barel who claimed the top spot, after a hard fought battle with Alex Marin (GASGAS SRAM Factory Racing). After seven incredibly physical stages, Barel would finish ahead of Marin by just seven seconds. Alexandre Cure (Canyon CLLCTV Dainese) was third. Barel leads the series points heading into the last race of the season. Team of the day went to Commencal Enduro Project, but it’s still Yeti/Fox Factory Racing who lead the overall points. With just one enduro race left this year, next weekend’s showdown at the UCI Mountain Bike World Series Festival Haute-Savoie, which takes place in Les Gets, Morzine-Avoriaz and Chatel is shaping up to be an epic battle. Richie Rude (Yeti/Fox Factory Racing) leads the men’s overall series points, whilst it’s today’s winner Isabeau Courdurier who leads the women’s title fight. They’ll be back in action on September 17, when the first ever UCI Enduro World Cup Series Champions will be crowned in Chatel. Full results from today’s race are available here.
Practice day in Loudenvielle in the stunning French Pyrenees put on an incredible show! The sun was out and the trail conditions were all-time as the riders dialled in their bikes and brains ahead of race day in the penultimate UCI Enduro World Cup! Five stages, 38km, and over 3000m of descending lie ahead of the riders. As we close in to the end of the season and the focus shifts to the overall, who do you think could take the win?
Hop on board with GoPro and Alex Rudeau as he heads deep into Loudenvielle in the French Pyrenees to tackle five incredible stages in the sixth UCI Enduro World Cup! Race day is going to be a massive test of physical fitness and riding ability, meaning only the best of the best will take the top step. Who will take the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup win in Loudenvielle? For more information of where to watch all of this weekends racing, click here.
Tight racing and a raft of different winners means that with just two rounds of seven to go in the UCI Mountain Bike Enduro World Cup, nothing can be taken for granted. In the women’s field, the top five are separated by 647 points where the men’s is tighter as just 474 between first and fifth. With 400 points for a win, 350 for second and 310, 280 and 250 for third, fourth and fifth - plus associated stage points - there are still around 1,000 points up for grabs so there is scope for everything to change. The spread across the women’s overall is greater than the men’s and the top two riders - the French pair of Isabeau Courdurier (Lapierre Zipp Collective) and Morgane Charre (Pivot Factory Racing) - have a significant margin of 439 points to third-placed Bex Baraona (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team). Courdurier - with three wins - and Charre - with one win and two seconds - are separated by only 144 points so that battle promises to be as intense as ever going into the sixth round at Loudenvielle-Peyragudes where Charre won last year. If the battle for the lead is tight then the scramble for third place is even harder fought. Britain’s Baraona is only seven points ahead of her compatriot Harriet Harnden (Trek Factory Racing Gravity). Italy’s Gloria Scarsi (Canyon CLLCTV Dainese) is only 57 points further back in fifth. The men have a more even spread with five different winners across the five rounds so far and the higher placings in each race much more spread across the field than in the women’s. Richie Rude (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) comes to Loudenvielle - Peyragudes wearing the points leader’s jersey. The American is some 173 points ahead of Canada’s Rhys Verner (Forbidden Synthesis Team) but Verner’s countryman Jesse Melamed (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Enduro Team) is nipping at his heels just 79 back. And last year’s Loudenvielle winner Alex Rudeau (Commencal Enduro Project) is only 65 behind the 2022 EWS champ in fourth. Charlie Murray (Specialized Enduro Team) is in fifth after fourth places in the last two rounds pushed him up the rankings.In the U21 rankings and the e-enduro fields (EDR-E), there are roughly half the points of the standard enduro races available - 200 points for a win and 10 for a stage win. That means there are some 500 points up for grabs from the last two races in U21 and around 560 in the EDR-E with the extra stages. Canadian Emmy Lan (Forbidden Synthesis Team) leads the women’s overall by a significant margin after winning four out of five rounds. Lan’s compatriot Elly Hoskin is some 398 points back in second and UCI Junior Downhill World champion Erice Van Leuven (Commencal Les Orres) is 207 points back from Hoskin having only competed in two rounds. In the men’s, it’s very tight at the sharp end with the top two in the rankings having won two races apiece. France’s Lisandru Bertini leads the way with 964 points but Aussie Sascha Kim (Raw Racing Team) is just 34 points back in second. France’s Alexis Icardo (Canyon CLLCTV Dainese) is in third some 202 points further back. In the EDR-E races, after three rounds from five, the spoils have been shared relatively widely and consequently the series rankings are tight. In the women’s, it’s Flo Espineira Herreros (Orbea Fox Enduro Team) whose consistency has left her in front with a win and two seconds under her belt. Espineira is on 708 points just 49 ahead of France’s Laura Charles (Miranda Factory Team) who has two wins and a fourth to her name. Germany’s Ines Thoma is 158 points further back in third. Former UCI Downhill World Champion Fabien Barel leads the men’s EDR-E field after winning the first two rounds of the season. Barel with 546 points is just 13 ahead of his fellow-Frenchman Kevin Marry (Lapierre Zipp Collective) who won the last round at Val Di Fassa Trentino. Spain’s Alex Marin (GasGas SRAM Racing) is in third just 69 points further back. To follow all the racing live from Loudenvielle, be sure to tune into GCN+. More information about the event is available here.
A brand-new downhill track awaits racers alongside the Pyrenean venue’s world-class network of enduro trails. Loudenvielle - Peyragudes is the main village in the Louron Valley, in the heart of the French Pyrénées. The area’s mountain bike community has grown significantly in the last six years, building some 500 km of trails across the steep valley sides and beyond. Hot on the heels of the Pal Arinsal UCI World Cup action in Andorra, elite racing will kick off with the UCI Mountain Bike Enduro and E-Enduro World Cups on Friday. No stranger to enduro races, the venue hosted two Enduro World Series (EWS) rounds in 2021 and 2022.Heading into the penultimate UCI Enduro World Cup rounds of 2023, Richie Rude (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) leads the pack with 1,862 points, but Canada’s Rhys Verner (Forbidden Synthesis Team) is hot on his heels with 1,689.Last year’s EWS Champion Jesse Melamed (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Enduro Team) will also be focused on maximum points this weekend sitting just 79 points adrift of his compatriot. But last year’s Loudenvielle winner Alex Rudeau (Commencal Enduro Project) will also be hoping to conjure up his 2022 form, sitting in fourth in the overall after five rounds.In the women’s competition, it’s the 2022 EWS Champ Isabeau Courdurier (Lapierre Zipp Collective) who remains the rider to beat wearing the UCI Enduro World Cup leader’s jersey with 2,210 points. Her fellow French rider and last year’s Loudenvielle winner Morgane Charre (Pivot Factory Racing) is close with some 2,066 and Great Britain’s Bex Baraona (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) is in third. On Saturday morning, the junior downhill riders will start the fifth round of the UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup, going against the clock for the first time on the brand-new Loudenvielle course. The semi-finals and finals for the elites will take place on Sunday afternoon.Series leader Finn Iles (Specialized Gravity) will be aiming to take his first win of the 2023 season to consolidate his grip on the points jersey. The Canadian currently leads the way with 969 points and his countryman Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) is lying in second with 816. Pal Arinsal winner Thibaut Dapréla (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) is in third just nine points further back.In the Women Elite, UCI World Champion Valentina Höll (Rockshox Trek Race Team) will be aiming to get back to winning ways after having to settle for the second spot in Andorra. Höll leads the series with 1,242 points ahead of Camille Balanche (Dorval AM Commencal) who is on 1,020. Pal Arinsal winner Nina Hoffmann (Santa Cruz Syndicate) is in third. To follow all the racing live from Loudenvielle, be sure to tune into GCN+. More information about the event is available here.
Mona Mitterwallner has blown two massive holes in the theory that Cross-country Marathon is for older riders. The 21-year-old took her second World Championship title in Scotland earlier this month after taking her first aged just 19. And the Cannondale Factory Racing star from the Tyröl region of the Austrian Alps reckons that every racer should give the long-distance format a go. I think to every rider who asks me ‘should I do a marathon or not?’ I would say yes 100%,” she says. A marathon is where you really have to feel yourself, you have to have a good body feeling. Do I go too fast now? Or can I hold the pace? It's really like you have to be one with your body if you want to succeed. So yeah, I mean it always depends what is your goal. For me it's winning and everything but for another person it's maybe just having that feeling of being in the flow with your bike. I love to do long hours in the saddle, I mean there’s nothing I love more. So in the end I'm just doing what I love. Mitterwallner, who is currently sitting in fourth in the overall Cross-country Olympic rankings after winning her debut elite World Cup in Andorra, admits that the World Championship race in the Tweed Valley was one of her biggest challenges to date. The Cannondale rider is a Whoop-sponsored athlete and uses the wristband and app to closely track her condition, recovery and sleep. After the 96-km epic, the Whoop revealed she’d used 4,168 calories during the race and that the strain on her body during the day had been 20.7 out of a possible 21. It was a tough one, I mean it was the longest race I've ever done, she says. It was over five hours of racing you feel every ten minutes I would say. So the beginning was I would say not slow but we were just pacing, we were just riding and seeing who put her to pace and because you can't really go all out from start to finish. And then the course was great. I mean this Scottish terrain and the hills and the mountains and the views, I mean I really loved to race there and also the tracks were super fun and we were so lucky with the weather, it just rained in the last half hour where I got proper frozen. I think after three hours I just tested everyone's legs and then I saw two other girls who can go with me maybe in the climbs and then in the down I said okay I let go of the brakes and suddenly I had a gap of 30 seconds and I said okay now I keep going I won't wait. In the end Mitterwallner crossed the finish line with almost a minute’s gap to South African Candice Lill who took silver, while Germany’s Adelheid Morath was some 10 minutes back in third. For more information on how to enter the Marathon of Morzine click here For more information on how to enter the Marathon of Snowshoe click here
Mona Mitterwallner (Cannondale Factory Racing) and Matthias Flückiger (Thömus Maxon) took the elite wins in Pal Arinsal, Andorra as a cocktail of rain, low temperatures and altitude made for one of the toughest Cross- country World Cups of the season.Austrian Mitterwallner’s victory was her first elite UCI Mountain Bike Cross-country Olympic World Cup win as she proved she had the measure of both the climbs and the slippery descents that characterised the wet course.The 21-year-old Cross-country Marathon World Champion attacked the weekend’s Short-Track winner Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon) going into the final of five cold and rainy laps at Pal Arinsal. The Austrian national champion continued to turn the screw extending her lead to eventually cross the line with a 34-second gap to the Swiss rider.World Champion Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (Ineos Grenadiers) had to settle for third after seeing a 20-second first-lap lead decimated by Mitterwallner and Keller.Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck) retains the series leader’s jersey after finishing the race in seventh.In the men’s race Flückiger (Thömus Maxon) won his first World Cup of the 2023 season after taking the lead on the second lap of seven.The Swiss rider was pushed hard by France’s Thomas Griot (Canyon CLLCTV) who rode through a chasing bunch to get within 8s of Flückiger on the penultimate lap. But Flückiger, who looked planted on the technical wet descents, extended the gap to take the win by some 23 seconds.Third place was decided in the last few seconds of the race as World Champion Thomas Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) managed to reel in and pass Jordan Sarrou (Team BMC) in sight of the finishing straight.Series leader Nino Schurter (Scott-SRAM MTB Racing Team) lost almost a minute to a puncture but holds on to the series leader’s jersey after managing to finish in 12th.The U23 riders went between the tapes in the morning with a Swiss 1-2 in a wet women’s race which saw Noëlle Buri (Bixs Performance Race Team) take a convincing win some 24 seconds ahead of Ronja Blöchlinger (Liv Factory Racing). France’s Noemi Garnier (Scott Creuse Oxygene Gueret) took third. Sofie Heby Pedersen (Wilier-Pirelli Factory Team XCO) finished the day in seventh but holds on to the leader’s jersey after winning the first four rounds of the 2023 season.Overnight rain made the U23 men’s race a slick affair but the USA’s Riley Amos (Trek Factory Racing XC) coped best with the conditions and the altitude to take the win. France’s Adrien Boichis (Trinity Racing MTB) was some 13s back in second. His compatriot Luca Martin (Orbea Factory Team) was third. Boichis retains the series lead ahead of the sixth round.Full results from today’s race are available here.Womens UCI Cross-country Olympic results Mens UCI Cross-country Olympic resultsU23 Womens UCI Cross-country Olympic resultsU23 Mens UCI Cross-country Olympic resultsMissed any of the action? Full replays from today’s elite races are available on GCN+.The cross-country athletes will be back in action at the UCI Mountain Bike World Series Festival in Haute-Savoie, France between September 7 and 17.
Get all of the results from todays race HERE. You can catch the UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup tomorrow from 12:30 CEST live on GCN+ globally, and across Europe on the Eurosport app and discovery+.
Nina Hoffmann (Santa Cruz Syndicate) ended World Champion Valentina Höll’s winning streak by taking a convincing victory in the fourth round of the UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup in Pal-Arinsal, Andorra. Höll (Rockshox Trek Race Team) had been aiming to make it four World-level wins in a row but had no answer for the German’s speed crossing the line nearly three seconds back. An elated Hoffmann spoke of her relief after taking her first win of the 2023 season having struggled to get back up to speed following a knee injury. Britain’s Tahnee Seagrave (Canyon CLLCTV FMD) also enjoyed a return to form ending up in third on the super-fast track. Switzerland’s Camille Balanche (Dorval AM Commencal) went into the weekend as series leader but a qualifying crash ruled her out of the final. Höll now leads the overall ahead of Balanche. In the men’s race, Thibaut Daprela (Commencal/Muc-Off By Riding Addiction) took the win by one tenth of a second from four-times World Champion Greg Minnaar (Santa Cruz Syndicate). Canadian Finn Iles (Specialized Gravity) was third. Daprela rode with trademark panache to claim his second elite World Cup victory with one of the day’s last dry runs. The 10 fastest qualifiers faced persistent rain which left the exposed top section of the track greasy. Last man down the hill, five-times elite World Champion Loic Bruni, threw everything at the wet course but ultimately came down in 22nd nearly five seconds off his French compatriot’s pace. Iles leapfrogs fellow Canadian Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) to claim the series leader’s jersey going into the fifth round next weekend. Santa Cruz Syndicate lead the team standings after four rounds. High winds had lashed the course in the morning throwing the race in to doubt and leaving riders with an anxious wait to see whether the fourth round of the UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup would go ahead. Fortunately a weather window allowed organisers to run the race although winds at the top were still significant ruling out the 1.6km-long track’s big road gap jump. The juniors though went between the tapes during Friday’s sunshine and enjoyed dry and dusty conditions. New World Champion Erice Van Leuven (Commencal Les Orres) backed up her rainbow stripes earned in Scotland by taking the win in the women’s race by a hefty 5.3 seconds from Colombian Valentina Roa Sanchez (Transition Factory Racing). France’s Lisa Bouladou was third and keeps hold of the leader’s jersey. In the junior men, USA’s Ryan Pinkerton (GT Continental Factory Racing) made good on some scorching qualifying and semi-final runs by taking the win by more than a second from Italy’s Christian Hauser (Union - Forged by Steel City Media). Bodhi Kuhn (Trek Factory Racing Gravity) ended up fifth but retains the lead in the overall. The Cross-country racing continues on Sunday when the fifth round of the UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup gets underway in Andorra. Women's UCI Downhill World Cup results here. Men's UCI Downhill World Cup results here. Full results from the weekend’s racing so far are available here. Missed any of the action? Full replays from today’s race are available on GCN+. The UCI Mountain Bike World Series stays in the Pyrenees next weekend but moves further west to Loudenvielle-Peyragudes in France for its first ever all-gravity weekend from September 1-3. Racers will take on the fifth round of the downhill and the sixth and fourth rounds of the enduro and e-enduro.
