The first UCI Cross-country Short Track (XCC) World Cup since the 2025 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships produced fast and furious action at altitude in Bike Kingdom-Lenzerheide (Switzerland), as riders showed off their new jerseys for the first time since the dust settled in Zermatt and Crans-Montana, Valais (Switzerland).
The wins went to UCI Cross-country Olympic (XCO) World Champion Jenny Rissveds (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) and the UCI XCC World Champion Victor Koretzky (Specialized Factory Racing), with both riders showing that they’re hitting form just at the right time as the season nears its conclusion.
Rissveds showed that she is the in-form rider of the series, battling it out with UCI XCC World Cup overall leader Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing-Pirelli) throughout the race before going clear on the penultimate lap and never looking back.
The win was the 2016 Olympic gold medalist’s second consecutive in the shorter format this series after her win in Les Gets, Haute-Savoie (France), and puts her in contention to do the first-ever Women Elite XCC-XCO double at Bike Kingdom-Lenzerheide.
The victory was the reigning UCI XCO World Champion’s second in the shorter format this series and the fifth of her career.
In the men’s Elite, Koretzky proved that class is permanent, throwing down the gauntlet on the final lap with no one able to hold the rainbow jersey’s wheel. Teammate and U23 UCI XCC World Champion Adrien Boichis (Specialized Factory Racing) was the only rider able to handle the Frenchman’s pace, while Simon Andreassen (Orbea/Fox Factory) secured his first podium of the season.
Elsewhere, it wasn’t to be for overall series leader Christopher Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing), who could have wrapped up the title with two rounds still to go. His 26th-place finish means that the contest will continue until the next round in Lake Placid Olympic Region, New York (USA).
Before the Elites, it was the turn of the U23s on Bike Kingdom-Lenzerheide’s tight and technical course, and it witnessed the fifth-consecutive win for home favourite Finn Treudler (Cube Factory Racing) and a first win of the season for Valentina Corvi (Canyon CLLCTV XCO).
RISSVEDS GOES BACK-TO-BACK
Jenny Rissveds is in the form of her life. The 31-year-old has had a solid season so far, but has turned things up a gear since the last UCI World Cup in Les Gets, Haute-Savoie (France), winning three out of four races entered, including the UCI XCO World Championships, and finishing second in the other – the UCI XCC World Championships.
Going into Bike Kingdom-Lenzerheide’s UCI XCC World Cup, her 260-point deficit to series leader Richards probably ruled her out of mounting a late challenge in the overall, but she was a clear favourite to take the win.
She wasn’t the only rider looking to make a statement in Switzerland, though, with Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon) showing off her new rainbow bands in front of a partisan home crowd.
After a combative start lap, the racing settled down with Rissveds setting the early pace. Richards was never far behind, though, and with a big crash in the woods that held up Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Samara Maxwell (Decathlon Ford Factory Racing), it clearly a good tactic to be at the front of the pack.
By lap two, Keller had joined the leading pair, while other Swiss riders Jolanda Neff (Cannondale Factory Racing) and Ronja Blöchlinger (Liv Factory Racing) also had their time in the lead.
At the halfway point, though, there was a leading group of four – Rissveds, Richards, Keller and Blöchlinger – with the first two starting to gap their Swiss rivals.
On lap six, the leading pair had a gap of five seconds on Keller, and worked together to build their advantage. It was cat and mouse at the front though, with both putting in efforts to test the other’s weaknesses.
It was Richards who looked to launch an attack first, cranking up her efforts on lap 7, but the series leader in the red jersey for the first time since losing her rainbow bands couldn’t shake the Swede.
Halfway through the final lap, Rissveds went full gas on the gravel climb, risking it all through the technical wood section to build a two-second gap as they crossed the finish line for the penultimate time.
The Canyon CLLCTV XCO rider attacked again, and despite Richards emptying the tank, she couldn’t catch the Swede’s unstoppable rise, as she claimed her second consecutive UCI XCC World Cup and fifth of her career. Richards would have to settle for second, with Blöchlinger third and Keller back in sixth.
Speaking at the end of the race, Jenny Rissveds said: “I would say I’ve done pretty good results-wise lately. [Evie Richards and I] managed to stretch the field pretty early in the race. I tried to keep the speed high and it seems like Evie also preferred that. We didn’t really work together, but we were alternating between who was on the front and who was in the wheel.
“We’ll see [about Sunday’s XCO race]. I’m pretty tired after last weekend and the week that followed. I guess we’re all pretty flat after Worlds. It’s a long preparation. For us, it’s 10 months prior to Worlds. Someone succeeds, and some are disappointed. It’s exhausting. I’m looking forward to Sunday’s race, but we’ll see what happens.”
KORETZKY CLINCHES NINTH SHORT TRACK WIN
Victor Koretzky did the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships-UCI World Cup overall double in short track last year, but things haven’t aligned for the Frenchman in 2025. Forced to play second fiddle to teammate and series leader Christopher Blevins, he hadn’t hit the same highs on the short track course while wearing the rainbow jersey.
This all changed at the 2025 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Zermatt, Valais (Switzerland) – the 31-year-old getting the better of Blevins on the line to defend his rainbow jersey. And his performance in the shadows of the Matterhorn appears to have kick-started his season with three rounds to go.
It was the previous UCI XCC World Cup winner at the venue, Luca Schwarzbauer (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) who set the initial pace – the German happy to lead as a large pack of riders tussled for position behind him. One of those not in contention from the start was Mathis Azzaro (Origine Racing Divion)– the Frenchman having a nightmare start and going from the front row to dead last.
Schwarzbauer had Luca Martin (Cannondale Factory Racing) for company – the French national champion looking to make amends after illness forced him to miss the World Championships– while Koretkzy and series-leader Blevins were never far from the front.
Lap three saw an incident after the lead pack, Dario Lillo (Giant Factory Off-Road Team – XC) forced to unclip on a technical wooded section and causing a gap from about 10th place back, while at the front Andreassen rode into first place, continuing his good form where he has recorded back-to-back fourth-places in Les Gets, Haute-Savoie and at World Championships.
Schwarzbauer continued to look comfortable, while a mistake from Blevins saw him start to drift back and out of contention of a top eight finish – the result required to secure the overall title. Koretzky was joined by teammate Boichis in the lead group, and it was evident that Specialized might try some team tactics.
On the penultimate lap, Martin attacked at the midway point, throwing all his cards on the table a long way from home. He couldn’t shake Koretzky though, and the rainbow jersey was glued firmly to his wheel.
Taking the bell to signal the last lap, Schwarzbauer again came through, but it was Koretzky who would launch, rocketing up the tech zone’s gravel climb, leaving his rivals in his dust. Only Boichis could follow, but it was enough to be the winning move. Koretzky crossed the line arms aloft to take his first UCI XCC World Cup win of the season, and ninth of his career – moving him one behind current record holder Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck).
Boichis would take second, while Andreassen claimed third – securing another podium finish to go with his partner Jenny Rissveds win.
Speaking after the race, Victor Koretzky said: “This year, I haven’t had the chance to win with [the rainbow] jersey. It’s always nice to win a race with this amazing jersey and even more here. I love this place and it’s such a nice course here. And I’m pretty happy. To share this podium with Adrien [Boichis] is pretty amazing.
“I think it was nice to be together at the front because we take care of each other for the positioning. It’s always better to be strong as a team here. It was difficult to overtake and it was better to be at the front today. We managed it really well and in the end we finished first and second.”
CORVI CLAIMS DEBUT WIN WHILE TREUDLER MAKE IT FIVE IN A ROW IN U23
Valentina Corvi (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) recorded her debut win in the U23 UCI XCC World Cup in a hard-fought race.
Overall U23 UCI XCO World Cup series leader Corvi had led proceedings from the off, and would take the start/finish line in first or second throughout the race, but the lead group would remain five-strong deep into the penultimate lap.
It was Corvi and Vida Lopez de San Roman who went clear on the final lap, with the Italian having the edge over the American to win by one second.
Women U23 UCI XCC World Cup overall leader Katharina Sadnik (KTM Factory MTB Team) finished four-seconds back in third to retain a 31-point lead over Corvi with two races to go.
Speaking after the race, Valentina Corvi said: “This season has gone super good and I’m really happy. Today, I tried to manage the race and in the end it was quite tactical. I tried to push and I took some meters and I’m happy to win my first short track race ever.”
The men’s U23 race wasn’t as close as the women’s with Finn Treudler happy to sit in the lead pack before launching an attack on the penultimate lap that would see him home for his fifth consecutive U23 UCI XCC World Cup win.
The newly crowned U23 UCI XCO World Champion has dominated both series this year, and the result was never really in doubt. A group of three made up of Paul Schel (Lexware Mountainbike Team), Heby Gustav Pedersen (Wilier-Vittoria Factory Team) and Rens Teunissen van Manen (KMC Ridley MTB Racing Team) did their best to close him down but couldn’t match the Swiss rider’s pace.
In the end, Schel would edge Pedersen for second, with Teunissen van Manen fading to sixth.
Speaking at the end of the race, Finn Treudler said: “My shape is still here. I really like the course here and also the short track one is quite physical so it suits me well and I’m happy to take the win today.
“I really wanted to win today to be able to be called up last in the world champs jersey [on Sunday]. It’s going to be an exciting final.
“When I went out this morning, I was really in the right headspace for a race day. I’m happy I could have a race today and focus on something else other than the media attention.”
The WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series action continues in Switzerland tomorrow as the Downhill riders take to Bike Kingdom-Lenzerheide track for the eighth UCI Downhill World Cup of the season.
