Soldier Hollow’s debut weekend in the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series, presented by SCOTT Sports, got off to a spectacular start as Martina Berta (Origine Racing Division) claimed a historic UCI Cross-country Short Track (XCC) World Cup victory in the women’s elite race with a bold solo attack, before Sam Gaze (Alpecin-Premier Tech) powered through the rain to secure his first UCI World Cup win in almost 900 days.
Berta became the first Italian rider to win a UCI XCC World Cup after launching her move at the start of the long descent on the penultimate lap. Although her advantage was cut to just six seconds, hesitation within the chasing group allowed her to open the gap once more and ride clear to victory.
Gaze’s path to the top step could hardly have been more different. The New Zealander spent much of the men’s elite race biding his time before striking in the final metres, timing his sprint to perfection as the rain swept across the course and edging out Cannondale Factory Racing teammates Charlie Aldridge and Luca Martin.
Martin nevertheless left Utah with a significant reward, moving ahead of the absent Adrien Boichis (Specialized Factory Racing) to take over the lead in the men’s overall standings. In the women’s competition, Sina Frei strengthened her grip on the series lead, extending her advantage over Jenny Rissveds (Canyon XC Racing).
In the U23 ranks, Canada’s Rafaelle Carrier delivered a remarkable comeback ride to claim her maiden UCI World Cup victory. After starting the opening lap down in 20th position, she fought her way through the field before outsprinting Makena Kellerman to the line. Meanwhile, newly crowned UCI World Champion Nicolas Halter (Thömus Akros-Youngsters) added another victory to his résumé with a commanding performance in the U23 men’s race.
The day also saw the first overall titles decided, with Paul Schehl (Lexware Mountainbike Team) and Valentina Corvi (Canyon XC Racing) sealing the U23 overall crowns.
BERTA MAKES ITALIAN XCC HISTORY IN SOLDIER HOLLOW
Martina Berta combined courage and raw power to break clear of the field and secure the first UCI XCC World Cup victory of her elite career, leaving a star-studded chasing group unable to respond.
An early lead group featured Jolanda Neff (Cannondale Factory Racing), Gwendalyn Gibson (Trek-Unbroken XC) and Haley Batten (Specialized Factory Racing). Racing less than 20 miles from her hometown, Batten looked determined to make her mark in front of a home crowd.
With the pace easing, Gibson’s teammate Evie Richards was forced to bridge across before taking turns on the front to keep the tempo high and discourage further attacks. The result was a tense stalemate through the middle stages of the race, until Berta blew it apart on the penultimate lap. Launching her move at the start of the course’s long descent, the Italian quickly opened up a 10-second advantage by the time she crossed the line to take the bell.
The gap began to come down on the final climb as signs of fatigue started to show, but a momentary hesitation among the chasers proved decisive. Given just enough breathing room, Berta dug deep and held on all the way to the finish.
Behind her, Alessandra Keller (Thömus maxon) attacked from the chasing group and managed to carve out a small but crucial advantage. The Swiss rider held firm to claim second place, while Sina Frei edged the sprint for third.
“It’s unreal,” said Berta. “My plan was to make a hard effort on the second-to-last lap to reduce the group for the final lap, but when I looked back, nobody was there. I was really on the limit and wasn’t sure I could stay away on my own for the entire last lap, so to pull it off in front of this crowd is amazing.”
Further back, Jenny Rissveds could only finish fifth, leaving her with a mountain to climb in the fight for the overall title. The Swede will need to win the final round of the season and hope Frei endures a difficult day if she is to have any chance of overturning the deficit. “Anything can happen in racing,” said Frei. “There’s still one round to go and I’m still looking forward.”
GAZE TIMES IT TO PERFECTION FOR LONG-AWAITED RETURN TO VICTORY
A hectic men’s elite race remained wide open until the very last metres despite a succession of attacks, with Sam Gaze ending an 889-day wait for victory by storming to the win in a dramatic sprint finish as rain swept across Soldier Hollow.
With pre-race overall leader Adrien Boichis (Specialized Factory Racing) absent from the final two rounds of the season to focus on his road campaign, Luca Martin knew he had a golden opportunity to strengthen his bid for the overall title. The Frenchman wasted little time in taking the initiative, attacking alongside Charlie Aldridge (Cannondale Factory Racing) on lap four and forcing a select group clear that also included Mathis Azzaro (Origine Racing Division).
Azzaro, Martin’s closest remaining rival in the overall standings, was quick to respond and shadowed the French champion’s every move as the two locked horns throughout the race.
Although the breakaway was eventually reeled back in, the aggression never relented. A string of riders tried their luck, including Jordan Sarrou (BMC Factory Racing), whose solo move briefly threatened to emulate the successful attack that had earned Martina Berta victory in the women’s race earlier in the day.
Sarrou was eventually brought back by Aldridge, setting up a tense finale. The Briton led the field into the closing stages after several contenders, including Cole Punchard (Cannondale Factory Racing) and Martín Vidaurre (Specialized Factory Racing), crashed on the final lap as deteriorating weather conditions turned the race into a battle of survival.
Gaze timed his effort to perfection. Having spent the entire race conserving energy and avoiding the wind, the New Zealander hit the front for the first time in the finishing straight and powered clear to seal a memorable victory.
“Incredible, I don’t even know what to say,” said Gaze. “I came here just looking to have a bit of fun. This morning I felt pretty average, but with five laps to go we regrouped and it all came down to the finish straight. There’s no time for confidence or doubt in those moments. For a second I thought I was boxed in, but I managed to find a way through.”
While victory slipped away, Martin’s second-place finish still represented a significant result in the overall battle. The Frenchman gained 50 points on Azzaro and heads into the season finale with a 96-point advantage at the top of the standings.
CELEBRATIONS ALL ROUND IN THE U23 RANKS
There was no shortage of celebrations in the U23 ranks at Soldier Hollow, as Rafaelle Carrier and Nicolas Halter claimed the race victories while Valentina Corvi and Paul Schehl secured the U23 overall titles.
Carrier captured the first UCI World Cup victory of her career with an ice-cool performance in the closing stages of a tactical U23 women’s race. The Canadian rider overcame a dreadful start before positioning herself perfectly on the final lap, using Makena Kellerman’s wheel before launching her winning sprint in the final metres.
“It feels unbelievable,” said Carrier. “I had such a bad start, I was around 30th place, so to come away with the win is crazy. The easiest way to move up was on the long straight because nobody wanted to pull. The group was almost stalling at times, and that gave me opportunities to gain positions. Before the sprint I knew I had the perfect wheel. Makena [Kellerman] is such a strong sprinter that she almost gave me a lead-out. It was unbelievable. I didn’t even have time to celebrate.”
Corvi safely navigated the race within the lead group to lock up the U23 Women’s UCI XCC World Cup overall title, and less than an hour later Paul Schehl followed suit by securing the U23 men’s crown.
The race victory, however, belonged to newly crowned UCI XCC World Champion Nicolas Halter, who backed up his rainbow jersey triumph in emphatic fashion. The Swiss rider, whose sister Monique Halter also won the U23 UCI XCC World title in Val di Sole, Trentino (Italy), launched a decisive attack on the final lap, splitting the field apart before holding off Nikolaj Hougs (Cube Factory Racing) to the finish.
“I feel amazing in this jersey,” said Halter. “It was my first race wearing it and it almost felt like it gave me wings. I went all-in on the final lap, opened a small gap and then just went full gas to the finish. It felt like a very long run to the line.
“Racing in the rainbow jersey is something special and maybe it gave me a few extra percent today. Sharing this success with my sister makes it even more incredible. The key was carrying as much speed as possible onto the climb after the downhill. If you lost momentum, you had to work so much harder. In the end it came down to timing, and for me everything worked perfectly.”
There will be little time for Berta, Gaze, Halter and Carrier to celebrate their victories. All four will be back on the start line tomorrow for the penultimate UCI Cross-country Olympic (XCO) World Cup round of the 2026 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series, with racing getting underway at 9:00 (local time) with the U23 women’s race. For full broadcast details and start times, click here.
