The first day of the 2024 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Pal Arinsal, Andorra, saw rainbow jerseys awarded to Sofia Wiedenroth (Germany) and Jérôme Gilloux (France) in E-mountain bike cross-country (E-MTB), before the USA took their first win in the cross-country team relay (XCR).

WOMEN’S E-MTB XC: WIEDENROTH DOMINANT FROM THE START 

Germany’s Sofia Wiedenroth set the early pace with Austria’s Anna Spielmann and defending UCI World Champion Nathalie Schneitter (SUI), while one of the other pre-race favourites, Justine Tonso (FRA), was near the back after the first lap. Spielmann’s race was over on lap 2 as she appeared to suffer with injury. Meanwhile, the 29-year-old German steadily increased her lead, with the 38-year-old Swiss rider remaining in touch.

Chile’s Florencia Espiñeira Herreros, the overall E-enduro leader of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series with one UCI E-enduro World Cup round remaining, secured third place, while Italy’s Alia Marcellini finished in fourth.

Wiedenroth claimed the rainbow in confident, commanding style, with a time of 1:00:09, just over a minute ahead of Schneitter and a little over two minutes from Flo Espiñeira. The highly experienced Kathrin Stirnemann (Switzerland) was fifth. 

MEN’S E-MTB XC: GILLOUX BACK IN THE RAINBOW

The favourites, 2021 and 2022 UCI World Champion Jérôme Gilloux and defending UCI World Champion Joris Ryf (Switzerland) slugged it out from the start, with Hugo Pigeon (France) in third, and cross-country Olympic (XCO) specialist Martín Vidaurre Kossmann (Chile) and Mirko Tabacchi (Italy) in close attendance.

While Gilloux – who suffered a late mechanical in last year’s final, finishing third – was eking out a small advantage, the riders behind him were swapping places, as Vidaurre passed Pigeon and Ryf, the Swiss rider then slipping back further – with the top four circulating within 20 seconds at the halfway point.  

After winning the first two rounds of the 2024 UCI E-MTB World Cup, Gilloux maintained his perfect record to take back the crown as UCI World Champion. His winning time of 1:01:32 was 29 sec clear of Vidaurre, the Under-23 XCO UCI World Champion in 2021, with the silver medal. Pigeon got bronze (+45-sec), with Ryf and Tabacchi rounding out the top five.

TEAM RELAY: BLEVINS LEADS USA HOME TO PIP FRANCE

Fifteen national teams came to the start line at Pal Arinsal, each with six riders tackling one lap. With men and women Elite, Under 23 and Juniors riding in the order prescribed by their team management, the lead – and most other positions – would swap many times. 

A strong start from Luca Braidot (Men Elite) saw Italy and five-time former UCI World Champions France (Luca Martin – Men U23, then Nicolas Kalanquin - Men Junior) swap the lead over the first two laps. Denmark was close, along with the USA with Nicholas Konecny (Men Junior) preparing to hand over to Haley Batten (Women Elite). 

Meanwhile, reigning UCI World Champions Switzerland were sneaking up from 9th to 6th by the end of lap two as Austria honed in on Denmark for provisional fifth.

Lap three was a battle of Women Elite riders up front with Italy’s Martina Berta leading until France’s Loana Lecomte overpowered her, while Ramona Forchini took the Swiss outfit into 4th, with eyes on their last leg, Thomas Litscher (Men Elite). Batten’s work prepared Vida Lopez (Women Junior) to move into 2nd place for the USA, 30-sec behind France’s Olivia Onesti (Women U23), with Italy third. 

When Lopez faded, Italy’s Giada Martinoli (Women Junior) passed her before handing to Valentina Corvi (Women U23) for the penultimate circuit. Madigan Munro (Women U23) regained 2nd place for the USA and chased the leader, ready to tag Christopher Blevins (Men Elite) for the final blast. Meanwhile Isabella Holmgren (Women U23) took Canada up to 4th, before handing over to her older brother Gunnar (Men Elite). 

On the final lap, Blevins found his way ahead of Frenchman Mathis Azzaro, while Holmgren did his best to chase down Italian Mattia Stenico (Men Junior).

USA won in a time of 1:19:38 just 3-sec ahead of France, with Italy third (+1.31), Canada fourth and Switzerland fifth.

NOT FORGETTING DOWNHILL

In the Junior downhill (DHI) qualifying ahead of Thursday’s finals, Erice van Leuven (NZL) was the fastest woman in 2:59:533, almost 10 sec ahead of Ella Svegby (SWE) and Heather Wilson (GBR). In the Men Junior qualifying, the USA’s Asa Vermette pipped Max Alran (FRA), with Bode Burke (USA) in third.