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Article - 13 Jul 25

Pidcock and Maxwell Conquer Opponents at Pal Arinsal – Andorra

Both celebrated Elite victories in Pal Arinsal - Andorra for the first time in the UCI Cross-Country Olympic World Cup

Samara Maxwell (Decathlon Ford Racing) and Thomas Pidcock  celebrated Elite victories in Pal Arinsal - Andorra for the first time in the UCI Cross-Country Olympic (XCO) World Cup. 

Olympic Champion Pidcock was making his season debut in the Men Elite UCI XCO World Cup and after making his way through from a fourth-row start rode clear for glory. Luca Martin (Cannondale Factory Racing) won Friday’s UCI Cross-country Short Track (XCC) World Cup and provided tough competition for Pidcock. However, a puncture when 12 seconds behind confined the Frenchman to second position.

Meanwhile, a third-place finish for Charlie Aldridge (Cannondale Factory Racing) saw two British riders on the UCI XCC World Cup podium for the first time since 1994.

In the Women Elite category, Maxwell provided a determined display and battled back through the field from a puncture and two crashes to take a dramatic win. The New Zealander provided a last lap attack and distanced Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon) into second and Jenny Rissveds (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) third.

Meanwhile, Valentina Corvi (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) and Finn Treudler (Cube Factory Racing) provided impressive displays to win the under-23 categories with solo wins.

The UCI XCO course was one of the hardest competitors will face all season due to the additional altitude high up in the Pyrenees and energy-sapping climbs. The four-kilometre course included 160 metres of elevation gain each lap and technical descents which resulted in several crashes and punctures.

PIDCOCK PROVES TOO STRONG AND FINALLY WINS IN PAL ARINSAL – ANDORRA

After two podium finishes in as many years, Pidcock finally got the win he desired in his adopted home of Pal Arinsal – Andorra. The Olympic Champion, who lives in Andorra, made his own appearance this season in this year’s UCI XCO World Cup. After finishing third here during the last two years, Pidcock made it third time lucky to win at his adopted home venue.

Coming into the race in third position overall Victor Koretzky (Specialized Factory Racing) was looking for redemption following a disappointing 27th place finish at Val di Sole – Trentino (Italy) and a broken chain which ended his hopes in Friday’s UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup.

Pidcock was forced to battle his way through the congestion following a fourth row start and was unable to choose his own lines in the first technical section. French National Champion Martin was full of confidence after winning the UCI Cross-country Short Track event on Friday morning and set a blistering pace on the first lap. Olympic Champion Pidcock moved his way up through to 14th on the opening lap and was using the wide course and gruelling climbs to his advantage. 

The Brit was too strong for those who tried to follow and midway through the second lap bridged across to the leading group of six riders. The relentless pace of Martin resulted in him pulling away with countryman Mathis Azzaro (Origine Racing Division) and they had an advantage of nine seconds. Pidcock was alert to the danger and closed the gap, while fellow Brit Aldridge was also in the podium fight.

Martin continued his charge and joined by Pidcock the pair built an advantage of 27 seconds over Azzaro and Aldridge after 30 minutes of racing. At the halfway distance, Pidcock used a short climb to launch an explosive effort to gap his fellow leader. 

On the sixth of eight laps, Pidcock had a slender 12-second gap over Martin when disaster struck for the Frenchman. A technical, rooted section leading down to the pits caused Martin to suffer a puncture, forcing the Cannondale Factory Racing rider to swap wheels, and he then suffered further mechanical issues. Martin found himself over a minute behind Pidcock when he got back underway and the Brit rider was in full control. Behind, the battle for third continued as Azzaro and Aldridge remained together just seconds ahead of a larger chasing group. 

Taking the last lap bell Pidcock had an unassailable advantage of 47 seconds ahead of Martin, while Aldridge had gapped Azzaro by 10 seconds in the battle for third. The Olympic Champion was able to enjoy the final lap and pulled off tricks for his home crowd. Dressed in his specially designed golden kit, Pidcock had time to celebrate a 21-second victory over Martin and Aldridge was third 52 seconds behind his fellow Brit.

After winning two of the opening three UCI XCO World Cup rounds, Christopher Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing) led overall coming into the event. However, after finishing 17th on a gruelling course in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland (Austria), it was another tough afternoon for the Specialized Factory Racing rider who placed 29th and over four minutes behind the winner. Blevins still has a healthy 313-point leadheading into the seventh round.

There were no such problems for Pidcock, who said: “It’s super-nice to finally win here, kind of at home, after a few years. It’s not an easy place to race, that is for sure.

“My tyres were a little bit hard in the end, due to a lack of experience in the races this year. It did play into my favour as I didn’t puncture or have any problems. I was nervous about getting a good launch at the start. If I’d have gone backwards from the fourth row, then I would have been really far back.  

“My start was pretty okay; I went a bit hard midway through the race. It’s hard for everyone racing this high (at altitude), it’s not like you can find more oxygen anywhere.” When asked if he planned to compete any further UCI World Cup rounds? Pidcock added: “I don’t think this year. Next year I want to do a few more races.” 

MAXWELL OVERCOMES PUNCTURES AND CRASHES TO TAKE GLORY

Despite suffering two crashes and a puncture, Maxwell was not to be denied a second Women Elite UCI XCO World Cup of the season. Maxwell fought her way back to a leading group of four riders, who battled out the podium positions and then powered clear. She devoted her victory to injured Decathlon Ford Racing team-mate Greta Seiwald. The New Zealander came into the event with a 335-point lead in the overall standings following a consistent season which has seen her finish on the podium at each UCI XCO event.

The tough uphill start saw British rider Isla Short shoot out of the pack as the climbing specialist looked to improve on her seventh position from Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland. Short was quickly consumed into the fragmenting leading group on the single track and left Ronja Blöchlinger (LIV Factory Racing) to set the early pace. The Swiss woman crashed on an off camber right-handed climb and also hindered the momentum of Maxwell.

The difficult rock garden of Pal Arinsal - Andorra also took early victims as both Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing - Pirelli) and Loana Lecomte (BMC Factory Racing) had first lap crashes, with the latter pulling out of the event. 

Maxwell and Blöchlinger grew a slender 10-second gap on the second lap over UCI XCO World Champion Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck). However, their momentum was halted by a rear wheel puncture for Maxwell who required a wheel change and lost 47 seconds as she slid down to eighth position. Sensing her opportunity Pieterse attacked entering the third lap as Maxwell sat in a group battling for fifth position 39 seconds behind

After taking a steadier start on the gruelling course, Martina Berta (Origine Racing Division) and Rissveds drew back to within six seconds of Pieterse after 45 minutes of racing. With the pressure of the chasing group increasing Pieterse crashed on the rock garden resulting in mechanical problems for her bike and sliding back down the pack.

Keller was next to close the gap to the leading duo as she powered up the steep climbs in Pal Arinsal – Andorra. Maxwell had also powered her way back through the pack and by the penultimate lap bridged across to make a group of four riders. However, the technical climbs of the course at altitude saw Maxwell crash and being forced to walk up a climb as Rissveds pulled out an advantage. The New Zealander was able to use her power again to bridge back across as the four leaders took the last lap bell together. Maxwell proved strongest and forced the pace on a long climb and was initially being followed by Rissveds. 

The series leader continued to increase her pressure on the climbs and Rissveds paid for trying to stay with the leader. Maxwell celebrated her second UCI XCO World Cup win of the season, as Keller dug deep and had enough to pass Rissveds late on to grab second. 

“I genuinely can’t believe that I won today,” said Maxwell afterwards. “Coming into today my biggest quote was ‘just because you have a thought doesn’t make it true’. I had a flat and two crashes all within what felt like five seconds. I thought ‘it’s going to be one of those days’ where I panic and drop down the rankings. “I told myself ‘just because I had the thought doesn’t make it a fact’. I’m a fighter and just re-set and chipped them [her rivals] off one by one. 

“I don’t know where I flatted, I just came round the corner, and it felt a bit squirely and I looked down and my tyre was flat just as I passed the tech zone. It was a bit of chaos, but I tried to stay calm. It was all out in the last lap. I felt strong but kept making silly mistakes in the downhills. I just realised I needed a bit of room for myself to take my own lines. I waited until the climb, but afterwards my whole body was screaming. It’s hard. People think what I did on the last lap was hard. It’s not. What is hard is having setbacks and feeling out of control.

Maxwell devoted the win to team-mate Seiwald who won the Italian National Championships in Short Track last month. “Sport is cruel,” said Maxwell. “She was on a big high after winning the Italian National Championships. She was getting back into her groove. The next day she rode, made a dumb mistake and got her ankle mucked up and now she’s out for the season.”

CORVI PROVIDES DOMINANT PERFORMANCE DESPITE LATE CRASHES

Corvi produced a dominant performance to win the Women Under-23 UCI XCO World Cup event by over three minutes. The Canyon CLLCTV XCO rider broke her collarbone earlier this season but returned to UCI World Cup action in style by winning at Val di Sole – Trentino last month. Corvi missed two UCI World Cup rounds due to her injury as Ella Macphee (Wilier-Vittoria Factory Team) leads the overall standings. 

Macphee had a nightmare start in Pal Arinsal – Andorra when a crash on the opening section resulted in the Canadian dropping outside of the top 10 positions. Corvi had no such problems as she opened an advantage of over a minute after the first lap. Fellow Italian Sara Cortinovis (Ghost Factory Racing) is also in overall contention and led the charge behind before fading away in the middle of the race and finishing 17th.

The altitude at Pal Arinsal – Andorra took its toll on the competitors and American Vida Lopez De San Roman (Trinity Racing) suffered following a fast start and finished fifth. Corvi was out of sight and over four minutes ahead, before two crashes on the last lap reduced her winning margin to 3:25.  

Swiss rider Monique Halter held on for silver after distancing Sina Van Thiel (Lexware Mountain Bike Team) at the midway point. Van Thiel came back and finished just eight seconds behind in third after fending off fast-finisher Olivia Onesti (BH Coloma Team) on the final lap.

An 11th place finish for overall leader Macphee saw her margin over Corvi reduced to 64 points heading into the seventh round. Meanwhile, Corvi celebrated her second consecutive Women Under-23 UCI XCO World Cup victory. 

After the race, Corvi said: “I have no words to describe the race. I tried to manage the race from the beginning, and I didn’t make mistakes which was the most important thing. On the last lap I crashed two times. I’m super-happy to win here. The next week I do the nationals in Italy, the European Championships and then a break before preparation before the worlds.”

TREUDLER IMPRESSES AGAIN IN SWISS CLEAN SWEEP

Treudler extended his overall lead in the Men Under-23 UCI XCO World Cup as Swiss riders took a one-two-three. The Cube Factory Racing rider gapped his opponents on the second lap and built an unassailable lead of over a minute. Swiss riders excelled on the course high at altitude as Nicholas Halter set the fastest lap of the race on the sixth turn. Halter’s late charge was enough to secure his runner-up position, while fellow countryman Maxime Lhomme finished third. Overall contender Rens Teunissen Van Manen (KMC Ridley MTB Racing Team) lost important points in the series with an eighth placed finish. 

Treudler was celebrating a perfect weekend in Pal Arinsal - Andorra after also winning the UCI XCC World Cup on Friday. “I felt really strong today and I’m super-happy to take the win after a disappointing race in Val di Sole – Trentino,” said Treudler.

 “I’m super-stoked to get the double here and I’m really proud of this one. I just focus on myself and being the best version of myself, at the moment it is working out super-good. I want to defend my title at the European Championships, so my objective is now on that race after a small break. Then, I’ll be full focus on a home World Championships.” 

The WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series takes a six-week break before Enduro riders return to action in Haute-Savoie, Morillon on 22-24 August. Meanwhile, endurance and downhill riders are next in action at Les Gets, Haute-Savoie on 28-31 August.

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30 Aug 25
Hemstreet and Dunne Risk Everything for Famous Les Gets, Haute-Savoie Wins in UCI Downhill World Cup
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Andreas Kolb (YT MOB) was the first serious challenge to the centurion and made it count, flying down the opening section then holding that advantage all the way to the line to put well over a second into Brosnan and spark tearful celebrations from team staff.  It looked like that joy would be short-lived when Amaury Pierron (Commencal/Muc-Off By Riding Addiction) made a rapid start to his run but he was undone in a somersault crash, and it wasn’t until Martin Maes (Orbea/FMD Racing) rolled off the ramp with only five more riders to go that the Austrian was beaten. Over 1.5 seconds back at the last intermediate split, Maes produced the best finish of the day to stun Kolb by a tenth of a second, and Bruni had no answer to the Belgian.  Dunne did though, lighting up the timing screens from the very first split as he scorched his way to a second UCI World Cup win - the first time an Irishman has achieved that feat.  “Words can’t describe how this feels, it’s been such a rough season and all I’ve been thinking about for the past weeks has been doing well at this race and showing everyone I can still win a race,” Dunne said. “I go by the motto ‘helicopter or win’, or ‘helicopter or podium’ and I lived up to the name in La Thuile, and here we took a win.”  Meanwhile Bruni’s fifth-place finish means he’s slashed 112 points from Goldstone now but failed to wrestle the leader’s jersey from the Canadian. “That was the toughest race I’ve ever done for sure,” Goldstone said. “It was rowdy the whole way down and I couldn’t even stay on the bike. “Somehow still clinged onto the green jersey which is pretty cool so the fact I’m in it with a crash and two bad races is really positive. 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Article
29 Aug 25
Les Gets, Haute-Savoie Delivers Blockbuster Elite Cross-country Short Track Races as Surprise Pair Triumph
Cross-Country

The UCI Cross-country Short Track (XCC) World Cup served up two gripping races and a pair of fairytale victors in Les Gets, Haute-Savoie (France) as Charlie Aldridge (Cannondale Factory Racing) claimed his first elite WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series triumph on a thrilling final lap and Jenny Rissveds (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) ended a 26-month drought with a swashbuckling performance. Rissveds claimed her first UCI XCC World Cup round since June 2023 years by decisively splintering the field with two laps to go and outkicking Alessandra Keller (Thӧmus Maxon) on the brutally iconic Les Gets climb while the runner-up made major gains on overall leader Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing-Pirelli). And with all the men’s Elite pre-race focus on Christopher Blevins’ chance to claim the UCI XCC World Cup for Specialized Factory Racing with three rounds to go, Aldridge outduelled teammate Luca Martin and Luca Braidot (Wilier-Vittoria Factory Team) to take a famous win. 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Richards was first across the line on four out of the nine laps while Pieterse, after her road racing exploits this summer including completing the Tour de France Femmes, immediately dropped out of the top 10 and eventually finished 11th after a long recovery ride. Despite leading the UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup, Samara Maxwell (Decathlon Ford Racing Team) is yet to taste XCC victory and appeared determined to change that when she pushed the pace on lap five reducing the pack to only Richards, Keller, Rissveds, Sina Frei (Specialized Factory Racing) and Jolanda Neff (Cannondale Factory Racing). Richards was consistently the strongest downhill rider, though not the smoothest she attacked the descent with more aggression than anyone else on the slick surface but eventually those early exertions caught up with her and she was dropped with two laps to go as Rissveds and Keller were the only riders who could live with Maxwell. 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CANNONDALE IN DREAMLAND AFTER NAIL-BITING 1-2 Blevins arrived in France knowing victory would assure him of the UCI XCC World Cup title and he asserted himself early alongside new German national champion Luca Schwarzbauer (Canyon CLLCTV XCO), before his challenge was halted by a dropped chain. But, with the American’s record of surging to victory on the final lap this season, the pack focused on sapping his legs on the tough climb to start the lap with Simon Andreassen (Orbea FOX Factory Racing), Filippo Colombo (Scott-SRAM MTB Racing Team) and Martin pushed the pace on early. It looked like the race had opened up for the Cannondale Factory Racing pair on lap seven when Thomas Litscher (Cabtech Racing Team) misjudged a steep uphill hairpin and held up the rest of the pack allowing them to build a nine-second lead across the line, but they couldn’t hold it and the bloated lead group re-formed and stuck together entering the final lap. It was there that Braidot made his move, dive-bombing Aldridge and Martin on the ascent only for the Brit to repay the favour turning to the top of the climb and the short descent to the finishing straight meant the home favourite had to bide his time for the sprint. Exiting the final corner, Martin was closing on Aldridge all the way to the line in the final sprint and got alongside his teammate but couldn’t nudge his wheel in front, finishing on the same time as the British national champion who celebrated a milestone win in his career. “I’m absolutely buzzing, crazy race it went so fast I was at the front with Luca [Martin] and the last lap was a bit of a battle,” Aldridge said. “I wasn’t sure if Luca was going to be faster or me but you kind of work together in these races and 1-2 is a really good way to end. “Had a little battle on the last few corners which made the heart rate go even higher than it was already but I’m over the moon. You’re so focused on trying to pull it off [on the final lap] then something like that comes, Luca [Braidot] flying down my inside and I went ‘I’m going to get him in the next corner’.” A rare off-day for Blevins saw the overall leader finish 17th as Aldridge jumps up to second in the standings due to Victor Koretzky’s absence for Specialized Factory Racing, but the American must only pick up 105 points next time out to guarantee UCI World Cup victory next time out. “When you’re a bit off, short track’s a different kind of pain,” Blevins said. “I was suffering, you go all out on the last climb and you get to the top and you can barely hold onto the bars. “But first effort in Europe sometimes can go either way, I didn’t really get a good ‘open up’ day this week on the bike so I think my body really needed that to open up after such a long break from racing, it’s like shaking off the cobwebs and jetlag and everything and hopefully Sunday I’m opened up now.” TREUDLER CONSISTENCY CONTRASTS WITH U23 WOMEN SURPRISE Vida Lopez de San Roman was unshakable on the way to her maiden victory. Having missed the first part of the season the American had finished 13th and 15th in her last two rounds but was a constant presence at the front of the first race of the day and outkicked Valentina Corvi (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) who closed to within 100 points of absent overall leader Katharina Sadnik (KTM Factory MTB Team) alongside Ella McPhee (Wilier-Vittoria Factory Team) and Sara Cortinovis (Ghost Factory Racing). “I’m definitely in a lot of shock and disbelief,”  Lopez de San Roman said. “I don’t think it’s fully processed yet but it definitely means a lot, especially being a first year and spending the whole season getting a lot of experience and learning from every race, I’m in a lot of disbelief but really excited and definitely a big confidence booster one week out from Worlds.” Treudler could seal the Men U23 UCI XCC World Cup overall title next time out in Bike Kingdom - Lenzerheide (Switzerland) after holding off Benjamin Krüger to win yet another WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series round. Treudler hit the front when he countered Nicolas Halter’s move on the climb and produced a controlled performance from there to extend his overall lead to 234 points. “It was a pretty smart move [from Halter] to come from behind and pass us with speed, I had to kick to keep up and then went over the top, saw the gap and continued to the finish,” Treudler said. “I had a super good training period sleeping at high altitude, and I think I saw that today. It’s a really good season so far and I’m really looking forward to the World Championships in two weeks.” The action is only just getting started in Les Gets, Haute-Savoie with the UCI Downhill World Cup Finals coming up on Saturday before the Cross-country riders take centre stage again on Sunday with the cross-country Olympic (XCO) races.

Article
29 Aug 25
Goldstone Survives Major Scare but it’s Advantage Reigning Champions after Les Gets, Haute-Savoie UCI Downhill World Cup Qualifying
Downhill

Valentina Höll (YT MOB) and Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity) kicked off the final stretches of their WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series title defences in fine style in Les Gets, Haute-Savoie (France) as the UCI Downhill World Cup returned from a seven-week holiday with a bang in Qualifications.  The top two riders in the women’s Elite standings will be the last pair off the ramp in the Les Gets, Haute-Savoie Finals as Höll and Gracey Hemstreet (Norco Race Division) were a class above the rest of the field, with the Canadian trailing by two seconds and no other riders within 10 seconds of the UCI World Champion. Rémi Thirion (Giant Factory Off-Road Team - DH) was the surprise face delighting home fans as the fastest elite male qualifier ahead of Mondraker Factory Racing DH’s Ronan Dunne, but third-placed Bruni could be happier than either of them. With overall leader Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) 30th on his first run, over 10 seconds behind his main rival in Q1, Bruni closed his gap to just 107 points ahead of the main event tomorrow. But it could’ve been much worse for the Canadian. GOLDSTONE LIVES TO FIGHT ANOTHER DAY WITH WORK TO DO Goldstone had a nightmare first run and was forced to ride again in Q2 to reach the Les Gets Finals, as the UCI Downhill World Cup leader returned from the summer break looking a shadow of the rider who lit up the first half of the season. On a run of four victories and a second place in his last five rounds, Goldstone did at least survive Q2 but was almost seven seconds behind CUBE Factory Racing’s pacesetter Max Harternstern, indicating improvement is needed if he’s to head to Bike Kingdom - Lenzerheide (Switzerland) next time out as still the man to beat. While Thirion was comfortably ahead of Dunne who enjoyed a similar advantage to Bruni, the field was impossibly tight behind that with the entire top 20 in Q1 separated by a meagre eight seconds. DAUNTLESS HӦLL REMAINS IN CONTROL  Höll was fastest through three of the four immediate time checks as only Lisa Baumann (Commencal Schwalbe by Les Orres) could interrupt her dominances - the 24-year-old crashed further down the course but came through Q2. Meanwhile Hemstreet started sluggishly but got faster and faster as she surged down the mountainside to clinch second and now trails Höll by 129 points, while Gloria Scarsi (MS-Racing) was best of the rest in third. Tahnée Seagrave (Orbea / FMD Racing), the only other elite woman on four figures overall, had a more difficult afternoon. Without any major incidents, Seagrave crossed the finish line 21 seconds behind Höll and saw her deficit in the standings stretch to 230 points.   Marine Cabirou (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) will also take to the startline on Saturday after the home favourite survived a Q2 scare. She was third in the repecharge, finishing with an almost identical time to Höll while Sacha Earnest (Trek Factory Racing DH) was seven seconds quicker on her second run. JUNIOR FAVOURITES TUMBLE DOWN ORDER The men’s Junior picture is as it were last time out in Pal Arinsal - Andorra, with Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction’s Max Alran leading the pack ahead of Asa Vermette (Frameworks Racing/5Dev). On home trails, Alran was almost five seconds ahead of the American while his main title rival had a nightmare.   Tyler Waite was down in 20th for Yeti/FOX Factory Race Team, while women’s Junior overall leader didn’t have a smooth qualifying either - Rosa Zierl (CUBE Factory Racing) finished fourth but was 10 seconds behind Aletha Ostgaard (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team), her main rival. However, it was France’s Cassandre Peizerat who qualified in first. The final French round of the season continues tomorrow with the UCI Downhill World Cup Finals, as the junior action kicks off at 10:50 CEST and the elite racing gets underway just after midday.

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