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.