The 2024 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series began in scintillating style with two explosive races in Mairiporã, Brazil on Saturday. Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing-Pirelli) and Sam Gaze (Alpecin-Deceuninck) got off the mark with commanding performances, but while Richards was able to stamp her authority on the women’s elite race with a decisive solo strike for the line, Gaze was forced to work all the way the finish in a nail-biting finale in the men’s race.

Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing-Pirelli) threw down the gauntlet with an aggressive and fearless performance in the women’s elite UCI Cross-country Short Track (XCC) World Cup in Mairiporã, Brazil.

The 2024 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series kicked off amid warm and sticky conditions in Mairiporã, with 29-degree temperatures and 80% humidity. The bunch were clustered together in the early part of the race, led by Martina Berta (Santa Cruz Rockshox Pro Team), who used her front row gridding to her advantage to make a strong start.

Berta was pursued by Evie Richards and Jenny Rissveds (Team 31 Ibis Cycles Continental). The bunch remained compressed for the first two laps, with the pump track and the sharp descent drawing out the best bike handlers and stretching out the race before they gathered once again as they headed into the climb.

Jolanda Neff (Trek Factory Racing-Pirelli) used the descent to gain a small gap, then led a big bunch as Alessandra Keller (Thömus maxon), moved into the lead on the second time around the pump track. Keller maintained her lead through the lap, but as the bunch compressed again, Rebecca Henderson (Primaflor Mondraker Racing Team) took control. 

It was on lap 3 that the field finally started to stretch out and gaps opened up, with the primary aggressor the 2018 UCI World Champion Kate Courtney (Scott-SRAM MTB Racing Team). Courtney moved clear, chased by Richards, with Rissveds and Neff next on the track. 

The winning move came on lap 5 however, as Richards attacked Courtney and moved through on the pump track to take the lead, and immediately opened up a gap to Courtney and Neff, which continued to grow as she attacked the descent and powered on over the flat sections of the course. With Keller trying to make up the deficit, and Courtney tiring, there was not enough momentum in the chase and Richards won with seven seconds over Henderson in second and Keller in third. 

Richards said: “It started off in quite a big group and then a couple of different girls went on the front and pushed and Kate [Courtney] made an attack, and I happened to be on her second wheel, and I just pushed with the attack. I think she faded a bit at the top of one of 

the climbs and I came out of the descent with a lead and I just kept going at that speed really, just maintained the gap. I'm really pleased to start the season like that. 

“I think you always have to improvise. We talked a lot about strategies and what would happen if different people attacked so I was well prepared going into it and was happy with that.”

Speaking about the conditions, Richards said: “It’s really hot. Especially when the UK has literally been grey for six months straight it’s definitely a step up from the UK but it's nice as well. It's good to get some sunshine and some vitamin D on the body.”

UCI WORLD CHAMPION MAKES A STATEMENT IN MEN’S SHORT-TRACK

It was a battle of the short-track powerhouses in the men’s race as UCI World Champion Sam Gaze (Alpecin-Deceuninck) won a last-gasp victory after a thrilling battle with Luca Schwarzbauer (Canyon CLLCTV XCO).

As the lights turned green, Schwarzbauer immediately launched into pole position and was already able to open a small gap between himself and the rest, looking calm and in control. In the early part of the race Mathias Flückiger (Thömus Maxon), Jordan Sarrou (Team BMC), and Victor Koretzky (Specialized Factory Racing) were the closest to the German, but with Sam Gaze moving through quickly in the rainbow stripes, Schwarzbauer was relentless, powering into the turns and trying to ensure the pace stayed high. 

Schwarzbauer continued to hold the front of the race with around nine riders chasing a few seconds behind, and the rest already spread out along the track. Koretzky attacked and took the lead for a short while, but in an aggressive run up the climb towards the pump track Schwarzbauer used his physicality to break through to the front again, followed by Martin Vidaurre (Specialized Factory Racing). The pair took a small gap heading off the descent, and Vidaurre moved into the lead, with Schwarzbauer and Gaze bearing down from behind.

Gaze exerted his authority for the first time on lap 5, but Schwarzbauer counter-attacked in the same place heading into the pump track and a stalemate followed heading into lap 7 as the riders collectively caught their breath. It was all business on the final lap though, as the frontrunners came back together again, and though Sarrou cut in to take second position briefly, when Gaze attacked the climb, he took an unassailable lead. 

In a breathless last few moments of action, Koretzky tried to attack at the expense of his teammate Vidaurre but it was too little too late – Gaze powered over the line to make a clear statement about his form heading into an Olympic season. Schwarzbauer hailed Gaze as he crossed the line in second, with Vidaurre third after a courageous performance.

Gaze spoke after the race: “It’s been a really difficult couple of weeks, it was really hard to focus on my job at some points, but I’ve come out here and put together a good performance. The start was super critical for me and a lot of the time I don’t get lucky, but I have to say I got lucky in the start loop, and then from there it was just trying to recover 

best I could before moving forward. The heat is such a factor here, it feels like I’ve swallowed a glass full of glass. I’m super happy, good signs for the next two weeks, happy to have a good start. 

“Luca [Schwarzbauer] is a great guy, we found a bit of partnership, just trying to keep the speed how we wanted it. There’s a big advantage racing from the front and as soon as I got there, I realised the advantage they had, so we tried to keep it and then to be honest, I really didn't think it was possible to do the sprint. I was completely on the limit, but obviously everyone else was too. That’s short track racing.”

Runner-up Luca Schwarzbauer said: “It was surprisingly nice track. Honestly, during the recon I thought it’s not super nice with the pump track, I thought it's gonna hurt a lot. But in the end it was very nice and controlled, and I had Sam on my side; we are not teammates but at least Canyon teammates and we could help each other a little bit in the end, I also did not attack him 100%. I don't know who was the strongest but in the end, I'm super happy to provide that finish picture for Canyon together with Sam and super happy because I was not 100% sure about my form. I was motivated but I didn't feel the big weight on my shoulders yet. Last year I realised, when the weight is huge, I can perform but it's also a lot of stress, so I'm happy that I could also perform with a little bit less stress but it's only the first race of the season.”

Third placed finisher Martin Vidaurre: “Finishing third here in Brazil is just amazing. A lot of Chilean fans are here, so it's different to be here. It took me a while to be on the podium, like a year. So it's good to trust in the process and good to be back on the podium. I'm just so happy. 

“I'm not in a hurry. I still enjoy my training, I enjoy being a racer, I don’t like to rush it too much so I just trust my work and keep going because I just love the sport.”

WINS FOR BÖHM AND AMOS IN U23 CROSS-COUNTRY SHORT TRACK

The UCI Cross-country Short Track (XCC) U23 World Cup events took place on Friday, with wins for Germany’s Kira Böhm (Cube Factory Racing) and Riley Amos (Trek Factory Racing-Pirelli).

Böhm broke free from the field to power to a decisive solo victory, with Americans Madigan Munro and Sofia Waite battling it out for second position, with Munro victorious in the sprint for the line. 

The men's race was a much tighter affair, but Riley Amos was able to carve out a small gap between himself and the chasers heading for the line. Swiss Dario Lillo and Norwegian Sondre Rokke finished second and third, two seconds behind the American.