Highlights & Recap: XCO World Cup in Andorra
Attacks, attrition and altitude define the racing
The UCI Mountain Bike World Cup headed to the high-altitude slopes of Andorra for the final round before the summer break, delivering spectacular racing across both elite categories. Here’s how the action unfolded.
Elite Women
Ronja Blöchlinger, renowned for her explosive starts, once again hit the front from the gun. However, Jenny Rissveds was quick to seize control, taking over the pace-setting duties before dropping the Swiss rider to establish herself at the head of the race. Behind her, Martina Berta led the chase alongside Laura Stigger and Sina Frei. As the effects of the pace, altitude and relentless climbing began to take their toll, Blöchlinger was first reeled in and then dropped by the chasing trio. Although Rissveds remained firmly in control throughout, her advantage hovered around 25 seconds for much of the race, keeping the battle for victory within sight of the chasers.
On the final lap, Rissveds had extended her lead to a comfortable 44 seconds. Behind her, Berta launched a decisive attack on the course’s longest climb in an attempt to secure second place, with only Frei able to respond. Frei repeatedly attacked throughout the final lap in a bid to drop Berta, who matched every acceleration. In the closing kilometres, however, Berta found another gear, finally distancing Frei before holding firm to claim second place. Rissveds cruised to a commanding victory, while Frei completed the podium in third. South Africa’s Candice Lill ended the day in P30.
Elite Men
Adrien Boichis controlled the race from start to finish, setting a relentless pace that steadily whittled the lead group down before launching a decisive attack to claim victory. The race opened with a four-man lead group featuring Luca Martin, Luca Schwarzbauer, Adrien Boichis, and Mathis Azzaro, who quickly established a gap over the rest of the field. Martin was the first to lose contact, followed by Schwarzbauer, leaving the two French riders to battle it out at the front.
Further back, 2025 season standout Chris Blevins showed encouraging signs of returning to top form as he worked his way through the field. Alan Hatherly was also making steady progress before a puncture cost him significant time and ended his charge.
The second half of the race developed into a head-to-head contest between Boichis and Azzaro. With one lap remaining, Boichis made his winning move, attacking on a climb to break clear of his compatriot. He maintained his advantage all the way to the finish to secure an impressive victory. Azzaro crossed the line in second, with Schwarzbauer completing the podium in third. Blevins finished fourth, while Avondetto rounded out the top five. Among the South African’s, Hatherly’s puncture proved costly as he eventually finished 30th. Luke Moir crossed the line in 55th, with Michael Foster finishing 62nd.
| IMAGES: UCI, Meta |