In the short track the day before, Samara Maxwell (Decathlon Ford Racing Team) rode to second place and was overjoyed. The New Zealander went one better in the Cross-Country World Cup on Sunday - and even won. At the end of the first lap, she caught up with Jenny Rissveds and Jolanda Neff (Cannondale Factory Racing) and stayed in the front positions from then on. Neff drops back, but Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon) and Nicole Koller (Ghost Factory Racing) gradually close the gap to the chasing group of four around Rissveds. By the halfway point of the race, the two Swiss riders were even among the leaders.

On the seventh of eight laps, Samara Maxwell went into action herself for the first time and increased the pace. The 23-year-old soon has a lead of over ten seconds on her pursuers - Jenny Rissveds (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) is no longer one of them. The Swede, who seemed to be dominating the race, suddenly falls back. Maxwell extends her lead further, loses a little in the last few meters, but is able to secure her first Elite World Cup victory with aplomb.

Behind them, Nicole Koller and Savilia Blunk (USA, Decathlon Ford Racing Team) replace Alessandra Keller as the first chasers. It came down to a sprint between Koller and Blunk, in which Koller was a hair's breadth faster. With second place, the soon-to-be 28-year-old Swiss rider fulfills her dream of a World Cup podium for the first time and says: "I wasn't convinced beforehand that I could ride well, as I crashed quite hard on Thursday. But then in the short track I felt that I could. Today I struggled a bit at the start, but then got back into the flow and somehow managed to sprint to second place. Pretty awesome!" 

Alessandra Keller takes fourth place and is just as happy about her successful start to the season. Jenny Rissveds battled her way to the finish in eighth place, just behind Sina Frei (Specialized Factory Racing). The Germans Nina Graf (Lapierre Racing Unity), Ronja Eibl (Origine Racing Division) and Lia Schrievers (KMC Ridley) rode strongly and finished 12th, 14th and 17th respectively. The Austrians Mona Mitterwallner and Laura Stigger finished 16th and 18th, while Ronja Blöchlinger (SUI, LIV Factory Racing) was 20th.

Results

Specialized celebrates total World Cup triumph

Victor Koretzky (Specialized Factory Racing) rides to a commanding victory in the men's World Cup race after pulling away from his team-mate Christopher Blevins at the start of the race. The latter took second place, and Martin Vidaurre-Kossmann ensured the total Specialized triumph with third place. Lars Forster (Thömus Maxon), Nino Schurter and Filippo Colombo (both Scott Sram) narrowly missed out on the podium in fourth to sixth place.

Victor Koretzky and Christopher Blevins said goodbye to their rivals on the first lap and extended their lead from then on. A large chasing group formed behind them, from which Nino Schurter dropped out due to a puncture and had to fight his way back into the race from 30th position. The chasing group also includes Filippo Colombo, Mathias Flückiger (Thömus Maxon), the Germans Luca Schwarzbauer (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) and Maximilian Brandl (Lapierre Racing Unity), the Frenchmen Jordan Sarrou (BMC) and Adrien Boichis as well as the Chilean Martin Vidaurre-Kossmann, who, like Boichis, is a teammate of Koretzky and Blevins.

The two leaders ride up to 55 seconds ahead on this fast course, but then their paths separate: Koretzky attacks and quickly puts a few seconds between himself and Blevins. With over a lap to go, the Frenchman and the American each have to ride alone, while the pace and the battles for position intensify among the pursuers. Vidaurre-Kossmann tries his luck on the final lap, but Schurter and Co. don't let him go that easily. However, the Chilean doesn't give in and completes the podium behind Koretzky and Blevins - a pure Specialized podium. It is the first time in the history of the Mountain Bike World Cup that a team has taken the entire podium - probably also favoured by the new regulation that only three instead of the previous five riders are allowed on the podium.

"Chris was super strong at the start and set a high pace. We then took it in turns to pull away to gain some distance," said Koretzky and rode on: "When I then rode away alone, I noticed a slight loss of air on the rear wheel - too little to change the bike. I had to ride a little more carefully downhill, but it worked out. It's unbelievable that we took the entire podium with Specialized."

In the sprint for third place, Lars Forster, Nino Schurter and Filippo Colombo came away empty-handed, but the three Swiss riders put in great performances with fourth to sixth places. The German Luca Schwarzbauer loses out in the final, but finishes in a good ninth place - just ahead of the three local heroes Gustavo Xavier de Oliveira Pereira, Alex Junior Malacarne and Ulan Bastos Galinski, who are cheered like winners by the Brazilian fans.

Mathias Flückiger rides to 13th place, ahead of his Swiss compatriot Dario Lillo (Giant Factory Team), who celebrates a successful elite debut. The other Germans David List (Decathlon Ford Racing Team) and Maxilmilian Brandl finished 15th and 18th respectively. Swiss rider Fabio Püntener (Bike Team Solothurn) also achieved a top 20 result.

Results

Treudler and Holmgren dominate U23 race

Canadian Isabella Holmgren (Trek Lidl) doubled up in the U23 women's race. She already took victory in the short track on Saturday. Holmgren won ahead of compatriot Ella MacPhee (Wilier Vittoria) and the Italian Valentina Corvi (Canyon). Finja Lipp (Ghost) from Germany took tenth place, with Elina Benoit (Lexware MTB Team) the best Swiss rider in 14th place.

Results

In the U23 men's race, Finn Treudler (Cube Factory Team) took an early solo lead. In the meantime, the Swiss rider extended his lead over his four pursuers to around 45 seconds and ultimately won with a cushion of 29 seconds. The Dane Gustav Heby (Wilier Vittoria Factory Team) finished second, ahead of his compatriot and Treudler's team colleague Nikolaj Hougs.

Results

Richards and Blevins take the short track victories

Evie Richards shows clever race planning in the women's race. She stays in the slipstream of the favorites for a long time, while Jolanda Neff, Loana Lecomte, Jenny Rissveds, Nicole Koller and Alessandra Keller set the pace. Only on the last climb does the British rider strike: With a powerful attack, she leaves Koller and Keller behind and quickly catches up with Samara Maxwell - the only rider who can keep up with her attack. On the home straight, Richards confidently asserts herself and celebrates her first win of the season.

"I'm super happy, this race wasn't really my focus at all," says Richards. The success is also particularly emotional for her because she suffered a concussion in Araxá last year: "I'm just trying to be a bit smarter tactically. I wouldn't have been able to attack if I didn't have the legs, so I just relied on my gut feeling."

Alessandra Keller rode to third place behind New Zealander Maxwell. Keller was overwhelmed: "It's crazy. I felt really good today. The podium place is a reward for all the hard work and a thank you to everyone who has played a part in me being on the podium today since my operation. It's great to be on the podium after such a winter." Her compatriots Nicole Koller and Sina Frei are right behind her. Although Koller had a bad start, fell off the pedals and was hampered by two crashes, she then caught up and rode to her best World Cup result.

For Kira Böhms, it was her first World Cup in the elite. With ninth place, the German immediately mixes it with the world's best riders.

Results

Blevins takes advantage of his team-mate's mistakes

The men's race is balanced for a long time. More than 30 riders are still in the leading group before the penultimate lap. Again and again, favorites such as Simon Andreassen, Charlie Aldridge and Mathias Flückiger try to open up the race, but no one can break away decisively.

Only a small mistake by Victor Koretzky on the climb gets things moving. Christopher Blevins reacts immediately, picks up the pace and tears a gap together with Mathis Azzaro and Andreassen. Koretzky fights his way back once again, but on the last lap Blevins fires up the turbo again, pulls away and takes the win with a powerful finish. It is the American's first short track World Cup victory since 2022.

"Victor is a champion, I love having him as a teammate," said Blevins after the race. "It's one of the best feelings in the world when you're battling on the last lap with a teammate who you've been through it all with."

Despite missing out on victory, Koretzky was fair: "I made a mistake on the climb with two laps to go - that's when Chris attacked and I lost a few seconds and places. On the last lap I made up the deficit, but I no longer had the full power. I didn't want to take any risks in the final corners - in the end it's a win for the team, and that's the most important thing."

Thomas Litscher also achieved a top result. The Swiss rider starts the race in 40th place and finishes fourth. Nino Schurter finished eighth, Lars Forster and Dario Lillo tenth and eleventh, with Maximilian Brandl the best German in twelfth place.

Results

Rokke and Holmgren win the U23 races

In the U23 categories, Sondre Rokke in the men's and Isabella Holmgren in the women's celebrated their perfect starts to the season. They confidently secured the victories on the characteristic red clay of Araxá - giving hope for a strong season. Rokke wins ahead of Brayden Johnson (USA) and Gustav Heby (DEN). Finn Treudler (SUI) and Paul Schehl (GER) also sprinted to the front, finishing fourth and fifth respectively.

Results

Holmgren won by four seconds ahead of Austria's Katharina Sadnik and Great Britain's Ella MacLean-Howell. The best German is Carla Hahn in eighth place.

Results