In the women’s race, Laura Stigger (Specialized Factory Racing) put on a masterclass on the descents and secured the victory in the Elite category. The Austrian built up an unassailable lead and celebrated her third Cross-Country World Cup victory. Jenny Rissveds (Canyon XC Racing) edged out Sina Frei (Specialized Factory Racing) in the sprint for second place.

Since 2011, Nové Město na Moravě has been a fixture on the Whoop UCI Mountain Bike World Series calendar and once again lived up to its reputation. The technically demanding course, featuring steep climbs and challenging descents, produced spectacular races for both women and men.

Pidcock prevails over Martin

Tom Pidcock won the Elite Cross-Country World Cup in Nové Město na Moravě with an 18-second lead after a relentless duel with Luca Martin.

The multisport athlete had already hinted at his strong form the day before with a second-place finish in the Short Track World Cup. There, he was narrowly beaten in the sprint by Mathis Azzaro (Origine Racing Division).

In the field of 102 riders, the action started right from the get-go. Dario Lillo (Giant Factory Off-Road Team XC) led into the first technical section, while Azzaro pushed the pace early on. Mechanical issues quickly threw the race into disarray, particularly for Simone Avondetto (Wilier-Vittoria Factory Team), whose chances were dashed early on.

Without teammates, Pidcock had to fend off numerous attacks. Martin attacked as early as the second lap, and Azzaro followed suit, but Pidcock countered decisively and launched his own attack shortly thereafter. By the end of the second lap, he had already built a nine-second lead.

Behind him, the race was increasingly falling apart. Charlie Aldridge fell back due to mechanical issues, while Azzaro lost touch after his early offensive.

Martin remained the most tenacious pursuer. Later, Adrien Boichis (Specialized Factory Racing) also joined the battle for the podium, but Pidcock controlled the race at the front.

At the halfway point, the Briton further extended his lead. Behind him, riders like Filippo Colombo (Scott-Sram MTB Racing Team) and Martin Vidaurre (Specialized Factory Racing) battled for the remaining podium spots.

Joshua Dubau (Decathlon Ford Racing Team) was also set back by technical issues.

Martin didn’t give up, however, and closed the gap to five seconds in the final laps. But each time, Pidcock was able to counter and used his strength on the climbs to regain control. Meanwhile, Colombo broke away from the chasing group and secured third place.

On the final lap, Pidcock confidently defended his 18-second lead and celebrated his fifth cross-country victory in as many starts in Nové Město on the final descent.

“That was probably my hardest win here,” said Pidcock after the race. “I didn’t make it easy on myself. Luca put me under pressure the whole time. I had to dig deep and react several times. I was a bit cautious on the descents, but I was able to make the difference on the climbs.”

Martin finished second, 18 seconds behind, with Colombo rounding out the podium. Despite finishing seventh, Dario Lillo took the overall lead after two World Cup rounds ahead of Martin and Colombo.

Elite Men Results

Stigger rides to a solo victory

Laura Stigger (Specialized Factory Racing) delivered an outstanding technical performance in the women’s elite race and, after a strong solo ride, confidently won the Cross-Country World Cup in Nové Město na Moravě.

After her victory in the Short Track World Cup the day before, Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck) was aiming for a perfect weekend. But it quickly became clear that the race would be anything but easy. World Champion Jenny Rissveds (Canyon XC Racing) set a fast pace right from the start.

Sina Frei (Specialized Factory Racing), winner of the first round in Mona YongPyong (South Korea), also kept the pressure high, while Ronja Blöchlinger (LIV Factory Racing) used her technical skills to open gaps on the descents.

The technical sections kept causing changes at the front. Blöchlinger and Nicole Koller (Lapierre PXR Racing) created movement with bold maneuvers, but were always caught again on the climbs. This led to a leading group forming with Pieterse, Frei, Rissveds, and Stigger.

Mistakes were increasingly punished. Pieterse lost contact after a slip on the worn-out climb, whereupon Rissveds further increased the pace. At that very moment, Stigger launched her decisive attack on a technical descent at the end of the third lap.

After that, the Austrian steadily extended her lead, while the chasers fell further and further apart. Alessandra Keller (Thömus maxon) and Evie Richards (Trek – Unbroken XC) managed to close the gap again at one point, but fatigue and mistakes prevented a united chase. Richards, in particular, lost valuable time after a crash that dropped her to second place.

In the battle for the podium, Frei attacked on the final climb, but Rissveds countered and prevailed in the sprint for second place.

At the front, Stigger was already celebrating. With a 47-second lead, she secured her third Elite XCO World Cup victory and her first on European soil.

“I can hardly find the words,” said an emotional Stigger. “I just rode at my own pace. The crowd was incredible. The support during the technical sections was fantastic. This victory means a lot to me.”

After two World Cup rounds, Frei leads the overall standings. Thanks to a dominant weekend, Specialized Factory Racing also extended its lead in the team standings.

Elite Women’s Results

Baudry and Embacher Win U23 Races

In the men’s U23 race, Thibaut François Baudry (Canyon XC Racing) prevailed after a tactical duel with Alix Andre-Gallis (Decathlon Ford Racing Team). The Frenchman ultimately won by a margin of 24 seconds. Naël Rouffiac (Origine Racing Division) finished third.

U23 Men Results

In the U23 women’s race, Katrin Embacher (KTM Factory MTB Team) made a breakthrough and dominated the race to claim her first World Cup victory. The Austrian won with a 1:24-minute lead over Anina Hutter. Overall leader Valentina Corvi (Canyon XC Racing) rounded out the podium in third place.

U23 Women Results