The Cross-Country World Cup in Lenzerheide presented the riders with a new challenge following the wet race in Saalfelden-Leogang. In Switzerland, they faced heat, dry conditions, and a demanding course. After two consecutive race weekends, it wasn’t just form and technique that mattered, but also recovery and mental strength.

Rissveds and Lenzerheide – a Perfect Match

In the Elite Women’s race, Jenny Rissveds once again delivered a commanding performance. Ronja Blöchlinger started aggressively in front of her home crowd and held a nine-second lead after the opening lap. Rissveds remained calm, broke away from the chasing pack, and overtook Blöchlinger as early as the first full lap. She then steadily extended her lead.

Alessandra Keller got off to a difficult start after her strong performances earlier. The Swiss rider crashed on the first descent and lost contact with the leaders early on. Savilia Blunk, who had previously won the short track race, was also fighting for a podium spot but suffered a tire puncture on the second lap, losing about 40 seconds while changing her wheel. Blöchlinger held onto second place with consistent lap times. Blunk made a strong comeback but could only manage third place. Rissveds won with a lead of more than a minute. This is her fifth overall victory in Lenzerheide, including her U23 win in 2015. The Swedish rider continues to lead the overall standings by a wide margin after four rounds.

Elite Women’s Results

Martin Benefits from Boichi’s Crash

In the Elite Men’s race, a battle among the favorites developed early on. Adrien Boichis lined up at the start with a lot of confidence following his recent victories and set the pace at the front. After just two laps, the leading group had shrunk to six riders. Later, Boichis, Luca Martin, Martin Vidaurre Kossman, and Bjorn Riley remained at the front. Boichis’s high climbing pace put pressure on his competitors. Vidaurre Kossman and Riley lost contact, while Riley defended third place with a steady pace.

On the final lap, Boichis launched a fierce attack on the paved climb and initially pulled away from Martin. But on the slippery gravel, the Specialized Factory Racing rider crashed. Martin seized the opportunity immediately, rode past him, and secured the second XCO World Cup victory of his career. After several second-place finishes this season, he finally claimed victory in Lenzerheide. Boichis finished second, 25 seconds behind, and Riley rounded out the podium.

Elite Men’s Results

Corvi Takes Her Third Win

In the women’s U23 category, Valentina Corvi reaffirmed her dominance. The Italian led from start to finish and won her third XCO World Cup race of the season. On one of her favorite courses, she rode in a controlled, smooth manner without any major mistakes. Lisa Kristine Jorde was the only rider who could keep up somewhat at the start, but she lost about a dozen seconds lap after lap. Corvi eased off the pace on the final lap and still won by a margin of 53 seconds. Jorde achieved her best-ever XCO result at the World Cup level, while Makena Kellerman finished third. Corvi extended her lead in the overall standings to 208 points.

U23 Women’s Results

Schehl Remains Undefeated

In the U23 men’s category, Paul Schehl continued his winning streak. Following his victories in the short track and XCO events at Saalfelden Leogang, he also won both races in Lenzerheide. In the XCO, he took control early on and set a pace in the first three laps that no one could match. Rens Teunissen Van Manen led the chasing pack for a long time and fought for his first podium finish of the season. Thibaut François Baudry remained patient at first, picked up the pace in the final stretch, and pulled past Teunissen Van Manen to take second place. Schehl won solo and took the overall lead with an eight-point advantage over François Baudry.

U23 Men’s Results