For two decades, the Bellwald Bike Park in the canton of Valais has been one of the oldest in Switzerland, delighting all those looking for action on two wheels. With modern and carefully maintained trails and a constantly expanding range of offers, it has become a permanent fixture on the European mountain bike scene. National and international events ensure that Bellwald, a village with just 300 inhabitants, attracts guests from all over the world every year.

Gilloux world champion for the fourth time, Spielmann takes gold for Austria

For these world championships, Bellwald offered the athletes a challenging and technically demanding course, which included many of the bike park's trails. Steep climbs and rapid descents put riding skills to the test, while battery management became a decisive factor for victory.

The women's race comprised five laps with a total length of 13 km and 900 m difference in altitude. The 27-year-old Austrian Anna Spielmann won in 44 minutes and 8 seconds ahead of the 36-year-old Swiss Kathrin Stirnemann, who is both a successful E-MTB athlete and national women's coach in Olympic cross-country. The 30-year-old German Sofia Lena Wiedenroth completed the podium.

In the men's race, the audience was kept on the edge of their seats until the last pedal stroke, with a fierce battle between the top three. In the end, 31-year-old Frenchman Jérôme Gilloux was the fastest, completing the six laps (15.6 km/1080 m difference in altitude) in 48 minutes and 28 seconds. He thus won his fourth world championship title in the E-MTB Cross-Country discipline. The 28-year-old Joris Ryf won the second silver medal for Switzerland. The bronze medal went to 29-year-old Frenchman Hugo Pigeon.

Results

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