Swiss mountain bikers dominated the cross-country races at the European Championships in Monteceneri. In the elite division, Sina Frei secured the title in the Olympic distance race following her victory in the short track event. Alessandra Keller won silver, and Fabio Püntener added another Swiss medal with a bronze in the men’s race. In the junior categories, the titles went to Anina Hutter, Anja Grossmann, Alix Andre Gallis, and Mathieu Ghibaudo.

Swiss Women Seize Their Chance

In the women’s elite race, Jenny Rissveds initially pulled ahead. The Swede was about twenty seconds ahead of her pursuers before she was set back by a flat tire. Frei took the lead and then controlled the race with ease. After seven laps, she won in 1:26:17 hours, securing her second individual gold medal of the championships following her victory in the short track event.

Alessandra Keller crossed the finish line 1:26 minutes behind and completed the Swiss one-two finish. Rissveds fought her way back to third place after her mechanical issue. Nicole Koller finished fourth, Ronja Blöchlinger sixth, and Ginia Caluori seventh. This meant that five Swiss skaters finished among the top seven. Luisa Daubermann was the top German, finishing ninth.

Elite Women’s Results

Püntener Surprises with Bronze

The race among the elite men also remained undecided for a long time. Fabio Püntener was in the lead after six of eight laps, while Mathias Flückiger was also in a promising position. In the seventh lap, Flückiger fell back due to a rear wheel malfunction. Püntener was also unable to hold the lead and was overtaken by Charlie Aldridge and Juri Zanotti.

Aldridge pulled decisively ahead in the final stretch and, following his short-track victory, also won the cross-country race. The British rider crossed the finish line after eight laps in 1:25:27 hours. Zanotti followed twelve seconds later, while Püntener secured the bronze medal—and his first medal at a major event—thirty seconds behind. Flückiger fought his way back to fourth place after his mechanical issue.

Filippo Fontana finished fifth ahead of Simon Andreassen. Maximilian Foidl was the top Austrian, placing ninth. Vital Albin and Luca Schätti followed in eleventh and twelfth places, while Dario Lillo finished fourteenth. The top German finisher was Leon Reinhard Kaiser in 17th place. Filippo Colombo from Ticino lost a lot of time and could not finish higher than 26th.

Elite Men’s Results

Triple Victory in the U23

There was a complete Swiss sweep of the medals in the women’s under-23 category. Anina Hutter took the lead almost immediately after the start and never relinquished it until the finish. After six laps, she won with a 1:04-minute lead over Fiona Schibler. Elina Benoit took bronze another sixteen seconds later.

The favorite, Italian Valentina Corvi, suffered a mechanical issue early on. Despite her comeback, she had to settle for fourth place behind the Swiss trio. Monique Halter finished fifth, meaning four Swiss riders were ranked among the top five. Katrin Embacher was the top Austrian in eighth place, while Carla Hahn finished eleventh for Germany.

U23 Women’s Results

The French Come Out on Top

In the men’s under-23 category, France celebrated a one-two finish. Alix Andre Gallis won in 1:15:59, finishing twenty seconds ahead of his compatriot Naël Rouffiac, who took second place. Norway’s Sivert Ekroll won bronze. Paul Schehl, finishing fourth, missed a German medal by just twelve seconds. Nicolas Halter was the top Swiss finisher in sixth place, while Maks Alfred Barret Maunz took eleventh place for Austria.

U23 Men’s Results

Ghibaudo Pulls Away from the Pack

The junior race was also dominated by a French rider. Mathieu Ghibaudo broke away from his competitors as early as the second lap and steadily extended his lead. After six laps, he won with a 1:15-minute lead over Austria’s Michael Hettegger. Germany’s Elias Hückmann followed another ten seconds later in third place. Marwan Barhoumi was the top Swiss rider, finishing eleventh.

U19 Men’s Results

Grossmann Tops Swiss Junior Field

In the junior women’s race, Anja Grossmann celebrated a commanding home victory. The 17-year-old from Lucerne broke away early and clearly outpaced the entire field. After five laps, she was 3:12 minutes ahead of France’s Lise Revol. Barbora Bukovská of the Czech Republic won bronze, 4:23 minutes behind. Adina Daubner was the top German finisher in ninth place, while Lou-Anne Halter, the second-best Swiss competitor, finished 13th. 

U19 Women’s Results