It is the Italian Chiara Teocchi who sets the tone at the start of the women's race. And here too, two US-Americans, Savillia Blunk and Haley Batten, are right at the front. They are closely followed by Evie Richards, Jenny Rissveds, Anne Tauber, Alessandra Keller and Kate Courtney. Briton Richards, Dutchwoman Tauber and Courtney soon fall back, while Rissveds and, briefly, Keller now strengthen the leading group.

Teocchi and Keller fall back a little, form the chase and are still within striking distance for a long time. In the fourth of five laps, however, they are out of reach, while Jolanda Neff is getting closer and closer to the top 5. Meanwhile at the front, Savillia Blunk loses contact and Haley Batten now fires one attack after another, but without success.

The last lap has begun and Blunk just manages to catch up again before Batten attacks again. Rissveds was able to keep up again and counter-attacked a little later. It worked and the Swede quickly rode into a lead. Batten, on the other hand, has overspeeded and crashes in the following descent. Now Blunk has also passed her, taking second place ahead of her compatriot and her first World Cup podium. Behind her, the Italian Chiara Teocchi surprises with her best career result, just ahead of Jolanda Neff, who snatches fifth place from Alessandra Keller. Sina Frei finishes eleventh, while Steffi Häberlin rides to her best World Cup result to date in twelfth place. The country ranking is impressive from the USA's perspective, with four riders in the top 10: Blunk, Battten, Urban and Courtney.

Rissveds takes her third World Cup victory and is not just pleased with herself: "I had a really good feeling, but was probably a little impatient when I launched my attack two laps before the end. I lost my patience when Haley attacked again and again, but I was then able to counterattack. I'm really happy about the win, but I'm even more proud of my teammate Kelsey Urban, who rode into the top 10 for the first time!"

Results

Colombo vs. Team Specialized

After the start of the men's race, the Swiss are not represented at the front for the time being. Nino Schurter, who is still suffering from eye inflammation, is initially still in the top 10. The pace is dictated by the young Frenchman Adrien Boichis, with whom the first leading group soon forms. However, on the fast and undemanding course in Mairipora, a breakaway formed again.

The group regrouped and Filippo Colombo joined them. While his compatriots lost more and more ground, the Swiss rider became one of the leading riders alongside Victor Koretzky (FRA), Martin Vidaurre (CHI) and Joshua Dubau (FRA). As the race progresses, the leading group grows to around nine riders as it enters the final lap - without any significant attacks so far, but still with the same protagonists. 

This includes the American Christopher Blevins, who has so far made no attempt to challenge for victory. But now Koretzky and Colombo do, attacking one after the other. The two are then countered by Blevins of all people, who immediately puts a gap between himself and Colombo. It was the decisive gap that brought the American his second World Cup victory. "That feels pretty surreal. I came out of the starting lap in about 30th position, but then rode my rhythm. Once I got to the front, I waited a long time until the right moment came to play my Map. We would never have dared to dream that practically the entire Specialized team would be on the podium in the end," enthused Blevins.

In second place, Koretzky had the faster legs than Colombo, who took his second podium place, ahead of Jordan Sarrou and Martin Vidaurre. "I worked super hard this winter, I'm very happy to be back. Of course it's a shame that it wasn't enough for the win, but I tried everything for it and that's why I'm very happy with third place," said Filippo Colombo.

The best German is Luca Schwarzbauer in eleventh place, Lars Forster in 18th, ahead of Max Foidl from Austria. ahead of Max Foidl from Austria, Mathias Flückiger is 21st, behind the best and frenetically celebrated Brazilian Ulan Bastos Galinski.

Results

U23: Böhm doubles up, Treudler in third place

The short track winner Kira Böhm, together with Switzerland's Ginia Caluori, already pulled away from her opponents in the starting lap. Only Emily Johnston was able to catch up again shortly before the end of the short loop. She is followed by Italy's Valentina Corvi and Madigan Munro from the USA. 

The leading trio extend their lead until the halfway point of the race. At the start of the penultimate lap, Kira Böhm increased the pace, which Johnston was soon unable to maintain. The German and the Swiss rider tackle the last lap together. However, Böhm's pace on the climbs is a little too high, so that Caluori only slowly falls back. 

Initially still within sight, Böhm now pushes through on the last climb and increases the gap to her pursuer. She manages her cushion and, after her short track victory, also doubles her lead in the cross-country. However, Ginia Caluori doesn't let up and rides into second place a little later, with a comfortable gap to Canada's Johnston in third place.

Results

Riley and Riley dominate the U23

In the U23 men's race, Finn Treudler gets off to a strong start. The Swiss rider is leading a strong group, including his compatriot Dario Lillo and the two fast Americans Riley Amos and Bjorn Riley. He finished second in the short track on Friday, but was unable to maintain his position this time and dropped back. Giant rider finishes 25th.

Treudler also has to let Amos and Riley go and finds himself outside the top three for a while. Instead, Frenchman Luca Martin joins the leaders, but already loses his effort on lap three, while Riley Amos tries to escape to the front. Cube rider Treudler catches up with Martin and Riley again, after which the Frenchman drops back and the American pulls away. On the last two laps the classification is decided, Riley Amos also wins the cross-country race after the short track, Bjorn Riley - like Amos also on Trek - is second, Treudler is happy about third place. The German Lennart-Jan Krayer finished eighth, the second Swiss Luke Wiedmann was 13th.

Results