Val di Sole MTB World Championships: Boichis and Stigger win XCC titles

The UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Val di Sole, Italy, have seen significant results in the Short Track (XCC) disciplines. In the Elite men’s race, Frenchman Adrien Boichis secured the world title after a tight sprint against British rider Charlie Aldridge. In the Elite women’s race, Austrian Laura Stigger claimed victory following a photo finish against Evie Richards.

In the Under-23 categories, Swiss siblings Monique and Nicolas Halter achieved a historic double, winning both the women’s and men’s Short Track titles. Junior titles were also awarded, with Anja Grossmann winning the women’s XCO and Connor Wright taking the men’s XCO.

Looking ahead to the Cross-Country Olympic (XCO) finals, attention is focused on Mathieu van der Poel. Due to a lack of UCI ranking points from limited mountain bike racing, the Dutch star must start from the fifth row, a disadvantage he noted could reduce his chances of winning the rainbow jersey. Other notable competitors include New Zealand’s downhill riders, who have qualified for their respective finals, and Ecuadorian Rafaela Roldán, who secured fifth in the Junior Women’s Downhill qualifying.