Tom Pidcock wins XCO World Championship title in Val di Sole

The 2026 Mountain Bike World Championships in Val di Sole, Italy, concluded with significant victories across multiple disciplines. In the Men’s Elite XCO (cross-country olympic) race, British rider Tom Pidcock secured his second world title. Despite a difficult start from the fifth row of the grid, Pidcock executed a major comeback, eventually distancing rivals Charlie Aldridge and Cole Punchard to claim the rainbow jersey. Pidcock noted that while Mathieu van der Poel remains stronger on the road, he proved himself superior in the mountain bike discipline.

In the women’s XCO event, Sina Frei dominated the race from the start to claim the world title.

In the downhill (DH) discipline, Vali Höll successfully defended her title, securing her fifth consecutive world championship after a precise run. On the men’s side, Jackson Goldstone also retained his rainbow jersey, winning a highly competitive final.

Other notable results included Jérôme Gilloux winning the e-MTB world title, marking his fifth championship in six years, and Adrien Boichis winning the short-track event.