Trek riders won four rainbow jerseys and stacked the podiums on Friday
Evie Richards had to play catch-up to Pauline Ferrand-Prévot for most of Friday’s short track World Championship race. But at the last second, she accelerated around the Olympic champion and claimed another world title for herself.
Richards now has two rainbow jerseys to her name after winning the 2021 XCO World Championship in Val di Sole. She’ll be wearing the stripes in short track racing for the rest of this World Cup season and into 2025.
Evie Richards in disbelief after winning a short track World Championship.
Riley Amos atop an all-Trek men's U23 podium alongside Bjorn Riley (2nd) and Tobias Lillelund (3rd) of Trek Future Racing.
She highlighted a day for the ages for Trek. Future Lidl-Trek rider Albert Philipsen kicked things off by winning a second straight Junior Men’s XCO World Championship by nearly two minutes over the silver medalist. In the U23 women’s XCC race, Lidl-Trek’s Isabella Holmgren continued her dominant offroad season with a 22-second win, which she celebrated with her twin sister, Ava, who took third. Finally, in the men’s U23 race, Riley Amos came from behind to secure his first ever World Championship. Right behind him, Trek Future Racing’s Bjorn Riley and Tobias Lillelund took second and third, respectively, for an all-Trek podium.
In total, Trek riders have won five World Championships in Andorra so far, with Madigan Munro helping Team USA come from behind for a Team Relay World Championship on Thursday. She took sixth in the Women’s U23 short track race, while Gwendalyn Gibson took fifth in Elite Women’s short track to round out an excellent day for Trek Factory Racing-Pirelli XC.
Albert Philipsen is joining Lidl-Trek in 2025 as a BACK-TO-BACK Junior XCO World Champion.
Madigan Munro kicked off the week with a World Championship with Team USA in the team relay.
Richards battled back from a concussion earlier this year that kept her out of the World Cup race in Nové Mestǒ. She proved she was nearly back to full strength at the Paris Olympics, where she took fifth. She was primed for a big performance in Andorra, but the result still caught her off guard.
“I really can’t believe it. I wanted to win so badly,” Richards said after her win. “When [Ferrand-Prévot] stayed on my wheel, I thought, ‘Shit, I don’t know if I’m going to be able to come back again.’ But I just waited until the sprint and I didn’t think that bit was long enough, but it obviously was.
“No matter how much you dream of it, when it happens, it is still such a surprise.”
Twin sisters Isabella and Ava Holmgren celebrating a double podium performance for Team Canada together.
A day for the history books.
Trek riders aren’t done yet. On Saturday, the downhill squads — Trek Factory Racing DH, The Union, and Unior-Sinter — will race Men’s and Women’s Elite Downhill finals. Then on Sunday, U23 and Elite XCO racing will take place. For a primer on all the athletes and a schedule of events, click here.
We couldn’t ask for a better start to the biggest race of the mountain biking season. We can’t wait to see what else this crew has in store!
