The penultimate MTB World Cup race of the season set up a thrilling finale next weekend
World Cup cross country racing finally returned after 12 weeks between races (with the minor details of the Olympics and World Championships in between). In the penultimate race of the year, the Trek Factory Racing-Pirelli XC women shined, taking home Best Women’s Team honors with a strong top-to-bottom effort.
Evie Richards’ podium performance in short track racing led the way. Wearing the rainbow jersey as XCC World Champion for the first time, she took third at just one second behind Jenny Rissveds, and four seconds back of winner Sina Frei. Behind Richards, Gwendalyn Gibson took 14th, and Jolanda Neff took 19th.
Evie Richards, Gwendalyn Gibson and Jolanda Neff atop the Best Women's Team podium.
Isabella Holmgren continues to have a masterful season on a mountain bike.
In Olympic-distance racing, Gibson paced the way, taking 12th, while Neff took 14th and Richards finished 25th. Gibson was particularly stoked on the result after battling for consistent XCO results all year. The strong results was even more rewarding on home soil in the U.S.
“Today my goal was to just have fun and enjoy racing my bike,” Gibson wrote after the race. “I’m happy because I really felt like I could do that again and with a home crowd. Thank you to everyone out there cheering, the energy was so amazing.”
Evie Richards rocking the rainbow stripes on her way to a podium short track finish.
Riley Amos busted out a custom helmet honoring the youth mountain biking organization NICA for Lake Placid.
In U23 racing, Isabella Holmgren extended her incredible season on a mountain bike. The Lidl-Trek rider took second in short track racing and first in XCO, both as the reigning World Champion. In eight World Cup starts this season, she has won all but two, and has yet to finish below the second step of the podium.
Like Gibson, Riley Amos and Madigan Munro also got the opportunity to impress in their homeland. Unfortunately for Amos, an uncharacteristic crash during the short track race marred what could have been a stronger result, but he still managed to finish fifth while wearing the rainbow jersey as the men’s U23 XCC World Champion. Munro took seventh in XCC, then both she and Amos finished fourth in Sunday’s XCO races.
Madigan Munro is battling for a Top 3 overall finish in the women's U23 XCC and XCO competitions.
Anton Cooper will look to close a difficult season on a high note in Mont-Sainte-Anne.
“You either win or you learn!” Amos wrote after the race. “Extremely happy to be strong and healthy for this last block. Let’s try and improve this next week for the last World Cup in Canada. P4 is still a great day made even better by so many awesome people who came out to watch the first edition of Lake Placid, and the whole team who crushed it this week.”
Next up: The season finale in Mont-Sainte-Anne. The Canadian course ranks consistently among the riders’ favorites, despite the fact that it’s also one of the most difficult tracks of the year. There’s no quibbling with the setting: A backdrop of golden leaves just outside Québec City.
Lake Placid was a smash hit. Just ask Jolanda.
Riley is ready to close a dream season on a high.
The XC squad can wrap up some major season-long accomplishments with strong efforts. Amos is in the driver’s seat to win both the men’s U23 XCO and XCC overall titles. Meanwhile, Munro is currently third in the women’s U23 XCO and XCC standings, while Richards needs to make up just six points to pass Rebecca Henderson onto the women’s Elite XCC overall podium.
You won’t want to miss the fireworks-worthy finale weekend, which will also feature a TFR Downhill squad that seems to be peaking at the end of the season. These riders are going full gas through the finish line.
