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A fairytale end to the weekend for Loana Lecomte In the Elite women’s race it was European Champion Loana Lecomte (CANYON CLLCTV) who showed she had the most skill and power to beat Dutch National Champion Anne Terpstra (GHOST FACTORY RACING) into second place by an incredible 18 seconds. Swiss National Champion Alessandra Keller (THÖMUS MAXON) would leave Lenzerheide with the bronze medal. Loana Lecomte had this to say about her Swiss victory: To be honest, I don't know how I did it today. The last few weeks I have had a lot of questions, and it was hard for me. After the short track I had a lot of bad feelings, but Jolanda Neff helped me with this a lot. Today, I just wanted to have fun on my bike, and I won the race, I can't believe it. The biggest goal of the year for me is World Championships so my training is geared towards that. We'll continue to work on this. Hopefully in the next few weeks I will be in the same shape or better. Second place Anne Terpstra, said: The whole race went so quick. When you're racing in a group it's so different to when you're riding alone, there's so much going on. I definitely had fun and I prefer races like this when it's hectic. I really enjoyed it. I didn't really try to find anything extra on the last lap. I tried to recover where I could and stay as close as possible to the rider in front of me. I didn't expect to overtake Pauline on that climb, but I think she was having a hard time. It was a long way to the finish from that point and I was struggling for sure. Third place Alessandra Keller said: The crowd was there for sure and until the last corner I was in fourth. I tried to give it everything I had and managed to get past Pauline eventually. To finish third after a sprint finish is great. Thanks to everyone that was cheering. It was great. Results XCO Women Top 5: 1.    Loana Lecomte (FRA | CANYON CLLCTV) 1:24:41 2.    Anne Tauber (NED | GHOST FACTORY RACING) 1:24:59 3.    Alessandra Keller (SUI | THÖMUS MAXON) 1:25:13 4.    Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (FRA | INEOS GRENADIERS) 1:25:20 5.    Puck Pieterse (NED | ALPECIN-DECEUNINCK) 1:25:35 Overall World Cup Standings: 1.    Puck Pieterse (NED | ALPECIN-DECEUNINCK) 466 Points 2.    Loana Lecomte (FRA | CANYON CLLCTV) 457 Points 3.    Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (FRA | INEOS GRENADIERS) 440 Points 4.    Alessandra Keller (SUI | THÖMUS MAXON) 430 Points 5.    Anne Terpstra (NED | (GHOST FACTORY RACING) 394 Points Nino Schurter heads to Leogang as a record breaker   Reigning World Champion Nino Schurter (SCOTT-SRAM MTB RACING TEAM) would attack early, extending his lead throughout and in the process taking his record-breaking 34th World Cup win on home soil and cementing his place in the sport’s history books. He would take the overall leader’s jersey in the process.  South Africa’s Alan Hatherly (CANNONDALE FACTORY RACING) would be the fastest of the chasing pack in a finish line sprint, 15 seconds behind Schurter in second with France’s Jordan Sarrou (TEAM BMC) in third. Schurter said this about his record-breaking win: There's definitely no better place to do this than here. It's taken me a long time to get to 34 wins. I was really looking forward to this race, to race one last time in Lenzerheide. It was already emotional knowing that we might not race here again. I wanted to give it all and hopefully get the win here. The crowd was insane. They definitely pushed me on today. Feeling the people, the energy, definitely gave me so much. I really enjoy these moments. I need to say a big thank you to everyone who came out to cheer for me, to all the fans, to Lenzerheide. It's insane. Second place Alan Hatherly spoke after the race, saying: I have done this race many times and I won World Championships here as a U23 so I know how to race this course well.  I could see the pace was high from the start, but I knew it would slow eventually. I just paced myself and tried to keep the front of the race in sight. I just clawed my way back to the front. I was suffering with cramps towards the end but still had legs for the sprint to take second. I'm feeling good about Leogang off the back of today. It was a tough week for me. I had a fall earlier in the week that left my knee super swollen, then had a stupid fall in the short track that damaged some ribs. To turn that around is unbelievable.  Jordan Sarrou said: It was a tough race, World Cups are always full gas all the way. It was a really hectic sprint. On the last few laps, I was struggling a bit, but I could sprint for third so I'm happy. Fourth in Nove Mesto, second on Friday and third today. Hopefully I can go better in Austria.  Podium XCO Men Top 5: 1.    Nino Schurter (SUI | SCOTT SRAM MTB RACING TEAM) 1:24:04 2.    Alan Hatherly (RSA | CANNONDALE FACTORY RACING) 1:24:19 3.    Jordan Sarrou (FRA | TEAM BMC) 1:24:20 4.    Thomas Griot (FRA | CANYON CLLCTV) 1:24:20 5.    David Valero Serrano (ESP | BH COLOMA TEAM) 1:24:24 Overall World Cup Standings: 1.    Nino Schurter (SUI | SCOTT SRAM MTB RACING TEAM) 475 Points 2.    Jordan Sarrou (FRA | TEAM BMC) 410 Points 3.    Thomas Griot (FRA | CANYON CLLCTV) 336 Points 4.    Thomas Pidcock (GBR | INEOS GRENADIERS) 330 Points 5.    Alan Hatherly (RSA | CANNONDALE FACTORY RACING) 328 Points Heby Sofie Pedersen and Dario Lillo take home the U23 Cross-country wins In the U23 women’s race, Denmark’s Heby Sofie Pedersen (WILIER – PIRELLI FACTORY TEAM XCO) had the speed when it mattered to lead from start to finish, beating Switzerland’s Ronja Blöchlinger (LIV FACTORY RACING) to second place by an incredible 11 seconds. The final step on the podium would go to Italy’s Sara Cortinovis (SANTA CRUZ ROCKSHOX PRO TEAM). Swiss National Champion Dario Lillo (SCOTT DAVOS MTB PROJECT) made good his final lap attack in the U23 men’s race to win at home, getting the better of Canadian Carter Woods (GIANT FACTORY RACING - XC) in second and France’s Adrien Boichis (TRINITY RACING MTB) in third.   Speaking about her victory after the race, Heby Sofie Pedersen said: It's super important for me to ride alone on this course so I can ride the descents at my own pace and ride the lines I want to ride. I know I'm strong, so this gives me a lot of confidence going into Leogang.  Dario Lillo said: It's unbelievable. I had goosebumps before the race, to race in front of a home crowd is so special, especially in the Swiss champs jersey. My expectations were high after the short track, but I just tried to enjoy the race. I felt good from the beginning but the leading group was big so I knew it would be an all-out sprint. It was hard to see where the riders were behind me, the crowd was so big, they really pushed me to the finish. It's unbelievable to do the double here at my home World Cup. Results U23 XCO Women Top 5: Heby Sofie Petersen (DEN | WILIER – PIRELLI FACTORY TEAM XCO) 1:12:42 Ronja Blöchlinger (SUI | LIV FACTORY RACING) 1:12:53 Sara Cortinovis (ITA | SANTA CRUZ ROCKSHOX PRO TEAM) 1:13:31 Ginia Caluori (SUI | THÖMUS AKROS – YOUNGSTARS) 1:13:49 Zoe Cuthbert (NZL) 1:14:49  Results U23 XCO Men Top 5: Dario Lillo (SUI | SCOTT DAVOS MTB PROJECT) 1:28:58 Carter Woods (CAN | GIANT FACTORY OFF-ROAD TEAM – XC) 1:13:00 Adrien Boichis (FRA | TRINITY RACING MTB) 1:13:10 Brayden Johnson (USA) 1:13:16 Luca Martin (FRA | ORBEA FACTORY TEAM) 1:13:30  LOC president Christoph Müller is happy about a successful World Cup in Lenzerheide: We had a great World Cup weekend with really thrilling races. We saw Rachel Atherton secure her 40th World Cup victory and today we were able to celebrate Nino Schurter as the sole record winner. In total, we were able to welcome over 32,000 visitors over the four days of the World Cup. We are very proud of that because it shows that we have once again put together a great event.  The full results from today’s races can be found here. The UCI Mountain Bike World Series will continue in Saalfelden Leogang in Austria with the formats of Cross-country, Downhill and Enduro. Click here for the full event calendar. Missed any of the action? Full replays from this weekend’s race are available globally on GCN+ here. More information on where to watch which race is available here.  

It was a battle for the finish line as racing got underway here in Lenzerheide with the UCI Mountain Bike Cross-country Short Track World Cup! In the elite women's race Sweden's Jenny Rissveds changed gear on the penultimate lap and crossed the line with a comfy gap. Alessandra Keller stormed into second place at her home venue and France's Pauline Ferrand Prevot came into third. For the schedule of the upcoming races of the UCI Mountain Bike World Series in Lenzerheide please click here. More information on where to watch which race is available here.  Missed any of the action? Full replays from this weekend’s race are available globally on GCN+ here.

It was a battle for the finish line as racing got underway here in Lenzerheide with the UCI Mountain Bike Cross-country Short Track World Cup! Germany's national champion Luca Schwarzbauer won round two of the elite men's UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup after charging with elbows out to lead the pack for the last lap. Team BMC’s Jordan Sarrou was second and Sebastian Carstensen was third. For the schedule of the upcoming races of the UCI Mountain Bike World Series in Lenzerheide please click here. More information on where to watch which race is available here.  Missed any of the action? Full replays from this weekend’s race are available globally on GCN+ here.

Join Loic Bruni and Cedric Gracia as they take you down the UCI Downhill World Cup course with GoPro for an in-depth analysis of the hard-hitting and flat-out track. For the schedule of the upcoming races of the UCI Mountain Bike World Series in Lenzerheide please click here. More information on where to watch which race is available here.  Missed any of the action? Full replays from this weekend’s race are available globally on GCN+ here.

Rachel Atherton “The fastest mother in the world” has won her 40th UCI World Cup in Lenzerheide, the first round of the UCI Downhill World Cup of 2023. It was just her second race in four years - then headed back to the pits to breastfeed her baby daughter Arna, 21 months. Six times UCI World Champion, six times UCI World Cup overall champion and the first downhill racer to every deliver a 'perfect season,' Rachel Atherton has done it all. The 35 year old has effectively been away from racing ever since she snapped her Achilles during practice at Les Gets back in 2019.  Recovery from injury was followed by the pandemic and effective cancellation of the 2020 season and the birth of Arna in August 2021, for more than three years it looked like Rachel was done with racing.  But in July 2022, a last minute decision saw Rach return to the track for one race only, that race was also in Lenzerheide, one of Rachel’s preferred tracks. She said at the time: “I’m far from full fitness but I wanted to benchmark myself and to show that you can have a baby and still do sport. I wanted to see if it was even enjoyable anymore and if it was possible with a baby.” Sixth place that day saw Rachel just one spot off the podium. Rachel said :“For me, not getting hurt is even more important than it was before, as I've got a lot more responsibility. I’ve been very open about the fact that being a mum hasn’t been easy for me, I’ve really struggled, despite great support from my mum and my partner Olly. "The lack of sleep was so hard for me, for the longest time I couldn’t even contemplate training again and that had knock-on effects  - the lack of focus and routine wasn’t good for me either – especially as I never committed to a decision of either retiring or carrying on! It was a bit of a limbo time. Arana sleeping through the night (a recent milestone) has meant that I’m in a better mental state. I feel like it’s allowed  me to make good decisions!  I"’m loving the routine of training again and it’s really helped my mental health regularly training, exercising again, and it helps with sleep too!  "I’ve always wanted to try and put Arna first by breastfeeding on demand and that’s been so amazing but also limiting, but I’m glad I’ve taken my time returning to sport and I’m glad I gave myself nearly two years to just be with Arna 24/7 and to just be a mum and be there for her, but she’s still going to travel with me because I feel more relaxed when I get to hang out with her in between the stresses of competition, I think leaving her behind would be worse as I’d miss her so much, so my mum’s coming as nanny and that’s awesome!  "I’m basically racing for fun, and because the Atherton Bike that I helped design with my brothers and that we manufacture in our home town of Machynlleth is just SO good. I’m excited to just compete and see what happens." In the run up to the race Rach struggled to build confidence, saying: “It’s a whole different game riding a World Cup compared with riding at home at Dyfi Bike Park where I know the lines inside out.” But second place in Qualifications was a huge boost with only Camille Balanche (last year’s overall World Cup champion and the home favourite at Lenzerheide) bettering Rachel’s time. It was the same story in semi finals with Rachel just 1.6 seconds off Balanche in second place.  But Rachel is a racer through and through – the team knew that despite her protestations Rachel would be a danger today… and so it proved. With Nina Hoffman on the hot seat Rachel delivered a super composed yet super fast ride to take the lead. Only Balanche was left on track and the team held their breath as the experienced racer powered down the track. Two seconds off Rachel’s pace at split two Cam gradually reeled back the difference, but it wasn’t enough – she crossed the line 0.5 seconds back on Rachel and the fairytale return had the ending that it deserved.  Rachel said: “I actually can’t believe it, coming into the race I genuinely had no idea if I would even qualify, the new format is so hard, I’m exhausted!” 

In the women’s semi-final, Swiss National Champion Camille Balanche (DORVAL AM COMMENCAL) came out on top, beating Great Britain’s Rachel Atherton (CONTINENTAL ATHERTON) by 1.7 seconds. German National Champion Nina Hoffman (SANTA CRUZ SYNDICATE) placed in third. But it would be Great Britain’s Rachel Atherton that adapted to the new format best, edging out Switzerland’s Camille Balanche by a margin of 0.5 seconds, with German Champion Nina Hoffman having to settle for third.  Speaking about her finals win, Atherton said: A crazy day, I just can't believe it. It's a surprise for sure. Sometimes I think and know I can win but today I had no idea. I just wanted to stay safe and have a good run. It's the most relaxed I've felt at a race because I did not think I could win. A top three would have been amazing but this is so cool. Lenzerheide is a really short, intense track and it gets rougher every year. It's the best track in the best location though. I have no plans for a comeback. Leogang is next week and I am exhausted. I have only trained for two months and everything hurts. I don't think I could race again next weekend. I just want to get to World Champs in Fort William. Second place Camille Balanche spoke after the race, saying: I had three consistently good runs. It was really great. Of course, I would have preferred to win, but Rachel was faster today. I did what I could do and three minutes eight seconds is a time I'm happy with. I'm proud of that. It was close. It came down to zero point five. To be on the podium is great. I was already second last year, so it's a bit of a thrill. We're going to train even harder to win this one. Results DHI Elite Women Top 5: Rachel Atherton (GBR | ATHERTON CONTINENTAL) 3:07:514 Camille Balanche (SUI | DORVAL AM COMMENCAL) 3:08:048 Nina Hoffmann (GER | SANTA CRUZ SYNDICATE) 3:08:301 Vali Höll (AUT | ROCKSHOX TREK RACE TEAM) 3:09:270 Marine Cabirou (FRA | SCOTT DOWNHILL FACTORY) 3:11:118 Overall World Standings: 1.    Rachel Atherton (GBR | ATHERTON CONTINENTAL) 370 Points 2.    Camille Balanche (SUI | DORVAL AM COMMENCAL) 360 Points 3.    Nina Hoffmann (GER | SANTA CRUZ SYNDICATE) 250 Points 4.    Vali Höll (AUT | ROCKSHOX TREK RACE TEAM) 192 Points 5.    Marine Cabirou (FRA | SCOTT DOWNHILL FACTORY) 176 Points New Zealand’s Lachlan Stevens-McNab (THE UNION – FORGED BY STEEL CITY MEDIA) kept the hot seat warm most of the semi-final. It would be the reigning World Champion Loïc Bruni (SPECIALIZED GRAVITY) to take the first points in the Elite Men’s race crossing the line 0.161 seconds ahead of Austria’s Andreas Kolb (CONTINENTAL ATHERTON). Loris Vergier (TREK FACTORY RACING GRAVITY) would round out the podium in third. The reigning World Cup Champion Amaury Pierron (COMMENCAL-MUC OFF BY RIDING ADDICTION) did not start following a crash yesterday. Jordan Williams (SPECIALIZED GRAVITY) would get the better of the quick turnaround for finals, taking the first downhill win of the year ahead of France’s Loris Vergier and current UCI World Champion Loïc Bruni. It was Williams’ first race in the Elite category. Williams had this to say about his first Elite UCI World Cup victory: This is just insane. Lenzerheide isn't one of my favourite tracks so I just rode as good as I could. I don't know where I found the speed. Certainly having fast riders in Juniors helped push me along before heading into Elite. I didn't focus on trying to win or sending it hard, I just tried to put down the best run I could and see where I ended up. Finn and Loic are great. Loïc's a machine and I was sure he would beat me today. Third place Loïc Bruni added: A very good weekend for us. It was a good test for the new format. It's a pretty straightforward track that works well physically. I'm very happy with the result. I was in the battle for victory all weekend so that’s really cool. It's been a productive winter, I think. We're going to work on the details now and clean up some mistakes I made today. Thanks Lenzerheide for a great crowd and great weather. We had a great atmosphere in the team. We took first, third and fifth, so no complaints. Results DHI Elite Men Top 5:     Jordan Williams (GBR | SPECIALIZED GRAVITY) 2:39:222     Loris Vergier (FRA | TREK FACTORY RACING GRAVITY) 2:39:717     Loïc Bruni (FRA | SPECIALIZED GRAVITY) 2:39:907     Laurie Greenland (GBR | SANTA CRUZ SYNDICATE) 2:40:058     Finn Iles (CAN | SPECIALIZED GRAVITY) 2:40:232   Overall World Cup Standings:    Jordan Williams (GBR | SPECIALIZED GRAVITY) 322 Points    Loris Vergier (FRA | TREK FACTORY RACING GRAVITY) 320 Points    Loïc Bruni (FRA | SPECIALIZED GRAVITY) 305 Points    Laurie Greenland (GBR | SANTA CRUZ SYNDICATE) 239 Points    Finn Iles (CAN | SPECIALIZED GRAVITY) 216 Points The full results from today’s races as well as the schedule for the upcoming races of the UCI Mountain Bike World Series in Lenzerheide can be found here. More information on where to watch which race is available here.  Missed any of the action? Full replays from this weekends race are available globally on GCN+ here.  

Rachel Atherton, the queen of downhill was back like she had never left, putting down a faultless performance aboard her own named Atherton Bike to take the win in Lenzerheide, Switzerland. Check out her GoPro winning run! Want to watch all the best of Downhill in Lenzerheide? Watch the highlights here. The full results from today’s races as well as the schedule for the upcoming races of the UCI Mountain Bike World Series in Lenzerheide can be found here. More information on where to watch which race is available here.  Missed any of the action? Full replays from this weekends race are available globally on GCN+ here.

Downhill World Champion Loic Bruni says he and Finn Iles have been blown away by their new team mate Jordan Williams’ speed. Williams, 18, is starting his first World Cup season with Specialized Gravity and has made the move up to the Elite men’s field along with last year’s Junior overall champion Santa Cruz Syndicate star Jackson Goldstone. Bruni, 29, says Williams was initially a mystery to him.  “Jordan was a question mark last year, I was like: ‘How is he going so fast?’ He was the quiet assassin,” he said.  “Jackson was a lot more in the media, famous, whatever and Jordan was as fast as Jackson, faster sometimes. Bruni says Jordan Williams's speed is mind blowing “I didn’t really have an idea of him before I got to meet him with the team. “He’s a legend, he’s super chill, really nice - always up for anything.” Bruni, who has won five Elite World titles, can’t wait to see what Junior World Champion Williams does on the same bike as him. “We rode together in California, enduro bikes, and I was mind blown by the speed,” he said. “I was like: ‘Why are you going so fast man? We’re chilling’ There were Specialized engineers and he’s like: ‘Yeah I’m chilling’ and I’m like: ‘No you’re not’….He was smoking Finn and I.  Loic says having the 'young guns' chasing him is only good “I’m so excited to see how good he is…with a good bike too, the same more or less weapons. So it’s scary but it’s good for me.  “I’m getting older and older and it’s good for me to have these young guns, nice ones, to come and kick our asses, it’s a good thing.” Watch the full video to hear Loic’s thoughts on the season ahead including what he has to say about his new bike and how important his relationship with his long-time mechanic Jack is.  

Swedish National Champion Jenny Rissveds (TEAM 31 IBIS CYCLES CONTINENTAL) took the Short Track women's win in resounding fashion, beating Switzerland’s Alessandra Keller (THÖMUS MAXON) into second place by two seconds. France’s Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (INEOS GRENADIERS) rounded out the podium. Jenny Rissveds had this to say about her victory: "It's always interesting when you start from behind and work your way to the front. You get a feeling of how the others are riding, the lines they are taking and how strong they are. Jenny Rissveds: Loves the intensity "I love this course and this place. The terrain is similar to Sweden, a lot of roots and pretty intense. The difference is the altitude, it's really hard but I like it. I'm going to enjoy Sunday's race as well. I don't have any specific season goals, I just want to be consistent through the season and feel strong at every race." Results XCC Women Top 5: 1.    Jenny Rissveds (SWE | TEAM 31 IBIS CYCLES CONTINENTAL) 20:34 2.    Alessandra Keller (SUI | THÖMUS MAXON) 20:36 3.    Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (FRA | INEOS GRENADIERS) 20:36 4.    Puck Pieterse (NED | ALPECIN-DECEUNINCK) 20:40 5.    Anne Tauber (NED | ORBEA FACTORY TEAM) 20:48 In the men’s race it was German National Champion Luca Schwarzbauer (CANYON CLLCTV) who had more power in the sprint to finish ahead of France’s Jordan Sarrou (Team BMC) in second and Denmark’s Sebastian Fini Carstensen (LAPIERRE MAVIC UNITY) in third.  At the start of lap eight, heading into the first turn and at the front of the leading pack, current UCI Short Track World Champion Sam Gaze (ALPECIN–DECEUNINCK) lost his front wheel and took both himself and local hero Nino Schurter (SCOTT-SRAM MTB RACING TEAM) out in the process.  Schwarzbauer had a perfect lead out Speaking after the race, Schwarzbauer said: "I felt pretty good after Nove Mesto. That was a very satisfying result. Even though I was still struggling with my diaphragm, my shape in general is quite good. I'm speechless, it all goes so fast and is so overwhelming. It's crazy. I had a perfect lead out on the last lap. Jordan finished second which is a great result, but in the end, he worked for me as well. He led me out nicely towards the end and luckily, I had the legs to overtake on the last climb. I did think it might have been too early to attack but in the end it was the right decision." Results XCO Men Top 5: 1.    Luca Schwarzbauer (GER | CANYON CLLTVC) 19:47 2.    Jordan Sarrou (FRA | TEAM BMC) 19:49 3.    Sebastian Fini Carstensen (DEN | LAPIERRE MAVIC UNITY) 19:51 4.    Luca Braidot (ITA | SANTA CRUZ ROCKSHOX PRO TEAM) 19:52 5.    Joshua Dubau (FRA | ROCKRIDER FORD RACING TEAM) 19:52 Erice Van Leuven and Christian Hauser took the first Downhill Junior finals wins of the year New Zealand’s Erice Van Leuven (COMMENCAL LES ORRES) would be fastest when it mattered, seeing off Colombia’s Valentina Roa Sanchez (TRANSITION FACTORY RACING) into second place by a healthy 4.2 seconds.  France’s Lisa Boudalou would take third place.  Van Leuven looked in charge from the start hut In the men’s race, the USA’s Ryan Pinkerton (GT-CONTINENTAL FACTORY RACING) would occupy the hot seat until the fastest qualifiers arrived.  It was Italian Christian Hauser (THE UNION – FORGED BY STEEL CITY MEDIA) though who managed to hold off Canada’s Bodhi Kuhn (TREK FACTORY RACING GRAVITY) in second and Hugo Marini (COMMENCAL-MUC OFF BY RIDING ADDICTION) from France in third.  Speaking after the race, Erice Van Leuven said: “It was an insane run. Sometimes you hit a run where you can't remember anything because it works so well. That was one of them, so I'm really stoked. One section where I crashed in qualis yesterday I rode perfectly, so I'm really happy.” Christian Hauser had this to say about his win: "I crashed in qualifying yesterday, so I wasn't expecting to get a first at my first-ever World Cup. I am so excited. The track was slick this morning from yesterday's rain, but it was dusty by the time we were racing on it."  It was Union rider Hauser's first World Cup Results Downhill Junior Women Top 5: 1.    Erice van Leuven (NZL | COMMENCAL LES ORRES) 3:22:247 2.    Valentina Roa Sanchez (COL | TRANSITION FACTORY RACING) 3:26:524 3.    Lisa Bouladou (FRA) 3:27:660 4.    Vanesa Petrovská (SVK | NS BIKES UR TEAM) 3:34:182 5.    Rebeka Aimi Kenyon (GBR | PINKBIKE RACING) 3:40:255 Results Downhill Junior Men Top 5: Christian Hauser (ITA | UNION – FORGED BY STEEL CITY MEDIA) 2:48:776 Bodhi Kuhn (TREK FACTORY RACING GRAVITY) 2:50:396 Hugo Marini (COMMENCAL/MUC-OFF BY RIDING ADDICTION) 2:51:775 Henri Kiefer (GER | CANYON CLLCTV PIRELLI) 2:51:984 Ryan Kenneth Pinkerton (USA | GT-CONTINENTAL FACTORY RACING) 2:52:000 Elites go after the first points of the year in the Downhill Switzerland’s Camille Balanche (DORVAL AM COMMENCAL) took the qualifying win in Lenzerheide, with a gap of 5 seconds back to Great Britain’s Rachel Atherton (CONTINENTAL ATHERTON) in second place. Austria’s Valentina Höll (ROCKSHOX TREK RACE TEAM) took third.  In the Elite men’s race it was Austrian Andreas Kolb (CONTINENTAL ATHERTON) who laid down the marker for the weekend, finishing ahead of France’s Loris Vergier (TREK FACTORY RACING GRAVITY) in second and Spaniard Angel Suarez Alonso (UNNO RACING) in third.  The full results from today’s races can be found here. For the schedule of the upcoming races of the UCI Mountain Bike World Series in Lenzerheide please click here. More information on where to watch which race is available here.  Missed any of the action? Full replays from this weekend’s race are available globally on GCN+ here.

Rising star Puck Pieterse believes her winter cyclo-cross experience was critical to her gritty but tactical win in the first round of the UCI Mountain Bike Cross-country World Cup. The 21-year-old took the top step on the Olympic format podium at Nove Mesto Na Morave after a bar-to-bar battle with one of the sport’s most-decorated riders, multiple World Champion Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (Ineos Grenadiers). It was the Alpecin Deceunik rider’s elite debut and belied her lack of experience at the level with few expecting to see her best the World Champion. But, despite her relative youth, the Dutch rider has already achieved a huge amount in both mountain biking and cyclocross. In 2022 as a U23 mountain biker she wore the European champions jersey and was second at the World Champs in Les Gets. And in cyclocross, as a U23, she was World Champion in 2022 and then finished second in the elite Worlds earlier this year and second in the overall World Cup. Pieterse came fourth in the Short Track at Lenzerheide She explains that, in common with men’s elite race winner at Nove Mesto Tom Pidcock, a winter racing cyclocross paid off for her. “During the race I thought she [Pauline Ferrand-Prevot] would have the upper hand because has so much experience but I may be new in the elite field in the mountain bike but I did a whole cross season which was also sometimes quite close in the end. “So I also knew my tactics and I knew a bit what to do.” Pieterse, who also placed fifth in the Strade Bianchi Donne road race earlier this year, said cross had turned out to be the perfect preparation. “For me apparently it was…I just like to combine both disciplines and until this point it fits quite well together.” Pieterse, who came fourth in the round two Short Track race wears the leader’s jersey at Lenzerheide in the Olympic race and competed here only once in the U23 field last year. She said that Nove Mesto was her fourth race at that venue and that Lenzerheide was more of an unknown quantity for her. “There’s a lot of roots and so you really need to find your flow here a bit. I rode here only once before so I’ll have to see how it goes this weekend.” Pieterse's tactics turned out to be perfect at round one

The UCI Mountain Bike World Series is looking forward to a big weekend of racing when Lenzerheide, Switzerland, hosts the first round of the UCI Downhill World Cup alongside the second round of the UCI Cross-country Olympic and Short Track World Cup.  This iconic venue has long been a stalwart of the UCI World Cup calendar, hosting an event for the seventh consecutive year in 2023. In that time, the Bike Kingdom, as Lenzerheide has become known, has grown into one of the most revered bike parks in Europe. And with a record 800 riders getting between the tapes, this weekend’s event is destined for the history books. In the Cross-country Olympic (XCO) racing, all eyes will be on Nino Schurter (Scott-SRAM MTB Racing Team), a rider who is synonymous with Lenzerheide having taken some of his most famous wins, including the 2018 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships, on his home course. However, a victory this weekend would be extra special as it would cement him more XCO wins than any other rider - a win on Sunday would be his 34th. Nevertheless, there’ll be a strong field of riders doing their best to stop him. Round one winner Thomas Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) won’t be taking the start, leaving the field wide open for the rest of the pack. Joshua Dubau (Rockrider Ford Racing Team) rocked the established order with his second place finish at the opening round and will be looking for more of the same.  In the women’s XCO, round one victor Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck) is the favourite, but faces stiff competition from reigning UCI World Champion Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Ineos Grenadiers) and Loana Lecomte (Canyon CLLTV). Switzerland’s own Jolanda Neff (Trek Factory Racing XC) will also be looking to turn it on for her home crowd and can never be discounted from a podium finish. Meanwhile the opening round of the UCI Downhill World Cup will kick start its season with a new look, thanks to the addition of a semi-final race, that will determine the top 30 men and top 10 women who progress to the final.  In the women’s competition, reigning overall title holder Valentina Höll (Rockshox Trek Race Team) will be looking to get her 2023 campaign off to the best possible start with a win. However, Switzerland’s Camille Balanche (Dorval AM Commencal) will no doubt be buoyed by her home crowds and out for victory. Myriam Nicole (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) is a notable absence while she recovers from a concussion. However, a last minute announcement from Rachel Atherton (Continental Atherton) that she plans to race definitely has the potential to mix up the standings. Amaury Pierron (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) will undoubtedly start the season as the man to beat, having not only won the overall last season, but also taking the win in Lenzerheide in 2022. However, staving off fellow Frenchmen Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity) and Loris Vergier (Trek Factory Racing Gravity) will be no easy task. Greg Minnaar (Santa Cruz Syndicate), Finn Iles (Specialized Gravity) and Andreas Kolb (Continental Atherton) also have podium form at this venue and no-one would rule out their chances of having it again. For the full schedule and more information on this week’s races click here. This weekend’s action will be available to view on Eurosport, discovery+ and globally on GCN+.  Full details about where to watch are available here

Sam Hill has graced the history books of mountain biking with some of the most memorable race runs known to man. We caught up with the flat pedal champion as he returns to downhill racing in Lenzerheide, Switzerland in the 2023 UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup.  Sam has big goals to get back on the DH podium, and how good would it be to see him there?  You can watch all the action from the UCI Mountain Bike World Series from Lenzerheide, Switzerland on Eurosport and discovery+  and globally on GCN+. To find out more head to Where to watch: Lenzerheide.

After an incredible 2022 season of ups and downs which saw her take UCI Downhill World Cup overall title despite a broken collarbone, Camille comes into 2023 confident and ready to get back to racing! We caught up with the Dorval AM Commencal rider before the first round in her home race in Lenzerheide, Switzerland to learn how she's feeling before the season gets underway.   You can watch all the action from the UCI Mountain Bike World Series from Lenzerheide, Switzerland on Eurosport and discovery+  and globally on GCN+. To find out more head to Where to watch: Lenzerheide.

Gold for Ronja Blöchlinger in the U23 Cross-country Short Track. It was Swiss rider Ronja Blöchlinger (LIV FACTORY RACING) who showed her pace to take the win at home in Switzerland, with her compatriot Ginia Caluori (THÖMUS AKROS - YOUNGSTARS) losing out by 11 seconds. Sofie Pedersen (WILLIER – PIRELLI FACTORY TEAM XCO) of Denmark completed the podium in third. Speaking after the race, Ginia Caluori had this to say:  It's incredible. I always thought that short track wasn't my discipline, that it was enough right here is all the cooler. I'm more than happy, I never would have thought that. The cheers from the crowd gave me extra motivation. It was a great experience. Results XCC U23 Women Top 5: Ronja Blöchlinger (SUI | LIV FACTORY RACING) 21:10 Ginia Caluori (SUI | THÖMUS AKROS – YOUNGSTARS) 21:21 Hebi Sofie Pedersen (DEN | WILIER – PIRELLI FACTORY TEAM XCO) 21:22 Zoe Cuthbert (NZL) 21:43 Noëlle Buri (SUI) 21:45 Dario Lillo shows his class in Lenzerheide. Swiss Dario Lillo (SCOTT DAVOS MTB PROJECT) stamped his authority on the race to finish seven seconds ahead of Adrien Boichis (TRINITY RACING MTB) in second and Carter Woods (GIANT FACTORY OFF ROAD TEAM - XC) in third.  Dario Lillo had this to say about his win: It's always a special race in front of a home crowd. I felt good because I've been training well at altitude in Davos for the past few weeks. I wanted to aggressively drive the race forward and with five or six laps to go I suddenly found myself across the start and finish line on my own. I didn't want to push it that hard, but then I saw my chance and tried to consistently set my lap times. That's exactly how it worked out. Results XCC U23 Men Top 5: Dario Lillo (SUI | SCOT DAVOS MTB PROJECT) 20:21 Adrien Boichis (FRA | TRINITY RACING MTB) 20:28 Carter Woods (CAN | GIANT FACTORY OFF-ROAD TEAM – XC) 20:30 Vedersø Oliver Sølvhøj (DEN) 20:31 Luke Wiedmann (SUI | THÖMUS MAXON) 20:31 The World Cup downhill season kicks off with Junior qualification. It was Colombian Valentina Roa Sanchez (TRANSITION FACTORY RACING) who took  the first win of the year in the Juniors, beating Erice Van Leuven (COMMENCAL LES ORRES) of New Zealand into second place by an incredible 5.9 seconds. French Lisa Bouladou would take bronze. In the men’s Junior race it was German Henri Kieffer (CANYON CLLCTV PIRELLI) who pipped Canadian Bodhi Kuhn (TREK FACTORY RACING) into second with Lucas Lagneau (CANYON CLLCTV PIRELLI) of France in third.  The full results from today’s races can be found here. For the schedule of the upcoming races of the UCI Mountain Bike World Series in Lenzerheide please click here. More information on where to watch which race is available here. 

The first UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup in the iconic Lenzerheide, Switzerland is almost underway!  It is a new era for top-flight mountain bike racing and for many fans of the sport, there isn’t much that can wet the appetite like shiny new race bikes. Before racing gets underway, we headed to the pits to find some of the very fastest…  

With the firepower of one of the world’s biggest sports broadcasters behind the UCI Mountain Bike World Series, there will be more live coverage and more ways to watch the UCI Mountain Bike Cross-country, Cross-country Short Track and Downhill World Cup in Lenzerheide. Friday 9 June Live on UCI Mountain Bike World Series YouTube channel:13.10 CEST UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup - Junior Women13.55 CEST UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup - Junior Men Live on Eurosport and discovery+, and globally on GCN+:17:00 CEST UCI Mountain Bike Short Track World Cup - Elite Women17:45 CEST UCI Mountain Bike Short Track World Cup - Elite Men Saturday 10 June Live on UCI Mountain Bike World Series YouTube channel:10:30 CEST UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup - Elite Women Semi-Final11.15 CEST UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup - Elite Men Semi-Final Live on Eurosport and discovery+, and globally on GCN+:12:45 CEST UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup - Elite Women13.50 CEST UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup - Elite Men Sunday 11 June Live on UCI Mountain Bike World Series YouTube channel:08:25 CEST UCI Mountain Bike Cross-country Olympic World Cup - U23 Women10:15 CEST UCI Mountain Bike Cross-country Olympic World Cup - U23 MenLive on Eurosport and discovery+, and globally on GCN+:12:30 CEST UCI Mountain Bike Cross-country Olympic World Cup - Elite Women15:00 CEST UCI Mountain Bike Cross-country Olympic World Cup - Elite Men Head to the UCI Mountain Bike World Series YouTube channel for post-event highlights, in-depth bike checks, course previews and exclusive behind the scenes content. Do you have what it takes to compete against the world’s best mountain bike race courses alongside the world’s best racers? Then you need to check out Open Racing for enduro and marathon riders Secure your place on the historic startlines of the Enduro of Chatel and the Marathon of Morzine during  the UCI Mountain Bike World Series Festival, Haute-Savoie (September 7 - 17) and the Marathon of Snowshoe in the USA on September 27 - Oct 1. Swiss fans can also follow the racing for free on Swiss TV channel SRG SSR. Internationally you can follow via Claro in Latam, L’Equipe in France, Zhibo.tv in China, Supersport in Sub-Saharan Africa and Czech TV in the Czech Republic.  

A new season of UCI Mountain Bike World Series racing got underway in Nové Město na Moravě in the Czech Republic last month.  The racing was bar-to-bar all weekend and saw established big names battling new-comers and some lesser known/now very much known names.  The stage is perfectly set for the first Cross-country and Downhill double-header of the season this weekend in Lenzerheide, Switzerland.  Missed any of the action from Round 1? Don't worry, we've got you covered:  You can watch all the action from the UCI Mountain Bike World Series from Lenzerheide, Switzerland on Eurosport and discovery+  and globally on GCN+. To find out more head to Where to watch: Lenzerheide.

Six times UCI Downhill World Champion, six times World Cup overall champion, holder of 39 World Cup wins and the first downhill racer to ever deliver a “Perfect Season” Rachel Atherton has done it all. The 35 year old has effectively been away from racing ever since she snapped her achilles during practice at Les Gets back in 2019. Recovery from injury was followed by the birth of her daughter Arna in August 2021,  for more than three years Rachel didn’t set foot on a racetrack… But in July 2022 Rachel made a last minute decision to ride at one race only, at Lenzerheide. She said at the time: I wanted to benchmark myself and to show that you can have a baby and still do sport. I wanted to see if I would still feel that passion, whether it was even enjoyable anymore, if it was even possible. Sixth place that day saw Rachel just one spot off the podium. It proved to her that she is still very much a racer! Rachel admits that it was hard not to be annoyed at missing a medal, but acknowledges that it would have been too easy. You shouldn't be able to rock up to a World Cup and get straight back on the podium with no preparation. Rachel admits that for the longest time she couldn’t even contemplate training again, she says: I’ve always been open about the fact that being a mum hasn’t been easy for me, I’ve really struggled, despite great support from my mum and my partner Olly. The lack of sleep was so hard, the lack of focus and routine wasn’t good for me either – especially as I never committed to a decision of either retiring or carrying on racing! It was a bit of a limbo time. Arna sleeping through the night (a quite recent milestone) has meant that I’m in a better mental state, I feel like it’s allowed me to make good decisions. I’m loving the routine of training again and it’s really helped my mental health regularly training, exercising again, and it helps with sleep too! I’ve remembered that I love racing! But I’m glad I’ve taken my time returning to sport and I’m glad I gave myself nearly two years to just be with Arna 24/7 and to just be a mother and be there for her, I’ve  always wanted to try and put Arna “first” by breastfeeding on demand and that’s been so amazing but also limiting. She’s still going to travel with me because I feel more relaxed when I get to hang out with her in between the stresses of competition. I think leaving her behind would be worse as I’d miss her so much, my mum is coming as nanny and that’s awesome! So I’ll be travelling to the first World Cup of 2023 with the ultimate goal of getting selected for the World Championships in August on our home turf of Fort William. But what’s most important is to be part of the team again, to enjoy the process. I’m excited to just compete and see what happens. You can watch all the action from the UCI Mountain Bike World Series from Lenzerheide, Switzerland globally on GCN+, as well as Eurosport and discovery+  08 -11 June. Don’t miss out!

FMD Racing’s Tahnée Seagrave is looking fast in her new video as she attacks a run of Lousa in Portugal’s infamous DHI track. Seagrave, the 2013 UCI Junior DH World Champion, has had an injury-blighted couple of seasons with first a harrowing leg break suffered in 2020 followed by a concussion injury suffered after the opening round of the 2022 season. Now though, the 27 year-old looks to be bouncing back and finding the speed that she needs to reassert herself right at the sharp end of the elite women’s UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup. You can watch all the action from the UCI Mountain Bike World Series from Lenzerheide, Switzerland globally on GCN+, as well as Eurosport and discovery+  08 -11 June. Don’t miss out!

Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity) has always been a Frenchman in a hurry. He missed a large slice of the 2022 UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup season due to injury but triumphantly returned to take the UCI World Championships title, his sixth set of rainbow stripes in Les Gets. Bruni has been racing in the elite category since 2013, this year marks his tenth year in the top tier. A lot has changed in the last decade and Loïc has been out front for most of it.  We sat down with the UCI World Champion to talk about the new season: You can watch all the action from the UCI Mountain Bike World Series from Lenzerheide, Switzerland globally on GCN+, as well as Eurosport and discovery+  08 -11 June. Don’t miss out!