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The UCI Cross-Country MTB World Cup is underway for another year with the first of the season’s eight rounds held in Mairiporã, Brazil over the weekend. Mairiporã has been hosting MTB events since 2019 and has become one of Brazil’s most established MTB destinations, but this weekend’s meet was its debut as part of the World Cup.
Evie Richards and Sam Gaze took out the elite short-track races on Saturday but the main event came Sunday when the sport’s best took on the first World Cup XCO race of this Olympic year.
Aussie photographer Piper Albrecht was on location and captured the photos you can see below, starting with the elite women’s race.
A moment of nervous anticipation before the XCO World Cup season got underway.Jenny Rissveds looked rather calm though.It was a frenetic start with Evie Richards (far left) among those setting the early pace.After winning Saturday’s XCC race, Richards was keen to continue where she left off.Portugal’s Raquel Queirós on her way to finishing mid-pack.Danish champ Heby Sofie Pedersen was one of 18 national champions on the startline.Italy’s Giada Specia in action.Zhifan Wu would be the top-placed Chinese rider on the day, finishing 34th.Former world champ Jolanda Neff rode her way to fifth on the day.Sina Frei leads Richards midway through the race. Richards would get the better of Frei by day’s end, the pair finishing ninth and 11th.The day belonged to Sweden’s Jenny Rissveds, though, who made her move from the lead group on the final lap.Rissveds has something of a history in Brazil. She won the Olympic MTB race here in 2016 and her win on Sunday is her first XCO World Cup victory in five years.Italy’s Chiara Teocchi seemed delighted with fourth place.Victory for Rissveds ahead of a pair of Americans: Savilia Blunk and Haley Batten. Behind Teocchi, Neff rounded out the podium in fifth.Rissveds’ win also gives her the overall lead in the World Cup with seven rounds remaining.
Simon Andreassen awaits the start.The GOAT, Nino Schurter, starts this season as the defending champ in the World Cup overall standings (which he’s won a record-breaking nine times, by the way, to go with 10 XCO world titles).A quick fist-bump between Joshua Dubau (left) and Jordan Sarrou (right) ahead of the start.We’ve seen plenty of Alpecin-Deceuninck’s denim look on the road so far this year, but Saturday’s XCC winner Sam Gaze brought it to the dirt this weekend as well.Chilean champion Martin Vidaurre surged off the line, starting what would be a good race for him.Adrien Boichis leads a group up one of many climbs on the Mairiporã course.Anton Cooper recently earned himself another 12 months in the colours of Kiwi champion, winning his national title for a ninth time. He’s also the Oceania champ eight times over (in a row, no less).Gaze was in the mix throughout …… but ultimately couldn’t go with the winning moves in the closing lap.Several riders found themselves on foot at various points during the day.Chris Blevins had a rather anonymous race to begin with, but gradually worked his way up through the field.Schurter crashed early in the race and couldn’t manage better than 35th by race’s end.Blevins made his move on the final lap, ultimately getting clear and holding a gap to the line. It’s the American’s second elite World Cup win, after victory in Snowshoe, USA in 2021.Fifth for Vidaurre.Blevins takes the win ahead of Victor Koretzky, Fiippo Colombo, Jordan Sarrou, and Vidaurre.
We don’t have long to wait for the next round of the Cross-Country World Cup. Round 2 is being held in Araxá, Brazil this coming weekend – another venue making its World Cup debut in 2024.
