Gallery: Mud and grit as Cink and Pieterse triumph in wild Leogang XCO battles

by Caley Fretz Jun 9, 2025 More from
Caley Fretz +

Piper Albrecht

The rugged mountains of Leogang, Austria played host to a dramatic fourth round of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series, where torrential conditions transformed the elite cross-country Olympic (XCO) races into a mud-caked battleground. In a weekend where staying upright was half the challenge, it was seasoned Czech rider Ondřej Cink (Cube) who finally seized a long-awaited elite XCO World Cup win, while Dutch phenom Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck) executed a masterclass to complete a perfect double across the short track and Olympic disciplines.

Women’s Elite XCO: Pieterse Doubles Up in Style

For Pieterse, Sunday’s win was more than just another notch in her palmarès, it was a declaration of dominance and consistency. Having already claimed victory in the short-track race on Friday, Pieterse showed no signs of fatigue as she launched her assault early in the six-lap women’s race. Unfazed by the treacherous, rain-slicked terrain, she surged ahead from the start, never relinquishing control despite the course’s unpredictable conditions. Her win marked her third XCO victory in just four rounds this season.

“I maybe was a bit too eager to get to the front directly—I’m not good at waiting,” Pieterse admitted post-race. “But I knew this track would reward aggression.” And reward her it did. Even with the course claiming multiple riders through crashes and mechanicals, Pieterse stayed largely out of trouble. Though not flawless, her ability to minimize errors set her apart. “Nobody had a perfect race today,” she reflected, “but as long as your mistakes are small and spaced out, you can still win.”

Behind her, New Zealand’s Samara Maxwell (Decathlon-Ford) proved her resilience once again. After a tough opening lap that saw her drop back into mid-pack, Maxwell clawed her way up the field with measured precision. Her second-place finish not only marked another strong result—following her round one win in Brazil and consistent podiums since—but also solidified her grip on the overall series lead. Nicole Koller (Ghost Factory Racing) rounded out the podium in third after a steady and clean race.

Pieterse’s form continues to set a high bar in the women’s field, but Maxwell’s steady presence and gritty comebacks are shaping the narrative of the series as a two-woman duel. With four rounds down and momentum building, Leogang may have provided just a glimpse of the rivalry to come through the remainder of the season.

Women’s XCO – Leogang, 2025

Puck Pieterse – 1:26:39
Samara Maxwell – +0:50
Ramona Forchini – +1:26
Jolanda Neff – +1:41
Tamara Wiedmann – +1:41
Loana Lecomte – +2:04
Isla Short – +2:26
Nicole Koller – +2:46
Mona Mitterwallner – +3:06
Jenny Rissveds – +3:08

Men’s Elite XCO: Cink Breaks Through at Last

While the women’s race followed a more expected script, the men’s XCO delivered a shake-up. In his 30s and well past the age when most riders peak, Ondřej Cink turned back the clock with a sensational ride to claim his first elite World Cup XCO win. Racing with Cube after his former team folded, Cink took full advantage of the chaos on course and mounted a solo offensive that held through all seven grueling laps.

“It’s been a long time coming,” Cink said after crossing the line with visible emotion. “I’ve been second so many times—I thought maybe my career was winding down. But today, something just clicked.” Despite disliking the muddy conditions, Cink seemed at home on the sodden climbs and greasy descents. After opening a gap midway through the race, he briefly looked vulnerable as the chasers closed in. But summoning a final reserve of strength, he extended his lead on the last lap and crossed the line 18 seconds ahead of the competition.

The chase group featured two Swiss standouts: Mathias Flückiger (Thömus Maxon), who managed to secure second, and surprise podium finisher Fabio Püntener (Bike Team Solothurn), a privateer who stunned by riding toe-to-toe with the elites. For Flückiger, the result marked a strong bounce back after inconsistent showings in earlier rounds.

It was, by contrast, a nightmare outing for many pre-race favourites. Specialized’s Victor Koretzky pulled out after just two laps, citing illness and the lingering effects of a crash in training. His teammate Christopher Blevins, dominant in the short track on Friday, had no such magic in the longer format and limped home in 17th. Still, Blevins’ commanding performances in the early rounds mean his lead in the overall standings remains intact—though the door may now be open to challengers like Cink and Flückiger.