UCI XCO World Cup Val di Sole: Vidaurre celebrates first victory - Pieterse triumphs despite a crash

The dusty, dry Val di Sole course was once again the scene of thrilling races at the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup last weekend. Probably the most emotional moments were provided by Martin Vidaurre and Puck Pieterse: The Chilean celebrated his first World Cup victory in the elite category - and made history. In the women's race, Pieterse crowned her exceptional performance with a double triumph in the XCO and short track.

Martin Vidaurre: From the fourth row of the grid to a historic triumph

Martin Vidaurre (Specialized Factory Racing) has achieved what no Chilean before him has: a victory in an elite UCI XCO World Cup. The 25-year-old relied on patience, cleverness and technique - and was rewarded for his efforts. Starting from the fourth row on the grid, Vidaurre steadily worked his way forwards, attacking the leading Mathis Azzaro (Origine Racing Division) on the penultimate lap and then never allowing himself to be caught again.

1. Martin Vidaurre (CHI)
2. Mathis Azzaro (FRA)
3. Fabio Püntener (SUI)

"It's incredible! I love Italy - and the crowd gave me wings today," said Vidaurre after the race, visibly moved. He has come full circle: he became U23 World Champion at the same venue in 2021.

Behind Vidaurre, Azzaro (+23 seconds) and the strong Swiss privateer Fabio Püntener (+39 seconds) fought for the remaining podium places. Specialized team-mate Christopher Blevins finished eighth to narrowly retain the overall World Cup lead - closely followed by Vidaurre.

Puck Pieterse: Dominant and unstoppable - despite the fall

Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck) once again delivered an exceptional performance in the women's XCO: with a spirited start, a tactically clever solo and a controlled final section, the Dutchwoman also won in Val di Sole - and for the second time in a row in both the XCC and XCO. A feat that no athlete before her has ever achieved.

1. Puck Pieterse (NED)
2. Samara Maxwell (NZL)
3. Laura Stigger (AUT)

"After the fall in the Rock Garden, I had to collect myself for a moment. But the fans, the noise - it was just amazing," said Pieterse. With a 26-second lead, she relegated Samara Maxwell (Decathlon Ford Racing), who was catching up fast, to second place. Laura Stigger (Specialized) prevailed in the duel for third place against Jenny Rissveds.

Despite finishing second, Maxwell took the lead in the overall World Cup standings, followed by Koller and Pieterse.

U23 categories: Corvi thrills home fans - Teunissen Van Manen with maiden victory

Valentina Corvi (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) celebrated a magical comeback from injury in the women's U23 race: the Italian won in front of her home crowd with a 30-second lead over Fiona Schibler and Sara Cortinovis - who had initially led the race. For Corvi, it was the first World Cup victory of her career.

In the men's race, Rens Teunissen Van Manen (KMC Ridley MTB Racing Team) had his moment. The Dutchman cleverly exploited a weak phase from XCC winner Finn Treudler (Cube) and celebrated his first World Cup victory with a controlled ride. Treudler fought back strongly after a technical defect and finished second, with Benjamin Krüger rounding off the podium.

Focus on German drivers

The German mountain bikers put in solid performances on the challenging course in Val di Sole: Luca Schwarzbauer (Canyon CLLCTV) took 13th place, Julian Schelb even finished in 6th place, with Lennart-Jan Krayer (32nd), Niklas Schehl (38th), Maximilian Brandl (45th) and Leon Reinhard Kaiser (65th) further back in the field. The best result for the Germans was achieved by Nina Graf in 9th place. She was followed by Kira Böhm (16th), Ronja Eibl (25th), Lia Schrievers (39th) and Luisa Daubermann (52nd).

Outlook

The cross-country elite will now get a short breather before continuing with the next event in Pal Arinsal (Andorra) from 9 to 13 July. For the enduro riders, the next showdown in Val di Fassa is already scheduled for next weekend.