After a short break, the XC World Cup is making a return to Val di Sole for some thrilling racing alongside the downhill event for the first time in 2024. In the U23 category, Kira Böhm claimed the women’s victory by just one second, narrowly beating Isabella Holmgren to the finish line. Emilly Johnston secured third place in a closely contested race against Olivia Onesti. On the men’s side, Bjorn Riley started his weekend at Val di Sole with a win, crossing the line five seconds ahead of Riley Amos. Oleksandr Hudyma also had a strong performance, winning a sprint battle for third place against Luke Wiedmann.
In another exciting sprint finish, Puck Pieterse achieved her first victory of the year by outplaying Pauline Ferrand Prevot on the final lap. Savilia Blunk finished just four seconds behind the leaders, continuing her successful 2024 season with a third-place finish. The Elite men’s XCC World Champion emerged victorious in a close finish, with the top four riders separated by only one second. Victor Koretzky claimed second place, despite not feeling his best during the week, with Jens Schuermans taking third. Nino Schurter secured a front-row start in fourth place, aiming for another XC win at Val di Sole on Sunday.
With the revised schedule to accommodate both XC and downhill races, riders have a rest day on Saturday to recover from the XCC event before an action-packed day of racing on Sunday.