It was a day dedicated to Cross-Country and Short Track racing for Juniors, U23s, and Elites at the 2024 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Pal Arinsal, Andorra. For the first time at the World Championships, the U23 riders had their own Short Track event. The highlight of the day came from Riley Amos (Durango, Colo.; Trek Factory Racing) and Bjorn Riley (Boulder, Colo.; Trek Future Racing) who finished first and second in the first-ever U23 Men’s Short Track race.
U23 Men’s XCC
The U23 Men raced a total distance of 10 kilometers. Riley Amos (Durango, Colo.; Trek Factory Racing) and Bjorn Riley (Boulder, Colo.; Trek Future Racing) stayed in the top 10 for the entirety of the race. They made sure they were in the right position to make a move when the time came. After lap seven, Amos began picking riders off until he crossed the line in first. His teammate, Riley, finished right behind him in second making history for USA Cycling. Brayden Johnson (Littleton, Colo.; Santa Cruz Rock Shox) kept the lead group close finishing in sixth, and Carson Hampton (Boise, Idaho; Bear National Team) rounded things out for Team USA earning 28th. Amos commented on the day,
"It was such an unbelievable day! After being sick most of the week, I started to doubt if I had what it took. But once I got out there and stayed patient, the race really came together in the end! It was so special to see Team USA crush the team relay on Wednesday, and I wanted to be a part of that. Good thing the whole USA team showed up for Short Track. The last lap was a rollercoaster, and I can’t believe Bjorn and I were able to go 1-2 in the first U23 XCC World Championships together!"
Results:
1. Riley Amos (USA) 22:02
2. Bjorn Riley (USA) +0:00
3. Tobias Lillelund (DEN) +0:04
6. Brayden Johnson (USA) +0:22
28. Carson Hampton (USA) -1 Lap
U23 Women’s XCC
The women’s race was fast from the gun. The Americans knew to watch the moves from the two Canadian Holmgren sisters. Madigan Munro (Boulder, Colo.; Trek Factory Racing) was able to stay with the group and battle for a top position. Munro put down eight consistent laps to earn sixth overall. Her teammate, Sofia Waite (Littleton, Colo.; BH Coloma Team) earned 11th.
Results:
1. Isabella Holmgren (CAN) 20:31
2. Ella Maclean-Howell (GBR) +0:22
3. Ava Holmgren (CAN) +0:26
6. Madigan Munro (USA) +0:36
11. Sofia Waite (USA) +0:51
Elite Men’s XCC
Inaugural Short Track World Champion Christopher Blevins (Durango, Colo.; Specialized Factory Racing) was the only American in this evening’s race. A front row call up for Blevins allowed him to have a great start heading into the first turn of the 10-lap race. Blevins stayed in the front of the race while chaos ensued on the dusty track behind him. The front was aggressive with riders charging for positions any chance they could. Victory Koretzky (FRA) attacked on lap nine and pulled away with a small gap on the group to ultimately win the World Title. Blevins kept good positioning into the finishing straight and sprinted to the line. It came down to a photo finish for the bronze medal, where he got edged out taking fourth.
Results:
1. Victory Koretzky (FRA) 21:49
2. Charlie Aldridge (GBR) +0:03
3. Alan Hatherly (RSA) +0:03
4. Christopher Blevins (USA) +0:03
Elite Women’s XCC
The American women stacked the short track field with Kate Courtney (Kentfield, Calif.; SCOTT-SRAM Factory Racing), Savilia Blunk (Inverness, Calif.; Decathlon Ford Racing Team), Gwendalyn Gibson (Ramona, Calif.; Trek Factory Racing), and Kelsey Urban (Kentfield, Calif.; Team 31). It was a front row call up for Courtney and Blunk, with Gibson just behind for a fast and furious start. France’s Pauline Ferrand Prevot (FRA) was able to create a gap in the first few laps, but Evie Richards (GBR) came up from behind to add pressure to the group. The Americans kept the leaders in their sights but were not able to close the gap on a medal position. By the last lap, Gibson, Courtney, and Blunk were on the chase and sprinted to the line finishing fifth, seventh, and eighth, all finishing within 15 seconds of a podium position.
Results:
1. Evie Richards (GBR) 19:46
2. Pauline Ferrand Prevot (FRA) +0:01
3. Jenny Rissveds (SWE) +0:18
5. Gwendalyn Gibson (USA) +0:25
7. Kate Courtney (USA) +0:30
8. Savilia Blunk (USA) +0:32
26. Kelsey Urban (USA) +1:58
Junior Men’s XCO
The Junior Men’s race was stacked with 84 of the best riders from around the world ready to take on the five lap, 20-kilomter XCO race. Albert Philipsen (DEN) took an early lead on the first lap and never looked back. The American team made up of Henry Coote (Manchester, Mass.; Competitive Edge, River Valdez (Sedona, Ariz.; Bear National Team), Ezra Caudell (Acworth, Ga.; Gravity Collective), and Luke Mosteller (Tunnell Hill, Ga.; Bear National Team) was led by the Colorado native, Nicholas Konecny (Breckenridge, Colo.; Bear National Team). The top finisher for Team USA was Konecny who finished just three seconds off the podium in fourth. Coote was the second American to finish, earning ninth place.
Results:
1. Albert Philipsen (DEN) 1:01.59
2. Hugo Franco Gallego (SPA) +1:55
3. Nikolaj Hougs (DEN) +1:56
4. Nicholas Konecny (USA) +1:59
9. Henry Coote (USA) +3:24
16. River Valdez (USA) +5:07
51. Ezra Caudell (USA) +9:54
58. Luke Mosteller (USA) +15:35
Junior Women’s XCO
The women competed first this morning in Andorra. Vida Lopez de San Roman (Sebastopol, Calif.; Bear National Team) had a front row call up and a strong start off the line for the four-lap race. Viktoria Chladoňová (SVK) led from the start and left the rest of the field chasing. Lopez de San Roman was on the chase with Rafaelle Carrier (CAN) and Tereza Marusa Serkezi (SLO). The race slowly started to break apart and Lopez de San Roman settled into her pace to finish the day in fourth. Alice Hoskins (Charlottesville, Va.; Gravity Collective) rode strong to finish 13th and Ingrid McElroy (Danville, Pa.; Bear National Team) finished in 34th.
Results:
1. Viktoria Chladoňová (SVK) 1:01:24
2. Rafaelle Carrier (CAN) +0:36
3. Tereza Marusa Serkezi (SLO) +1:31
4. Vida Lopez de San Roman (USA) +2:05
13. Alice Hoskins (USA) +4:03
34. Ingrid McElroy (USA) +8:01
