2022 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships: historic rainbow jerseys for Pauline Ferrand-Prévot and Nino Schurter

On the final day of the amazing competitions at the 2022 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Les Gets, France, the four remaining UCI World Championships titles were awarded, for cross-country Olympic (XCO). Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (FRA) and Nino Schurter (SUI) became 2022 Elite UCI World Champions for XCO on Sunday after Line Burquier (FRA) and Simone Avondetto (ITA) had secured the victories in the U23 category.

Women U23: Line Burquier is best!

Luisa Daubermann (GER) set the early pace with the two Swiss riders Ronja Blöchlinger and Noëlle Buri just behind her. They were followed by the favourites, including Puck Pieterse (NED), Sofie Pedersen (DEN), the French trio Line Burquier (2021 Junior UCI World Champion), Isaure Medde and Olivia Onesti as well as the Italians Giada Specia and Sara Cortinovis. But the 2021 silver medalist in the U23 category, Laura Stigger (AUT), was not among the leading group.

The crowd took great pleasure in witnessing 19-year-old Burquier, overall leader of the 2022 Mercedes-Benz UCI Mountain Bike World Cup U23 category, take the lead and build a significant advantage over Pieterse and Specia. Pedersen (winner of the U23 category at the Mercedes-Benz UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in Lenzerheide, Switzerland) overtook the Italian on the final lap to confirm her position on the podium. Burquier won with 1:11.09, Puck Pieterse took silver (+0:43) and Sofie Pedersen secured the bronze medal (+0:59).

Men U23: advantage for Simone Avondetto

The favourite and 2021 Junior UCI World Champion Martín Vidaurre Kossmann (CHI) set the early pace with Mathis Azzaro (FRA) and Simone Avondetto (ITA) forming a group with Carter Woods (CAN) and Filippo Fontana (ITA). On the third out of six laps, Carter Woods slipped back and Vidaurre Kossmann took a 12 second lead before Azzaro and Avondetto. But they soon reeled in the Chilean – who has dominated the U23 category in the Mercedes-Benz UCI Mountain Bike World Cup – and passed him on the following lap, with the European Champion Avondetto taking the lead.

Luca Schätti (SUI) passed Vidaurre Kossmann for third position on the fifth lap as Avondetto went clear of Azzaro, a move that set the final podium. Simone Avondetto won with 1:10:35, the silver went to Mathis Azzaro (+0:28) and the bronze to Luca Schätti (+0:57).

Women Elite: Pauline Ferrand-Prévot makes history

Seventy riders were on the start line for the Women Elite race, including French Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (three-times XCO UCI World Champion and newly crowned cross-country short track (XCC) UCI World Champion), Swiss Jolanda Neff (Olympic Champion), French Loana Lecomte (European Champion) and USA’s Haley Batten looking to be back in her best form.

After three laps of six, Alessandra Keller (SUI) and Batten were 1:20 behind Ferrand-Prévot and Lecomte a further 10 seconds back. A resurgent Neff, 2021 UCI World Champion Evie Richards (GBR) and Anne Terpstra (overall leader of the 2022 Mercedes-Benz UCI Mountain Bike World Cup) were still in the medal hunt, as was Martina Berta (ITA) until she had a technical problem while Austria’s Mona Mitterwallner advanced.

Neff chased and passed Lecomte, then Keller and Batten before Keller tired on the penultimate lap. That action confirmed the podium positions. Ferrand-Prévot won her second UCI World Champion title of the week with 1:22:08, Jolanda Neff took the silver (+1:35) and Haley Batten secured the bronze (+2:13). Lecomte won the fight with Keller for the fourth position.

To the crowd’s delight, with this fourth XCO UCI World Champion title, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot became the joint most successful woman in the competition’s history, alongside Norway's Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjå whose victories include the 2004 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Les Gets.

“I chose the hardtail – I knew I could go faster in the climb. I wanted to go straight from the start and go full gas and secure a gap,” said Pauline Ferrand-Prévot. “I think it will be a big party tonight!”

“I overtook so many people, I came from so far back,” said Jolanda Neff. “I’m so stoked about my race today… I couldn’t be happier.”

Men Elite: Nino Schurter takes an incredible tenth title

On the hunt for his tenth XCO UCI World Champion title, Nino Schurter hit the front with a truly international group, including his fellow Swiss countrymen Filippo Colombo and Titouan Carod, joined by Jordan Sarrou (FRA), Vlad Dascalu (ROM), Sam Gaze (NZL), Alan Hatherly (RSA), David Valero Serrano (ESP) and Luca Braidot (ITA) while Olympic Champion Tom Pidcock (GBR) moved up from 53rd to 16th place during the first lap.

On the third lap, the newly crowned XCC UCI World Champion Sam Gaze crashed at a jump and Pidcock joined Hatherly, before blasting past the South African and then Sarrou, Serrano (winner at the 2022 Mercedes-Benz UCI Mountain Bike World Cup at Snowshoe, USA), Braidot (winner at Lenzerheide, Switzerland and Vallnord, Andorra) and Schurter all in one move. The Brit and the Italian took a small advantage and the 36-year-old Schurter slid in a corner but quickly remounted. The first six riders had a 30 second lead to their nearest chasers.

Sarrou and Hatherly dropped back and when Serrano pushed the pace, Pidcock faded but then recovered to join a leading quartet that would produce the podium finishers. Schurter attacked on the climb on the penultimate lap and only Serrano could stay with him. Braidot chased them as Pidcock was hit by a rear puncture.

Although Serrano attacked everywhere he could on the final lap, it was Schurter who took the advantage on the big descent. Schurter won his tenth XCO UCI World Championships in 1:21:13 with Serrano taking silver (+0:09) and bronze for Braidot (+0:29).

“It’s insane! It’s unbelievable, I couldn’t believe it when I crossed the line that I did it again,” said Nino Schurter. “This place is magic for me. I won my first title here and now I’ve won again as the oldest rider.”