Women: Baron dominates
In July 2019, the UCI Trials account Tweeted, ‘Remember her name Vera Barón. She is still 15yo and she is the UCI Trials World Cup leader after the opening round in Salzburg’.
Remember her name VERA BARON, she still 15 yo 🙀 and she is the UCI Trials World Cup leader after the opening round in Salzburg 🇦🇹#UCITrialsWC pic.twitter.com/1TmYgmcxd3
— UCI Trials (@UCI_Trials) July 7, 2019
Barón went on to win the overall title that year. She’s done it again, becoming the 2022 UCI Trials World Cup winner after winning the women’s category in Copenhagen.
The 18-year-old dominated the event from the semi-finals through to the final, scoring an incredible 290 points. That left her 90 points clear of arch-rival Nina Reichenbach (GER), with Sweden’s 16-year-old sensation Hilda Andersson in third.
All the talk beforehand was about the battle between Barónand Reichenbach after the 23-year-old German had pipped Barón to the UCI Trials World Cup win in Vic in May. That came off the back of Barón stunning the trials world in 2021 by beating hot favourite and former UCI World Champion Reichenbach to win the UCI World title. Reichenbach had won the previous four editions but had to settle for silver. Barón also won mixed-team gold for an historic double.
This time, they once again finished one-two but there was never a debate over who’d win as Barón stormed it.
Men 20in: Conejos’ great form continues
Spain’s Borja Conejos dominated the men’s 20in category, taking the win with 250 points. Great Britain’s Charlie Rolls won silver (200 points) with Spain’s Alejandro Montalvo Milla third (also on 200 points). Conejos had already taken the UCI Trials World Cup in Vic so is the clear UCI Trials World Cup 2022 winner.
It adds up to a memorable couple of seasons for Conejos, who won the UCI Trials World Championships in 2021, beating Montalvo Milla and Eloi Palau into second and third, respectively. The Spaniard was also part of the mixed-relay team, alongside Barón, that won gold. In 2021, he also won his fourth consecutive 20in Spanish Championships in Tarragona.
Men 26in: Carthy wins – again…
Great Britain’s Jack Carthy carved his own piece of history in Denmark this weekend by taking his 20th UCI Trials World Cup win and the UCI Trials World Cup overall. The 26-year-old was in imperious form in Copenhagen as he racked up 240 points. France’s 38-year-old Vincent Hermance showed that age is no barrier to excellence as he finished second with 210 points with Spain’s Daniel Barón Rodriguez third on 200 points.
Carthy won back in Vic earlier in the year and continues to set the pace in the men’s 26in category. The Yorkshire-born rider is one of the most decorated trials riders in history but isn’t done yet. Recently, he told a local newspaper, ‘Many see me as the greatest of all time already, but if I can beat 12 titles [the existing record], I’m officially the best.’
This is Carthy’s 10th year on the UCI World Cup circuit and what a way to celebrate. It’s hard to believe that all the way back in 2012, Carthy finished third in his first UCI World Cup event, in Aalter, Belgium, at just 15 years old. Two years later, he won the overall elite UCI World Cup crown while still a junior, winning three of the five rounds. It’s hard to look beyond Carthy enjoying further success in 2023.