Winners crowned at UCI XCM World Championships

A historic win

At the first-ever UCI Mountain Bike marathon World Championships held in the U.S., Austria’s Mona Mitterwallner successfully defended her title, claiming her third cross-country marathon (XCM) rainbow jersey. Meanwhile, Denmark’s Simon Andreassen secured his first XCM World Champion title, solidifying his place as one of the sport’s rising stars.

Youth over experience

This year’s marathon was marked by the success of young athletes. Mitterwallner, just 22, and Andreassen, 26, both outperformed more experienced competitors, showing that youth, combined with skill, can dominate even in endurance races. Mitterwallner’s time of 5:15:06 was enough to beat Switzerland’s Sina Frei, with South Africa’s Candice Lill following closely behind. Andreassen, meanwhile, crossed the finish line in 4:33:08, a mere 10 seconds ahead of American Christopher Blevins.

Mitterwallner’s continued dominance

With her third world title in hand, Mitterwallner now surpasses Pauline Ferrand-Prévot’s two titles and is well on her way to challenging the legendary Annika Langvad and Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjå, who hold five and six titles, respectively. Mitterwallner’s ability to maintain her dominance at such a young age speaks volumes about her dedication and talent.

Andreassen’s title

While Andreassen may be new to the XCM champion’s podium, he’s no stranger to international success. With a bronze medal from two years ago, his victory at Snowshoe is a testament to his steady progress. Now, as Denmark’s first male XCM world champion, Andreassen adds another feather to his cap, having previously dominated the junior XCO scene.

Canadian results

A number of Canadians took place in the event, with Sean Fincham getting the best result at 18th. Andrew L’Esperance wasn’t far behind that in 24th.

“It rained the night before so we had a slick course, but it was blue skies and nice racing temperatures,” says L’esperance. “It was awesome getting to race with the best in the world on a properly technical MTB marathon course. I finished up 24th at the finish line. It was outside of what I was aiming for, but it is a lot better than last year and I am happy with how I raced. My Rocky Mountain Element performed super well out there and I was happy with my tire choice, going with Aspens in 2.4. Looking forward to another shot with the XCM at Lake Placid next week.”

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