This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page the first cross-country round of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series was held in Mairipora See the highlights from the men’s race below American Christopher Blevins had been as far back as 33rd place but worked his way up to the lead group and made the fateful move on lap 7 The women's race was just as exciting Jenny Risveds eventually pulled away from her American rivals Haley Batten and Savilia Blunk taking the first round of the year Christopher Blevins - 01:30:00 - +00:00:00 Martin Vidaurre Kossmann - 01:30:05 - +00:00:05 UCI MTB World Series UCI MTB World Series For full men's and women's results, see the UCI's website. 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Subscribe to our newsletter and stay connected with the latest happenings in the world of bike riding Specialized Factory Racing teammate Victor Koretzky takes second place to American in Brazil Christopher Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing) won the elite men's Cross-country Olympic (XCO) race at the Mairiporã round of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup on Sunday with a late final lap attack from the substantial lead group clinching victory in the dusty but humid 2024 opening round in Brazil The US champion's teammate Victor Koretzky made it a one-two for the team winning the sprint for the runner-up position which unfolded as the rider in the stars and stripes jersey celebrated his second World Cup XCO victory who was tenacious in his pursuit of Blevins when he attacked In this sport you’ve just got to listen to your body you can always get more out of it than you think," said Blevins after the cross-country race which also ended with a third teammate on the five man podium after Specialized Factory Racing's Martin Vidaurre took fifth behind fourth-placed Jordan Sarrou (Team BMC) “We’ve dreamt about a day like this as we are all on the same team I don’t know if this has happened in mountain bike history I love these boys; I love this team around me," said Blevins "I didn’t think today could be my day but you’ve just got to always believe in yourself and anything is possible." The World Cup XCO win is the rider's first since Snowshoe in 2021 and was a significant upturn on recent results given Blevins did not deliver a result in the longer format race of the series inside the top ten last season "I’m so proud of Chris [Blevins] as he’s had two super tough years and now he’s back on the front and on the podium,” said Koretzky Results powered by FirstCycling She joined Cyclingnews as a Production Editor at the start of the 2021 season and has now moved into the role of Australia Editor Previously she worked as a freelance writer Australian Editor at Ella CyclingTips and as a correspondent for Reuters and Bloomberg Cycling was initially purely a leisure pursuit for Simone but in 2015 her career focus also shifted to the sport Jolanda Neff was perhaps the strongest rider over the back half of a brutally hot Olympic-distance race on Sunday She posted the fastest time on the third lap and the third-fastest time on the last lap in Mairiporã to finish fifth scrapping and clawing her way onto the first World Cup XCO podium of the year Neff didn’t have the start she might have hoped But she stayed calm and picked off her rivals as she expertly paced herself “I had to be patient,” Neff said after the race “I couldn’t really go faster at the start and I was pretty far back but I just had to find my rhythm and do my race and listen to my body And I’m glad I found my pace and I just kept moving up “I think this fifth place is the absolute maximum I could do today and I’m really happy with it.”  Evie Richards animated the race early on, quickly putting herself in the lead off the start and setting a hellacious pace to string out the crowd. Coming off of Saturday’s short track win but Richards would lose just a bit of steam to finish ninth Gwendalyn Gibson was unable to finish the race after injuring herself in a crash during the second full lap She and Neff had been riding well together We’re hoping for all the best in her recovery Madigan Munro scored TFR XC’s first podium on the day she seemed to get faster throughout the race posting the third fastest final lap to leave behind Valentina Corvi and finish fourth She took second in short track racing on Friday giving her the first double podium World Cup performance of her career Madigan Munro is on a tear to start her World Cup campaign Munro took a spill during the race and scraped up her right knee but she toughed out the pain to finish strong they can fix me right up for next week,” Munro said “It just makes me look tougher on the start line.” Vlad Dascalu finished 10th in a cagey men’s race where riders struggled to get away until late Just 29 seconds separated Dascalu from winner Christopher Blevins If the first race of the season is any indication Anton Cooper will look to bounce back quickly after finishing 62nd in Mairiporã Vlad Dascalu took 10th in an extremely combative elite men's XCO The first World Cup of the season was a wild one — with wicked climbs Round 2 in Araxá could be more of the same The Trek Factory Racing-Pirelli XC crew won’t be slowing down now “I take it with a big smile,” Neff said so we’ll see what we can do there.” Bjorn Riley is one of the top American U23 men's riders Trek Future Racing started the year strong taking five U23 top five finishes across the weekend with Bjorn Riley (2nd in XCO 5th in short track) and Brazilian rider Giuliana Salvini Morgen (7th in XCO The squad is dedicated to finding and developing the best cross country MTB riders of tomorrow using advanced scouting and training data. Earlier in the month, the program held a development day in Brazil to give young local riders a chance to show their stuff for a World Cup team Trek Future Racing’s meticulous efforts appear ready to pay off in a big way this season Emilly Johnston has three podiums in four World Cup starts this season Riley’s second place finish in the men’s U23 XCO event on Saturday was especially inspiring He was just nine seconds behind Trek Factory Racing-Pirelli XC’s Riley Amos The two have been battling each other since the beginning of their careers and to go 1-2 in a World Cup race showed off how far the Colorado natives have come Riley and I have been racing each other since maybe 13 or 12 and every single race we’ve been battling each other,” Riley said Two exclusive photo galleries from the first race of the Ardennes' triptych captured by Zac Williams and Federica Twila Muzzi ‘Absolutely superb’ - Richards powers to win in Maripora UCI Mountain Bike World Series‘A dream season’ - Hatherly thrilled to win Elite XCO in Mont-Sainte-Anne to secure overall title00:01:52|06/10/2024 at 20:53Berta was pursued by Britain's Richards plus Jenny Rissveds and Heby Sofie Pedersen four-time Cross-Country Olympic U23 winner in 2023 The bunch remained compressed for the first two laps with the pump track and the sharp descent drawing out the best bike handlers and stretching out the race before they gathered together once again as they headed into the climb.Jolanda Neff used the descent to gain a small gap then led a big bunch as Alessandra Keller moved into the lead on the second time around the pump track Keller maintained her lead through the lap It was on lap three that the field finally started to stretch out and gaps opened up with the primary aggressor being the 2018 World Champion Kate Courtney with Rissveds and Neff next on the track.The winning move came on lap five as Richards attacked Courtney and moved through on the pump track to take the lead and immediately opened up a gap to Courtney and Neff which continued to grow as she attacked the descent and powered on over the flat sections of the course.With Keller trying to make up the deficit there was not enough momentum in the chase and Richards won by seven seconds with Henderson in second and Keller in third “It started off in quite a big group and then a couple of different girls went on the front and pushed and Kate made an attack and I happened to be on her second wheel and I just pushed with the attack," Richards said."I think she faded a bit at the top of one of the climbs and I came out of the descent with a lead and I just kept going at that speed really I'm really pleased to start the season like that.“I think you always have to improvise We talked a lot about strategies and what would happen if different people attacked so yeah So I was happy with that.”On the conditions Especially when the UK has literally been grey for six months straight it’s definitely a step up from the UK but it's nice as well It's good to get some sunshine and some vitamin D on the body.”World champion makes a statementIt was a battle of the short-track powerhouses in the men’s race as world champion Sam Gaze won a last-gasp victory after a thrilling battle with Luca Schwarzbauer.As the lights turned green Schwarzbauer immediately launched into pole position and was already able to open up a small gap between himself and the rest looking calm and in control.In the early part of the race Mathias Flückiger Jordan Sarrou and Victor Koretzsky were the closest to the German but with Gaze moving through quickly in the rainbow stripes powering into the turns and trying to ensure the pace stayed high Schwarzbauer continued to hold the front of the race with around nine riders chasing a few seconds behind and the rest already spread out along the track.Koretzsky briefly took the lead before an aggressive approach to the pump track saw Schwarzbauer use his physicality to break through to the front again followed by Martin Vidaurre.The pair took a small gap heading off of the descent with Schwarzbauer and Gaze bearing down from behind.Gaze exerted his authority for the first time on lap five but Schwarzbauer counter-attacked in the same place heading into the pump track and a stalemate followed heading into lap seven as the riders collectively caught their breath.‘Look at the speed’ - Gaze storms to victory in Maripora AdvertisementHow was your experience today Swedish rider overcomes Savilia Blunk and Haley Batten after catching leading duo 2024American women had a phenomenal day at the first Cross Country World Cup in Mairipora Unfortunately, one American hopeful did not have so good a day. See Gwendalyn Gibson’s update after breaking her collarbone in the race below Gibson was racing when she had a bad crash that forced her to get surgery to repair her clavicle As you can see she is at least in good spirits She has had a lot of success in the short track having had multiple top 10 results and won Gibson has not replicated her success on the longer course but has amassed some very good results including a top 10 Her crash In Mairipora happened as she was working her way into the top 10 though the injured person will not be at full power Though Gibson will certainly miss the next World Cup round in Araxa this weekend the third round in Nove Mesto is 6 weeks away Perhaps she will be able to line up there or at the next round in Val Di Sole While her fellow U.S. racers were trying to control the front Sunday’s World Cup XCO season opener Gwendalyn Gibson found herself out of control and after hitting the ground hard in a rock garden The Trek Factory Racer was moving forward rapidly through the field in Mairiporã Gibson was shown on the live feed walking off course though in a temporary sling and with the assistance of the event’s medical staff the 2022 Snowshoe World Cup winner provided an update on her injury “I knew immediately something was wrong,” Gibson said of the crash adding “And I know now I’ve broken my collarbone.” The Trek racer already has had surgery in Brazil to repair the break while her teammates are relocating within Brazil to the second World Cup XCO round in Araxa this weekend While it’s not the idea way to start a season “It feels like a nightmare right now but I know I can come back stronger from this I’m more motivated than ever to get myself back to full health and finish this season in a better way,” Gibson shared adding “It has at least brought a smile to my face just seeing how well all of the team USA Cycling athletes did in Brazil A post shared by 𝐆𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐧 𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐆𝐢𝐛𝐬𝐨𝐧 (@gwendalyngibson) Get the digital edition of Canadian Cycling Magazine Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" and Canadians are ready to get into the mix With the Paris Olympics looming on the horizon there’s no easing into the 2024 season This will be full-on racing from the word “Go!” Here’s the Canadians to keep an eye on in Mairiporã this weekend as well as an update on a few international favourites With the World Cup starting with two rounds in South America it is a great opportunity for the Canadian (and American) riders to start the season not necessarily closer to home but at least on more even footing with their European competitors the return to Brazil will be a welcome opportunity he’ll be looking for a chance to continue his march up the World Cup standings to try to get a top result for his new KMC Ridley team and to try meet Canada’s Olympic Qualification standards The Ontario racer has a few solid results in Greece he’ll be looking to take the next step and maybe finally nab that top-10 elite finish Newly minted elite Canadian champ Carter Woods will join Holmgren to race against the big boys this year After an impressive under-23 career that saw the Vancouver Islander earn Canada’s first u23 World Cup win in a while Woods moves up to see what he can do against the established pros the Giant Factory Off-Road racer is also in the mix for Olympic qualifying He’ll have to find his feet in the crowded elite field fast with Paris so close After some strong US Cup results in Fayetteville and California Those two will be joining a returning cast of fast under-23 racers Tyler Orschel and Raphael Auclair in Brazil Jenn Jackson leads the Canadian women into the Brazil season opener and will wear the maple leaf version of her Liv Factory Racing kit when she does The elite national champion already has a string of strong results C1 and short track US Cup week in Arkansas Jackson could be rolling into Brazil with the confidence she needs to race her way into the front of the women’s field Emilly Johnston (Trek Future Racing) is another Canadian to watch this week racer looks to have opted to stay in the under-23 category this year though her World Cup podium and other results last year opened the opportunity to race up into elites She’s already had a podium in Mairiporã last week at a UCI HC race so she’s settling into the Brazilian heat well Another under-23 racer landing in South America with momentum is Ella Macphee The Pivot Cycles-OTE racer joined Jackson on several US Cup podiums in Arkansas last week That added to some significant hardware brought home from a series of early-season races in Puerto Rico It’ll be her World Cup under-23 debut so we’ll all get to see where she lines up against the international field The race within the race for the first part of this season for Canadians will be to qualify for one of Canada’s two spots on the start line for the Olympic mountain bike event Since Canada is currently ranked solidly outside the top eight it is looking unlikely that the nation will earn a second berth in the men’s or women’s event So only the top male and top female rider will get the opportunity to race in Paris Olympic qualification and Cycling Canada’s selection policy are labyrinthian But any rider still has the opportunity to set themselves apart and earn the spot With the European crowd being notorious reticent to travel outside the continent there are a few notable absences from the start list this weekend Pauline Ferrand-Prevot is staying closer to home The world champion is laser-focused on performing for the French crowd when the Olympics land in her back yard this summer the young World Cup XCO overall champion last year is continuing her impressive spring on the road focusing on the WorldTour until closer to the Paris Olympics That still leaves plenty of star power to light up the racing in Brazil. Reigning men’s World Cup winner and world champion will be in Mairiporã. Last time Schurter raced in Brazil, he made history by matching Julien Absalon’s all-time World Cup win record The Swiss sensation seems to have a special relationship with the Brazilian fans and will look to their support to add to that tally of wins over the next two weeks Schurter will be challenged by Swiss rival Mathias Fluckiger and by a resurgent Jordan Sarrou the past world champion will be looking to be at his best this year Loana Lecomte – also intent on performing well in her home Olympics in a few months – will be up against the ever-strong Elie field favourites Mona Mitterwallner and a growing field of U.S elites will all be primed for the start of the 2024 season Racing in Brazil starts on Friday with the under-23 short track (XCC) races The elites have their chance on the XCC course to open up the legs before Sunday’s main event Sunday is the under-23 women’s XCO as well as the elite men’s and women’s XCO races Please note that this is an automated translation and it will not be perfect All articles have been written in English and if anything appears to not make sense Piper Albrecht was on the scene in Mairiporã to bring you all the action BRAZIL - APRIL 12: L-R) second place Madigan Munro of United States third place Sofia Waite of United States celebrate in the podium during the the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup Mairipora Cross Country Short Tra The elite men’s XCO season opener turned into a thrilling battle of speed and strategy on Sunday in Mairiporã The course was new to World Cup racing and After an exciting three-way battle in the women’s race Christopher Blevins of the United States finessed a stunning strategic victory in the elite men’s race Martin Vidaurre (Specialized Factory Racing) Canada’s Carter Woods (Giant Factory Off-Road Team) makes sure the maple leaf jersey is right up there riding just outside the top-10 over a tightly packed start loop The first hint of how tactical this race could be comes when Sam Gaze (Alpecin-Deceunenick), XCC World Cup winner 24-hours before bobbles near to top of the same steep uphill that forced every field to foot all weekend More chaos follows on the next steep climb Pivot Cycles-OTE’s Raphael Auclair is among the riders forced to run briefly in that mess Vidaurre’s pace up front starts to create splits holding the wheels of Nino Schurter (Scott-SRAM) and Gaze in around 12th position as the start loop concludes Woods’ rival in last year’s u23 racing With Joshua Dubau (Decathalon Ford) joining there are three French riders on the front there is a race to qualify for the Paris Olympics that is animating the racing in Brazil Pressure from Vidaurre starts to spread out the field Woods is still clinging to the back of the top 20 it’s Dubau just holding on to a front group of four led by Vidaurre with Filippo Colombo (Scott SRAM) and Koretzky That quartet continues to blow the field apart with groups splintering around the course behind them as their lead grows and they start looking around at each other the U.S.A.’s Chris Blevins (Specialized) Alpecin-Deceunick’s Sam Gaze and another French rider Jordan Sarrou (BMC)  re-join the front of the race That makes a front group of six comprised of both three French riders and three Specialized Factory Racing teammates as the race passes the 50 minute mark This briefly creates a split between in the front group Dubau takes that as an opportunity to lift the pace again perhaps hoping to rid the front group of Saturday’s XCC winner and the six start the penultimate lap together Colombo’s the next to put in an accelleration That does succeed in putting Gaze and Sarrou in trouble Those two are joined by Giant’s Jens Schuermans with a long line of riders reconnecting to the front with him Theres a few dangerous sprinters that are now sitting in the group there’s 13 riders crossing the line within 10 seconds Koretzky tries to lift the pace but looks back and doesn’t see much open space Vidaurre’s the first to really push on but Chris Blevins just sits in the wheels and waits Perhaps having learned from what Rissved’s did to his Specialized teammate and fellow American in the women’s XCO hours before Blevins looks like he’s timed this attack to perfection though with Koretzky digging deep to close That slight slow-down might be enough to see Blevins ride free Christopher Blevins wheelies, then posts up as he crosses the line to win the first elite men’s XCO World Cup of 2024. It’s the U.S. champions first World Cup XCO win since Snowshoe back in 2021 Sarrou surges to take fourth while Vidaurre gives Specialized Factory Racing a remarkable 1-2-5 finish in Mairiporã The teammates are thrilled as they celebrate in the finish area “I came through the start loop 30th or something I was just going to ride my own race,” Blevins said of his come-from-behind win in Brazil  “It just goes to show if you push your body Blevins’ race started with a chase back through the field “I didn’t expect the race to slow up that much,” The U.S “It really played in my favour.” holding steady in the field after fading off the front in on the third lap It’s an impressive showing for his first elite World Cup after riding with the top elites for the opening laps Leandré Bouchard finishes 10 spots back in 51st His Forresco Holdings ProCo RL teammate Victor Verreault places 60th World Cup racing keeps right on rolling with a second Brazilian venue next weekend Araxá serves up another fresh World Cup course for the second round of racing before the series heads back to Europe The 2024 World Cup season is finally getting underway this weekend and, after a long winter of waiting, Canada’s fastest are in Mairiporã, Brazil for the occasion. Whether or not you’ve subscribed to FloBikes for the elite races This year’s schedule sees the under-23 men race on Saturday The under-23 women get their chance to race on Sunday before the elite men’s and women’s XCO events With an early start this weekend in Brazil the 2024 World Cup gets out of the gate with a focus on Olympic qualification The 2024 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series is set to get underway in Mairiporã 'Take a bow!' - Rissveds stars to win opening XCO World Cup in Mairipora 'Surreal' - Blevins 'in a daze' after Mairipora win Jenny Rissveds seems to be able to find speed in Brazil the Swedish mountain bike star outdueled a pair of U.S racers to win Sunday’s XCO World Cup 2024 season opener in Mairiporã national champion Jenn Jackson scored a fantastic top 15 finish in the Brazil After a thrilling win in Saturday’s XCC World Cup Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing) flies off the start line Sunday in Mairiporã at approximately the same pace The Brit leads the somewhat lengthy start loop with Haley Batten (Specialized Factory Racing) Jenny Rissveds (Team 31 Ibis) Kate Courtney (Scott SRAM) the closest to her wheel Jenn Jackson (Liv Factory Racing) takes advantage of moving up the start grid within the top 10 already on the start loop Richards is keeping the pace high on the front forcing gaps throughout the field behind her as Savilia Blunk (Decathalon Ford) is now up there with Courtney and Batten Going out onto the first of five full laps while Rissveds bobbles and a gap to the front two is quickly opened with Kesey Urban (Team 31 Ibis) making it four U.S qualified for two spots in the Olympic mountain bike race this summer That means there’s a race within the race here as the U.S women now try to claim one of those two spots for themselves it’s Haley Batten and Savilia Blunk leading the field Courtney and Urban are still in the front group of 10 looking to claim Canada’s one Olympic berth Chiara Teocchi (Orbea Factory Team) is trying to get involved but Batten quickly moves back to the front with Blunk glued to her wheel Batten is insistent on blowing this race apart Other than a brief pause to avoid crashing into Blunk Batten has blown everyone but her fellow American and Rissveds off her wheel Jackson is up to ninth while Courtney has dropped 40 seconds back to 11th its Jenny Rissveds finally taking a turn on the front The Swedish rider won an Olympic gold in Brazil back in 2016 As the quadrenial comes to a crescendo again accellerates to get past Rissveds and back on the front Jackson is now back and forth with Jolanda Neff (Trek Factory Racing) Gwen Gibson (Trek Factory Racing) has a hard crash in the rock garden section She’s escored off the course with her arm in a temporary sling That’s a bad sign for another rider in contention for one of the U.S.’s Olympic spots Teocchi separates herself from Alessandra Keller (Thomus Maxon) and starts to close in on the leading quartet Neff also starts to move forward and is closing on Keller 1:21 behind the leaders in a race that is really spreading out on the penultimate lap Batten continues to try impose her will on the race pouring pressure on her two fellow leaders Rissveds takes over the lead with an uphill acelleration only to then force Batten back onto the front by coming to a near stand-still through the pump track section The Swedish racer is looking confident as she forces a game of strategy into the physical effort of staying on the front of the race but is unable to shake Rissveds or meaningfully distance Blunk Rissveds responds with an attack of her own The Olympic champion quickly opens up a massive 10-second advantages Blunk catchs onto Batten as the American’s are left to fight over podium positions clearly showing the effects of her race-long effort This opens the door for Blunk to take over second place Batten remounts and holds her place on course in third but is now far off the position she fought so hard for all race Rissveds cruises through the final descent and crosses the finish line alone It’s another gold medal in Brazil to match the Swedes gold fork though she’s landed numerous podiums and has won in teh XCC format since champ and a big boost in her Olympic qualification campaign just beating out Italy’s Chiara Teocchi Neff catches and passes Keller on the final lap to get back on an extended World Cup podium in fifth Kelsey Urban takes eighth with Evie Richard outsprinting Kate Courtney for ninth and tenth It’s her best World Cup result to date Laurie Arseneault (Pittstop Racing) finishes 46th as the only other Canadian in the elite women’s field and the Elite racing beginning on Saturday Last year Tom Pidcock and Puck Pieterse took the first round win in Nove Mesto – both of whom are missing the first round this year to focus on their road seasons there will be plenty of time for epic battles with those two – and remember it’s Olympic year so there’s even more to fight for than usual The Mairiporã course looks like it’ll be fast-flowing with the track being built into a bike park plenty of steep climbs and some seriously big rock features Hopefully all of these features will make it harder for riders to build a big lead margin where can you watch it and who’s looking likely to take the first World Cup victory of the year The full list of races across the UCI calendar this year – Cross-country gets 8 rounds in 2024 Since Eurosport/Discovery+ bought the rights to the racing last year it unfortunately means that the XC World Cup remains behind a paywall For us Brits we can watch it via Discovery+ or Eurosport Subscriptions to these begin at £6.99 a month for the mid-tier Discovery+ package which includes cycling make sure you’ve got Eurosport as part of your TV subscriptions It’s important to note that the U23 short track racing is only available via the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series’ YouTube channel (for free) Short track begins on Friday 12th with the U23 men’s and women’s in the afternoon deciding the starting grid for Sunday’s Elite Olympic races The full timings for Discovery+ coverage are below: We’ve got two in the men’s elite and two in the women’s for the first round – with Tom Pidcock notably absent as he focuses on his road racing Charlie Alridge and Cameron Orr lead the charge for the Elite men’s races while former world champion and British champion Evie Richards lines up alongside Isla Short for the women’s Elite races Inspired by the capabilities of a cross-country bike and want to give one a go? Read our guide to the best XC mountain bikes to be inspired If you’re not in the UK then live streaming the events is still an option – all you have to do is download and install a VPN and use a location inside the United Kingdom to watch the broadcast live as if you were back home Setting up a VPN is simple – just download Try out Express VPN for its speed It is also compatible with a range of devices and streaming services (e.g giving you the option to watch wherever you want A VPN is a piece of software which offers both online privacy and ability to change your IP address, meaning that you can access on-demand content or live TV like you would back at home while in another country. There are other great options out there, of course, and plenty of free VPNs but our sister site TechRadar recommends the paid-for ExpressVPN which it consistently rates as the best VPN provider but Express VPN gives you the added benefit of a 30-day money back guarantee and three months free with a yearly plan then they’ll give you your money back without a quibble Emilly Johnston was front and center during Sunday’s under-23 World Cup XCO season opner The Canadian national champion battled as part of a leading trio in Mairipora Carla Hahn (Lexware Mountain Bike Team) flew off the start line but Hahn (Lexware Mountain bike team) flies off the front but Kira Bohm (Cube Factory) and Canada’s Emilly Johnston catch and pas the German By the time the lead trio heads out from the start loop and onto the first full lap they have an 11-second cap to Valentina Corvi of Santa Cruz Johnston is sitting third wheel while Calouri initially seems willing to do the work Macphee is 27 seconds back in 12th after the start loop Johnston makes a daring pass over a technical section of rock putting pressure on her two fellow leaders Bohm soon resumes setting pace with Caluori still holding on in third champ looks like shes already hit the dirt With the gap to Munro and Corvi continuing to grow behind them Johnston and Caluori seem happy to let the German do the work setting pace That holds until mid-way through the third lap Johnston starts to fall off the pace as Bohm puts on pressure as Bohm lifts the pace and starts to distance Caluori as well The fight for fourth is still well over a minute back part of a big group racing for top 10 placings in Mairipora taking the first under-23 XCO World Cup win of 2024 Emilly Johnston returns to a World Cup podium starting her season with a huge third place result in Mairiporã Ella Macphee sprints to try move up a spot Its a wildly impressive ninth from the Pivot Cycles-OTE racer “The first World Cup of the year is always so exciting. The fact that it stayed so close together made it exciting too,” Johnston said after the race. “Last week I raced the C1 here and had trouble with the heat. To come back and get some redemption was really sweet. Having my teammate on the podium yesterday makes it a really special weekend.” The first World Cup of 2024 is underway in Mairiporã Brazil this weekend and the Canadians are already showing fantastic form Zorak Paillé charged through the under-23 men’s XCO field on Saturday National champion Cole Punchard was riding near the top 10 before his race was derailled It was a frantic first lap in the under-23 men’s cross country Multiple lead changes saw the front of the race shuffle continuously as riders struggled with pacing in the heat and with keeping air in their tires on the technical Brazilian course Bjorn Riley (Trek Future Racing) and Riley Amos (Trek Factory Racing) were sitting in a lead group with Luca Martin (Orbea Factory Team) The course and Martin’s pace quickly spread out the field The American’s and quasi-teammates on Trek were happy to sit in while Orbea’s Frenchman towed the two to a steadily growing advantage over the field Cole Punchard moved from 17th on the opening lap into the top-10 by the end of the second started in the mid-20s before marching his way forward through the field Finn Treudler (Cube Factory Racing) joined the leading trio That quickly spurred Amos to launch an attack of his own racer had 10 seconds advantage over teh chasing trio Bjorn Riley was happy to let the Europeans put in the work to chase 1-2 on course going out onto the final lap Amos held a six second advantage to Riley with another 7 seconds gap to Truedler in third visibly showing the effort of leading much of the race But Amos and Riley held their positions to the finish line Riley Amos wins the first u23 World Cup XCO of 2024 Finn Treudler rounds out the podium in third Zorak Paillé continued to move up through the field fantastically to take 11th moving from near the front to nearly the back of the field The Canadian u23 national champion fought back to 39th by the finish line It will be exciting to see what both riders can do when the World Cup continues next weekend with a second stop in Brazil the under-23 women and elite men and women get their chance at the XCO course in Mairiporã on Sunday with the 2024 season kicking off in Mairiposã What are the fastest pros on the planet planning on racing Canadians to watch when World Cup racing returns in Mairiporã, Brazil Dive into bike checks with Evie Richards, Kate Courtney, Lars Forster, Jordan Sarrou and more. Then tune in from Friday to Sunday to watch as Canada’s fastest try to prove themselves on the world stage 11 innovative XC bikes bucking the trend