Anna Weinbeer is crowned XCM World Champion after a breakaway of more than 70 kilometres

Anna Weinbeer is the new world champion of XC Marathon. The Swiss rider has conquered the rainbow in Fiera di Primiero after spending more than 70 kilometers in the lead and practically the entire race solo, completing the grueling 95 kilometers and 4,000 meters of elevation in 5:30:54. Claudia Peretti took the silver and Mona Mitterwallner completed the podium.

Weinbeer was precisely one of the big favorites we pointed out in our preview of the XCM World Championship 2026. A year ago, she had finished second behind Kate Courtney and arrived in Italy after being crowned European champion. The absence of the American left the rainbow open, and Weinbeer did not miss the opportunity.

Anna Weinbeer turns the World Championship into a solo race

The course of the Mythos Primiero Dolomiti promised a race of endurance and ended up being even more selective than expected. The women started at 9:30 AM to face exactly the same 95 kilometers and 4,000 meters of positive elevation as the men's category. But Weinbeer did not wait until the final stretch to reveal her cards.

At the first important reference point, the assistance zone of San Martino di Castrozza located after 21 kilometers, the Swiss was already riding alone and had about three minutes of advantage.

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Behind her was a high-level chasing group with Mona Mitterwallner, Claudia Peretti, Savilia Blunk, Giada Specia, and Larissa Hartog. Weinbeer still had more than 70 kilometers ahead, but she decided to stick to her strategy. And it worked.

The race progressed, and the pursuers began to drop off one by one. Weinbeer stayed in front while Peretti and Mitterwallner became her two main threats from behind.

Peretti and Mitterwallner close to two minutes

The situation tightened considerably during the second half of the race. When the race passed through Fiera di Primiero again, after 67 kilometers, Peretti and Mitterwallner were riding together about two minutes behind Weinbeer. After so many hours in the lead, the Swiss still had to defend her advantage in one of the decisive sectors of the course. It was then that Claudia Peretti changed the pace.

As soon as the next climbing segment began, the Italian managed to break away from Mitterwallner and was left alone in pursuit of Weinbeer. The Austrian later suffered a chain problem that ended up separating her from the fight for silver, although Peretti had already started to open a gap before the breakdown.

The Italian faced the last kilometers as the only rider with a chance to challenge Weinbeer, but she never managed to close the gap.

From the runner-up in 2025 to the rainbow in 2026

Weinbeer finished entering Fiera di Primiero alone and stopped the clock at 5:30:54. The duration of the race and the final differences reflect just how much the course ended up punishing the participants.

The title also completes an exceptional season for the Swiss. Weinbeer has won both the European Championship and the XCM World Championship in the same year. It also closes the pending account from 2025. Back then, she was second in the World Championship in Valais, where Kate Courtney won the title. As we explained before the race, the American was not defending the rainbow this year as she shifted her focus to road racing, so a new champion was necessarily going to emerge from Italy.

Weinbeer was among the clearest candidates and has confirmed it with a victory built from the first kilometers.

Behind her, Claudia Peretti completed one of the great performances of the World Championship. The Italian finished second at 3:53, taking the silver medal. Mona Mitterwallner completed the podium 8:19 behind Weinbeer, repeating the same position she achieved in 2025. Melisa Rollins was fourth at 10:34 and Savilia Blunk finished fifth at 11:56.

The race did not have the expected outcome for the Spanish National Team. Natalia Fischer was the only Spanish representative in the women's category and arrived in Italy with arguments to be among the medal contenders. But Fischer, who was carrying some discomfort, could not finish the race.

Top 5 XCM World Championship 2026 Women

1. Anna Weinbeer (Switzerland) — 5:30:54
2. Claudia Peretti (Italy) — +3:53
3. Mona Mitterwallner (Austria) — +8:19
4. Melisa Rollins (United States) — +10:34
5. Savilia Blunk (United States) — +11:56

KTM wins both world titles with a 32" and a 29"

The Primiero World Championship also leaves a very significant coincidence for KTM. The Austrian brand has won both elite races of the XCM World Championship 2026.

First, it was Andreas Seewald who conquered the men's title with the KTM Scarp Evo 4 32 Prototype, making the 32-inch wheels world champions for the first time. Hours later, Weinbeer completed KTM's double with the 29" Scarp.