Azzaro achieves his first victory in the World Cup by winning the XCC in Mona YongPyong

Mathis Azzaro has made his debut in the World Cup with a victory in the XCC at Mona YongPyong.  The Frenchman triumphed in a grueling and completely open race until the last lap. This marks his first win at the start of the 2026 season, clinching the XCC in a tight finish after a demanding circuit that offered no respite at any moment.

Mathis Azzaro wins the XCC in YongPyong after a grueling and open race until the end

The men's Short Track of the World Cup in Mona YongPyong confirmed that the Korean debut would not resemble anything usual in this discipline. The course, short but very demanding, forced competitors to run at their limits and left the race completely open until the last lap.

The track, measuring just 960 meters, broke with the classic pattern of the XCC. Far from fast and fluid circuits, everything revolved around a chained ascent with several steps of increasing difficulty that selected the group at each turn, followed by a narrow, technical descent with hardly any margin to recover. A design that turned each lap into a continuous effort where positioning was key before each descent.

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The start was explosive and was marked by the pace set by Martín Vidaurre, who took the lead from the first ascent without giving anyone a chance to settle at the front. The first surprise came with the presence of young Finn Treudler on his wheel, in his elite debut, showing from the start that he had come to compete, not just to learn.

The front group remained numerous during the early stages, with names like Fabio Püntener, Vital Albin, and Josua Dubau well positioned. The race was set for 12 laps, a long distance for a Short Track, which marked a more controlled first segment where many opted to manage their efforts.

Until halfway through the race, Treudler was the most active, always in the front positions and setting the pace, while the group remained compact and without definitive breaks. 

The first serious move came on lap seven with a very strong attack from Filippo Colombo, who managed to break away accompanied by Luca Martin and Mathis Azzaro. However, Püntener himself neutralized the attempt and regrouped the lead pack, although the fatigue was already starting to take its toll.

From there, the pace increased. Charlie Aldridge toughened the race on lap eight, but once again Treudler took responsibility at the front. The final selection began on lap ten when Luca Martin had a flat tire and was forced to abandon, while Colombo, Azzaro, and Treudler managed to open a small gap.

Treudler eventually fell back from that lead group, but the push from Colombo and Azzaro did not stop. Behind them, Dario Lillo made a great comeback to catch up with them just as the bell for the last lap rang.

With everything to decide, it was Lillo who took the lead with a very high pace, followed by Azzaro and Simone Avondetto. The decisive move came on the last ascent, where Azzaro reached the top in first position, took control on the descent, and did not give any options in the final meters to secure the victory.  Simone Avondetto finished second, and Dario Lillo completed the podium.

 

 

 

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The Spaniard Jofre Cullell started strong within the Top 15, and although he lost positions as the laps progressed, he finished in 21st place, which leaves him within the first rows for the XCO on Sunday.

Top 10 Elite Men World Cup Short Track in YongPyong

1. Mathis Azzaro (Origine Racing Division) — 24:09
2. Simone Avondetto (Wilier-Vittoria Factory Team) — +0:01
3. Dario Lillo (Giant Factory Off-Road Team XC) — +0:02
4. David List (Decathlon Ford Racing Team) — +0:05
5. Filippo Colombo (SCOTT-SRAM MTB Racing Team) — +0:07
6. Finn Treudler (Cube Factory Racing) — +0:07
7. Fabio Püntener (SCOTT-SRAM MTB Racing Team) — +0:08
8. Vital Albin (Thömus Maxon) — +0:09
9. Lars Forster (Thömus Maxon) — +0:18
10. Riley Amos (Trek – Unbroken XC) — +0:19