Charlie Aldridge is crowned double European Champion after winning the XCO

The 2026 European Mountain Bike Championship came to a close in Monteceneri with a spectacular elite men's race that confirmed the excellent moment of international cross country. In a lineup marked by the absence of some of the major figures in the discipline, Charlie Aldridge knew how to wait for his moment to launch a decisive attack on the last lap and proclaim himself the European XCO champion, completing a historic double after also winning the Short Track (XCC) title just three days earlier.

Charlie Aldridge caps his performance with the European double and also conquers the XCO

As had been seen throughout the championship, the Swiss team was once again the main protagonist of the race, placing numerous riders at the front from the very first moments. Spain was represented by Jofre Cullell and David Campos.

Switzerland set the pace from the start

The start was very fast and compact, with Jofre Cullell taking the initiative during the first meters before the large Swiss block took control of the race.

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The first big surprise was Filippo Colombo, who returned to competition just a few weeks after suffering a fibula fracture at the La Thuile World Cup. The Swiss quickly took the lead in the race and launched a strong pace change during the first lap, forming a leading group alongside Luca Schätti and Dario Lillo, while Charlie Aldridge remained very attentive just a few seconds behind.

The Monteceneri circuit, completely dry and very fast, forced the riders to always ride at the limit on a course filled with rocks, trails among trees, and continuous pace changes.

An open race until the last kilometers

Far from breaking apart from the beginning, the race remained very grouped for a good part of its eight laps. By the third lap, there was still a large group of favorites riding separated by just a few seconds.

It was then that one of the most curious images of the race occurred. Charlie Aldridge took the lead of the group and significantly increased the pace until reaching the technical area. There, he practically slowed down, without getting off the bike, to pick up a spare shoe from his team and change it on the go after suffering a broken closure. The maneuver caused some splits, although none were decisive.

Meanwhile, David Campos remained strong within the chasing group and was riding among the top fifteen, while Jofre Cullell began to lose contact with the front runners after the first moments of the race.

As the laps went by, the leading group was reduced to the main title contenders: Fabio Püntener, Maximilian Foidl, Luca Schätti, Juri Zanotti, Mathias Flückiger, Charlie Aldridge, and Filippo Fontana.

Fabio Püntener breaks the race, but Aldridge finishes the job

The big move came at the start of the fifth lap. Fabio Püntener intensified the pace with a powerful attack that began to select the group, but ultimately turned into a true display of strength.

His acceleration left only Juri Zanotti, Mathias Flückiger, and Charlie Aldridge able to follow his wheel, while the rest began to lose ground.

However, the race still had one last twist. In the seventh lap, it was Juri Zanotti who launched a strong attack to momentarily drop Püntener, coinciding with a flat tire for Mathias Flückiger, who lost any chance of fighting for medals while still riding with the best.

The race thus entered the last lap with Zanotti in front, Aldridge watching his wheel, and Püntener trying to stay in the fight.

Decisive attack to complete the European double

Everything was decided in the final lap. After always being among the favorites, Charlie Aldridge launched a devastating attack that left Zanotti without response. In just a few meters, he opened a gap of several seconds that continued to increase until the finish line.

The Brit crossed the finish line alone to proclaim himself the 2026 European XCO champion and complete a brilliant continental double after also winning the Short Track.

Juri Zanotti took the silver medal, while Fabio Püntener completed the podium after having been a key player throughout the race.

Top 10 2026 European Championships Men's Elite XCO 

1. Charlie Aldridge (Great Britain) – 1:25:27
2. Juri Zanotti (Italy) – +12 s
3. Fabio Püntener (Switzerland) – +30 s
4. Mathias Flückiger (Switzerland) – +46 s
5. Filippo Fontana (Italy) – +51 s
6. Simon Andreassen (Denmark) – +56 s
7. Vlad Dascălu (Romania) – +1:09
8. Sebastian Fini Juul (Denmark) – +1:17
9. Maximilian Foidl (Austria) – +1:32
10. Sondre Rokke (Norway) – +1:43