Charlie Aldridge wins his first Elite XCO World Cup in Mont-Sainte-Anne

British rider Charlie Aldridge (Cannondale Factory Racing) has achieved his first victory in the Elite XCO World Cup after winning the Mont-Sainte-Anne 2025 race, the last event of the calendar. The young rider confirmed his excellent form after a season in which he had already won the Les Gets Short Track, but this triumph in Olympic format represents his definitive consecration among the best in the world.

Aldridge prevails in Canada after an epic duel with Vidaurre and Azzaro

The British rider completed a masterful race, attacking at key moments and showing a resistance and tactical maturity worthy of a veteran. In the last lap, Aldridge launched a strong attack that allowed him to open a gap with Chilean Martín Vidaurre (Specialized Factory Racing) and Frenchman Mathis Azzaro (Origine Racing Division), who completed the podium after an intense battle that lasted until the last meters.

The race, held on a technical and fast circuit, began with the trio from Specialized Factory Racing (Blevins, Vidaurre, and Boichis) taking control during the first laps. However, halfway through the race, the pace set by Aldridge and Azzaro broke the stability at the front, leaving a reduced group in the fight for victory.

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Two laps from the finish, Aldridge, Vidaurre, Azzaro, and Boichis went all out. First, it was Boichis who tried to break away from the group, but the British rider responded with a lightning counterattack. In the last lap, Aldridge consolidated a 15-second advantage that no one could cut down, crossing the finish line with a final time of 1:21:41, 11" ahead of Vidaurre and 20" ahead of Azzaro.

Top 10 - XCO World Cup Mont-Sainte-Anne 2025 (Elite Men)

1. Charlie Aldridge (Cannondale Factory Racing) - 1:21:41
2. Martín Vidaurre Kossmann (Specialized Factory Racing) - +11
3. Mathis Azzaro (Origine Racing Division) - +20
4. Adrien Boichis (Specialized Factory Racing) - +46
5. Marcel Guerrini (Bixs Performance Race Team) - +57
6. Simon Andreassen (Orbea Fox Factory Team) - +1:09
7. Fabio Püntener (Scott-SRAM MTB Racing Team) - +1:11
8. Filippo Fontana - +1:28
9. Simone Avondetto (Wilier-Vittoria Factory Team) - +1:38
10. Maximilian Foidl (KTM Factory MTB Team) - +1:40

This result confirms the generational transition that the male XCO is experiencing and leaves us wanting more for the next season.