Chris Blevins came from behind to win the impossible and Puck Pieterse dominated to win the Nove Mesto World Cup

The XCC/XCO World Cup arrived in Europe for its third round in Nove Mesto, one of the most beloved venues by fans and professionals, earning the nickname "the cathedral". The competition kicked off this Saturday with the Short Track where Puck Pieterse and Christopher Blevins were the fastest.

Puck Pieterse and Chris Blevins win the XCC World Cup in Nove Mesto 2025

The finish straight in Nove Mesto turned into a real take-off runway as soon as the traffic light turned green at the start of the elite men's Short Track.

The one setting the pace from the early stages was German Luca Schwarzbauer (Canyon CLLCTV), who stretched the peloton right from the start. However, the Specialized team once again showed remarkable strength with their three big names—Christopher Blevins, Martin Vidaurre, and the reigning Short Track world champion, Victor Koretzky—dominating the front of the race. Also making an appearance was Alan Hatherly (Giant Factory Off-Road), the XCO world champion, making his debut in the MTB season and riding smoothly among the leaders.

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The race, scheduled for seven laps, maintained such a high pace that prevented major attacks... until the penultimate lap. It was then that Filippo Colombo (Scott-SRAM) launched a serious first move that almost broke the group definitively.

However, all the favorites managed to regroup for the start of the final lap. And that's when the show began: Victor Koretzky launched a brutal attack from afar that seemed definitive, but in the last meters, his teammate Christopher Blevins made an impressive comeback to overtake him just before crossing the finish line.

Classification - Men's Elite XCC | Nove Mesto World Cup 2025

1. Christopher Blevins - United States - Specialized Factory Racing - 20:07
2. Victor Koretzky - France - Specialized Factory Racing - +00:00
3. Filippo Colombo - Switzerland - Scott-SRAM MTB Racing Team - +00:01
4. Luca Schwarzbauer - Germany - Canyon CLLCTV XCO - +00:02
5. Charlie Aldridge - United Kingdom - Cannondale Factory Racing - +00:03
6. Lars Forster - Switzerland - Thömus Maxon - +00:09
7. Martin Vidaurre Kossmann - Chile - Specialized Factory Racing - +00:09
8. Thomas Litscher - Switzerland - Cabtech Racing Team - +00:10
9. Samuel Gaze - New Zealand - Alpecin-Deceuninck - +00:11
10. Simone Avondetto - Italy - Wilier-Vittoria Factory Team - +00:12

The women's Short Track race in Nove Mesto served as the stage for the highly anticipated debut in the MTB season of the reigning XCO world champion, Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck), who did not disappoint and took the victory after an exciting race decided in a sprint.

The start was marked by the last-minute absence of Jenny Risveds and the presence at the front of American Kate Courtney, sporting the colors of her new team, She Sends Racing, and showing ambition from the early stages. Despite the compactness of the peloton, there were tactical movements, with constant position climbs both inside and on the sides of the group.

Pieterse took the initiative in the second lap, moving to the front and controlling the pace of a very strategic race. One of the focal points of attention was the Bixs Performance team, which could not participate in Brazil due to lack of invitation, but in Nove Mesto showed great competitiveness with riders like Ramona Forchini or Seraina Leugger.

As the final lap approached, the favorites took their positions. Rebecca Henderson (Orbea Fox), Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon), Jolanda Neff (Cannondale Factory Racing), and Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing) increased the intensity, causing an initial selection. However, it was in the final meters where everything was decided, with a sprint between six riders in which Pieterse demonstrated her power and speed to claim her first victory of the year in the World Cup.

Classification - Women's Elite XCC | Nove Mesto World Cup 2025

1. Puck Pieterse - Netherlands - Alpecin-Deceuninck - 20:22
2. Evie Richards - United Kingdom - Trek Factory Racing - Pirelli - +00:00
3. Linda Indergand - Switzerland - Liv Factory Racing - +00:00
4. Alessandra Keller - Switzerland - Thömus Maxon - +00:00
5. Jolanda Neff - Switzerland - Cannondale Factory Racing - +00:00
6. Nicole Koller - Switzerland - Ghost Factory Racing - +00:01
7. Candice Lill - South Africa - +00:01
8. Ramona Forchini - Switzerland - Bixs Performance Race Team - +00:01
9. Kira Böhm - Germany - Cube Factory Racing - +00:03
10. Martina Berta - Italy - Origine Racing Division - +00:04