Gold for David Valero and silver for Natalia Fischer at the 2026 European XCM Championships

David Valero and Natalia Fischer were the standout Spanish performers at the 2026 XCM European Championships held in Ramales de la Victoria. Valero claimed the continental title, confirming his excellent form this season, while Fischer took the silver medal in a women’s race in which Anna Weinbeer proved unbeatable.

David Valero is crowned 2026 XCM European Champion, and Natalia Fischer wins silver

The demanding course of the Desafío Dama Roja—74 kilometers long with a total elevation gain of 3,000 meters—has crowned two of the riders who arrived at the continental event in peak form. Valero has extended her spectacular streak of results in MTB marathon racing, while Weinbeer has confirmed her status as the favorite with a solo victory.

David Valero is crowned 2026 European XCM Champion

David Valero arrived in Ramales de la Victoria as one of the top contenders for the title after winning the last two XCM World Cup races, and he has once again confirmed his excellent form.

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The Spanish rider completed the course in 3:44:06 and was crowned European champion with a 1:27 lead over Italy’s Gioele De Cosmo.

 

 

 

 

 

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The battle for third place was even closer. Poland’s Krzysztof Łukasik took the bronze medal after finishing 2:39 behind Valero and just one second ahead of Belgium’s Wout Alleman.

This continental victory cements Valero’s extraordinary season in long-distance racing. After stringing together two consecutive wins in the XCM World Cup, the Spaniard has now added the European champion’s jersey to his collection in front of a home crowd.

Top 10 European XCM Championship 2026 men's

1. David Valero Serra (Spain) – 3:44:06
2. Gioele De Cosmo (Italy) – +1:27
3. Krzysztof Łukasik (Poland) – +2:39
4. Wout Alleman (Belgium) – +2:40
5. Jan Hartmann (Germany) – +4:09
6. Emil Hasund Eid Evensen (Norway) – +5:12
7. Samuele Porro (Italy) – +5:58
8. Dario Cherchi (Italy) – +6:10
9. Martin Frey (Germany) – +8:09
10. Marc Fanger (Switzerland) – +9:07

Anna Weinbeer dominates the women's race, and Natalia Fischer takes silver

The women’s race had a clear dominant runner. Anna Weinbeer confirmed her status as the favorite and was crowned European champion after running much of the demanding Cantabrian course alone.

The Swiss runner set a pace that none of her rivals could match and gradually increased her lead until she crossed the finish line with a time of 4:32:17. Weinbeer clinched the continental title with a 4:27 margin over Natalia Fischer.

The Spanish runner also arrived in Ramales de la Victoria among the top medal contenders and lived up to expectations. Faced with Weinbeer’s dominance, Fischer managed to secure second place and earn another international medal.

The bronze went to Poland’s Paula Gorycka-Kurmann, who finished 5:40 behind the winner and rounded out the women’s podium. Claudia Peretti was fourth, 9:49 behind, and Rosa Van Doorn rounded out the top five, 12:09 behind.

The continental runner-up finish continues Natalia Fischer’s excellent season; in 2026, she has once again established herself among the top international MTB Marathon specialists. The Spaniard adds this silver medal to a season in which she also led the UCI XCM rankings and won her sixth Spanish Championship in the discipline.

Women's classification for the 2026 XCM European Championship

1. Anna Weinbeer – 4:32:17
2. Natalia Fischer Egusquiza – +4:27
3. Paula Gorycka-Kurmann – +5:40
4. Claudia Peretti – +9:49
5. Rosa Van Doorn – +12:09
6. Lejla Njemčević – +21:18
7. Amanda Bohlin – +27:58
8. Chiara Gualandi – +33:59
9. Alba Teruel Ribes – +40:02