Generation change in France, Olivia Onesti and Luca Martin are the new national XCO champions

This Sunday, in Puy-Saint-Vincent (Hautes-Alpes), French mountain biking experienced a historic day with the triumph of two young talents who have already shone on the world stage in the U23 category. Luca Martin and Olivia Onesti were crowned French cross-country (XCO) champions in the elite category, confirming the generational change at the top of French MTB.

Luca Martin and Olivia Onesti are crowned French XCO Champions 2025

Olivia Onesti not only achieved her goal of winning the tricolor jersey, but she ended the day with two. The BH Coloma Team rider, still in the U23 category, crossed the finish line first even ahead of the first elite, the four-time champion Loana Lecomte and winner of the previous day's XCC National.

Although Lecomte crossed the finish line first among the registered elites, the regulations awarded the absolute title to Onesti for her superiority in time and category. An unexpected outcome that ends Lecomte's uninterrupted dominance in XCO since 2021

RECOMENDADO

How much prize money does La Vuelta 2026 offer? Here’s what Enric Mas has earned and how it compares with the Tour and Giro

Sign up first, train later: why entering a race can change the way you train

From struggling to enjoying it: tips to build confidence on descents

Are you properly positioned on your bike? These are the measurements you should check

Is your bike slow, nervous or hard to handle? The wheels might be causing it

3 one-hour workouts to improve speed, strength and endurance

In the men's race, the absolute protagonist was Luca Martin (Cannondale), U23 world champion in 2023 and recently promoted to the elite category. The young French talent won the national Short Track title the day before and today also won the XCO race after a very close battle with Mathis Azzaro (Origine) and Joshua Dubau (Decathlon Ford), who crossed the finish line less than four seconds behind the winner.

Jordan Sarrou, defending champion and BMC rider, finished fourth just over a minute behind, while the Olympic and world medalist Victor Koretzky (Specialized) closed the top 5 at 2'07''.

Martin and Onesti's victories confirm the excellent moment of the new generations of French MTB, who have already been standing out in international events. Both cyclists, who were medalists at the last UCI World Championships, now take another step towards the absolute elite, donning the tricolor jerseys and aiming high for the rest of the season.