"I have never felt anything like this in my life": Lillo dominates in the mud of YongPyong and emerges as the leader of the World Cup

Dario Lillo has signed his best weekend in the World Cup at Mona YongPyong to become the first overall leader. The Swiss rider won the XCO after dominating a race marked by mud and extreme conditions, thus completing his great performance after finishing third in the Short Track on Friday, a result that allows him to leave Korea as the overall leader.

Dario Lillo wins an extreme XCO in YongPyong marked by mud

The men's XCO of the 2026 World Cup in Mona YongPyong was held in even harsher conditions than the women's race. Far from improving, the rain intensified during the elite race, leaving a completely unrideable circuit, where pedaling was almost an exception. With this scenario, the organization set the race at six laps, in an effort closer to survival than pure performance.

From the first meters, it was clear that the start would be decisive. The first climb, filled with stones and mud, created an immediate split between those who could overcome it on the bike and those who had to put a foot down. Dario Lillo was one of the strongest at that key moment and did not hesitate to take advantage of it to break away alone. Behind him, his compatriot Finn Treudler confirmed his great start to the season by staying close in his first elite XCO, while Jofre Cullell managed to advance strongly into the Top 10 in the early stages.

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The circuit offered no respite. Between falls, sections on foot, and technical areas completely overwhelmed by mud, the race began to stretch rapidly. By the middle of the second lap, Lillo was already leading with authority, marking the best time at the checkpoint, while Treudler was riding 15 seconds behind and Luca Martin was in third place at 33 seconds. Behind them, Charlie Aldridge, Riley Amos, and Fabio Püntener led a group that was already starting to fragment.

The passage through the third lap confirmed the trend. Lillo extended his lead while behind him, the first significant changes began to occur. Treudler suffered transmission problems, likely caused by the mud, and saw Martin take advantage of the situation to overtake him and move into second place. The Swiss rider, unable to resolve the issue on the go, was forced to run to the technical zone and fell to sixth place. In that same lap, Cullell also lost ground and exited the fight for the front positions.

 

 

 

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From there, the race was clearly defined. At the end of the fourth lap, Lillo remained firm in the lead, without errors and with a consolidated advantage. Martin settled into second place at just over a minute, while Aldridge occupied third place already over two minutes behind. Behind them, the rest of the Top 10 was definitively stretching in a race where every mistake was costly and where fatigue was constant.

The final stretch did not change the script. While many riders struggled simply to stay on their bikes, Lillo continued without flaws, managing his lead and adapting better than anyone to a completely broken circuit. The last lap began with the podium positions practically decided, although in such terrain, any mistake could change everything.

Finally, Dario Lillo crossed the finish line to take his first victory in a World Cup XCO, followed by Luca Martin and Charlie Aldridge, who completed the podium after a very consistent race in extreme conditions.

 

 

 

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Lillo's victory may have been a surprise to many, but not to him. The Swiss explained at the finish line that when he saw the forecast for rain today, he knew it was a great opportunity for him. When he got up and saw it was raining, he thought he could win today and simply "focused on executing the plan." Upon crossing the finish line, he expressed that he still cannot explain the immense happiness he felt: "I have never felt anything like this in my life."

Finally, the Spaniard Jofre Cullel finished in 28th place after an encouraging start to the race that leaves us wanting more in the upcoming World Cup events.

A race completely marked by mud that leaves a clear reading of YongPyong's debut: the circuit can offer a lot when dry, but when wet, it becomes an unpredictable scenario where surviving is as important as being the strongest. It is surprising that the organization did not have an alternative course planned for a situation like this.

Top 10 Elite Men World Cup XCO Mona YongPyong

1. Dario Lillo (Giant Factory Off-Road Team - XC) — 1:24:36
2. Luca Martin (Cannondale Factory Racing) — +1:46
3. Charlie Aldridge (Cannondale Factory Racing) — +2:39
4. Jordan Sarrou (BMC Factory Racing) — +2:59
5. Joshua Dubau (Decathlon Ford Racing Team) — +3:03
6. Filippo Fontana — +3:18
7. Cole Punchard (Cannondale Factory Racing) — +3:23
8. Filippo Colombo (Scott-SRAM MTB Racing Team) — +3:24
9. Sebastian Fini Juul (Mondraker Factory Racing XC) — +3:39
10. Fabio Püntener (Scott-SRAM MTB Racing Team) — +3:49