Jérôme Gilloux and Anna Spielmann are crowned world champions of E-MTB XC in Switzerland

The Thursday session at the 2025 Mountain Bike World Championships, taking place in the Swiss Valais, saw two new names added to the E-MTB cross-country winners list, Frenchman Jérôme Gilloux, who secured his fourth world title, and Austrian Anna Spielmann, who gave her country its first ever medal in this discipline. Both races were moved up two hours to avoid an electrical storm threatening the Bellwald - Aletsch Arena area.

Anna Spielmann makes history for Austria

Anna Spielmann, a Haibike cyclist, dominated the women's race from start to finish, asserting her authority over a field full of favorites. The winner of the 2024 UCI E-MTB XC World Cup left Swiss riders Kathrin Stirnemann and Nathalie Schneitter (double world champion in 2019 and 2023) behind from the first lap. Stirnemann held onto second place until halfway through the race, but couldn't close the gap and ended up conceding to the push from German Sofia Wiedenroth, who came from behind to secure the bronze.

Chilean Florencia Espiñeira Herreros, who had just won silver in the E-Enduro, started in fifth position but lost ground. Meanwhile, French rider Laura Charles, runner-up in 2021, narrowly missed out on the podium.

With only three seasons in the electric discipline and after not being able to finish the 2024 World Championships, 27-year-old Spielmann was crowned world champion, also securing Austria's first gold at an E-Mountain Bike World Championships.

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1. Anna Spielmann (AUT)
2. Kathrin Stirnemann (SUI)
3. Sofia Wiedenroth (GER)

Jérôme Gilloux claims his fourth rainbow jersey

In the men's race, Jérôme Gilloux (Lapierre) once again showed why he is the absolute reference in E-MTB XC. The Frenchman, who has been on every podium since the creation of the World Championships in 2019, secured his fourth title after an intense battle with Swiss rider Joris Ryf and his compatriot Hugo Pigeon.

Ryf, the 2023 champion and racing at home, started strong and led the first two laps with Pigeon close behind. Gilloux, always in contention, gradually closed the gap until reaching the front in the fifth lap. From that moment on, tension was high, with less than 10 seconds separating the three favorites throughout the race.

Ultimately, Gilloux crossed the finish line with a 7-second lead over Ryf, who had to settle for silver, while Pigeon took the bronze (+0:11), adding his fifth medal at E-MTB World Championships, although the gold still eludes him.

1. Jérôme Gilloux (FRA)
2. Joris Ryf (SUI)
3. Hugo Pigeon (FRA)

The MTB World Championship continues, with Pump Track on Friday and XCM on Saturday.