Luca Martin wins the La Thuile XCO World Cup after a devastating attack

Luca Martin (Cannondale Factory Racing) achieved this Sunday in La Thuile his second consecutive victory of the season in the XCO World Cup after dominating a race that once again had a French accent. The overall leader defeated his compatriots Mathis Azzaro and Adrien Boichis after launching a devastating attack three laps from the end that no one was able to respond to.

Luca Martin storms La Thuile and confirms he is the strongest man in the World Cup

If in Leogang and Lenzerheide it was already clear that Martin and Boichis were a step ahead of the rest, in La Thuile the French dominance was once again absolute. For much of the race, Martin, Boichis, and Azzaro set the pace at the front while the other favorites tried to hold on in one of the most demanding and technical circuits of the entire season.

The debut of XCO in La Thuile did not disappoint. The Italian alpine course, with long climbs, extremely technical descents, and a spectacular rocky section that at times resembled an enduro circuit, made the race tougher lap after lap.

Azzaro took the initiative

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The start was fast, and it was Mathis Azzaro who managed to position himself at the front in the early stages. The Frenchman from Origine Racing Division seemed determined to leave behind a season marked by several incidents and falls when riding in the front positions.

After the first laps, a leading group formed consisting of Azzaro, Luca Martin, Adrien Boichis, and Simone Avondetto. Shortly after, Bjorn Riley and Riley Amos also managed to catch up, forming a sextet that clearly stood out from the rest.

Meanwhile, one of the great stories of the day was unfolding further back. The reigning world champion Alan Hatherly was competing in his first World Cup of the season and, despite starting from very far back on the grid, began a steady comeback that took him into the Top 15 before the halfway point of the race.

The circuit selected the race

The toughness of the course began to take its toll on the riders. Avondetto suffered a fall in a root section that also affected Bjorn Riley, although both were able to continue without major consequences.

Up front, Martin began to show his cards. Already on the fifth lap, he launched a first attack to test the strength of his rivals. Azzaro responded with apparent ease while Boichis had to make a greater effort to stay in contact.

The situation remained stable until the sixth lap, when the three Frenchmen were still separated by just one second. It seemed that the victory would once again be decided in the final minutes, as had happened in several previous races.

The attack that decided the race

However, Martin had other plans. Three laps from the end, he launched the decisive move on the circuit's wildest descent. He took advantage of the technical section to open a few meters and continued accelerating on the following flat. The attack caught his rivals by surprise.

Boichis tried to react immediately while Azzaro struggled to maintain contact, but neither of them could close the gap. In just a few kilometers, the World Cup leader's advantage grew to twenty seconds.

The difference continued to increase lap after lap. When the bell for the final lap rang, Martin already had 46 seconds over Azzaro and more than a minute over Boichis.

Days before the race, the Frenchman had acknowledged that in previous occasions he had reproached himself for waiting too long to attack. In La Thuile, he applied the lesson perfectly and resolved the race long before the final sprint.

There were no changes at the front. Martin crossed the finish line alone to secure an uncontestable victory and further strengthen his lead in the overall classification. Azzaro managed to maintain second place, while Boichis completed another French podium.

Bjorn Riley finished fourth and Riley Amos rounded out the Top 5 on a day that once again confirmed the enormous level being shown by the new generation of world XCO.

Top 10 XCO Elite Men - La Thuile 2026

1. Luca Martin (Cannondale Factory Racing) – 1:24:36
2. Mathis Azzaro (Origine Racing Division) – +1:07
3. Adrien Boichis (Specialized Factory Racing) – +1:20
4. Bjorn Riley (SCOTT-SRAM MTB Racing Team) – +1:56
5. Riley Amos (Trek-Unbroken XC) – +2:14
6. Simone Avondetto (Wilier-Vittoria Factory Team) – +2:44
7. Luca Schwarzbauer (Canyon XC Racing) – +2:52
8. Charlie Aldridge (Cannondale Factory Racing) – +2:52
9. Luca Braidot (Wilier-Vittoria Factory Team) – +3:45
10. Juri Zanotti (Wilier-Vittoria Factory Team) – +3:49