Rebecca Henderson triumphs in La Nucía and kicks off the Shimano Super Cup Massi XCO 2026

The 2026 season of the Shimano Super Cup Massi MTB XCO kicked off this Sunday in La Nucía with a race that confirmed from the very beginning the leap in level that the Alicante event has taken. The race, classified as UCI C1, gathered a women's field worthy of a World Cup and was decided after an intense tactical and physical battle on the circuit designed by Carlos Coloma, marked by the rain that fell during the morning.

Henderson, Urban, and Gibson feature in an intense duel in La Nucía

The course, measuring 5.15 kilometers per lap, presented very slippery terrain but was less technical than usual, with a demanding concrete climb that could be decisive. The race format, with a start loop plus four laps, invited an intelligent management of effort on a day where physical toughness weighed more than technical skill.

Evie Richards took the initiative in the first few meters, escorted by her teammate Gwendalyn Gibson, in a very dynamic start with continuous position changes. That initial battle broke at the beginning of the first lap when Rebecca Henderson launched a strong attack that allowed her to open a gap alone. Only Chiara Teocchi, in her debut with the BH Coloma Team, managed to stay relatively close, while Richards tried to close the gap from behind.

The race entered a different phase in the second lap. Teocchi caught up with Henderson and even took the lead, while the group of favorites compacted again, gathering six riders within a few seconds. The script kept changing, and the lead changed hands multiple times, with Henderson, Teocchi, and Kelsey Urban showing great form.

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The key move came in the third lap when Urban and Gibson increased the pace and managed to open a gap of nearly twenty seconds over the chasing group, then led by Henderson. The Australian quickly responded, and in a new display of experience and strength, she managed to catch up with the Americans before launching her own counterattack.

The final lap began with Henderson in the lead, followed about ten seconds later by Urban and Gibson. The two American riders kept pressing until the last meters, especially Urban, who tried to reduce the gap in the final part of the course. Henderson managed her effort well and maintained the difference despite visible fatigue, crossing the finish line in first position after a very demanding race.

With this victory, the rider from the Orbea Fox Factory Team claimed her first win in the Shimano Super Cup Massi XCO 2026, ahead of a solid Kelsey Urban and Gwendalyn Gibson. Chiara Teocchi finished fourth after being one of the main protagonists of the race, while Jennifer Jackson and Evie Richards completed the top 6 in a very tight classification.

Elite Women's Classification – Super Cup La Nucía 2026

1. Rebecca Henderson (Orbea Fox Factory Team) – 1:08:32
2. Kelsey Urban (KMC Nukeproof MTB Racing Team) – at 7 s
3. Gwendalyn Gibson (Trek Unbroken) – at 17 s
4. Chiara Teocchi (BH Coloma Team) – at 53 s
5. Jennifer Jackson (Orbea Fox Factory Team) – at 54 s
6. Evie Richards (Trek Unbroken) – at 54 s