France, Italy, Romania, USA... have new XCO national champions

With just over 20 days to go until the Tokyo Olympics, many national cycling federations marked the weekend of July 9-11 for their national championships. Here we review the most relevant for the international scene and the upcoming Olympic Games.

New 2021 XCO national champions from around the world

In Spain, David Valero and Rocío del Alba García have renewed their national champion jerseys for the Olympic Games, something that reaffirms their choice to defend the colors of Spain in Tokyo. But let's see what has happened in other countries.

By the way, if you want to know who are all the cyclists who will participate in the MTB event of the Tokyo Olympic Games, here you will find them all by country.

Marotte and Lecomte win in France

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France is along with Switzerland one of the most powerful countries in the world in the XCO discipline, so it is always interesting to follow their national championships to measure the condition of their riders.

Maxime Marotte was a surprise in the men's race, riding a brilliant race throughout the entire course and sealing it with a great final attack that allowed him to overtake Jordan Sarrou, current world champion, and take the French champion's jersey. It must be said that in the last meters Sarrou could not defend himself due to a broken chain. Titouan Carod was third.

In the women's race, Pauline Ferrand Prevot took the start with the tough task of trying to beat the best XCO rider of 2021. Loana Lecomte has won every World Cup race this season and dominated again this time. Lecomte wins her first national title in the elite category. Pauline Ferrand Prevot won the silver medal and Lena Gerault took the bronze.

In France, it is a coincidence that Maxime Marotte did not enter the selection for the Olympic Games and Victor Koretzky, who won the national short track championship last Thursday but was not at the front in the XCO event, entered.

Nadir Colledani and Eva Lechner win the Italian champion's jersey

In Italy, Nadir Colledani, MMR FRT rider, confirmed the good form he was showing in the World Cup by taking the Italian champion title ahead of the Braidot brothers. Luca Braidot was second and Danielle third.

In women, the veteran Eva Lechner showed that experience is a plus and was the one who best knew how to read the race with a performance from less to more that culminated entering first at the finish line and revalidating her Italian champion's jersey. Marika Tovo was second and Martina Berta third.

Vlad Dascalu continues to reign in Romania

For the second time in its history, mountain biking will have Romanian representation in the hands of Vlad Dascalu. This cyclist with residence in Spain is being able to raise the interest for mountain biking in his country only with his own merits.

With this presentation, many assumed that Vlad's victory at the nationals would depend only on himself. And so it was. Vlad Dascalu retained his title as Romanian champion ahead of Logigan Lucian and Ede Molnár.

Erin Huck and Keegan Swenson are the new U.S. champions

In the US XCO championship the worst news was undoubtedly the absence of Kate Courtney, the cyclist who has given more joy to this discipline in her country in recent years, or Christopher Blevins, also selected to defend the colors of the USA in Tokyo. But the dates may have played against the preparation of these cyclists for the Olympic Games.

In men Keegan Swenson revalidated the national champion title he won in 2019 and could not defend in 2020 due to the cancellation of the event. And in women Erin Huck will be the one wearing the Stars and Stripes jersey from now on.

Periklis wins in Greece

Greece had only one place for the Olympic Games in Tokyo, which is occupied by the DMT Racing Team rider, Ilias Periklis. A specialist in XCM and stage races, he was XCM World Champion in 2012.

In XCO he has been national champion since 2018, a title he has just renewed, although his performances this year at the Albstadt and Nove Mesto World Cups have been very discreet.

By his striking gesture entering the finish line we may think that his selection for the Olympic Games has raised criticism in his country, but the truth is that with this victory his place is more than justified.

The results of some countries that have also held their national championships this weekend, such as South Africa, are still to be known, and we will update this article as soon as we know them.