Samuel Gaze pulls off an impossible comeback to win the Soldier Hollow Short Track from the back row

Samuel Gaze has won the Short Track of the Soldier Hollow World Cup after staging a spectacular comeback from the last positions on the grid. The New Zealander started 37th out of 40 riders, regained positions throughout the race, and waited until the sprint to impose an uncontestable acceleration. Luca Martin finished second and Charlie Aldridge completed the podium.

Samuel Gaze wins the Soldier Hollow XCC World Cup when no one counted on him

The men's race started with a significant absence. Adrien Boichis, the recent XCC world champion, was not in Soldier Hollow, but the fight for the overall title still had all the incentives. Luca Martin and Mathis Azzaro arrived separated by less than 50 points with only this race and one more left to close the season.

Victor Koretzky was also absent, as he remains out of competition due to his physical problems. Still, the front row gathered many of the big names in the specialty, including Dario Lillo, Simone Avondetto, Martin Vidaurre, Luca Schwarzbauer, Luca Martin, Bjorn Riley, David List, and Mathis Azzaro.

Schwarzbauer toughens the race from the start

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The start was very fast and Luca Schwarzbauer quickly took the lead. The German took the front from the first lap and set a pace that first selected the group and then began to stretch it out.

The 32-inch bikes were once again one of the technical novelties of Soldier Hollow. Filippo Colombo and Fabio Püntener used the new SCOTT Spark 32", while Bjorn Riley and Vlad Dascalu did the same with the new Trek.

The organization finally set the race at ten laps, and on the third lap, Fabio Püntener was one of the few able to take over from Schwarzbauer at the front.

The pace was very high, but Charlie Aldridge still wanted to increase it. The Brit launched an attack on the fifth lap that ended up forming a very clear selection at the front. Aldridge, Luca Martin, Mathis Azzaro, Bjorn Riley, and Schwarzbauer managed to stay at the front while the rest began to lose ground.

The rain completely changes the Short Track

When it seemed that the selection was made, everything changed. The rain appeared on the eighth lap and the differences began to disappear. The front group grew considerably and the race opened up again. The choice of tires could then play an important role given the change in conditions.

One of the major protagonists of that moment was Samuel Gaze. The New Zealander had started practically from the back of the grid, 37th among the 40 riders, but he completed a comeback that allowed him to reach the front positions just as the race entered its decisive phase.

Also appearing at the front were Christopher Blevins, Jordan Sarrou, and Cole Punchard, who took turns at the front. Despite all the changes, Luca Martin and Mathis Azzaro remained well positioned as they fought for important points in the overall standings.

The bell announced the last lap with a large group still in contention for victory.

Samuel Gaze appears at the last moment

Cole Punchard was the first to try with a strong attack right at the start of the last lap. Jordan Sarrou responded and regained the first position, while Bjorn Riley was ruled out of the fight after a touch.

No one managed to open a definitive gap, and Soldier Hollow headed towards a sprint. There, Gaze appeared.

After coming back for practically the entire race, the New Zealander launched a spectacular acceleration in the final meters and overtook all his rivals to win again two years later at the World Cup.

Gaze crossed the finish line in 21:54. Luca Martin was second by one second, a particularly important result for his fight for the overall title, while Charlie Aldridge finished third. Mathis Azzaro, Martin's direct rival for the title, finished fourth with the same time as the two riders ahead of him.

The closeness of the finish was reflected in the results. From second to fifth place, they finished just one second behind Gaze, and the top ten were separated by just five seconds.

Top 10 XCC Elite Men – Soldier Hollow 2026

1. Samuel Gaze (Alpecin-Premier Tech) – 21:54
2. Luca Martin (Cannondale Factory Racing) – +1
3. Charlie Aldridge (Cannondale Factory Racing) – +1
4. Mathis Azzaro (Origine Racing Division) – +1
5. Lars Forster (Thömus Maxon) – +1
6. Jordan Sarrou (BMC Factory Racing) – +2
7. David List (Decathlon Ford Racing Team) – +3
8. Maximilian Brandl – +4
9. Jens Schuermans (Giant Factory Off-Road Team - XC) – +4
10. Luca Braidot (Wilier-Vittoria Factory Team) – +5