Sina Frei and Charlie Aldridge are crowned European XCC champions 2026 in Monte Ceneri

The 2026 European Mountain Bike Championship already has its first elite champions. Swiss rider Sina Frei claimed the continental title in Short Track (XCC) after defeating reigning champion Jenny Rissveds at home, while British cyclist Charlie Aldridge secured the men's race with a decisive attack in the final meters to don the European champion jersey.

Sina Frei and Charlie Aldridge crowned XCC European Champions 2026

Thursday's events began with the distribution of the first continental jerseys after the junior and U23 races. The elite competition kicked off with a women's race in which Jenny Rissveds defended the title she won last year.

Sina Frei breaks Rissveds' dominance with a decisive attack

From the start, the Swiss team made it clear that they wanted to take advantage of the home field. Ronja Blöchlinger was the first to set the pace in a small lead group that also included Sina Frei, Alessandra Keller, Nicole Koller, Rissveds herself, and British rider Evie Richards.

The Swedish rider opted to take on much of the work during the first half of the race, positioning herself at the front of the group to impose a steady pace. However, starting from the seventh lap, the attacks from the two main Swiss contenders, Sina Frei and Alessandra Keller, began to wear down the title defender.

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The decisive move came in the last two laps. Frei managed to open a small gap sufficient to cross the finish line alone and proclaim herself the new XCC European champion. Keller completed the Swiss double just three seconds later, while Rissveds salvaged third place seven seconds behind the winner.

Top 10 XCC European Championship Women Elite

1. Sina Frei (Switzerland) – 20:28
2. Alessandra Keller (Switzerland) +3 s
3. Jenny Rissveds (Sweden) +7 s
4. Evie Richards (Great Britain) +12 s
5. Sofie Pedersen (Denmark) +19 s
6. Nicole Koller (Switzerland) +48 s
7. Luisa Daubermann (Germany) +48 s
8. Ginia Caluori (Switzerland) +53 s
9. Vita Movrin (Slovenia) +1:00
10. Caroline Bohé (Denmark) +1:20

Charlie Aldridge decides the title in the final attack

The men's race began with one of the day's headlines: the return of Swiss rider Filippo Colombo to competition after suffering a fibula fracture earlier this month during the La Thuile World Cup.

The absence of several top favorites, who preferred to continue preparing for the World Championship, left the race very open, especially after the numerous withdrawals from the French team.

The early stages were dominated by the Swiss riders, with Dario Lillo, Vital Albin, and Luca Schätti setting the pace alongside Italian Juri Zanotti. British rider Charlie Aldridge always stayed well positioned, although he opted for a more conservative strategy for much of the race.

The Spanish rider Jofre Cullell also stood out, even managing to position himself at the front of the race at several moments, although the continuous swapping of positions modified the lead group as the laps progressed.

With two laps to go, Zanotti, Aldridge, Albin, and Lillo battled for the championship in a small group. Everything was decided in the final stretch, where Aldridge launched a powerful attack that none of his rivals could respond to. The British rider crossed the finish line in first position to become the XCC European champion 2026, ahead of Zanotti and Lillo.

Top 10 XCC European Championship Men Elite

1. Charlie Aldridge (Great Britain) – 19:53
2. Juri Zanotti (Italy) +1 s
3. Dario Lillo (Switzerland) +2 s
4. Tobias Lillelund (Denmark) +3 s
5. Luca Schätti (Switzerland) +5 s
6. Pierre de Froidmont (Belgium) +8 s
7. Joshua Dubau (France) +10 s
8. Sebastian Fini Juul (Denmark) +12 s
9. Jofre Cullell (Spain) +13 s
10. Leon Reinhard Kaiser (Germany) +13 s