VIDEO | On the limit: how Frei and Aldridge won the final XCO of the season

The XCO World Cup 2026 curtain came down in Lake Placid with two Elite races that kept the victory open until the final meters. Sina Frei and Charlie Aldridge were the last winners of the season, while Jenny Rissveds and Luca Martin closed the weekend as overall XCO winners. Two very close races that you can relive now with the best moments from each.

Here’s how the last XCO races of the World Cup 2026 went

Sina Frei wins against Martina Berta by the narrowest margin

The women's race reached the last lap with Sina Frei, Martina Berta, and Samara Maxwell contesting the victory. Frei managed to create a gap taking advantage of a mistake by Berta in an uphill rock garden, but the Italian recovered the lost ground and reconnected before the finish line.

Everything was decided in a sprint and with a photo finish. Behind, Jenny Rissveds finished 11th and secured the overall title of the XCO World Cup 2026.

Aldridge beats Colombo in another sprint finish

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Sina Frei wins by millimetres in Lake Placid as Jenny Rissveds claims the XCO World Cup

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The men's race also reserved all the excitement for the last lap. After many attacks and several favorites at the front, Charlie Aldridge, Filippo Colombo, and Martin Vidaurre stood out from the rest in the final stretch and arrived together at the resolution of the race.

Aldridge launched the sprint from far away and managed to hold off an incredible acceleration from Colombo by the narrowest margin. 

The victory also allowed Cannondale Factory Racing to bid farewell to the World Cup by winning their last race, with Cole Punchard finishing fourth and Luca Martin fifth. The latter arrived in Lake Placid already as the mathematical winner of the overall XCO.