Video with the highlights of Short Track in Lenzerheide: the first World Cup race in which 32" bikes competed

The MTB World Cup in Lenzerheide will go down in history as the first event where we saw 32" bikes compete, but aside from the technical detail, it left us with two very intense races, both in the women's and men's categories.

Here’s how the two spectacular Short Track races of the MTB World Cup in Lenzerheide went

The women's race was marked by the strong pace set from the very beginning by Puck Pieterse. The Dutch rider tried to toughen the race from the start, although the group of favorites managed to stay together for a large part of the race.

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The situation changed when Alessandra Keller decided to attack on the sixth lap. The Swiss rider definitively split the group and left behind some of the main contenders for victory, including Jenny Rissveds and Pieterse herself.

However, the enormous effort made by Keller ended up taking its toll in the final stages. On the last lap, Ronja Blöchlinger surprised with an attack that only Savilia Blunk could follow. The American managed her energy better and launched the decisive move in the final meters to take a brilliant victory ahead of Blöchlinger and a combative Keller.

Top 5 XCC Elite Women

1. Savilia Blunk (Decathlon Ford Racing Team)
2. Ronja Blöchlinger (Liv Factory Racing)
3. Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon)
4. Nicole Koller (Lapierre PXR Racing)
5. Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Premier Tech)

The men's race once again confirmed the extraordinary form of Adrien Boichis. The Frenchman delivered an impeccable performance in a race that was contested at a very high pace from the first lap.

Bjorn Riley was one of the main protagonists at the start, while Fabio Püntener, Luca Martin, Dario Lillo, Filippo Colombo, and Martin Vidaurre were part of the main group throughout the race.

Another standout name in the race was Chris Blevins. The American returned to competition after several weeks of absence due to injury and made a spectacular comeback after starting far from the front positions.

The race was very open heading into the last lap, but it was then that Boichis launched a devastating attack. Only Luca Martin was able to initially respond to the Frenchman's move, but he could not keep up until the finish. Boichis ended up crossing the line solo to secure another victory in the World Cup and further solidify his excellent form.

Top 5 XCC Elite Men

1. Adrien Boichis (Specialized Factory Racing)
2. Luca Martin (Cannondale Factory Racing)
3. Bjorn Riley (SCOTT-SRAM MTB Racing Team)
4. Martin Vidaurre Kossmann (Specialized Factory Racing)
5. Dario Lillo (Giant Factory Off-Road Team - XC)

Lenzerheide has once again demonstrated why it is one of the most spectacular venues of the World Cup. With fast races, constant position changes, and open finishes until the very last moment, the Short Track left an excellent appetizer before the XCO events on Sunday.