AMERICAN MAN WIN’S THE ANDORRA XCO WORLD CUP RACE

Check out the repot on the Elite Me's XCO Finals and the highlights video of the race

NEWS RELEASE FROM THE UCI MOUNTAIN BIKE WORLD SERIES

There was another shake-up in the Elite Men’s ranks as both Nino Schurter and Tom Pidcock failed to win the World Cup XCO race in Andorra.

In the men’s race, Mathias Flückiger (Thömus Maxon) won his first World Cup of the 2023 season after taking the lead on the second lap of seven.

The Swiss rider was pushed hard by France’s Thomas Griot (Canyon CLLCTV) who rode through a chasing bunch to get within 8 seconds of Flückiger on the penultimate lap. But Flückiger, who looked planted on the technical wet descents, extended the gap to take the win by some 23 seconds.

Third place was decided in the last few seconds of the race as World Champion Thomas Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) managed to reel in and pass Jordan Sarrou (Team BMC) in sight of the finishing straight.

Series leader Nino Schurter (Scott-SRAM MTB Racing Team) lost almost a minute to a puncture but held on to the series leader’s jersey after managing to finish in 12th.

The U23 riders went between the tapes in the morning with a Swiss 1-2 in a wet women’s race which saw Noëlle Buri (Bixs Performance Race Team) take a convincing win some 24 seconds ahead of Ronja Blöchlinger (Liv Factory Racing). France’s Noemi Garnier (Scott Creuse Oxygene Gueret) took third. Sofie Heby Pedersen (Wilier-Pirelli Factory Team XCO) finished the day in seventh but holds onto the leader’s jersey after winning the first four rounds of the 2023 season.

Overnight rain made the U23 men’s race a slick affair but the USA’s Riley Amos (Trek Factory Racing XC) [shown here] coped best with the conditions and the altitude to take the win. France’s Adrien Boichis (Trinity Racing MTB) was some 13 seconds back in second. His compatriot Luca Martin (Orbea Factory Team) was third. Boichis retains the series lead ahead of the sixth round.