Isabella Holmgren and Emilly Johnston podium in XCC as World Cup kicks off in Italy

Val di Sole started with a hectic schedule of downhill and cross country racing on Friday. For the XC athletes, elite and under-23, it was the fast and fierce 20-minute gauntlet of Short Track (XCC) on the menu. Isabella Holmgren and Emilly Johnston led the Canadian results. Both finished on the podium in the under-23 women’s race.

Under-23 XCC: Double Canucks

The under-23 women’s XCC served as the highlight for Canada’s results on Friday, with two riders on the podium. After winning in Nove Mesto, Lidl-Trek’ Isabella Holmgren had to settle for second in Val di Sole. Emilly Johnston (Trek Future Racing) added another XCC podium to her successful 2024 campaign, joining Holmgren on the podium in fourth. It was Kira Bohm (Cube Factory Racing), though, returning to the top step of the podium. The German rider won the first four rounds of this year’s World Cup before Holmgren disrupted her streak in Nova Mesto.

Ella MacPhee (Pivot Cycles-OTE) added another top 10 finish to her World Cup season, placing 10th on Friday. Marin Lowe (Pittstop Racing) followed in 25th.

In the under-23 men’s race, it was again the Riley Amos and Bjorn Riley show. The two young U.S. racers are proving dominant this season, rarely finishing off the podium. This time, though, it was Bjorn Riley (Trek Future Racing) taking the win with Riley Amos (Trek Factory Racing) finishing second. It’s the first XCC loss for Amos, who was recently named to the U.S. Olympic team, this season.

Cole Punchard (Pivot Cycles-OTE) led the Canadians, finishing 19th. Owen Clark (Armada Hockley Valley Resort) was just behind in 25th with Zorak Paillé (Pivot Cycles-OTE) in 28th.

Elites

In the elite women’s race, Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck), the 2023 World Cup overall winner, was back on winning form. The Dutch racer outpaced Pauline Ferrand-Prevot, who is rumoured to be leaving her INEOS squad at the end of this year, to take the win. Savilia Blunk (Decathlon Ford), also recently named to the U.S. mountain bike team for Paris, rounds out the podium in third.

Jenn Jackson (Liv Factory Racing) finished 18th, the lone Canadian in the 40-rider XCC race.

On the men’s side, Sam Gaze made it a double World Cup win on Friday for Alpecin-Deceuninck. The XCC world champion out kicked an illustrious quartet in a five-up sprint finish to earn Friday’s victory. It’s Gaze’s second XCC World Cup win this season, which pushes him into second overall in that points race (XCC and XCO have separate but, in a typical UCI arrangement, overlapping point structures). Victor Koretzky (Specialized Factory Racing) holds onto the leader’s jersey by finishing second. Jens Schuermans (Giant Factory Off-Road Team) finishes third ahead of Nino Schurter (Scott-SRAM) and Filippo Colombo (Scott-SRAM)

Gunnar Holmgren (KMC Ridley), the presumptive Canadian selection for the Paris Olympics after his performance in Nove Mesto, finished 25th as the only Canadian in the elite men’s XCC.

Elite women's XCC World Cup podium in Val di Sole. Photo: WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series

Elite men's XCC podium. Photo: WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series

World Cup racing continues in Val di Sole all weekend. Downhill finals are up next on Saturday, where Canadians are poised for more big results after a heated day of qualifying and semi final racing on Friday. Cross country XCO events wrap up the weekend on Sunday. See the full schedule, and broadcast details, here.