Jenn Jackson eats dirt, but still places sixth in Brazil
Canadian cross-country riders face setbacks as 2025 UCI world cup season kicks off in Brazil
The 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series opened with a bang—and a few hard hits—in Araxá, Brazil this weekend, as Canada’s top cross-country racers launched into the new season.
For Jenn Jackson, Saturday’s XCC result was solid; sixth place behind some of the sport’s true legends. Sunday’s XCO race wasn’t the clean start to the year she’d envisioned after a crash mid-race took her off the pace. But in the multiple angles of the crash, we’re all just happy she’s okay. Hot diggety did she get lucky. It probably left her a bit rattled, but she clawed her way back through the field to finish a remarkable sixth in the elite women’s XCO race.
“What the heck. 6th, career best XCO, near death, so much fight,” she posted after the race. Thank you so much for the incredible start to the season @orbeafactoryteam, and I’m so sorry for the heart attack.”
It’s a solid result and a promising sign that Jackson will be a factor all season long.
A scary moment for Johnston
Emilly Johnston’s weekend was a mixed bag of emotions to be sure. After a solid first XCC event, she place 22nd.
“First elite xcc, it was really a battlefield out there,” she said. “Have a lot to learn this year and couldn’t be more excited for it.
P22 and a third row call up for tomorrow’s XCO, excited for some more craziness!
And that craziness delivered. The 21-year-old B.C. racer went down hard on Araxá’s notoriously technical course and was taken to hospital with a good whack to the noggin. Initial reports are that Johnston remained conscious after the crash but was held for observation as a precaution.
“I fought with all I had, went over the bars heavy. Head got knocked on some chunky rocks pretty good and ended up taking my first ambulance ride. I’m doing okay, nothing broken, just beaten up, working on getting recovered n ready for next week.”
Not all bad news for Canada
Despite the setbacks, Canadian riders still showed up in Brazil. Jackson’s sixth in the elite field put her in the mix with the world’s best. In the U23 XCO men’s race, Owen Clark placed tenth on the Sunday. Of course it was the U23 women’s race where Canada really stole the podium: Isabella Holmgren took the top spot and Ella McPhee took second.
Next up
Next up is the second round of the series; it’s at the same place, same time (but a week later) and it should have the same amount of drama.