Isabella Holmgren cracks top-10 in junior XCO at world champs
Zorak Paillé leads men in strong showing from Canada's next generation of cross country racers

Isabella Holmgren and Zorak Paillé led a strong Canadian showing in the junior cross country races as the first individual medals were handed out at 2022 mountain bike world championships. Holmgren cracked the top 10 in the junior women’s XCO, posting the top Canadian result. Paillé nearly matched that, with an impressive 11th in the junior men’s race.
RELATED: How to watch 2022 mountain bike world championships in Canada
The Women Junior XCO race is underway!
Let’s go Les Gets! ?#LesGets2022 pic.twitter.com/BIh996KRp3
— UCI MTB (@UCI_MTB) August 25, 2022
Junior Women
Isabella Holmgren rode to an incredible 10th , working her way through the field steadily throughout the race. She leads five Canadians in the top 25 of the junior women’s race. Together with Marin Lowe (16th) and her sister Ava Holmgren (18th), the Canadians placed second behind Switzerland in the team rankings for junior women.
Ophelie Grandmont and Ella Myers also battled through the field to finish 24th and 25th in junior women. Ellie Clark placed 36th and Mara Roldan in 39th in the 62-rider field, rounding out a very strong showing from the Canadian squad.
Women Junior XCO Podium:
1️⃣ Monique Halter (SUI)
2️⃣ Lea Huber (SUI)
3️⃣ Natalia Grzegorzewska (POL) #LesGets2022 pic.twitter.com/kzFi8Vlkbd— UCI MTB (@UCI_MTB) August 25, 2022
The junior women’s race was won by Switzerland’s Monique Halter who led from start to finish to claim her championship title. Lea Huber, also of Switzerland, and Poland’s Natalia Grzegorzewska finished 1:16 and 1:26 back to round out the podium.
And there they go!
Four laps until we have a new World Champion ?#LesGets2022 pic.twitter.com/2ApsI02Q6M
— UCI MTB (@UCI_MTB) August 25, 2022
Junior Men
National champion Zorak Paillé led the Canadians in the junior men’s results, finishing 11th behind race winner Paul Schehl of Germany. Jan Christen of Switzerland and Paul Magnier of France rounded out the jr. men’s XCO podium.
Maxime St.-Onge was the next across the line for Canada, finishing 42nd in the massive 113-rider junior men’s cross country race. Cam McCallum followed in 56th, Mike Comaniuk 58th and Alexander Woodford round out the Canadian effort in 65th.
Junior XCO Podium:
1️⃣ Paul Schehl ??
2️⃣ Jan Christen ??
3️⃣ Paul Magnier ??#LesGets2022 pic.twitter.com/5OJ9l9byhp— UCI MTB (@UCI_MTB) August 25, 2022
Results: 2022 UCI mountain bike world championships (Les Gets, France)
Junior Women XCO
1 | HALTER Monique | ![]() |
59:37 | ||
2 | HUBER Lea | ![]() |
+1:16 | ||
3 | GRZEGORZEWSKA Natalia | ![]() |
+1:26 | ||
4 | WEEGER Antonia | ![]() |
+1:56 | ||
5 | MACLEAN-HOWELL Ella | ![]() |
+2:40 | ||
6 | CORVI Valentina | ![]() |
+3:04 | ||
7 | CIOPPA Bailey | ![]() |
+3:56 | ||
8 | EMBACHER Katrin | ![]() |
+4:09 | ||
9 | HUTTER Anina | ![]() |
+4:45 | ||
10 | HOLMGREN Isabella | ![]() |
+4:50 | ||
11 | CANO ESPINOSA Marta | ![]() |
+5:01 | ||
12 | HYLEN Tilda | ![]() |
+5:12 | ||
13 | GREGOIRE Julia | ![]() |
+5:21 | ||
14 | HAHN Carla | ![]() |
+5:33 | ||
15 | MOLENGRAAF Lauren | ![]() |
+5:49 | ||
16 | LOWE Marin | ![]() |
+5:49 | ||
17 | JORDE Lisa Kristine | ![]() |
+6:34 | ||
18 | HOLMGREN Ava | ![]() |
+6:37 | ||
19 | ZUR Kinga | ![]() |
+6:47 | ||
20 | JACOBS Tyler | ![]() |
+6:49 | ||
24 | GRANDMONT Ophelie | ![]() |
+8:02 | ||
25 | MYERS Ella | ![]() |
+8:19 | ||
36 | CLARK Elli | ![]() |
+9:54 | ||
39 | ROLDAN Mara | ![]() |
+11:05 |
Junior Men’s XCO
1 | SCHEHL Paul | ![]() |
1:02:48 | ||
2 | CHRISTEN Jan | ![]() |
+0:18 | ||
3 | MAGNIER Paul | ![]() |
+0:24 | ||
4 | TEUNISSEN van MANEN Rens | ![]() |
+1:18 | ||
5 | KRUGER Benjamin | ![]() |
+1:30 | ||
6 | HERZOG Emil | ![]() |
+1:46 | ||
7 | EKROLL Sivert | ![]() |
+2:04 | ||
8 | GRATER Lars | ![]() |
+2:31 | ||
9 | ENGLISH Daniel | ![]() |
+2:53 | ||
10 | FARSTADVOLL Martin E | ![]() |
+3:17 | ||
11 | PAILLE Zorak | ![]() |
+3:33 | ||
12 | SPRANGER Jack | ![]() |
+3:45 | ||
13 | PUNTENER Romano | ![]() |
+3:52 | ||
14 | CROMMELINCK Melvin | ![]() |
+4:04 | ||
15 | HATTENSCHWILER Loris | ![]() |
+4:06 | ||
16 | LOUNELA Leo | ![]() |
+4:12 | ||
17 | CORNILLON Nathan | ![]() |
+4:18 | ||
18 | GERIG Sven | ![]() |
+4:32 | ||
19 | DEBORD Romain | ![]() |
+4:36 | ||
20 | 52 | GRUITERS Morris | ![]() |
+4:46 | |
42 | ST. ONGE Maxime | ![]() |
+7:16 | ||
56 | MCCALLUM Cam | ![]() |
+8:31 | ||
58 | COMANIUK Mike | ![]() |
+8:46 | ||
65 | WOODFORD Alexander | ![]() |
+9:24 |