2025 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships: France surge to gold in thrilling team relay

Italy and Switzerland claim medals behind France

The alpine resort of Crans-Montana provided the stage for an enthralling cross-country team relay on Thursday, the only team event of the 2025 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships taking place in Valais, Switzerland (1-14 September).

It was impossible for spectators to take their eyes off the action, with France coming through for victory after a strategic race that saw some nations set their strongest riders early on, while others saved their trump cards for the end. Italy took the silver medal and Switzerland bronze.

Thirteen nations lined up at the start, each fielding six riders, mixing women and men from Elite, Under 23 (U23) and Junior categories. Each rider completed one 3.8km lap with 160m of climbing.

How it unfolded

From the off, Canada’s Carter Woods took to the front early with another Men Elite rider Juri Zanotti, of Italy. Right behind them were Men Under 23 riders Adrien Boichis (FRA) and Finn Treudler (SUI) who had already fought closely on Tuesday when they claimed gold and silver respectively in the Men U23 cross-country short track (XCC). But Treudler’s electric 9:36 lap gave the hosts an 8-second lead over Italy at the first handover, with France and Canada right behind.

Strategy immediately came into play on lap 2 as Italy handed over to Elian Paccagnella (Men U23) while the Swiss (Lewin Iten), French (Lucas Teste) and Canadians (Ethan Wood) all fielded Men Junior riders. Paccagnella forged a lead over the Swiss and French with Canada’s Wood holding fourth.

Lap 3 of 6 was a superb fight at the front with the Women Elite putting down the power… Italy’s Martina Berta started with a 20-second advantage over France’s Loana Lecomte, and Switzerland’s Ramona Forchini a further 4 seconds behind.

Canada’s Under-23 XCC UCI World Champion Isabella Holmgren was losing time to these Elite riders, while Argentina’s Gonzalo Martin Bellantig (Men U23) was steadily eating into the gap ahead.

Into the second half of the race, Italy’s Elisa Ferri inherited a lead of 25 seconds from her fellow Women Junior rider Fiona Schibler (SUI). But France’s Women U23 Olivia Onesti – part of the French team that won silver in 2024 – chased them both down to take the lead.

With a minor hiccup, Onesti handed over to Lise Revol (Women Junior) with a 16-second advantage, providing a tricolour target for Italy’s in-form Women Under 23 rider Valentina Corvi. Meanwhile Swiss Junior Anja Grossmann knew exactly who she was handing over to, and did her best to hold the gap to Canada’s Jennifer Jackson (Women Elite XCC bronze medallist on Tuesday).

Going into the final lap, Corvi took the penultimate lap by the scruff of the neck, delivering Ettore Fabbro (Men Junior) a 4-second lead. But he was up against the massive Men Elite wattage of France’s Joshua Dubau, and Switzerland’s Nino Schurter. The Swiss legend set off at 1:11 with Canada’s Cole Punchard (Men U23) 8 seconds behind, looking for another bronze medal position to match the individual XCC medal he had earned just two days earlier.

Dubau set a relentless pace – recording a 9:45 lap time – to take the line and deliver the French team to the title of UCI World Champions. The French finished with a time of 1:05.14, at an average speed of 20.971km/h, from silver medallists Italy (+0:34). To delighted crowds, Schurter brought Switzerland home for bronze, adding yet another medal to his hefty collection in his final UCI World Championships.