2025 UCI Urban Cycling World Championships: close-fought final day in Riyadh

Five UCI world titles for four nations

The fifth and final day of the 2025 UCI Urban Cycling World Championships in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, saw UCI world titles awarded to China’s Sun Sibei and France’s Anthony Jeanjean in BMX Freestyle Park, and Elite trials rainbow jerseys won by Spain’s Alba Riera (Women), Great Britain’s Charlie Rolls (26”) and Spain’s Alejandro Montalvo (20”).

Women Elite trials: Riera retains the rainbow

In Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates) in 2024, Alba Riera beat Vera Báron by just 10 points to claim her first Women Elite UCI world title, at the expense of her Spanish countrywoman. Fast forward almost a year to Saudi Arabia and the two athletes were favourites again.

Riera hit 60 on section 1, and 2021 UCI World Champion Báron replied in kind. After three of five rounds it was 170-160 in Riera’s favour, both having scored two 60s, with France’s Nina Vabre the closest challenger on 100 points.

Throughout the tense final two sections, the Spanish pair was evenly matched. Báron gave everything but slipped on the last obstacle, and Riera, the youngest rider in the final, maintained her 10-point advantage just as she had 12 months earlier. Vabre took bronze ahead of Czechia’s Eliška Hríbková.

Men Elite trials 26”: Rolls on a roll

After watching Riera and Báron dominate the Women Elite final and Spain win all three Junior trials titles on Friday, fellow Spaniards Daniel Báron, Martí Veyreda, Toni Guillen and Julen Sáenz had a lot to live up to. Facing them was a strong British contingent: although reigning UCI World Champion Jack Carthy was absent due to illness, young Oliver Weightman, and the in-form Charlie Rolls, recovering from a knee injury, had high ambitions.

After Guillen hit a maximum 60 points on the first section, Sáenz matched him, then swapped the lead with Rolls over the following three rounds. After they both scored 60 on the penultimate round, Sáenz scored 40 in the last round, putting him on 230 in provisional gold position with just two riders left to go… the Britons.

Weightman started on 180, needing 50 to go to the front, but trouble in the sandpit saw him running out of time. His score of 30 put him in bronze medal position that he couldn’t lose. The pressure was on the last rider, Rolls, who achieved the 40 points to give him the Elite rainbow bands for the first time.

“I’ve been so close, I’ve been in grasping distance, but wow! It’s unbelievable to actually make it, get the gold, bring it home to the UK, it’s amazing!” said the jubilant UCI World Champion.

Men Elite trials 20”: Montalvo makes history

Four different nations were represented in the Men Elite 20” final, starting with the Austrian powerhouse Thomas Pechhacker, followed by the first Italian in a UCI World Championships 20” final, Marco Bonalda, then Finland’s young Niilo Stenvall.

They were up against the three formidable Spanish riders: Borja Conejos, Eloi Palau and 2022, 2023 and 2024 UCI World Champion Alejandro Montalvo - who had scored three completely clean rounds in the semi-final.

UCI Trials World Cup overall winner Montalvo cleaned the first two sections, but hit 40 on section 3 to total 160. With Palau on 150 and Stenvall on 140, there were just 20 points between the top three riders with two sections remaining. It went down to the last section where 40 points each meant Montalvo claimed his third successive UCI world title with 260 points, pushed all the way by 2022 UCI World Champion Palau (250), and Stenvall (230).

“I’ve been working very hard all year.” said Alejandro Montalvo. “Now I can be happy, all the work is paying off, I won everything this year.”

Women’s BMX Freestyle Park: Chinese clean sweep

Amongst the 12 finalists, China was the best represented nation with four athletes, including the two highest qualifiers, Sun Jiaqi followed by Sun Sibei. They faced Japan’s Miharu Ozawa along with riders from the USA, Australia, Hungary, Germany and Colombia.

With the evolution of women’s BMX Freestyle Park in the last two years, 720 barspins, backflip tailwhips and truckdrivers over the 3.5-metre high spine don’t guarantee a podium spot: Ozawa landed those tricks but it wasn’t enough to compete with the Chinese delegation. Six-time UCI World Champion Hannah Roberts USA) made a mistake in run 1 and was under pressure to give everything in run 2, but ended in 10th position.

China’s Fan Xiaotong tore the park apart with tricks including cliffhangers over the box – one that only a few male riders can do – a no-handed backflip, a frontflip and an opposite flair. That was good for a bronze medal!

As the sun went down in Riyadh, two Suns shone in the Women Park finals as Sun Jiaqi and Sun Sibei battled for the gold medal. Sibei’s 360 tailwhips, 720s, flairs, a huge 360 over the spine and double barspins were all executed perfectly in her second run, and her score of 95.86 won her the 2025 UCI World Championships title. Jiaqi’s run with double tailwhips, 360 double whips on the box, backflip with an X-up mixed in, and a tailwhip to barspin earned her 93.08 and the silver medal to confirm a full Chinese podium.

Men’s BMX Freestyle Park: Jeanjean tops competitive final

On his second run, 9th - placed qualifier Anthony Jeanjean scored 94.44 and became the one to beat for the men's BMX Freestyle Park rainbow jersey. The Frenchman’s run had opposite tricks and unique lines that were performed in a smooth and clean way, including his double flair on the quarter.

Marcus Christopher came closest to Jeanjean, but the American’s score was 0.43 short of victory. Christopher’s first run was amazing but his second didn’t go to plan and he settled for 2nd place. Former UCI World Champion and Olympic gold medalist Logan Martin (AUS) grabbed bronze, edging out former UCI World Champions Rimu Nakamura (JPN), Brandon Loupos (AUS) and Justin Dowell (USA), with 2024 Olympic Champion Jose Torres Gil (ARG) in 6th place.