Ferrand-Prévot and Sam Gaze take rainbow jerseys for cross-country short track

The cross-country short track UCI World titles were claimed by Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (FRA) and Sam Gaze (NZL) after thrilling high-speed races at the 2022 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Les Gets, France. Earlier in the day Nicole Göldi (SUI) and Jérôme Gilloux (FRA) both retained their rainbow jerseys for E-mountain bike cross-country (E-MTB).

Women E-MTB: gold for Göldi

Reigning UCI World Champion Nicole Göldi was determined to defend her rainbow stripes and became the first E-MTB rider - male or female - to retain a UCI World title.

As the six-lap women’s race began in fine weather the favourites lived up to their billing. Göldi took first position, and would not relinquish it. Close to the Swiss rider were 2021 silver and bronze medalists Laura Charles (FRA) and Sofia Wiedenroth (GER), along with Nathalie Schneitter (SUI) and Justine Tonso (FRA).

As Tonso pushed forward at the half-way mark, Charles began to drop back. Schneitter fought Tonso hard for the silver but had to settle for bronze - 10 seconds back from the French athlete – after a final lap raced in the rain. But neither could rival Göldi, who had time to savour her victory, crossing the line in 47:00, a comfortable 1:15 from her closest rival.

Men E-MTB: Gilloux confirms

At the rainy start of the men’s seven-lap race, the favourites came to the fore of the 36-rider field. 2021 UCI World Champion Jérôme Gilloux took the early lead, followed by Joris Ryf (SUI) and Hugo Pigeon (FRA), opening up a gap over a group including Loïc Noël (SUI), Emeric Enzer (FRA), Joshua Carlson (AUS), Fabio Spena (SUI) and Peter Sagan (SLO).

The top three developed a 1-min advantage over the chasers. Then, just after half distance a slip from Ryf allowed Pigeon to move into 2nd, giving the home nation a 1-2 to cheer on, with another Frenchman, Enzer, in fourth, and Italy’s Andrea Garibbo breaking into the top five.

And that order was maintained to the end of the race. Gilloux came home in 52:21 for the gold medal, with Pigeon taking silver (+0:29) and Ryf bronze (+0:42).

New to the format, triple UCI World Champion in the road race Peter Sagan (SVK) battled well, slid out in a corner on the final lap, and finished in 16th place.

Women XCC: unstoppable Pauline!

As the rain returned, 38 riders started the women’s cross-country short track. The British pair of Annie Last and Evie Richards (XCO UCI World Champion) hit the early pace with a wall of Swiss riders and home favourite Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, winner of the season’s opening UCI World Cup XCC race in Petropolis, Brazil. Riders not competing included Rebecca McConnell (AUS), Anne Terpstra (NED), Loana Lecomte (FRA), Jenny Rissveds (SWE) and Haley Batten (USA).

After three laps of nine, Last led from Greta Seiwald (ITA), Ferrand-Prévot and Alessandra Keller (SUI), leader of the UCI World Cup standings, one of four Swiss riders in the top eight. But Keller crashed on lap six after Olympic XCO Champion Jolanda Neff (SUI) took a new short line over the rock garden.

Ferrand-Prévot attacked with two laps remaining; chased by Seiwald and Last, who crashed on the same rocks as Keller, with a gap growing behind to the chasers who were joined by USA’s Gwendalyn Gibson, winner at the Snowshoe XCC UCI World Cup race.

The French multiple UCI World Champion won in 21:56. Keller recovered to take second (+0:18) with Gibson third (+0:21) and Seiwald fading to 6th place.

“It’s just crazy. I can’t believe it,” said Pauline Ferrand-Prévot. “I saw it was not super-fast

I just wanted to push full gas but I had to wait.”

“It’s so special. My mom, dad and little brother are all here!” said bronze medalist Gwendalyn Gibson. “It’s so special that I get to have a really good performance in front of all of them!”

Men XCC: Golden Gaze

As conditions started to dry out, 47 men took to the start. Nino Schurter (SUI), Tom Pidcock (GBR), Vlad Dascalu (ROM) and Luca Braidot (ITA) were amongst those who did not race. Henrique Avancini (BRA) – winner of the XCC and XCO races at the Nové Město na Moravě (CZE) UCI World Cup in 2020 – set the early pace with Thomas Litscher (SUI) before Germany’s Julian Schelb skillfully handled a slip on the rocks while leading on lap three of ten.

At half distance a lead group formed, including defending UCI World Champion Christopher Blevins (USA), Alan Hatherly (RSA) and Filippo Colombo (SUI). Meanwhile Avancini was the latest rider to take a tumble on the slippery rocks before fighting back to the front alongside Sam Gaze.

Latvia’s Martin Blums made the attack on the penultimate lap as the pace picked up, but it was at the start of the final lap that Gaze – winner at the 2022 UCI World Cup at Albstadt, Germany – increased the speed dramatically. Blevins and Litscher went with him. But side by side on the last rock section the American crashed out with just a few metres to go.

Gaze adds the rainbow stripes to his recently defended Commonwealth title, winning in 22:21. Colombo took silver (+0:03) and Litscher the bronze (+0:07). Hatherly and Blums were 4th and 5th.

“It’s been a hard year, so many setbacks. I’ve done all I can to be ready this weekend,” said Sam Gaze. “With two laps to go I was confident that if I did my sprint it would be ok. Now to be Commonwealth Champion and UCI World Champion… that’s special!”

“I was really out of energy on the last lap and I was thinking ‘something could happen on the last rock garden’… and it happened!” said Thomas Litscher.