Gaia Tormena and Jeroen van Eck crowned 2024 UCI MTB Eliminator World Champions

Five for Tormena, a first for Van Eck

Gaia Tormena (ITA) and Jeroen van Eck (NED) won the rainbow jersey of UCI World Champion in Aalen, Germany, at the 2024 UCI Mountain Bike Eliminator World Championships.

As well as tackling cobbles and a large berm, riders were required to ride through a truck and jump over a car on the obstacle-packed course. A large crowd turned out to witness the spectacular competition.

Tormena retained her title, winning for the fourth year in a row and for the fifth time overall, while Van Eck became UCI World Champion for the first time.

The 2023, and six-time title holder, France’s Titouan Perrin-Ganier, was eliminated by a German 1-2 on home soil in an earlier round.

Women’s competition: drama all the way

After former UCI World Champion Coline Clauzure (FRA) was eliminated in the quarter-finals, Lara Caetano Leite (BRA), Annemoon van Dienst (NED) and France’s Madison Boissière (3rd fastest qualifier) were amongst those who went out in the semi-finals. Local heroine Marion Fromberger – 2nd fastest qualifier – managed to overcome a scare from a mechanical issue in the quarters to progress through to the final.

Women’s final: Tormena from start to finish

An unstoppable Tormena led from the start with Fromberger on her tail getting the loudest cheers from the crowd, as was her fellow German Lia Schrievers, who was just keeping in touch with the leading pair as the speed picked up into the 2nd lap.

There was no doubt about the winner, the Italian rider crossing the line more than 2 seconds clear of the German duo. Schrievers pipped Fromberger in the sprint for silver. Denmark’s Line Mygdam finished 4th.

“It’s incredible, as every year it’s amazing,” said Gaia Tormena. “Getting the rainbow jersey is the dream of every child. I have been preparing for this race since December. The atmosphere and the crowd are amazing.

“After winning the rainbow jersey multiple times, I am jealous about this prize and I do not want to give it away. But the jersey does not define the person, with or without the jersey, Gaia is always Gaia.”

Men’s competition: surprise early eliminations

2024 UCI World Cup winners, European Champion Romania’s Edy-Karoly Molnar, and 2nd in the UCI World Cup overall standings, Lorenzo Serres (FRA) – who suffered a broken chain – both went out as early as the 1/8th-finals.

But it was the reigning and multiple UCI World Champion Titouan Perrin-Ganier (FRA) going out in the quarter-finals in a sprint finish behind Germany duo Nils-Obed Riecker and Simon Gegenheimer that provided the surprise of the day. Then young Austrian Theo Hauser (winner of the last UCI World Cup round) and Sondre Rokke (NOR) were both eliminated in the semi-finals.

Men’s final: Van Eck, the flying Dutchman

In the men’s final, Jeroen van Eck controlled the early pace, pulling out a lead ahead of UCI World Cup overall leader, Sweden’s Edvin Lindh, until the Swede crashed on lap 2 chasing hard to close the gap.

It left Jacob Klemenčič and local hero Simon Gegenheimer to sprint head-to-head to decide the minor medals, with the Slovenian getting the best of that battle, and ‘Mr Moustache’ happy to be on his home podium, even if he’d wished for a higher step.

But it was the big Dutchman, returning to mountain bike eliminator after concentrating on E-mountain bike for much of the last two seasons, who took the win by 1.8-sec, to claim the rainbow jersey.

“I can’t believe it, I’ve been in this racing for such a long time, more than ten years,” said Jeroen van Eck. “I was aiming for the UCI World Championships win, and I never came closer than second, then I stepped out for two years… I just don’t have words for it!

“An amazing venue, so many people cheered. They were cheering ‘Simon, Simon’, but in my head I just heard ‘Jeroen, Jeroen’. I think we put on a good show.”