Titouan Perrin-Ganier’s medal haul in mountain bike eliminator is nothing short of astonishing. The Frenchman has been UCI World Champion a record five times, four years back-to-back from 2017 to 2020 and then again in 2022 when he was presented with the rainbow stripes and gold medal alongside Gaia Tormena (ITA) in Barcelona, Spain.
In 2017, 2018 and 2020 Perrin-Ganier was also European Champion, and he has been crowned National Champion multiple times. But as unlikely as it might seem with such a long reign as UCI World Champion, up until this year’s campaign he had never actually won a UCI World Cup round while wearing the rainbow bands!
The 31-year-old has now broken that hoodoo and set that odd statistic aside, winning not just one, but both rounds so far in the 2023 UCI Mountain Bike Eliminator World Cup powered by citymountainbike.com. It comes after his move to the Mountain Bike Racingteam, riding for the 2023 campaign alongside his friend and rival Simon Gegenheimer, the German who was UCI World Champion and UCI World Cup overall winner in 2021.
First win in Turkey
“Winning the first UCI World Cup in the rainbow jersey is a dream come true for me,” said Titouan Perrin-Ganier after his win in Round 1 in the beautiful city of Sakarya, Turkey, on 21 May.
In the men’s final Perrin-Ganier took an early lead and held it to the finish line which he crossed narrowly ahead of Gegenheimer, with fellow French rider Quentin Schrotzenberger taking third place.
“The course was challenging and required me to be at my best, but I was able to ride with confidence and determination to take home the win,” said Perrin-Ganier. “This victory is not just mine, but it belongs to my new team and everyone who has supported me along the way. I’m thrilled to have made them proud, and I can’t wait to see what the rest of the season holds.”
In the women’s race, Marion Fromberger came out on top, after a great battle with Gaia Tormena, the two riders swapping the lead before the Italian crashed, leaving the German to solo to the line.
Confirmation in Belgium
Then two weeks later, on 4 June, the world’s best eliminator riders came together for Round 2 in Leuven, Belgium. And Perrin-Ganier did it again – winning the final, wearing those precious rainbow bands, on a course that already had happy memories for the Frenchman, and now has even more.
Full of confidence Perrin-Ganier was the day’s standout performer, with precise cornering and calculated overtakes, he won each heat and the final. This time Gegenheimer finished third, outsprinted by local rider Jarne Vandersteen.
“It’s my second win here in Leuven, as I also became UCI World Champion in 2020,” said Perrin-Ganier. “Today in dry conditions under sunny skies is much better than in pouring rain. It was a super tactical race. There was a really strong field of contenders. I tried to stay calm in the finals, especially in the first half lap, and after that, I simply pushed hard. I didn’t have much of a gap left, but I’m very happy with the result. I’m glad Simon Gegenheimer was on my side, as it helped me to save energy for the final heat.”
In the women’s race, Fromberger set the fastest qualifying time but a mechanical robbed her of an opportunity to fight in the final. Instead, UCI World Champion Gaia Tormena exerted her dominance, despite being pushed hard by local rider Shanyl de Schoesitter.
What’s next?
Gaia Tormena leads the women’s overall standings with 135 points, ahead of Fromberger, who is on 111 points, and Annemoon van Dienst (NED) with 92. Titouan Perrin-Ganier tops the men’s table with 135 points, Gegenheimer has 92 with Schrotzenberger 75 points.
The next round will play out in Aarlen, Germany, on 15 July, two weeks after Perrin-Ganier turns 32. Will the German round be the opportunity for home riders Fromberger and Gegenheimer to delight their fans by fighting back in the overall standings as the UCI World Cup powered by citymountainbike.com reaches its halfway point? Or could Tormena extend her lead? And with the floodgates now opened, could the man from the mountains in La Bresse make it three victories in a row?
“I can’t wait to see what Aalen will bring,” said the Frenchman after his win in Belgium, “but I guess we’ll have to play it differently.”