The 13th and final round of the 2023 UCI E-Mountain Bike Cross-country World Cup provided a fitting end to the season at the Castelldefels course in the Barcelona region, which has become a traditional destination for the final event of the series.
Austria’s Anna Spielmann won her first UCI World Cup race, while French Jérôme Gilloux showcased his experience and talent.
The Barcelona event brought together 44 men and 14 women representing 13 countries. The Spanish riders were particularly motivated for this final round, contested in warm and dusty conditions over seven laps of a 3.9km circuit, for a race distance of 27.3km and 952m of total ascent.
The top spots in the overall classification had already been confirmed at the previous rounds in Girona, Spain. With their strong form throughout the season, the French duo of Justine Tonso and Jérôme Gilloux (team-mates at Lapierre Overvolt) had already secured their victories in the individual and team classifications. A unique feat for Gilloux as he won his third consecutive title.
Women: Anna Spielmann wins the round, Justine Tonso the overall
Anna Spielmann (Haibike) emerged at the front, following leader Sofia Wiedenroth (GER) before overtaking her on lap 3. Spielmann then held the front to take her first UCI E-Mountain Bike Cross-country World Cup win.
Behind Spielmann, Swiss rider Nathalie Schneitter (Trek Bosch) gradually closed the gap on Wiedenroth and eventually took second place. Her 20 points were enough to defend her 4th position overall, despite Spielmann’s efforts to overtake her.
Wiedenroth (Lapierre Overvolt) finished third. Her 16 points consolidated her second place overall. Justine Tonso, Wiedenroth’s team-mate, finished fourth, adding 13 points to her tally.
Germany’s Antonia Daubermann (Advanced E-Racing) rounded out the top five, taking 11 points which gave her a third place in the overall standings.
Justine Tonso’s six victories in 2023 meant she had built a strong overall score, but it was her determination at the end of the season that secured the overall ahead of a hard-charging Sofia Wiedenroth. By winning rounds 6, 7, 9, 10 and 12, the 23-year-old had built herself a winning lead before the final round in Barcelona.
2023 UCI E-Mountain Bike Cross-country World Cup overall ranking - Women
Justine Tonso (FRA), 269 points
Sofia Wiedenroth (GER), 238
Antonia Daubermann (GER), 139
Nathalie Schneitter (SWI), 105
Anna Spielmann (AUS), 103
Men’s race: Gilloux at full speed
Gilloux scored a fifth consecutive victory, his eight victory of the year. He finished each of the 13 races in the 2023 UCI E-Mountain Bike Cross-country World Cup in the top 3! The 25 points in Barcelona saw him collect 292 points in total, 57 more than his Swiss rival Joris Ryf (Specialized).
Ryf got off to the best possible start, taking the holeshot, but a snapped chain prevented him from a victory in the final heat. Even without a result in Castelldefels, his second position in the overall was safe.
Italy’s Mirko Tabacchi (RDR Italia Factory) took second place, but his 20 points were not enough to get into the overall top 5. The Italian was closely followed by the Spanish riders: Guillem Cassu Cantin (Bafang Factory Team) who came in third for his first podium, and his compatriot Jofre Cullell Estape (BH Coloma Team) fourth. The Netherlands’ Jeroen Van Eck (Ghost Racing Team) continued his solid form at the end of the season by finishing fifth.
“It’s good to win the last race and to round off an almost perfect season. Sometimes it wasn't the perfect race, but I always finished on the podium. I think we're getting to 90% wins, which is good,” said Jérôme Gilloux.
“Today was a different race, slower, much more technical, with tight turns and small obstacles. The race start with Joris (Ryf) was really fast! I managed to get behind him and overtake him in the middle of the first lap and then I had the battle with Mirko (Tabacchi) and Guillem (Cassu). So, I am happy to win in front of them, that’s another podium and we end the season well. Now we can go celebrate!”
2023 UCI E-Mountain Bike Cross-country World Cup overall ranking - Men
Jérôme Gilloux (FRA), 292 points
Joris Ryf (SWI), 235
Théo Charmes (FRA), 127
Rico Libesch (GER), 108
Heiko Hog (GER), 104