With two rounds raced across the weekend, there’s double the action for spectators, double the points for riders and double the stories for the history bookswritten, as the battle for the overall takes shape. Saturday races see the course ridden in one direction, then on Sunday the same course ridden in the reverse direction, giving new challenges in different climbs, descents, corners and other technical features, all on the same race footprint.
The men’s and women’s races run consecutively, giving fast-paced elbow-to-elbow action with an inclusive philosophy that matches the community’s collective mindset. It’s a compelling race discipline that’s rapidly gaining traction.
The season’s structure
After the double-headers in Monaco-Peille (Monaco) in April, Monghidoro, Bologna (Italy) in May, and Charade/Clermont-Ferrand (France) across the weekend of 23-24 July, the competition is hot in both the women’s and the men’s categories.
The riders now take a break from the UCI E-MTB Cross-country World Cup, with many of the leading names turning their focus to the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Les Gets (France) where E-MTB Cross-country will be raced in the final week of August. The top 15 Women and top 15 Men riders in the 2022 UCI E-MTB Cross-country World Cup standings as of 31 July 2022 will get reserved quota places for the E-Mountain Bike race at the UCI Mountain Bike Worlds.
The UCI World Cup will then resume with races scheduled for Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium), Costa Brava-Girona and Barcelona (both Spain) across September and October. One more venue is yet to be announced, bringing the total number of races in the 2022 UCI E-MTB Cross-country World Cup to 14.
Women’s overall standings
After six races the overall standings for women are incredibly tight with only two points separating Nicole Göldi (SUI) and Justine Tonso (FRA). Between them the pair have won all six races so far (each worth 25 points); UCI World Champion Göldi having the edge with 113 points. Göldi also appears to have the momentum, having won the last two races – on Tonso’s home soil – and taking the top spot overall at the season’s half-way point.
But Tonso is a little different to many mountain bike racers, having started her sporting career on skis. She was multiple French, European and World Champion in ski mountaineering before specialising in cross-country mountain biking, podiuming twice in the French National Championships as a Junior.
Third overall is Nathalie Schneitter (overall runner up in 2021), the Swiss rider’s consistent high finish positions netting her 102 points. She is followed by former German cross-country Olympic (XCO) Champion Sofia Wiedenroth (third overall in 2021), whose second-places in Monaco and Italy contribute to her 89 points.
Men’s results at half-way
The overall for men is led by UCI World Champion Jérôme Gilloux. The Frenchman has 135 points (including five wins), clear of the chasing pack led by Joris Ryf (who did not race in Monaco but won in France, capitalising when Gilloux punctured) on 81 points. In the 2021 UCI World Cup these two riders won every round between them with the exception of Girona, won by Jeroen van Eck (NED). They finished first and second overall, but some talented riders want to force a different outcome this year.
Ryf is closely followed by his consistent-scoring Swiss compatriot Loïc Noël in third on 79. France’s Hugo Pigeon (runner-up at the 2021 UCI World Championships) and Switzerland’s Fabio Spena have 60 and 53 points respectively, despite neither of them racing in Italy.
What the riders say
Nicole Göldi recognised how tough the fight was: “Some days you just fight against your own body. Two days of racing at @ebikeworldtour was really epic. Great trails, great views, and the best people.”
Justine Tonso saluted her team-mate Jérôme Gilloux as they were presented with fastest lap awards together.
Gilloux was a little more reflective: “When the elements are against you, you always have to keep your goals in mind… After a 6th place on Saturday I am happy to end the weekend with a victory!!!!”
Joris Ryf was understandably upbeat about the French weekend, celebrating not just the season’s first UCI World Cup win, but also the Holeshot, and the Powerlap Award.