UCI Mountain Bike Eliminator World Championships: Sukhopalova and Lindh crowned in Türkiye

New UCI World Champions for XCE

The 2025 UCI Mountain Bike Cross-country Eliminator World Championships (XCE) in Sakarya, Türkiye, delivered a series of shocks. Favourites were toppled and new UCI World Champions were crowned with imperious performances.

Ukraine’s 20-year-old Mariia Sukhopalova and Sweden’s 25-year-old Edvin Lindh are the new UCI World Champions, earning their rainbow jerseys in amazing style.

Black Sea beaches, hot springs and sunshine were the beautiful backdrop to a thrilling day of racing. Sakarya’s course was shorter than its previous UCI World Cup events, with the start straight wider to generate more overtaking opportunities.

Women Elite: class act from Ukrainian duo

Five-time UCI World Champion Gaia Tormena (ITA) was unable to defend her women’s title, having fractured an elbow in training, while another favoured contender, France’s Madison Boissière, also went out with an injury sustained on Saturday.

As race day got under way Sunday, an early surprise saw 2018 UCI World Champion Coline Clauzure (FRA) eliminated in the first quarter-final heat. Another favourite, UCI World Cup overall leader Marion Fromberger (GER) went out in the semi-final.

The four finalists at the end of the day were Sukhopalova, fellow Ukraine Maria Sherstiuk, Isaure Medde (FRA) and Didi De Vries (NED). And Sukhopalova backed up her UCI World Cup round 1 victory by claiming the rainbow bands, more than 3 seconds clear of Medde.

“Yeah, I did it! I’m in such big shock, it’s unbelievable feelings, I’m so happy,” said the winner. “I tried to go, I did my best and I’m the winner! It’s amazing for Ukraine.”

Her Ukrainian teammate and bronze medalist Sherstiuk added: “And it’s so important to represent our country in this hard time. Everyone knows that the war is still going on, and we are so proud to represent this jersey. She did it really really well and I am so proud [of her], it’s like a dream come true.”

Men Elite: redemption for Lindh

The first surprise in the men’s competition came in a star-studded quarter final heat with a line-up that could have conceivably been the big final: Titouan Perrin-Ganier, UCI World Cup round 1 winner Jacob Klemenčič (SLO), 2021 UCI World Champion Simon Gegenheimer and his fellow German Felix Klausmann. It was a group from which the French six-time UCI World Champion Perrin-Ganier could not progress. 2024 UCI World Champion Jeroen van Eck also went out in the quarter finals.

After the hard-fought quarter finals and semi finals, the final promised an intense battle between 2024 UCI World Cup overall winner Lindh, Austrian Theo Hauser, Slovenia’s Matic Kranjec Žagar and Brazilian Luiz Henrique Cocuzzi. It was Lindh who got the better of Hauser by a staggering 5 seconds, with 22-year-old Žagar taking bronze.

“I can’t believe it!” said Lindh. “I was looking for revenge. Last year crashing out [in the final in Aarlen, Germany] was a horrible feeling and ever since then I have dreamt of this day!

I knew I was fast in the time trials, so I thought, if I beat them then, I might as well try the same in the final and go from the front.”