UCI Trials World Cup: Barón, Conejos and Rolls win to secure 2024 overall titles

Fourth and final round in Mouilleron-le-Captif-Vendée

The fourth and final round of the 2024 UCI Trials World Cup saw victories for Vera Barón (ESP), Borja Conejos (ESP) and Charlie Rolls (GBR) in the Women Elite, Men Elite 20” and Men Elite 26”, respectively. All three winners at Vendéspace in Mouilleron-le-Captif, France, on Sunday 24 November also secured the overall 2024 UCI Trials World Cup victories.

Women: fourth for Barón

Spain’s Vera Barón was the favourite going into Sunday’s final, after winning the previous three rounds. She was also looking to win her fourth overall UCI Trials World Cup title after those in 2019, 2022 and 2023.

Barón would face competition from six-time UCI World Champion Nina Reichenbach (GER), Nina Vabre and Emma Louineau (FRA), 16-year-old Andrea Pérez (ESP) and Eliška Hříbková (CZE).

Barón scored a perfect 60 on section 1, followed by Reichenbach and Vabre, who both scored 40.

Barón and Reichenbach then matched each other in sections 2, 3 and 4, both scoring 40, 50 and 60 points, respectively. That left Barón on 210 points, 20 ahead of the second-placed German come the final section. Vabre sat in third, on 150 points.

Another 60-pointer helped Barón to victory with a total of 270 points. Reichenbach took second with 240. Vabre’s 200 ensured she finished on the UCI Trials World Cup podium for the first time.

Men Elite 20”: Conejos near perfection

The Men 20” final would be fought between six riders, with Spain’s Alejandro Montalvo arriving in France at the top of the overall standings. In the final, he faced team-mates Borja Conejos and Marti Riera, plus Austria’s Thomas Pechhacker, Italy’s Diego Crescenzi and France’s Robin Berchiatti.

It was Berchiatti who dominated section 1 with 60; the next best riders were Conejos and Pechhacker with 30.

Berchiatti, Junior UCI World Champion in 2022, then unleashed a 60 and two 50s to go into the final section on 220. In second sat Conejos, a run of 60s in sections 2, 3 and 4 leaving him 10 points behind Berchiatti. Montalvo was still in contention for the overall crown on 180 with Pechhacker fourth on 170.

However Berchiatti dashed his chances of victory with a mistake at the second gate of the first sector of the last section. Montalvo went out at exactly the same gate, meaning the consistent Conejos took the win, with a score of 50 on section five, for a total of 260. Berchiatti had to settle for second place, with Pechhacker securing third on the day (200 points). Conejos is the overall winner of the 2024 UCI Trials World Cup.

Men Elite 26”: Rolls dominates

In the Men 26” event, a British rider lined up in first place overall and ready to win the UCI Trials World Cup title. But for once it wasn’t the multiple trials UCI World Champion and UCI World Cup winner Jack Carthy, whose 2024 challenge came unstuck earlier in the year when he broke his ribs. Instead, it was Charlie Rolls.

In Sunday’s final, Rolls faced a trio of Spanish riders: Julen Saenz, Daniel Barón and Martí Veyreda, as well as French legend Vincent Hermance, along with Carthy.

It was the two Brits who led after section 1, with Rolls on 60 and Carthy on 50. Rolls racked up a 60, 50 and another 60 to line up for the final section on a leading 230. By then Rolls’ nearest contender was Barón on 190 with Saenz on 170.

Rolls eased to a 50 on the final section to take the win while a 60 helped Saenz to second with Barón in third.

2024 UCI Trials World Cup overall standings

Women Elite

  1. Vera Barón (ESP), 1000 points

  2. Nina Reichenbach (GER), 760

  3. Nina Vabre (FRA), 655

Men Elite 20”

  1. Borja Conejos (ESP), 845 points

  2. Alejandro Montalvo (ESP), 790

  3. Eloi Palau (ESP), 690

Men Elite 26”

  1. Charlie Rolls (GBR), 900 points

  2. Daniel Baron (ESP), 715

  3. Julen Saenz (ESP), 715

The next major rendezvous for the trials athletes will be the 2024 UCI Urban Cycling World Championships in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, from 17 to 21 December.