"Champion of France, champion of Europe and now champion of the world; it’s been a dream, year." The winner of five national titles since 2013, France’s Titouan Perrin-Ganier got off to one of his trademark fast starts in the final, shooting into the lead and holding it all the way to the finish line. With passing opportunities few and far between on the Xinhua Park track, Perrin-Ganier managed the race to perfection to cross the line ahead of Germany’s Simon Gegenheimer and fellow Frenchman Lorenzo Serres. Two-time UCI world champion Daniel Federspiel of Austria went out in the semi-finals. Perrin-Ganier’s victory was France’s third of the week following Nathan Charra’s juniors 26’’ trials win and the nation’s team trials triumph at the start of the championships.
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"I didn’t make the greatest start, but I knew I could turn things around if I got past the Swede at the right moment." Swiss rider Kathrin Stirnemann did just that, overtaking Ella Holmegard in the boards section to snatch gold from the Swede, with France’s Perrine Clauzel completing the podium. Stirnemann’s win give Switzerland their first medal of the championships and also secured her the second rainbow jersey of her career. A world champion for the first time in Hafjell (NOR) in 2014, she finished third in the event in 2015 and was a runner-up last year.
The XCE finals marked the end of the very first UCI Urban Cycling, which brought together more than 230 riders from 35 countries. The new championship format, which comprises Trial, BMX Freestyle and XCE competitions held in city-centre locations, will return to Chengdu, in Sichuan province, in 2018 and 2019.
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