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May 23, 2026
MTB – XCC – World Cup 2026 – 2 – WE – Nové Město, Czech Republic 🇨🇿
MTB XCC (Cross-Country Short Circuit) World Cup is a UCI World Cup classification that condenses the raw intensity of mountain biking into a high-octane,
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May 23, 2026
MTB – XCC – World Cup 2026 – 2 – WE – Nové Město, Czech Republic 🇨🇿
MTB XCC (Cross-Country Short Circuit) World Cup is a UCI World Cup classification that condenses the raw intensity of mountain biking into a high-octane, spectator-friendly battle, where the course unfolds across a compact, technical loop of 1 to 1.5 kilometers, its surface a relentless mix of roots, rocks, and loose dirt that demands constant focus and explosive power. The terrain is a chaotic blend of short, punchy climbs, tight switchbacks, and fast, flowing descents, with obstacles like wooden bridges, artificial ramps, and sudden drops forcing riders to adapt their line choice in an instant. The climbs, though brief, are steep and unforgiving, their gradients punishing any hesitation, while the descents are technical and fast, rewarding those who can carry speed through the roughest sections. The race begins with a mass start, the peloton surging forward in a frenzied dash for the first corner, where positioning is everything—riders fight for space on the narrow singletrack, the risk of a crash or mechanical looming large in the opening laps. The pace is brutal from the outset, the peloton strung out in a long, single-file line as riders jostle for position, their bikes lurching over roots and rocks with every pedal stroke. Attacks come early and often, the short laps ensuring that gaps open and close in a matter of seconds, the elastic of the race stretching and snapping with every acceleration. The finish often arrives after a final, all-out sprint, the lead group reduced to a handful of riders who have survived the relentless pace, their legs burning as they fight for the line in a blur of speed and dust. Alternatively, a lone rider might break clear in the closing laps, holding off the charging pack by a bike length or less, the outcome hanging in the balance until the final meter.
Puck Pieterse emerged victorious from an intensely brutal women’s race packed with drama, fighting through from close to the back of the pack to win the sprint. The Dutch superstar hit the front at the start of lap three and attacked up the climb every lap in the second half of the race, putting her competition in the red each time even if she couldn’t shake them off.
Instead, the key selection in the race came on the start/finish straight rather than the steep uphill section when Alessandra Keller (Thömus maxon) and Frei’s handlebars tangled, sending the UCI XCC World Champion into the barriers alongside Jolanda Neff (Cannondale Factory Racing).
Neff cut a slightly ominous figure, opting for skinny gravel tyres in conditions a world apart from the apocalyptic weather last time out in MONA YongPyong. However, she ended the day with little more than a sore hand to show for it, later saying: “I wouldn’t do anything differently”.
There threatened to be even more carnage when Trek – Unbroken XC’s Evie Richards – who was brought to a standing stop by that crash – engaged Pieterse in an all-out battle to the first corner of the final lap before the Dutchwoman once again attacked on the climb.
Yet it was Jenny Rissveds (Canyon XC Racing) who led over the summit, with Pieterse allowing herself to be led out. Nicole Koller (Lapierre PXR Racing) was the first to jump but was passed by Pieterse and Laura Stigger (Specialized Factory Racing), with Richards finishing an impressive fourth after getting caught up in the crash.
“I’ve missed it,” Pieterse said. “Here it always gets quite bunchy on the road and slows down a bit, however this year Jenny [Rissveds] was setting such a high pace that it took me a bit to get to the front. When I was there, I just decided to stay there, and tried to keep in control for the final sprint.
“I saw Nicole [Koller] coming from the left and she was starting to step on the pedals. I thought ‘now I have to kick’, so I did. It’s super cool, flashbacks to last year’s Short Track here. The goal for tomorrow is just to keep the material [equipment] good and see from there how a one and a half-hour effort compares to the four-hour road sessions.”
Results :
 World Cup is a UCI World Cup classification that condenses the raw intensity of mountain biking into a high-octane, spectator-friendly battle, where the course unfolds across a compact, technical loop of 1 to 1.5 kilometers, its surface a relentless mix of roots, rocks, and loose dirt that demands constant focus and explosive power. The terrain is a chaotic blend of short, punchy climbs, tight switchbacks, and fast, flowing descents, with obstacles like wooden bridges, artificial ramps, and sudden drops forcing riders to adapt their line choice in an instant. The climbs, though brief, are steep and unforgiving, their gradients punishing any hesitation, while the descents are technical and fast, rewarding those who can carry speed through the roughest sections. The race begins with a mass start, the peloton surging forward in a frenzied dash for the first corner, where positioning is everything—riders fight for space on the narrow singletrack, the risk of a crash or mechanical looming large in the opening laps. The pace is brutal from the outset, the peloton strung out in a long, single-file line as riders jostle for position, their bikes lurching over roots and rocks with every pedal stroke. Attacks come early and often, the short laps ensuring that gaps open and close in a matter of seconds, the elastic of the race stretching and snapping with every acceleration. The finish often arrives after a final, all-out sprint, the lead group reduced to a handful of riders who have survived the relentless pace, their legs burning as they fight for the line in a blur of speed and dust. Alternatively, a lone rider might break clear in the closing laps, holding off the charging pack by a bike length or less, the outcome hanging in the balance until the final meter.
Puck Pieterse emerged victorious from an intensely brutal women’s race packed with drama, fighting through from close to the back of the pack to win the sprint. The Dutch superstar hit the front at the start of lap three and attacked up the climb every lap in the second half of the race, putting her competition in the red each time even if she couldn’t shake them off.
Instead, the key selection in the race came on the start/finish straight rather than the steep uphill section when Alessandra Keller (Thömus maxon) and Frei’s handlebars tangled, sending the UCI XCC World Champion into the barriers alongside Jolanda Neff (Cannondale Factory Racing).
Neff cut a slightly ominous figure, opting for skinny gravel tyres in conditions a world apart from the apocalyptic weather last time out in MONA YongPyong. However, she ended the day with little more than a sore hand to show for it, later saying: “I wouldn’t do anything differently”.
There threatened to be even more carnage when Trek - Unbroken XC’s Evie Richards - who was brought to a standing stop by that crash - engaged Pieterse in an all-out battle to the first corner of the final lap before the Dutchwoman once again attacked on the climb.
Yet it was Jenny Rissveds (Canyon XC Racing) who led over the summit, with Pieterse allowing herself to be led out. Nicole Koller (Lapierre PXR Racing) was the first to jump but was passed by Pieterse and Laura Stigger (Specialized Factory Racing), with Richards finishing an impressive fourth after getting caught up in the crash.
“I’ve missed it,” Pieterse said. “Here it always gets quite bunchy on the road and slows down a bit, however this year Jenny [Rissveds] was setting such a high pace that it took me a bit to get to the front. When I was there, I just decided to stay there, and tried to keep in control for the final sprint.
“I saw Nicole [Koller] coming from the left and she was starting to step on the pedals. I thought ‘now I have to kick’, so I did. It’s super cool, flashbacks to last year’s Short Track here. The goal for tomorrow is just to keep the material [equipment] good and see from there how a one and a half-hour effort compares to the four-hour road sessions.”
<strong>Results : </strong>
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