LA THUILE, ITALY

Round 5 – UCI MTB WORLD CUP

After a weekend break, the team returned to racing at La Thuile, a new venue on the Italian side of Mont Blanc. Everyone was excited for a fresh track that was both technical and powerful featuring numerous natural rock gardens and steep climbs.

Unfortunately, Filippo didn’t race this weekend. A crash during training has left him with a fractured right fibula and his return to racing remains uncertain.

“Surgery won’t be necessary, but the recovery timeline is still uncertain”
FILIPPO COLOMBO

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SHORT TRACK (XCC)

Fabio and Björn both had front row starts for the XCC and held their positions well, remaining at the front for most of the race.

“Today I felt really good, especially in the hills”
FABIO PÜNTENER

Björn came into the finish in a sprint for the podium, but didn’t quite have the legs and finished in fourth. Behind him, Fabio was strong on the hills and finished in sixth. Securing a front-row start and a great position that demonstrates progress from last year’s XCC races.

“I am very proud of my effort, it just didn’t feel like I had snap”
BJÖRN RILEY

Emily’s XCC came to an abrupt end after she got a flat tyre early in the race.

“I am super sad about how today went”
Emilly Johnston

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CROSS COUNTRY (XCO)

By Sunday’s XCO, the track was covered in deep dust, reducing visibility and making breathing extremely difficult. The combination of heat and altitude made for brutal racing conditions.

Emily had her best race of the season yet, thriving on the technical course and riding through the chaos to finish 25th. It was a great performance after a disappointing XCC, and she’s happy to be back in fighting form.

“Lap times were ripping”
Emilly Johnston

Björn backed up his XCC result with another 4th place in the XCO. He was in the lead group until he got caught in a small crash mid race that split the group in half. Another great performance that has now put him into third place overall.

“I just suffered really hard.”
Björn Riley

Fabio rode solo for much of the race to avoid the dust and trouble. Despite the challenges, he maintained good pacing and secured a 12th-place finish. He’s also making progress in the overall standings, currently sitting in 7th place.

“I struggled from the beginning on with the pace”
Fabio Püntener

Andri had a great start, riding from 70th into the top 40 in the first climb. However, he paid for this effort in the second lap and had take some time to recover and refocus.

“I went with the flow at the start and I just had some good lines”
ANDRI FRISCHKNECHT