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LAKE PLACID, USA

Oct 6, 2026 | News | 0 comments

Round 9 – UCI MTB WORLD CUP

LAKE PLACID, USA

The final World Cup of the season brought the circuit to Lake Placid, spectacular autumn leaves and a sleepy American town briefly overrun by cyclists. Not only was it the last World Cup of the season, but also Andri’s last World Cup before he retires. Like the previous round, racing came down to big bunches, smart tactics and sprint finishes that went right to the wire.

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SHORT TRACK (XCC)

The short track course was muddy and tactical, mixing fast open sections with a slippery rock garden that kept riders honest throughout.

“Everyone started hammering and I was just hanging on for dear life”
Björn Riley

Björn got the hole-shot and sat comfortably in the front group until a mistake on the steep climb on the fourth last lap sent him down and split the group. He recovered quickly, collected himself and rode through to finish seventh, earning a front row start for Saturday.
Filippo moved steadily through the field all race. With three laps to go he had worked his way into the chase group and was feeling good. The gap to the front two was already too large to close, but he took the last podium spot in third. An especially good performance after Filippo had to take time off to recover from a mid-season injury.

“With Fabio, I had the perfect lead out”
Filippo Colombo

“I think we did a really good team effort”
Fabio Püntener

Fabio was up in the front group alongside Björn and racing well, no longer dealing with the altitude of the previous round. He finished in the top five and looked comfortable doing it.

“It was crazy, I couldn’t see anything by the end”
Emilly Johnston

Emilly did not have a great start, struggling starting from further back in the bunch. She had some great battles and finished in the top 30.
With a podium and all three boys starting on the front row, everyone was feeling good for Saturday’s XCO.

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CROSS COUNTRY (XCO)

The XCO was a race of what could have beens. Strong performances across the board, but more than a few near misses that will sting for a while.

Filippo and Fabio were both in the front group from the start. On the final lap, Filippo attacked and split the group, driving the pace at the front for the entire lap. He came into the final section in a group of three, positioned himself on second wheel for the sprint and gave everything on the final straight. It was not quite enough to get past, but second place is a huge result and moved him into the top ten in the overall standings.

“I tried to keep the pace high, I didn’t want to make it an easy race for anyone.”
Filippo Colombo

Fabio had a strong race and crossed the line in seventh. His eyes were on the overall top ten, but strong performances from other riders on the day pushed him just outside it. A tough way to end an otherwise solid season.

“I tried to fight as hard as I could for the overall top ten… in the end luck wasn’t on my side.”
Fabio Püntener

For his final World Cup, Andri did it his way, focused on having fun and enjoying the downhills rather than the result. The crowd gave him plenty to smile about, and the team made sure the finish line was memorable, surprising him with fish masks and champagne.

“I enjoyed the emotions from the people that cheered me on.”
Andri Frischknecht

Björn had to pull out of the race due to ongoing back problems. A devastating end to what had been a great season overall. The front row start that felt so promising on Saturday made it all the more frustrating.

“Didn’t want to end my season like this.. it is what it is.”
Björn Riley

Emilly has had a tough season, but has improved with every race. She ended the year with a comfortable top 30 finish.

“The season has been a really hard one for me.”
Emilly Johnston

XCC RESULTS

3rd Filippo Colombo

5th Fabio Püntener

7th Björn Riley

28th Emilly Johnston

XCO RESULTS

2nd Filippo Colombo

7th Fabio Püntener

26th Emilly Johnston

45st Andri Frischknecht

DNF Björn Riley

The World Cup season is over, but the racing is not quite done. Half the team will race Gravel Burn in South Africa with the rest heading into a long-awaited off-season. Like every year, it has been a season of ups and downs full of learning as the team finds their rhythm. Now it is time to celebrate!

Photos by Piper Albrecht