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Grand Finale in Mont-Sainte-Anne

Oct 14, 2025 | News | 0 comments

The World Cup in Mont-Sainte-Anne took place for the 30th time in the history of mountain bike racing. Fabio Püntener delivered another strong performance, finishing 7th on the iconic course and securing 6th place in the overall World Cup standings. Emilly Johnston crossed the line on home soil in 24th position, while Bjorn Riley and Andri Frischknecht finished 31st and 38th, respectively, in Sunday’s XCO race. Here’s a quick recap of how things went down in Canada.

Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada. For the second overseas World Cup, the entire mountain bike circuit moved from the United States to Canada for the final race of the 2025 season. For the 30th – and possibly the last time in a while – a Cross-Country World Cup took place in Mont-Sainte-Anne. Although temperatures had dropped to below 10 degrees, the sun shone for most of the week, keeping spirits high for one last rodeo. With the overall standings extremely tight this season, Fabio Püntener was still in the fight for an overall podium, while Bjorn Riley was highly motivated to deliver another strong performance like he did in Lake Placid.

Unfortunately, Bjorn Riley missed the cut for Friday’s XCC by just a few positions. Emilly Johnston and Fabio Püntener were the only riders representing SCOTT-SRAM MTB Racing in the fight for a front-row XCO start. Emilly was caught behind a crash and had to chase the pack from the very first lap, eventually finishing 25th — just one spot short of a third-row start. Fabio Püntener and the XCC still have some getting used to in the future. He spent much of the race in the front group but missed the final kick on the last lap, finishing 21st and collecting more valuable points for the World Cup overall.

As in most years, the course had been slightly modified compared to previous editions. The organizers left several line choices open, taping the course to offer multiple options. In addition to the demanding technical sections that challenged the riders throughout, they also had to carefully pick the fastest possible line on every part of the track. The entire team lined up for Sunday’s XCO full of motivation and high ambitions.

Fabio Püntener got off to a strong start and stayed in close contact with the leading group throughout the race. When a group of seven riders managed to break away, Fabio took charge of the chase and successfully closed the gap. However, that effort cost him a bit too much energy, and he eventually crossed the finish line in 7th place. With Charlie Aldridge taking the win, Fabio slipped back to 6th place in the overall World Cup standings, but he was still pleased with his performance: “I’m really happy to have finished the last World Cup of the year inside the top ten! Throughout the season, I was able to deliver consistent performances, which earned me a great 6th place overall in the World Cup standings.”
“I’m really happy to have finished the last World Cup of the year inside the top ten! Throughout the season, I was able to deliver consistent performances, which earned me a great 6th place overall in the World Cup standings.

Now I’m looking forward to a bit of a holiday before getting back to training, fully motivated for 2026!”

Fabio Püntener
6th World Cup Overall
SCOTT-SRAM MTB Racing

After his best-ever World Cup finish in last weekend’s XCO, Bjorn Riley was highly motivated for his final race of his first year with the elite. After a good start he was riding in a group around position 30, until he suffered a flat tire in the second to last lap. He fought with all the energy he still had till the finish and crossed the line with an 31st place. After some troubles at the beginning of the season, he stayed focused to come back as soon as possible. Now full focus towards the 2026 season with the main goal, to perform his full potential and to being back in the XCC competition.
After a heavy crash during practice on Saturday that led to a hospital visit, it was uncertain whether Emilly would be able to race on home soil. But it wouldn’t be Emilly if she backed away from competition. Once again, she showed tremendous heart and fighting spirit, pushing through the pain in her hand. Completely spent but proud of what she achieved on this brutal track, she crossed the line in 24th place. We’re proud of how Emilly performed in her first year in the elite field — with several top-25 finishes and an impressive 18th place in Pal Arinsal, she delivered a consistent and strong season.
Andri Frischknecht had a solid start to the race. As we know him, giving up is never an option — and the way he showed that on Sunday was truly impressive! From about halfway through the race, we probably saw his best form of the entire season. He played Pac-Man out there, catching rider after rider, and crossed the line in 38th place after a hell of a fight! Let’s carry this positive momentum into the upcoming event — the first edition of the Gravel Stage Race “Gravel Burn” in South Africa in two weeks’ time.