LEOGANG, AUSTRIA

Round 3 – UCI MTB WORLD CUP

The third round of the World Cup sent the team off into the scenic Austrian Alps. The course brought long climbs, technical descents, and no shortage of elevation, with unpredictable weather adding another layer of difficulty. With rain moving in throughout the weekend and the conditions constantly changing, Leogang put on quite the show.

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SHORT TRACK (XCC)

Rain all day made for a very muddy XCC come Friday night. However, the team was prepared and had a very successful short track with a podium and two top five finishes.

“I felt super good on the downhill and I just missed the final kick to win”
FILIPPO COLOMBO

Filippo executed his race plan perfectly, staying composed and avoiding the chaos around him as crashes unfolded throughout the race. His smart and consistent riding paid off, with Filippo crossing the finish line in second place.

Fabio also delivered a strong performance, putting together a solid race and finishing fourth after a close battle for the podium. Bjorn showed great confidence while racing in the front group, holding a strong position among the leaders until a crash entering the start/finish area disrupted his momentum. Despite the setback, he showed resilience to fight back and secure a top-two-row starting position for the XCO.

“I was suffering a lot, then I realized that everybody else struggled also a lot and I could catch up.”
Fabio Püntener

In the women’s race, Emilly had a strong start of the race, however, she pushed a little too hard and paid the price later on.

“I think I just got pretty over-excited out there and blew myself up trying to make passes too quick”
Emilly Johnston

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CROSS COUNTRY (XCO)

The XCO brought even more rain, pushing riders into some of the toughest conditions of the weekend, especially in the women’s race. With flat tyres, crashes, and constant battles for position, the racing delivered plenty of drama. But the standout moment came from Bjorn, whose performance became the highlight of the weekend.

Bjorn got off to a flying start, quickly finding himself in the lead group and showing he had the pace to fight at the front. A flat tyre in the early laps forced him backwards, but together with Fabio, he fought his way back into contention. Continuing to move forward throughout the race, Bjorn crossed the line as the fourth rider — by far his best result to date and a huge comeback after the heartbreaking finish to his last XCO World Cup.

“After the flat I was hurting… Thought I was gonna drop back really far, but my teammate Fabio pulled me up the climb. I would just look at his wheel and try to survive.”
Bjorn Riley

To the team’s excitement, the drama continued after the finish, as the rider who crossed the line in second place was later disqualified. The decision promoted Bjorn to third place, earning him a spot on the podium.

“It’s pretty hype.”
Bjorn Riley

Fabio also had a strong start, staying with the front group early on, but faded slightly towards the end of the race to finish 10th. A solid result on a challenging day. Filippo’s race was turned around early after a crash at the start dropped him down the field, but he showed great determination to fight his way back into 8th, securing three SCOTT-SRAM riders inside the top ten.

“I felt more and more empty until [the last] few laps were just riding, fighting to the finish line.”
Fabio Püntener

Andri continued to show strong pace throughout the race, moving forward lap by lap and steadily improving his position as the race unfolded.

“I had some good pace… I made the best out of it.”
ANDRI FRISCHKNECHT

In the women’s race, Emilly had a crash midway through but stayed focused and continued to push through to the finish.

“I had a pretty big over-the-bars… It was a hard day for me out there.”
Emilly Johnston

XCC RESULTS

2nd Filippo Colombo

4th Fabio Püntener

14th Björn Riley

30th Emilly Johnston

XCO RESULTS

3rd Björn Riley

8th Filippo Colombo

10th Fabio Püntener

32nd Andri Frischknecht

41th Emilly Johnston

With two podiums and five top-ten finishes, it was a successful weekend for the team. The results see the team move into second place in the XCO team standings, with three riders currently sitting inside the men’s overall top ten.

Next up, racing heads to Switzerland for the Lenzerheide World Cup next weekend.

Photos by Piper Albrecht