For one day, Val di Sole seemed even closer to heaven. Where the mountains hug the valley, where the air smells of dust and forest, the Martian has landed. Thomas Pidcock chose the grandest stage, the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships Val di Sole-Trentino, to remind everyone why his name belongs to the category of phenomena.
Source: Vitesse press release
Starting from the fifth row on Sunday, August 30th, the two-time Olympic Cross Country Champion rode through the dust of those ahead of him on the grid, leaving his opponents behind, one after another, and only the rainbow jersey ahead of him. Mathieu van der Poel tried, and the crowd cheered him on. But when the race reached its decisive moment, the Dutchman wasn't among the top positions. He was after the only World Championship he was missing, and he'll have to try again: today's standings read 30th.
More than four minutes ahead, Pidcock changed pace with two laps to go, as only champions do: one burst of speed, then another, and the gap stretched until it became a verdict, with compatriot Charlie Aldridge the last to raise the white flag. The world gold medal is his. He is the King of Val di Sole.
And while the Briton took the most anticipated race, Daolasa celebrated a day destined to go down in Italian mountain biking history. Martina Berta took a splendid silver medal in the Elite Women's category, behind Swiss Sina Frei, and Valentina Corvi's dream of a World Championship came true in the Under 23 category. From morning to afternoon: a Sunday of sport to remember. A World Championship to remember, thousands of cheering spectators (30.000 spectators throughout the week), a sea of flags, colors, and diverse passions, united by the same wonderful language: that of mountain biking.
Val di Sole
PIDCOCK THE JUDGMENT, PUNCHARD THE SURPRISE, VAN DER POEL THE DISAPPOINTMENT
He has won eight of his last ten races Cross-country raced, in addition to the last two Olympic gold medals, in Tokyo and Paris. When Tom Pidcock decides to return to fat tires, there's often little that can be done for others. The World Championships in Trentino was no exception, despite an awkward start from the fifth row, the same as Mathieu van der Poel.
Unlike the Dutchman, the Briton immediately set out to chase the leaders with his best form. The 27-year-old from Leeds didn't have an easy time against opponents who make mountain biking their specialty all year round. Up front, the French dictated the pace, making it difficult for Pidcock to recover, as he began to emerge into the leading group around the halfway point. A couple of mistakes delayed his catching up, but the first attack came during the sixth lap.
Aldridge, Boichis, Vidaurre, and the surprise Punchard initially responded well, but as lactic acid began to build up in their legs, the final outcome began to take shape. Pidcock's opponents fell one after another, the last of them Aldridge, during the penultimate lap. The Briton crossed the finish line alone, 17" ahead of his compatriot. The bronze medal went to Canadian Cole Punchard, 31" behind, also starting from the middle of the field. Chilean Martin Vidaurre finished fourth, 59", slowed by a puncture at the start of the final lap, which cost him a bronze medal that had seemed imminent. Fifth place went to Frenchman Adrien Boichis, the Short Track World Champion, in the second half of the race after a strong start.
For Tom Pidcock this is the second Elite World title Cross-country, which adds to the rainbow jerseys he's won in cyclocross, E-MTB, and road racing in the Junior category. Trentino is a lucky place for the Brit this year: last April, he won the Arco stage of the Tour of the Alps.
“Along with the Tour de France, these World Championships were my goal for the season. It's been a difficult period, marked by the passing of Finlay Tarling. This victory is for his brother Joshua,” Tom Pidcock said immediately after the event.
"Getting back to the top positions was difficult: on Friday I crashed during training and had some back pain. I couldn't make any extreme changes in pace, so I tried to go at my own pace and conserve the energy needed to make a difference in the final."
"I also send a hug to Tadej Pogačar, who was watching us from the hospital today. I hope he gets better soon. I'm happy to have shown that I'm stronger than Mathieu van der Poel on the mountain bike. I think he's stronger than me on the road, but one day I want to win world gold there too."
Mathieu van der Poel's World Championships, however, ended in a dismal 30th place, 4'40" behind Pidcock. The Dutchman never really managed to get into the race, due to a slow start and a still-imperfect feeling with the mountain bike, despite showing signs of improvement in the World Cup at Les Gets.
The first of the Italians, Simone Avondetto, finished thirteenth: the Piedmontese's performance declined. "At the World Championships, only medals matter, and I'm not satisfied. I tried to stay ahead as long as I had energy, but the pace was too fast and I dropped out," he commented after the race.
MEN'S ELITE RANKING
| 1 | GBR | PIDCOCK Thomas | 1:25:26 |
| 2 | GBR | ALDRIDGE Charlie | + 0: 17 |
| 3 | CAN | PUNCHARD Cole | + 0: 31 |
| 4 | WHO WE | VIDAURRE KOSSMANN Martin | + 0: 59 |
| 5 | From | BOICHIS Adrien Yves Claude | + 1: 06 |
| 6 | From | AZZARO Mathis | + 1: 47 |
| 7 | SUI | LILLO Dario | + 1: 54 |
| 8 | SUI | COLUMBUS Philip | + 2: 02 |
| 9 | SUI | PUNTENER Fabio | + 2: 04 |
| 10 | GER | LIST David | + 2: 08 |
MARTINA BERTA, QUICK SILVER AMONG THE ELITE WOMEN
In the Elite Women's race, four days after winning gold in the Team Relay, Martina Berta also went on to take the individual medal at the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Val di Sole. With strength, patience, and that unique ability to stay in the race even when the pace ahead becomes prohibitive.
In Daolasa, the Aosta Valley native raced with her head even before her legs, choosing when to push and when to hold on, eventually competing for the silver medal in a sprint on the final straight. Gold had already been secured for Switzerland with Sina Frei, uncatchable by all; the silver medal, at 1'07", however, found an Italian home, that of the 28-year-old from La Salle. A town of just 2,000 inhabitants, nestled in the Aosta Valley mountains, which today boasts two champions capable of inspiring dreams: Martina Berta and Federica Brignone. The bronze medal went to fellow Swiss athlete Nicole Koller.
The Italian was immediately responsive, starting from the first lap, catching up with Sweden's Jenny Rissveds and Switzerland's Sina Frei, who had been the strongest performers in the early stages. On the second lap, Frei once again pushed hard on the uphill section: Rissveds lost a few meters, while Martina Berta responded with a strong push, managing to rejoin the leaders.
The Swede, the reigning world champion, gradually lost ground, even to Swiss Nicole Koller and Dutchman Puck Pieterse, before a puncture forced her medal hopes to end. In the third lap, Berta also had to give way to Sina Frei, who changed pace and sprinted toward gold. A new race then began for the Aosta Valley native, the one for silver, with Koller poised to close behind her and able to catch her during the fifth lap.
The last two laps were the triumphal parade of Sina Frei, who conquered her first Elite world title in Cross-country and the second world championship medal of her career in Val di Sole, after the gold in the Short Track in 2021. Martina Berta, on the other hand, saved her energy until the end for the decisive sprint, managing to get the better of Nicole Koller.
Behind them, fourth place went to Puck Pieterse at 1'25", fifth place to New Zealander Samara Maxwell at 1'48". Only seventh place went to Jenny Rissveds, at 2'29". The other Italian in the race was fifteenth. Giada Specia, 4'58” behind the winner.
"I think that more than a goal for my season, this was a real dream, especially after two years in which I had so many difficulties, especially in the middle of the season. What I think is that only I can influence myself and my performance. That's why I just followed myself and my pace, without thinking too much about the others. At the moment, I still can't quite wrap my head around what happened, but I can't wait to wear this jersey in the next World Cup stages," said Sina Frei.
"It's incredible; this medal was the big goal of the season," commented Martina Berta. "I managed to arrive in top form and am very happy with the result. I thank my family and my coach, with whom we always manage to do an excellent job, as well as the Army Sports Center and the Italian Cycling Federation, which allowed us to focus fully and truly feel like a team. This dedication, of course, is to Chiara Teocchi: our thoughts have been with her throughout this entire experience."
The affection and enthusiasm of the Val di Sole crowd was absolutely incredible. After the second and fourth climbs, I felt like everything was muffled for at least a minute. Thank you so much to everyone who came here to support us: it's important, because it means we can convey great emotions to the crowd too. I tried to win, but Sina was too strong today: it was a very tough race on a fantastic course.
FEMALE ELITE RANKING
| 1 | SUI | FREI Sina | 1:27:50 |
| 2 | ITA | BERTHA Martina | + 1: 07 |
| 3 | SUI | KOLLER Nicole | + 1: 07 |
| 4 | NED | PIETERSE Puck | + 1: 25 |
| 5 | NZL | MAXWELL Samara | + 1: 48 |
| 6 | GBR | RICHARDS Evie | + 1: 58 |
| 7 | SWE | Risveds Jenny | + 2: 29 |
| 8 | TUE | STIGGER Laura | + 2: 41 |
| 9 | USA | BLUNK Savilia | + 2: 48 |
| 10 | USA | BATTEN Haley | + 3: 13 |
UNDER 23: VALENTINA CORVI'S IRIS SHINES IN VAL DI SOLE
It is a Val di Sole that has pushed hard since the early hours of the morning that on Sunday 30 August welcomed the stars of the Cross-country world championships, for the final day of the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships. And in front of her home crowd, Valentina Corvi responded in the most beautiful way possible.
In Daolasa di Commezzadura, the Valtellina native started out as the favorite and didn't just turn it into reality: she simply dominated. The twenty-one-year-old from Tirano took gold in the Cross-country Women U23, the second of this world championship after the one won on Wednesday in the Team Relay.
The young Italian rider delivered a top-notch performance from the first lap, immediately imposing her pace and opening up a gap behind her. Lap after lap, Corvi pulled away with authority, never giving the slightest chance to her more qualified competitors. Only Swiss rider Hutter attempted to react on the third lap, chipping away a few seconds from the leader. This surge was short-lived, as Corvi quickly increased her lead, turning the final lap into a triumphant parade. At the finish line, the clock stopped at 1 hour, 19 minutes, and 34 seconds.
Behind her, the Swiss tide. Anina Hutter took silver at 43", while the bronze went to her compatriot Monique Halter (+1'55"), who had already won gold in the Short Track. Fiona Schibler finished fourth at 2'30"; the other two Italians competing, Marika Celestino and Laura Squarise, finished 24th and 28th.
“It's simply incredible, I couldn't wait to start this race. It was my dream to win here today,” said Valentina Corvi. – “Ever since I made the Under 23s, I knew the 2026 World Championships would be here. At the beginning of the year, I remember telling my coach that I had to win: I immediately put a circle on the calendar. I'm proud of myself and happy with the step I've taken, even mentally. This fantastic crowd gave me something extra. At a certain point, I no longer felt the fatigue, only the sound of the crowd.”
France dominated the men's race, with Nael Rouffiac taking the gold medal ahead of his compatriot Alix André Gallis, 9" behind, and the Swiss Nicolas Halter (+13"), winner of the Short Track.
The race remained closely contested throughout the first half of the race, before Rouffiac's attack on the fifth lap. The young Frenchman maintained a comfortable lead over his pursuers over the next two laps. Behind him, on the final lap, was his compatriot Gallis, who edged out Halter, Dane Pedersen, and German Kruger.
“I'm speechless, it's a dream come true for me. The race plan called for a late attack, but I feel good and tried on the fifth lap. I'm really happy to share it with my teammate; it was the perfect day,” Rouffiac commented.
The first of the Italians, Giulio Peruzzo, finished sixteenth, while Fabio Bassignana finished 18th. The Turin native, however, is still satisfied with the gold medal he won in the Team Relay.
Val di Sole
