The penultimate stage of the UCI World Cup Cross-country Short Track (XCC) has returned to the Olympic region in Lake Placid, New York (USA).
The penultimate stage of the UCI World Cup Cross-country Short Track (XCC) returned to the Olympic region of Lake Placid, New York (USA) and, judging by last year’s UCI World Cup debut, fans at home and on the track were treated to fast-paced racing.
The race did not disappoint expectations, with the victory of the UCI World Champion Cross-country Olympic (XCO) Jenny Rissveds (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) and new UCI XCC World Cup overall winner Christopher Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing).
Rissveds continued her impressive form in the format, winning her third consecutive UCI XCC World Cup. The UCI XCO World Champion battled throughout the race with overall leader Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing-Pirelli) and UCI XCC World Champion Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon), but proved she had the upper hand with a long attack on the final lap.
In the men's Elite category, Blevins rode effectively from the start, a spectacle not seen in a long time. Despite dominating the overall standings and winning the first five races, the American hasn't been in top form since his streak ended in Pal Arinsal (Andorra), finishing 26th two weeks ago at Bike Kingdom.Lenzerheide (Switzerland). But Blevins gave it his all, putting on a show for the home fans and outsprinting teammate Adrien Boichis (Specialized Factory Racing) at the finish line, taking his sixth UCI XCC World Cup victory of 2025.
Blevins’s overall lead would have allowed him to secure a top-30 finish to secure his title with one round to go, but his win in the Lake Placid Olympic Regional allowed him to secure his first series in style.
Before the Elites, it was the turn of the Under 23s on the technical and challenging Mount Van Hoevenberg course, which saw Finn Treudler (Cube Factory Racing) take a sixth consecutive victory and Tyler Jacobs (Liv Factory Racing) take his first UCI XCC U23 World Cup victory.
RISSVEDS MAKES A TRIPLE IN THE SHORT COURT
All eyes ahead of the penultimate UCI XCC World Cup of the season were on the battle between Richards and Keller, with the Brit looking her best in the Bike Kingdom.Lenzerheide to take the lead in the overall standings.
But Jenny Rissveds doesn't know when she's defeated. The Swede had already demonstrated her superiority, winning in Les Gets, Haute-Savoie (France), and Switzerland, moving up to third place in the standings. And with two races to go, she was mathematically in contention.
The race was close from the start, with Jolanda Neff (Cannondale Factory Racing) taking the lead from her old teammate Richards, while Keller sank like a stone at the start. Richards quickly took the lead, with Rissveds firmly on her wheel.
By the second lap, Keller had recovered and rejoined the pack, while Rissveds took the lead for the first time. However, she seemed to be moving on a different plane than everyone else, making her ride seem fluid while the others struggled to keep up.
Last year’s Lake Placid Olympic Region winner Sina Frei (Specialized Factory Racing) was also in contention, with a strong pack forming every time the race passed the start/finish straight, before thinning out again in the tight, technical first section.
By lap six, there was still a leading group of 12, each with their own ideas but unable to keep them at bay. But it would be Keller who would give up first.
By the start of the seventh lap, the Swiss cyclist was already off the saddle and, with her characteristic pedaling style, was making the most of her Thömus mountain bike. Rissveds quickly took over, leading the race through the rock garden before switching hands several more times.
On the penultimate lap Keller started pushing again, but was unable to get rid of Richards, who was glued firmly to her rear wheel.
Ultimately, it was Rissveds who delivered the coup de grace: the Swede went wide on the final lap, exploding in the rock garden and opening up a gap on Keller and Richards. The Briton overtook her main title rival near the finish line, but couldn't catch Rissveds, who claimed his sixth career UCI XCC World Cup.
The results show Richards still leading the overall standings by 150 points over Keller, with Rissveds just 10 points behind in third place. And with one round remaining in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada, everything is still up for grabs.
Speaking after the race, Rissveds said: “This [course] is quite hectic because it's very fast. It's a flat, high-speed course. So I tried to be smart and not just ride with power. I rode with my head. That's something I learned this year. I try to think more and analyze, even when I can't, I try to analyze what I did wrong.
The path of cross-country It's actually similar to short track, but a little longer. I think it will be fast and tactical, and I think we'll be a large group in the race."
FEMALE ELITE RANKING
| 1 | Risveds Jenny |  | CANYON CLLCTV XCO | 21:22 |
| 2 | RICHARDS Evie |  | TREK FACTORY RACING – PIRELLI | 21:24 |
| 3 | KELLER Alexandra |  | THÖMUS MAXON | 21:27 |
| 4 | KOLLER Nicole | | GHOST FACTORY RACING | 21:31 |
| 5 | STIGGER Laura |  | SPECIALIZED FACTORY RACING | 21:33 |
| 6 | JACKSONJennifer |  | ORBEA FOX FACTORY TEAM | 21:34 |
| 7 | COURTNEY Kate |  | 21:34 | |
| 8 | FREI Sina | | SPECIALIZED FACTORY RACING | 21:35 |
| 9 | LILL Candice |  | 21:35 | |
| 10 | HENDERSON Rebecca |  | ORBEA FOX FACTORY TEAM | 21:37 |
BLEVINS EARNS SIXTH XCC WIN OF THE SERIES AND OVERALL
Christopher Blevins had a summer to forget, after a spring in which he continued to win. The American was in dazzling form, winning five UCI XCC World Cups in a row and breaking records along the way. But his season seemed destined to end, even though he could have afforded to finish 30th at his home race and take the UCI XCC World Cup title.
The Specialized Factory Racing rider had different ideas in the Lake Placid Olympic region. He looked scary from the start, but then he returned to his best form, winning the race, rather than the rider we've seen in recent races.
The 10-lap race was a very cautious one, with dusty conditions and slippery surfaces creating chaos throughout the course, while the leading group set a ferocious pace.
It looked like Specialized might have the upper hand, however, with Boichis and Victor Koretzky (Specialized Factory Racing) joining Blevins at the front of the race.
That was until the fifth lap, when Koretzky crashed on the rock garden: his rainbow jersey flew into the air, and the Frenchman was lucky not to be hurt. He got up and remounted, but his chances of adding a second consecutive victory were now gone.
However Boichis was proving to be a worthy rival to Blevins and the two exchanged leads numerous times.
Another serious accident occurred on lap eight, this time splitting the leading group with Luca Braidot (Willier Vittoria Factory Team) and the most likely riders being Blevins, Boichis and Mathis Azzaro (Origine Racing Division).
Things were starting to heat up at the front, with Azzaro happy to take the wheel behind Blevins, but on the final lap of the race, it was Boichis who took the lead. The young Frenchman overtook Blevins on the first climb of the course and seemed to have gained a slight advantage as he exited the rock garden.
Blevins managed to close it, but he also took Azzaro with him, and when the trio reached the final corner, it looked like a three-way sprint for the finish. Boichis led them, but Blevins barely had time to pass him at the finish line, leaving Azzaro to settle for third place.
The sixth win of the season was enough to secure Blevins the UCI XCC World Cup title.
After the race, Blevins said: “Thank you all. My family is here. The last World Cup my sister saw was Snowshoe 2021, a magical day for me. It's a beautiful thing. Competing here definitely gives me a boost, and it was my first short track performance. My coach was probably wondering what I was doing. But it worked. Adrien [Boichis] was phenomenal on the last lap, so it's a wonderful feeling. I love doing this sport, and I love doing it in the United States.”
MEN'S ELITE RANKING
| 1 | BLEVINS Christopher | | SPECIALIZED FACTORY RACING | 21:37 |
| 2 | BOICHIS Adrien |  | SPECIALIZED FACTORY RACING | 21:37 |
| 3 | AZZARO Mathis | | ORIGIN RACING DIVISION | 21:38 |
| 4 | LILLO Dario | | GIANT FACTORY OFF-ROAD TEAM – XC | 21:41 |
| 5 | MARTIN Luke | | CANNONDALE FACTORY RACING | 21:41 |
| 6 | ANDREASSEN Simon |  | ORBEA FOX FACTORY TEAM | 21:43 |
| 7 | ALDRIDGE Charlie | | CANNONDALE FACTORY RACING | 21:45 |
| 8 | GUERRINI Marcel | | BIXS PERFORMANCE RACE TEAM | 21:47 |
| 9 | ULLOA AREVALO Jose Gerardo |  | 21:48 | |
| 10 | RÜEGG Timon | | BIXS PERFORMANCE RACE TEAM | 21:49 |
