Aldridge and Frei Take Final XCO Wins as Overall Winners are Crowned in Lake Placid Olympic Sites

Martina Berta (Origine Factory Racing) and Martín Vidaurre Kossmann (Specialized Factory Racing) conquered the damp and muddy conditions at Lake Placid Olympic Sites, New York (USA) to bring a memorable UCI Cross-country Short Track (XCC) World Cup season to a close in style.Berta made it back-to-back XCC victories, underlining her status as one of the breakthrough riders of 2026 and securing third place in the overall standings. Vidaurre, meanwhile, carried his late-season form into Lake Placid following his his XCO victory at Soldier Hollow, Utah (USA). His win also marked a third consecutive Men Elite XCC victory at Lake Placid Olympic Sites for Specialized Factory Racing, following Victor Koretzky in 2024 and Christopher Blevins in 2025.The racing also brought a nail-biting Women Elite UCI XCC World Cup overall battle to a close, with Sina Frei (Specialized Factory Racing) edging Jenny Rissveds (Canyon XC Racing) after a season-long fight for the title.Luca Martin (Cannondale Factory Racing), meanwhile, was confirmed as the Men Elite UCI XCC World Cup overall winner shortly before racing got underway. His closest rival, and the only rider still mathematically able to overtake him, Mathis Azzaro (Origine Factory Racing), withdrew from the event due to a lack of form.Earlier in the day, the U23 XCC races delivered maiden UCI World Cup victories for Bethany-Ann Jackson and Alix André Gallis (Decathlon Ford Racing Team).BERTA BRAVES THE MUD AS FREI SEALS UCI XCC WORLD CUP OVERALL CROWNIn the build-up to the Women Elite XCC race, all eyes were on Sina Frei and Jenny Rissveds, with the pair battling not only for victory on the day but also for the overall title. Frei’s advantage in the standings meant the Swiss rider only needed a top three finish to seal the crown, while Rissveds had to win and hope Frei finished off the podium.The pair set the pace from the gun, with Berta and Evie Richards (Trek-Unbroken XC) also part of the leading group. The conditions added an element of chaos with the rain leaving the corners greasy, the rock garden slippery and riders struggling for traction.By lap three, a lead group of eight had broken clear, with Rissveds setting a fierce tempo at the front. The pace proved too much for Jolanda Neff (Cannondale Factory Racing), who lost contact with the group.Two laps later, the group had swelled from eight to 11 as three riders, including Sammie Maxwell (Decathlon Ford Factory Racing), rejoined the fight following a lull in the attacks. At the front, however, Rissveds, Frei and an energised Berta continued to set the tone.The race soon settled into a familiar pattern, with Frei upping the pace at the end of the start/finish straight to lead into the technical section, before Rissveds clawed back the advantage on the course’s bobsleigh-inspired descent.That pattern continued until the penultimate lap, when Berta finally showed her hand. The Italian moved up to second before attacking as the leaders took the bell for the final lap, setting a pace that only Rissveds could follow.The Origine Racing Division rider maintained her advantage through the rock garden and remained composed despite having Rissveds, the most successful Women Elite XCC rider of all time, right on her wheel. Berta entered the final corner with a bike-length advantage and refused to relent in the drag race to the line, holding off Rissveds to claim her second UCI XCC World Cup victory in North America.Rissveds was forced to settle for second, while Frei crossed the line in third, enough for the Swiss rider to come out on top in their season-long battle and secure the overall title by just 60 points.Speaking after the race, Martina Berta said: “It’s insane. I think I still have to process what happened two weeks ago. To do it again today is just amazing. I’m so happy. Not only because of the results themselves, but being here and winning three World Cups means I’ve taken a really big step forward. Most of all, I’m so happy and grateful to everyone who has worked with me, not only on days like today, but also through the hard days. They’re the reason why I’m here.”Speaking after the race, Sina Frei said: “It’s really amazing. I don’t know what to say, but it’s insane that I managed to keep it together from the first straight to the last. I can be really proud, and it was fun to race here. I tried not to think about [the title], but it was always somewhere in my mind. In conditions like today, the equipment is even more important. One little slip can cost you the overall. I had to push as hard as I could, stay at the front, avoid mistakes, stay out of trouble and give it everything I had.”VIDAURRE POWERS TO FIRST XCC WIN AS MARTIN WRAPS UP OVERALL Like the Women Elite competition, the Men Elite overall title was still up for grabs heading into the final round, with Martin and Azzaro locked in a two-way battle for the crown. The suspense ended before the racing even began, however, after Azzaro withdrew from the weekend, explaining that his body “is not fit to race at World Cup level.”But Vidaurre and Luca Schwarzbauer (Canyon XC Racing) had plenty of drama of their own in store, producing a thrilling battle in the wet and slippery conditions.It was Schwarzbauer who lit the touchpaper, with the German XCC champion setting the pace from the start. Martin, meanwhile, sat back in 12th position, while Bjorn Riley (SCOTT-SRAM MTB Racing Team) was also among the contenders.Two laps later, Vidaurre and Charlie Aldridge (Cannondale Factory Racing) had joined Schwarzbauer at the head of the race, glued to the German’s back wheel. By the halfway point, European champion Aldridge took the initiative, leading through the rock garden and stretching the seven-rider front group. But the Brit’s WHOOP live data suggested he was already deep in the red and, with four laps still remaining, the question was whether he had made his move too soon.The decisive attack came a lap later. Schwarzbauer accelerated into the final corner, with Vidaurre the only rider able to follow. The Chilean then launched a move of his own as they crossed the start/finish line, and the pair quickly opened a gap over a chasing trio led by David List (Decathlon Ford Factory Racing).Six seconds soon became double figures, making it increasingly clear that victory would come down to Schwarzbauer or Vidaurre. And when Specialized Factory Racing’s rider surged again at the start of the final lap, the elastic finally snapped. Vidaurre powered through the final Short Track lap of the season, opening a comfortable advantage that allowed him to negotiate the churned-up course cleanly. He crossed the line to claim his maiden UCI XCC World Cup victory, celebrating in style.Schwarzbauer followed shortly behind and immediately congratulated his rival on his breakthrough Short Track win, while Filippo Colombo (SCOTT-SRAM MTB Racing Team) timed his race well to secure the final place on the podium.Martin crossed the line in fourth, sealing the UCI XCC World Cup overall title without winning a single round during the season.Speaking after the race, Vidaurre said: “Before this, I used to hate Short Track, but when you’re in good shape and you’re at the front with a good guy like Luca [Schwarzbauer], it makes the race so special. More than winning, for me, being out front with him with three laps to go made it such a special way to win. I was thinking, if I don’t win, I don’t care. It was so good. I’m so happy to get my first win like that. It was so special.”Overall winner Luca Martin said: “It’s cool. There was a lot of pressure before this race because it would have been a nice battle with Mathis [Azzaro]. In the end, he wasn’t here, but we stayed focused and tried to push hard in the race. It wasn’t the race I expected today. There were a lot of crashes at the front, but I’m still happy with the overall.”JACKSON TAKES FIRST XCC WIN AS CORVI CLOSES OUT TITLE-WINNING SEASON The opening race of the day saw the Women U23 field take on the New York course for a fast and frantic Short Track showdown. Valentina Corvi (Canyon XC Racing) had already secured the overall title, but the Italian was looking to cap a podium-packed season with a fourth victory.It wasn’t to be for Corvi, however. She crashed out of the lead group on lap five and was forced to retire, leaving her title-winning tally at 776 points. Her exit only intensified the five-way battle for second in the overall standings, which had been led by Lisa Kristine Jorde.Heading into the final lap, Jorde sat second wheel behind Anina Hutter in a nine-rider lead group, but the decisive move came from further back. Bethany-Ann Jackson launched a powerful attack, with only Rafaelle Carrier (Trinity Racing), Makena Kellerman and Bloeme Kalis (KMC Nukeproof MTB Racing Team) able to respond.Jackson did enough to hold off the chase and claim her maiden Women U23 UCI XCC World Cup victory. Carrier crossed the line second, a result that propelled the Canadian from fifth to second in the overall standings, while home favourite Kellerman completed the podium and secured third overall.Bethany-Ann Jackson said: “It’s incredible. One of my goals this year was to get a podium. I made the podium at Worlds, and now I’ve done it in the World Cup too. I couldn’t be happier. I don’t know what changed [during the off-season], but I couldn’t be happier. I’m so excited [about tomorrow’s Women U23 UCI XCO World Cup]. The course is wicked and, if there’s a bit of mud, that only helps me.”Overall winner Valentina Corvi said: “Not exactly what I was hoping for, but every race is different. Today I crashed after making contact with another rider. It was a big impact, so I couldn’t finish the race. I’m happy I took the overall. I would have liked to finish the season in a better way, but that’s racing. I’m not going to race tomorrow because it’s better to focus on staying healthy. This season, I’ve already achieved some big goals, so I’m super happy. Next season will be another challenge.”ANDRÉ GALLIS ENDS XCC SEASON ON A HIGH AS SCHEHL CLAIMS OVERALLThe Men U23 UCI XCC World Cup overall had also been decided before a pedal was turned in Lake Placid, with Paul Schehl’s (Lexware Mountainbike Team) five consecutive victories earlier in the season proving decisive.With the pressure off, the German was looking to bounce back from fifth place in Soldier Hollow, Utah (USA), and end his title-winning season on a high.Schehl was immediately prominent at the front in the damp and muddy conditions, but he wouldn’t have things all his own way. After leading deep into lap five, he slipped back to fifth on the following lap and was unable to return to the head of the race.Instead, it was Alix André Gallis (Decathlon Ford Racing Team) who seized the initiative. Outside the lead group after three laps, the Frenchman steadily worked his way back into contention before launching the decisive move from a nine-rider group on the final lap.André Gallis held firm to claim his maiden Men U23 UCI XCC World Cup victory, while Benjamin Krüger won the sprint for second, edging Naël Rouffiac (Origine Racing Division) at the line to complete the podium.André Gallis said: “I’m so happy. This morning, for the last one, I just wanted to have fun. I didn’t expect this at all. I missed my pedal at the start and thought I wouldn’t be able to make it back into the top 10. Over the last few laps, a few opportunities made things easier for me, and on the final lap I just gave it everything I had. It worked. XCO is a different race, but my weekend is already good. Tomorrow is just a bonus.”Overall winner Paul Schehl said: “It was super tough. The pace was super high from the beginning. I had planned a mid-race attack, but I didn’t have the chance because everyone was attacking from the start. It was super hard. On the last lap, there was a crash in front of me that cost me a bit of momentum. In the end, I could sprint for fourth, but I didn’t have the power anymore. With the overall, Worlds, my XCC results this season and P5 here, I’ll take that.”MORE TITLES ON THE LINE AS LAKE PLACID RACING CONTINUESIn a change from the standard double-header schedule, the Endurance riders will be back between the race tape tomorrow for the UCI Cross-country Olympic (XCO) World Cup, while the Downhill field will also return to action as riders battle to qualify for Sunday’s UCI Downhill World Cup finals.In the Women Elite XCO, the tables are turned, with Jenny Rissveds and challenger Sina Frei set to go bar-to-bar once again in the fight for the overall crown. In the Men Elite race, Luca Martin heads into the season finale on the verge of completing an impressive XCO-XCC overall double, a feat that will further establish him as one of cross-country mountain biking’s leading young riders.

Read on for everything you need to know about the Lake Placid Olympic Sites round of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series races, including when the cross-county short track (XCC), cross-country Olympic (XCO) and downhill events are scheduled to take place, who is racing, and how to watch.WHEN?The 2026 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series round in Lake Placid Olympic Sites, New York (USA) starts with the Women U23 UCI XCC World Cup at 09:20 (UTC-4) on Friday, October 2 and concludes with the Men Elite UCI Downhill World Cup at 14:10 (UTC-4) on Sunday, October 4.Below are the key timings for race weekend. All times are UTC-4 (EDT/BST-5/CEST-6):Friday, October 209:20 – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Women U2310:10 – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Men U2311:45 – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Women Elite12:35 – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Men EliteSaturday, October 312:30 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification 1 Women Elite13:00 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification 1 Men Elite14:00 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification Men Junior14:40 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification Women Junior15:00 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification 2 Women Elite15:30 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification 2 Men Elite09:00 – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup | Women U2311:00 – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup | Men U2314:00 – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup | Women Elite16:00 – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup | Men EliteSunday, October 411:30 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Finals Men Junior12:15 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Finals Women Junior13:00 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Finals Women Elite14:10 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Finals Men EliteWHERE CAN I WATCH?There will be several ways to follow the action as the 2026 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series reaches its final stop.Fans can keep up with UCI Downhill World Cup qualifying through live timing and dedicated coverage across the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series social media channels, official website and app.The UCI Downhill World Cup Junior finals, for both men and women, will be broadcast live on HBO Max (in all available territories) and MTBWS TV for subscribers. As another Women in MTB initiative, this year’s Women Junior Final will take place after the Men Junior Final, giving Aletha Ostgaard (Canyon DH Racing) the opportunity to celebrate the overall title on home soil, in front of her home crowd, in a schedule position that reflects the significance of the moment.All the Elite finals will be available live via the channels and streaming platforms listed below:Europe:Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Baltics, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Faroe Islands, Finland, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Tajikistan, Türkiye, Ukraine – HBO Max / EurosportBelgium - HBO Max, Eurosport and VRT (only selected races live)Czechia – HBO Max, Eurosport and CT Sport +France - HBO Max, Eurosport and L’Equipe LiveIreland – TNT SportsSwitzerland - HBO Max, Eurosport and SRF/RSI/RTS (only selected races live)United Kingdom – HBO Max and TNT SportsAsia:Indonesia, Macao, Malaysia, Mongolia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Chinese Taipei, Thailand – Eurosport World Oceania:Australia – Stan SportNew Zealand – MTBWS TVSamoa – Eurosport WorldNorth America:Canada – FloSportsUSA – HBO Max / MTBWS TVSouth & Central America: MTBWS TV and DSPORTS Africa: MTBWS TVAll other territories: MTBWS TV RIDERS TO WATCHValentina Höll (Commencal Schwalbe by Les Orres) has had a season to remember by her own high standards, but the five-time UCI Downhill World Cup overall winner and five-time UCI Downhill World Champion could make it one for the record books this Sunday by securing a  seventh UCI Downhill World Cup win of 2026. Only Anne-Caroline Chausson and Rachel Atherton have managed this feat in the history of Women’s Downhill, and victory would put Höll on par with the sport’s all-time greats.She arrives at Lake Placid Olympic Sites with a perfect record at the venue, having won its inaugural UCI Downhill World Cup in 2025, her only victory last season. That will make ominous reading for her rivals, but behind Höll, the battle for second overall is wide open. Gloria Scarsi (MS-Racing) holds a slender advantage over Les Gets, Haute-Savoie (France) winner Harriet Harnden (AON Racing) and Gracey Hemstreet (Norco x adidas Race Division). It is Hemstreet, however, who carries the most momentum into the finale after finishing second on home soil at Whistler Mountain Bike Park (Canada) last weekend, where she was the only rider to come within a second of Höll’s winning time.The Men Elite overall meanwhile hangs finely in the balance with three riders still in contention. Asa Vermette (Frameworks Racing/TRP) holds a solid 96-point advantage over Jordan Williams (Specialized Gravity), while Amaury Pierron (COMMENCAL/MUC-OFF by Riding Addiction) remains in play mathematically but requires other results to go his way to clinch a third title.Vermette’s win in Whistler gives the 19-year-old rookie the edge, but in a topsy-turvy season where no one rider has put together a consistent string of results, nothing is guaranteed.Other riders to look out for include fellow rookie Max Alran (COMMENCAL/MUC-OFF by Riding Addiction), who followed up his debut UCI Downhill World Cup win in Les Gets, Haute-Savoie with second place last weekend, while Finn Iles (Specialized Gravity) will be hoping to return to winning ways after missing out on finals at his home course’s UCI World Cup debut in Whistler.Before the Downhill action is Friday’s XCC and Saturday’s XCO, with three out of four series still to be decided.Sina Frei (Specialized Gravity) and Luca Martin (Cannondale Factory Racing) lead their respective XCC UCI World Cup tandings, and a top three finish would be enough to clinch them the title. But their closest rivals are unlikely to go down without a fight.For Frei, Jenny Rissveds (Canyon XC Racing) is the woman in the hunt. The Swede’s 10 wins make her the most successful Women Elite XCC rider of all time, and if chasing a first XCC title wasn’t enough, she has added incentive of superior point differences adding to her lead in the XCO overall.Martin meanwhile can only get caught by Mathis Azzaro (Origine Racing Division). The season’s early form setter needs to win and for Martin to finish fourth or below to leapfrog his compatriot, and the pair have history when it comes to close, elbow’s out racing. Expect fireworks.Less than 24 hours after the XCC, the cross-country athletes will line up again for the final XCO race of the season. Rissveds could have already mathematically secured the overall title if Friday’s XCC goes her way, but if the fight remains alive, Frei will need a significant points swing to overturn the deficit. As the reigning UCI XCO World Champion, however, the Swiss rider can be expected to fight all the way to the final lap.Before a single pedal stroke in Lake Placid, Adrien Boichis’ (Specialized Factory Racing) absence is set to hand Martin his first XCO overall crown and puts him one step closer to a historic XCO-XCC double. There is still plenty at stake, however, with the battle for third overall among the storylines still to be settled. Bjorn Riley (SCOTT-SRAM MTB Race Team) currently leads the way and will be looking to finish the season on a high in front of a home crowd, while Soldier Hollow, Midway, Utah (USA) winner Martin Vidaurre Kossmann (Specialized Factory Racing) could yet deny him a place on the overall podium. Racing gets underway on Friday, October 2 in Lake Placid Olympic Sites. Full schedule and event details are available HERE. You can find where to watch all the action live HERE.

If the penultimate UCI Cross-country and UCI Downhill World Cups are any indication, a nail-biting finish awaits at Lake Placid Olympic Sites this weekend, with the UCI Downhill World Cup joining the Endurance formats at the New York State venue for the second consecutive season.It could also be a positive omen for its home riders. In 2025, Christopher Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing) confirmed his UCI Cross-country Olympic (XCO) World Cup and UCI Cross-country Short Track (XCC) World Cup overall titles at the venue. Could Elite Men UCI Downhill World Cup series leader Asa Vermette (Frameworks Racing/TRP) do the same this weekend?A FITTING SERIES FINALELocated 285 miles north of downtown Manhattan and a stone’s throw from the Canadian border, Lake Placid might be best known for winter sports, but the site has a growing network of off-road trails perfect for mountain biking, centred around Mt Van Hoevenberg and Whiteface Mountain.The former is the location of the cross-country course, which is littered with rock gardens, a slalom course and a section that mimics the venue’s Olympic bobsled run.Whiteface Mountain, meanwhile, is the setting of the downhill track. Roughly 2km in length, the machined course is packed full of steep, technical terrain and requires precise bike handling and fearless determination to come out on top.RISSVEDS IN CONTROL, BUT THE XCO TITLE FIGHT ISN’T OVERThe Women Elite UCI XCO World Cup overall title is Jenny Rissveds’ (Canyon XC Racing) to lose this weekend – the Swede having a 220-point lead over closest competitor Sina Frei (Specialized Factory Racing) with only 330 points left on the table. The 2016 Olympic champion could claim hers and her country’s first overall title as early as Friday’s XCC – she just needs to score 30 points more than Frei to build an unassailable lead.But if the last round of the UCI Cross-country World Cup that took place in Soldier Hollow, Midway, Utah (USA) proved anything, it’s not a foregone conclusion. There, Rissveds finished behind Frei in both the XCO and XCC. If the Canyon XC Racing rider has a poor short track race, then it will all come down to the final race of the season. She will have history on her side though – Rissveds acheived the XCO-XCC double in 2025 at Lake Placid.Also, although Frei is the only rider who can mathematically catch Rissveds in the title race, her own place in second spot isn’t guaranteed – XCO-XCC winner from Soldier Hollow Martin Berta (Origine Racing Division) is within 200 points of the Swiss rider.MARTIN OUT OF REACH, RILEY LEADING RACE FOR THIRDLuca Martin (Cannondale Factory Racing) is set to win his first UCI XCO World Cup overall title confirmed courtesy of Adrien Boichis’ (Specialized Factory Racing) switch to road cycling for the end of the season. But there will be nothing fortuitous about the Frenchman’s success. Martin has consistently been one the best riders at each of this season’s UCI XCO World Cups, including a run of five consecutive podium finishes that featured two wins.There’s still plenty to play for though in Sunday’s curtain closer, with Bjorn Riley (SCOTT-SRAM MTB Race Team) leading the race for the final podium spot in the overall title. While the American is unable to better Boichis’ second-place total, his third position isn’t secure with nine riders still mathematically in the mix. A strong home performance would make the bronze position his, but with Solider Hollow’s UCI XCO World Cup winner Martin Vidaurre Kossmann (Specialized Factory Racing) only 62 points in arrears and Simone Avondetto (Wilier-Vittoria Factory Team) 101 points back there’s still plenty to do for Riley.FREI THE FIRM FAVOURITE, AZZARO ONLY RIDER WHO CAN RIVAL MARTINIn the Women Elite UCI XCC World Cup standings, the roles are reversed with Frei the rider in control and Rissveds in the hunt. The 100-point gap means that Frei just needs to finish on the podium to win the title, while Rissveds’ best shot at overhauling Frei is to win and for Frei to finish fourth or worse. Frei leads Rissveds three wins to two this year in the XCC, but Rissveds is the most successful Women Elite XCC rider of all time with 10 UCI XCC World Cup wins.The Men Elite field is even closer with 96 points separating series leader Martin from his closest rival competing this weekend, Mathis Azzaro (Origine Racing Division). Like the Women Elite, it’s the same equation – Martin needing to finish in the top three to confirm the overall, Azzaro needing to win and Martin to finish off the podium to leapfrog his compatriot. The dynamic is different though in the Men Elite title race; Martin hasn’t won all season but has recorded five podiums, including consecutive second-place finishes in the last two rounds; Azzaro started with back-to-back wins but has struggled with bad luck and has only recently shown some of his early season form, coming fourth two weeks ago. One thing’s for sure though – you can expect fireworks between the pair and bar-to-bar racing from the start.HÖLL OUT TO EQUAL THE GREATSValentina Höll’s (Commencal Schwalbe by Les Orres) win in Whistler Mountain Bike Park (Canada) was the Austrian’s sixth of the season. The 24-year-old had already sewn up the UCI Downhill World Cup overall title before taking to the start hut, but her desire to win even when it’s only for personal honours shows why she is already being talked about as one of the greats. A seventh win of the season in Lake Placid Olympic Sites would see her equal Anne-Caroline Chausson (1999) and Rachel Atherton’s (2026) record for number of wins in one season. It would also take Höll to third outright in the table for all-time women race winners – her 17th Elite career victory in Canada taking her level with Sabrina Jonnier.It’s not just the Höll show though, and the fact that she is able to do what she is doing with the level of competition in the Women Elite field makes her dominance even more impressive. This strength in depth is highlighted by how it’s a six-way battle for second-place in the overall. Gloria Scarsi (MS-Racing) currently leads the chasing pack, but AON Racing’s Harriet Harnden and Norco X adidas Race Division’s Gracey Hemstreet are breathing down the Italian’s neck, while Marine Cabirou (Canyon DH Racing) down in seventh is still mathematically in with a shot. While there are a variety of permutations, whoever comes out top out of Scarsi, Harnden and Hemstreet on Saturday is likely to be crowned the 2026 UCI Downhill World Cup overall runner-up.ADVANTAGE VERMETTE IN THREE-WAY TITLE TUSTLEWith no qualifying points on offer at the season finale and 250 points for the winner of Sunday's final in Lake Placid Olympic Sites, it becomes a straight shootout between Asa Vermette (Frameworks Racing/TRP), Jordan Williams (Specialized Gravity) and Amaury Pierron (COMMENCAL/MUC-OFF by Riding Addiction) on Saturday.Vermette’s victory in Whistler saw the American rookie leapfrog Williams, and with 96 points separating the pair, the 19-year-old can afford to finish as low as fourth regardless of Williams’ result. To be in with his best shot at taking the title in dramatic circumstances, Williams will need to claim a third win of the season and for Vermette to finish fifth or below.Pierron meanwhile is a truly outside bet, but the two-time UCI Downhill World Cup overall winner has experience on his side. To add a third title to his collection, the Frenchman needs to win for the first time this year and for Williams to finish fourth or lower and Vermette 10th or lower. One thing’s for sure – you wouldn’t want to write him off yet.WILDCARDS CONTINUE TO IMPRESSA host of wildcard teams will line up in Lake Placid, looking to build on a string of standout performances across both Cross-country and Downhill in recent rounds.Cross-country: Bike Team Solothurn, KTM Factory Team, Lexware Mountainbike Team, MASSI, SUNN Factory Racing, Thomus Akros Youngstars and UNNO Factory Racing.Downhill: Outlaw INTENSE Racing, Crestline Speedshop, Team High Country, Pivot Factory Racing, The Alliance Racing and Stoic Racing.Wildcard entrants have recorded a number of impressive results across the Endurance and Gravity formats in recent weeks. In Soldier Hollow, Nicholas Halter (Thömus Akros - Youngstars) won the Men U23 UCI XCC World Cup, while Mathis Guay (KTM Factory Racing) finished 13th in the Men Elite UCI XCC World Cup. There was success in the Olympic format too – Fiona Schibler (Bike Team Solothurn) coming fourth and Giada Specia (KTM Factory Racing) 15th in the Women U23 and Women Elite respectively.In Downhill in Whistler, Jenna Hastings (Pivot Factory Racing) made it three Women Elite Finals appearances in a row, finishing 13th. Bode Burke (Crestline Speedshop), Alden Pate (Crestline Speedshop) and Jackson Connelly (The Alliance) meanwhile made 10% of the Men Elite finals field wildcard entrants, with the trio coming 22nd, 24th and 28th respectively.Racing gets underway in Lake Placid Olympic Sites, New York on Friday 2 October with the UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup. Full schedule and event details are available here.