In back-to-back race weekends, it’s often about who can recover best, and Savilia Blunk (Decathlon Ford Factory Racing) and Adrien Boichis (Specialized Factory Racing) showed that they had managed it best in a jam-packed racing schedule.
While the focus before the race was whether Jenny Rissveds (Canyon XC Racing) could make it a fifth XCC win in a row at the venue or whether home favourite and overall leader, Sina Frei (Specialized Factory Racing) could continue her strong start to the season, it was Blunk who battled her way to the front, edging Ronja Blöchlinger (Liv Factory Racing) in a sprint for the line to clinch her debut UCI XCC World Cup victory. Another Swiss star, Alessandra Keller (Thömus maxon), would finish third, making history in the process – the reigning UCI XCC World Champion riding a prototype 32”-wheel bike onto a podium spot in its first Elite-level race.
In the men’s Elite, Boichis came into Lenzerheide as the man to beat – the Frenchman having won his first UCI XCO World Cup five days ago in Austria. Despite Luca Martin’s (Cannondale Factory Racing) best efforts, no one had an answer to the Specialized Factory Racing rider, who picked up his debut UCI XCC World Cup win after an explosive final lap attack. Bjorn Riley (Scott-SRAM MTB Race Team) was the only other rider alongside Martin who could follow Boichis’ surge, but had to settle for third – his first Elite UCI XCC World Cup podium.
Before the Elites, it was the turn of the Under 23s on Lenzerheide’s fast and frantic course, and it witnessed a debut win for Bloeme Kalis in the women’s event, while Paul Schehl (Lexware Mountainbike Team) made it three wins in a row to extend his lead in the men’s overall standings.
BLUNK DUSTS HERSELF DOWN TO TAKE DEBUT XCC WIN
Savilia Blunk showed strength and determination last week to finish fifth in the UCI XCO World Cup despite a coming together with Jenny Rissveds that had left the American rider on the ground.
This time out, she was determined not to suffer the same misfortune, working her way to the front of the pack in the early laps to keep herself out of harm’s way.
It was Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Premier Tech) who set the early pace though, leading into the Lenzerheide course’s descent for the first time with Keller and Blöchinger for company. The Dutchwoman was on the limit from the off though – her WHOOP live data showing that she was already in zone five as early as the third lap.
By the race’s mid-point, the Dutchwoman had started to fade, and it was Rissveds and Keller who took up the mantle with Blöchlinger and Blunk for company. A fifth consecutive win in Lenzerheide appeared to still be on the cards for Rissveds, who is yet to win an XCC race this year.
It was Keller who went on the attack though – the Swiss rider winding it up to pile the pressure on the chasing pack, which proved too much for Rissveds. 
It was a sign of things to come too, and on the penultimate lap, Keller went all in on the climb, her surge enough to finally break the resolve of Nicole Koller (Lapierre PXR Racing) and Frei. Blunk and Blöchlinger managed to cling on though, and still had the rainbow jersey’s wheel as the race entered its final lap.
Keller appeared to have played her hand too soon, and as the lead group took on the course’s main climb for the final time, she had no response for when Blöchlinger and Blunk made counter attacks of their own.
Blöchlinger led into the crucial descent, but Blunk kept her nerve, attacking up the inside on the bridge before the final corner, leading out the sprint for the finish line. Despite her best attempts, Blöchlinger couldn’t match the American’s sprint, and it was Blunk who was able to take her debut win at the expense of the Swiss. Keller meanwhile held on for third.
Speaking at the end of the race, Savilia Blunk said:“It hasn’t really sunk in yet. I tried to have a good race, be smart and I felt super good. It’s been a long time coming. It feels good.
“I knew it was a secret line for the last lap. It takes a lot of effort, but I think it closes a few inches and that’s all it took.
“It was really good. I feel like it was pretty high pace from the beginning and I just tried to stay positioned in the top five because it was a lot easier than yo-yoing. People kept throwing attacks and I just tried to carry that momentum where I could.
“I’ve had good confidence for the last few weekends and I just want a clean race and see what I can do. It fills me with confidence and I’m going to enjoy it too.”
BOICHIS BLITZES OPPOSITION TO CLINCH FIRST XCC WIN
In the men’s field, eyes were on Christopher Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing). The reigning UCI XCC World Cup overall winner has been out of action since a crash in MONA YongPyong (South Korea), and the American rider was making his return after recovering from a broken collarbone.
Teammate Adrien Boichis has kept the wins rolling in for Specialized in Blevins’ absence, and it would be interesting to see whether the Frenchman would be given free reign with the outfit’s more senior rider back in contention.
Initially, it was another American, Bjorn Riley, who looked to be up for the fight, while Boichis was in the mix with Blevins stuck in traffic towards the back of the grid.
By lap two, Fabio Püntener (Scott-SRAM MTB Race Team) found himself in the lead of a big front group that was all strung out, and the Swiss rider continued to set the pace deep into the fourth lap when Boichis took up proceedings.
Blevins meanwhile was going about his business and up to 12th by the midway point, although with a chunky gap between him and the lead group of 11, he still had a lot to do to be in with a shot of a victorious return to racing.
Luca Martin had other ideas, seizing the lead on lap six and setting a pace that was too much for Blevins in the chasing second group. It wasn’t a problem for another rider who had suffered a poor start though – Mattis Azzaro (Origine Racing Division) laying down some impressive lap times to pull himself back into the lead group with three laps to go.
The current UCI XCC World Cup overall leader had left himself too much to do though, and when Martin put in a concerted effort on the penultimate lap’s climb, the lead pack was stretched and whittled down to seven.
This would be reduced to three the following lap when Boichis threw down the gauntlet on the same climb. Only Martin was able to follow, with Riley a few bike lengths in arrears.
Unlike in the women’s race, Boichis’ attack would ultimately be the winning one, and Martin had no answer for his fellow Frenchman’s raw power. Riley meanwhile would come home third for his first UCI XCC World Cup podium.
Speaking after the race, Adrien Boichis said: “It was a super nice race. I felt really good. My legs were powerful today and it was really enjoyable.
“Towards the end of last year I started feeling good in the short tracks again. In 2023, I was good and then took some time to get back to it. I think just race after race I feel better. I’ve had a long time on the road and now to get to the sharp end of the races makes me feel better.
“I’m still figuring out the transition from road to mountain bike. For example, two weeks ago, I did a road race. In the end, it was a good decision because I feel good now. I’m still playing with it and hopefully improving the process week after week.
“I love my team so much and I’m super happy to be there but also it’s a team with a lot of champions. So you need to be good to feel like you belong there, and slowly but surely, I feel like I belong there.”
KALIS CLINCHES DEBUT U23 WIN, SCHEHL MAKES IT THREE IN A ROW
Bloeme Kalis recorded her debut win in the Women U23 UCI XCC World Cup, riding clear of a group of five containing Valentina Corvi (Canyon XC Racing) and series leader Makena Kellerman on the final lap.
Kalis had a mountain to climb at the race’s halfway point and found herself 13 seconds down on then-race leader Corvi after five laps, but she fought her way back into the leading group and by lap eight of 10 she was fully in the mix. Despite expending energy chasing down the pace setters, Kalis found another burst of speed on the final lap, leaving Corvi to settle for second while Rafaelle Carrier came home third.
Speaking after the race, Bloeme Kalis said: “I feel amazing. This is crazy. A World Cup win is something special and I’m just enjoying it.
“Today, I didn’t know what happened. I went full gas on the last climb and that was crazy. We were in the second group and I thought we’d never get back to the front group. The front group came back and it was a crazy last lap.”
The men’s U23 race was a much tighter affair with a group of 10 still in contention as the contest entered its final lap.
It was Paul Schehl (Lexware Mountainbike Team), Naël Rouffiac (Origine Racing Division) and Thibaut Francois Baudry (Canyon XC Racing) who managed to break clear of the chasing pack, although series leader Schehl had too much for his rivals, edging them to claim his third consecutive victory and go 90 points clear at the top of the standings. Rouffiac recorded his second second-place of the season, while Baudry’s third means the Spaniard remains second in the overall standings.
Speaking at the end of the race, Paul Schehl said: “I’m feeling amazing. It’s incredible. I’m so happy to do it.
“It’s very challenging. More than I thought. In the second from last lap I thought I could attack and get away and do the last lap on my own. But the other guys were so strong and I couldn’t drop them. I had to go again, which was incredibly hard. I had to dig deep for it, but it worked out and I’m super happy to do it again.”
Racing continues in Lenzerheide tomorrow (Saturday, June 20) with the UCI Downhill World Cup. The UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup follows on Sunday. Discover the full schedule and where to watch here.
