UCI Enduro World Cup: Rudeau and Conolly Battle to Victories at Loudenvielle-Peyragudes

The third round of the UCI Enduro World Cup marked the season’s first two-day race. However, wet weather and stormy conditions in the Dolomites forced the cancellation of two physically demanding tests scheduled for day two, setting the stage for some unexpected results.Experienced rider Mélanie Pugin (Speed Project) delivered a technical masterclass to overturn a 16-second deficit and claim her maiden UCI Enduro World Cup victory. In the men’s race, Tristan Botteram pushed to the limit on the final stage to edge out Tommaso Calonaci by less than a second in a thrilling finish.The Junior categories were equally dramatic: Harper Nelmes stormed to victory in the Men’s Junior race with a decisive final stage performance, while Nežka Libnik enjoyed a flawless weekend to take top honours in the Women’s Junior event.In the team standings, Speed Project secured their third consecutive round win, further extending their overall lead.BOTTERAM PRODUCES PERFECT RUN TO CLINCH SLENDER VICTORYComing into the second race day Italian rider Tommaso Calonaci was a surprise leader by three seconds in the Men’s Elite event, as he looked to secure a first UCI Enduro World Cup podium of his career. UCI Enduro World Champion, Alex Rudeau, was just three seconds behind and Tristan Botteram also in contention five seconds back. Last year’s UCI Enduro World Cup overall winner Sławomir Łukasik (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) was also well placed for charge at victory just seven seconds from the lead.A storm before the day’s first stage resulted in stages four, five and six being cancelled for the Men’s Elite riders. Riders were left to battle for victory over the final 1.32-kilomete long Ciasates “EDR”.The short and powerful stage following the earlier storm resulted in some difficult conditions for riders. Botteram produced the ride of his career to win the stage by just eight tenths of a second from Lief Rogers, with Vojtech Bláha in third. Importantly Botteram’s time was 6.5 seconds faster than Calonaci to clinch the overall victory from the Italian by just six tenths of a second.After winning Saturday’s first stage Tommaso Francardo (Abetone Vittoria Nencini Sport Factory Team) did enough to place third overall. Meanwhile, Rudeau was pushed down to fifth, while Łukasik had issues on the final stage and placed 11th. After three rounds Rudeau keeps the lead in the overall standings ahead of Rodgers in second and Francardo.Speaking following his first UCI Enduro World Cup victory, Botteram said: “It was a special day for sure. With a lot of stages being cancelled and having to re-group and then put everything into one run, it was very difficult to regain all the time to win. To deliver under the pressure when I knew that I could win the race was really good.“It was big build-up to this race for me since November. I worked really hard and it’s been a long journey to get here. This is my first World Cup win and podium at the first time.”PUGIN PRODUCES TECHNICAL MASTERCLASS TO OVERTURN RIVALSMélanie Pugin (Speed Project) started the second day in sixth overall, having lost 13 seconds on the opening day, most of it on the demanding Tutti Frutti physical test. However, the French rider turned things around in emphatic style, mastering the steep and highly technical 2.51km Titans stage.Rain during the stage added another layer of difficulty, making the wooded and rocky terrain, capped by a challenging rock garden, particularly treacherous. Pugin handled the conditions to perfection, setting a benchmark time an impressive 12 seconds clear of her nearest rival.Winnifred Goldsbury, who claimed her maiden UCI Enduro World Cup victory in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland, also had ground to make up, starting the day in third overall, 12 seconds off the lead. The 19-year-old New Zealander delivered under pressure, finishing second on Titans, just seven seconds behind Pugin.Overnight leader Ella Conolly opted for a more measured approach on the opening stage, anticipating the physical tests later in the day. She placed third on Titans, conceding 27 seconds to Pugin but remaining firmly in contention, just 10 seconds behind the new race leader.The demanding conditions took their toll, with several riders losing ground, including UCI Enduro World Champion Elly Hoskins, who finished 52 seconds down on the stage, effectively ending her challenge for overall victory. Shortly after, worsening weather forced the cancellation of stages five and six, leaving only the final Ciasates “EDR” stage to decide the race.The 1.3km test combined high-speed sections, a short climb and a technical wooded descent, setting up a decisive finale. Pugin once again excelled in the technical terrain, winning the stage to secure overall victory.Hoskins bounced back to finish second on the stage, less than two seconds behind, while Conolly came home over six seconds adrift. In the final standings, Pugin sealed a commanding overall win by 17 seconds ahead of Conolly, with Goldsbury continuing her strong form in third.Reflecting on her victory, Pugin said: “I’m so proud of myself and my team. It’s been five years since my last win, so it feels incredible to be back on top. I had a difficult start to the weekend after a crash before training, so I took it easy at first, and yesterday I struggled to find my rhythm on the physical stages. With the weather today, we didn’t know how many stages we would even get. I gave everything on that first stage, and it paid off. I love this place. I think it’s the most beautiful place in Europe to ride a bike.”After three rounds, Conolly retains the overall series lead, holding a 30-point advantage over Pugin, with Goldsbury in third.NELMES AND LIBNIK TAKE JUNIOR HONOURSOvernight, Hugo Marti Montessinos led the Men’s Junior race by 11 seconds after breaking clear on the opening two stages. However, a crash in the Titans rock garden cost the youngster valuable time, dropping eight seconds on the stage. Fellow French rider Jules Janniaud kept his composure to take the stage win, while Harper Nelmes finished a close runner-up, just four tenths of a second back, moving to within three seconds of the lead heading into the final stage.On the decisive 1.7km finale, Tommy Bougon laid down the fastest time of the day, going four seconds quicker than his rivals to secure fourth overall. Behind him, Nelmes delivered when it mattered most, finishing third on the stage to overturn the deficit and claim the overall victory, as Marti Montessinos conceded five crucial seconds.Reflecting on his win, Nelmes said: “That was probably one of the toughest races I’ve ever competed in. It was a great weekend battling with Hugo [Marti Montessinos] and some of the Italian guys. They were fast and right there all weekend. Kudos to them.”After three rounds, Marti Montessinos still leads the overall standings, holding a 60-point advantage over Nelmes.In the Women’s Junior race, Nežka Libnik completed a flawless weekend, winning all five stages. The Slovenian rider continued her dominance on Titans, extending her advantage by a further 40 seconds.Elena Frei once again proved her closest challenger in second, while Romy Williams (Speed Project) strengthened her grip on third overall. Libnik then capped off a perfect performance by claiming victory on the final Ciasates “EDR” stage, sealing the overall by an emphatic margin of 2 minutes and 20 seconds ahead of Frei, with Williams in third.After back-to-back dominant rounds, Libnik leads the overall standings, ahead of Williams. Speaking after her victory, she said: “It was a very tough and physical weekend. The stages were great, technical and a bit slippery, but I managed to stay upright and put down some good times”.There is no let-up for the world’s best riders, as the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series heads to La Thuile–Valle d’Aosta next weekend for a blockbuster quadruple-header. The event will feature Downhill and Enduro alongside the addition of the UCI Cross-country World Cup for 2026.The action gets underway on Friday (July 3) with UCI Cross-country Short Track (XCC) World Cup racing and UCI Downhill World Cup qualifications. Saturday (July 4) brings the Downhill finals and UCI Enduro World Cup, including a special night stage, before the weekend concludes on Sunday (July 5) with the UCI Cross-country Olympic (XCO) World Cup.

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After two UCI Enduro World Cup rounds in Loudenvielle-Peyragudes (France) and Saalfelden-Leogang Salzburgerland (Austria), the series moves into round three this weekend with its first two-day format of the season, as Val di Fassa, Trentino (Italy) welcomes the Enduro field to the dramatic setting of the Dolomites.A staple of the UCI Enduro World Cup and its precursor -the Enduro World Series- since 2019, the location and its Val di Fassa Bike Park District are regarded as one of the best riding destinations in the world.The venue is so iconic that it hosted the inaugural UCI Mountain Bike Enduro and E-Enduro World Championships in 2024 and is scheduled to host the UCI Enduro World Championship in 2031 as part of the third multi-discipline UCI Cycling World Championships – the Italian region of Trentino following Glasgow and Scotland, UK (2023) and Haute-Savoie, France (2027) in welcoming the event which is held every four years and, over a two-week period, combines UCI World Championships for nearly all cycling disciplines.RACING IN THE HEART OF THE DOLOMITESWHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series locations don’t get much better than the bucolic surrounds of the Dolomites. The mountain range provides a jaw-dropping backdrop to the Enduro action, and its terrain will also make for some amazing racing.The charming town of Canazei will play host to the race HQ, while the riding will stretch across seven trails of the Val di Fassa Bike Park District over the four days of riding – two practice and two racing.For the third round of the UCI Enduro World Cup, athletes will take on seven stages during a 59.6km course featuring 2,633m of descent across two days. The first day’s action will be completely pedalled, while the second day’s four stages will involve a mix of lifts and pedalling transfers.Day one kicks off with the iconic Tutti Frutti, albeit a shorter version that starts just below the Col Rodella ridge and connects with Fassa and Furious. Iconic stages 9.90 and Ciasates EWS also return on a day that, while lighter on descending, will push riders into the red with plenty of pedalling in the intervening liaisons.With legs nicely warmed, day two will put recovery to the test as riders tackle the region’s high altitude and long, natural descents. Titans delivers a brutal wake-up call, with the intensity only building from there starting with the UCI Enduro World Cup debut of Lezuo’s epic 3.94km stage, before flowing straight into fan favourite Infinity. And if the racing is still close, expect a sprint finish on the final stage of Ciasates “EDR”.ŁUKASIK PLAYING CATCH UP WHILE CONOLLY HAS COMPETITION IN COURDURIERThe return of Slawomir Łukasik (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) to the top step of the podium in Saalfelden-Leogang Salzburgerland (Austria) confirmed that the reigning UCI Enduro World Cup overall winner has put the disappointment of finishing outside the points in Loudenvielle-Peyragudes (France) behind him.However, despite taking maximum points two weeks ago, the Pole still has ground to make up in the overall standings and remains 125 points back from series leader, round one winner and 2024 UCI Enduro World Champion Alex Rudeau.The pair have one win each from the format’s last two visits to the Val di Fassa Bike Park District – Łukasik most recently in 2025, and the Frenchman when he clinched the rainbow bands in 2024 – making them the clear favourites. Whoever comes out on top this weekend will head into the series’ midway point in the ascendancy, carrying valuable momentum into the final three rounds.Another rider to keep an eye on is privateer Lief Rodgers. The young Canadian secured his best-ever finish and second UCI Enduro World Cup podium with second place in Austria and was within five seconds of a debut UCI World Cup win.In the women’s competition, Ella Conolly’s second place in Saalfelden-Leogang Salzburgerland kept her title defence on track. However, New Zealand’s Winnifred Goldsbury, fresh from claiming her first UCI Enduro World Cup victory and now racing with career number 73, has added her name to the growing list of riders capable of challenging the British rider on any given day.Conolly starts in Canazei as a favourite having won in the Dolomites in 2025.HOW TO FOLLOW THE ACTIONRace content will be available across the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series’ official platforms, including:A detailed course preview highlighting the route and its key sections and video highlights from both practice and race days on the official YouTube channel.Key moments shared on social media (@uci_mtbworldseries)Live timing on the official WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series website and via the official app, which will also feature live blogging with key updates throughout the event.A highlights programme will be broadcast on Eurosport and TNT Sports next week and available on streaming platform HBO Max on demand.This season, former Enduro rider and Enduro World Series (EWS) Under 21 Champion Elliott Heap has joined the team as a presenter across all video content, bringing first-hand race experience along with expert insight and analysis.SHIMANO ENDURO OPEN RETURNSSet against an outstanding backdrop and with a wide range of activities on offer, the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series stop in Val di Fassa-Trentino is set to provide both fans and amateur riders with everything they need for an unforgettable weekend.Through the Shimano Enduro Open participants have the opportunity to test themselves on the very same trails and on the same days as the sport’s elite, dropping in just hours ahead of the professionals. Once they cross the finish line, they can stay on to watch the pros race and directly compare their times with the world’s best.To further enhance the competitive experience, new age categories and a pairs category have been introduced, allowing for tighter groupings and more meaningful racing. Registration is also open for the remaining Enduro Open rounds in Aletsch Arena–Bellwald (Valais, Switzerland) and Morillon (Haute‑Savoie, France) with full details available here.Racing gets underway in Val di Fassa, Trentino on Saturday 27 June. Discover the full schedule and event details here.