Bec McConnell finished 2nd overall in 2022 World Cup!

The final round of the XCO UCI MTB World Cup in Val di Sole, Italy, would see the overall World Cup fight go to the line. Fresh from taking an historic XCC and XCO double at the 2022 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships at home in France the previous weekend, Ferrand-Prévot did the same once again in Val di Sole.

Ferrand-Prévot just beat fellow countrywoman Loana Lecomte in a thrilling dead heat finish in Friday evening's Short Track, but was in a class of her own in Sunday’s full XCO race.

After dropping main rival Lecomte early in the race, Ferrand-Prévot rode away from the field at will and built a lead that stretched out to a huge 1m 27s by the finish to complete her second perfect weekend in a row and end the season in incredible style.

Lecomte rode a lonely race behind Ferrand-Prévot to finish second, one minute clear of third placed Jolanda Neff, with Hayley Batten and Sina Frei completing the podium. The overall XCO World Cup title went to none of the podium finishers, but sixth place Alessandra Keller. The Swiss rider, who took her first XCO World Cup win earlier in the season in Snowshoe, started the race third in the overall standings behind Anne Terpstra and Rebecca McConnell.

With Anne Terpstra suffering from illness, Keller saw her opportunity and rode a strong race to leapfrog both her rivals and snatch the overall title for the very first time, finishing on 1682 points to McConnell’s 1626 and Terpstra’s 1618.

Winning the XCO overall title made Keller a double World Cup champion for 2022 , as she also secured the XCC series win with her third place in Friday night’s short-track race. A consistent podium finisher in the XCC races all year, she comfortably won the title over McConnell, with Jolanda Neff finishing third. Bec McConnell finished 19th, which secured her second overall.

Women's XCO result

1. Pauline Ferrand-Prévot FRA 1h 20m 23s

2. Loana Lecomte FRA +1m 27s

3. Jolanda Neff SUI +2m 29s

4. Hayley Batten USA +3m 18s

5. Sina Frei SUI +5m 11s

In the women's U23, Zoe Cuthbert finished 8th! Katherine Hosking came in 36th with Izzy Flint in 55th.

Men's World Cup Cross Country final

Just like his compatriot Ferrand-Prévot, Titouan Carrod did the XCC and XCO double in the men’s events and claimed his second XCO win in a row after victory in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada, last month.

After pipping new XCC World Cup overall winner Alan Hatherly of South Africa to the race win by four seconds in Val di Sole on Friday night, Carrod dominated the Olympic distance race on Sunday afternoon.

At the front from the very first few turns, Carrod showed an unbeatable combination of sublime technical skill and endurance to dominate the field and ride away to a winning margin of 35s over Nino Schurter, who wrapped up an eighth overall World Cup series title with his second place finish

Following his 10th World Championships title win the previous weekend in Les Gets, France, this latest overall World Cup title shows that the legendary Swiss champion had no intention of slowing down any time soon. Former world champion Jordan Sarrou scored his best result of the season with a third place in with Victor Koretzky and two-time race winner this year, Luca Braidot, competing the podium in the final race of the year. Dan McConnell finished in 44th while Cam Ivory was 80th. 

Men’s XCO result

1. Titouan Carrod FRA 1h 22m 02s

2. Nino Schurter SUI +35s

3. Jordan Sarrou FRA +1m 08s

4. Vikctor Koretzky FRA +1m 27s

5. Luca Braidot ITA +1m 36s

In the U23 men, Cam Wright finished 44th and Tom Cheesman was 107th.

2022 UCI MTB World Cup women's cross-country standings

1. Alessandra Keller SUI 1682 points

2. Rebecca McConnell AUS 1626

3. Anne Terpstra NED 1618

4. Loana Lecomte FRA 1469

5. Mona Mitterwallner AUT 1461

2022 UCI MTB World Cup men's cross-country standings

1. Nino Schurter SUI 1723 points

2. Titouan Carod FRA 1620

3. Luca Braidot ITA 1533

4. David Valero-Serrano ESP 1511

5. Alan Hatherly RSA 1475