Val di Sole: Canadians compete at 2026 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships

By Liam Tremblay — 29 August 2026 — 4 min read

Canadians showcase talent at World Championships

The 2026 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Val di Sole, Italy, have seen Canadian cyclists deliver strong performances across various categories. On Thursday, Isabella Holmgren led the Canadian elite results with an impressive debut in the elite mountain bike XCC event. She secured seventh place, finishing two seconds behind 2025 XCC world champion Alessandra Keller and 14 seconds behind the winner, Laura Stigger. Holmgren’s performance was notable as she raced up from the under-23 ranks into the elite field, starting from the back row and moving into the top 10.

In the elite women’s XCC race, Laura Stigger claimed the world championships title in a photo finish against Evie Richards. Richards finished second, with Sina Frei taking third place, securing two podium spots for Specialized. The top five finishers in this event were separated by no more than two seconds.

The elite men’s XCC race saw Adrien Boichis continue his strong 2026 season by winning the event. This victory followed his success against Mathieu van der Poel in the final pre-world championships World Cup in Les Gets. Boichis’s win, coupled with Stigger’s earlier victory, gave Specialized matching XCC world championships titles.

Canadian men also made their mark in the elite XCC, with Carter Woods finishing 13th, 11 seconds behind the winner. Gunnar Holmgren followed closely in 14th place, just one second behind Woods. Emilly Johnston was the other Canadian in the elite women’s race, placing 19th.

Under-23 and Junior Category Highlights

In the under-23 categories, Rafaelle Carrier continued her impressive first season, securing sixth place in Wednesday’s short track (XCC) world championships race. Other Canadian finishers in this category included Marin Lowe in 12th and Ella MacPhee in 17th. The under-23 women’s XCC race was won by Switzerland’s Monique Halter, with GB’s Bethany-Ann Jackson taking second and the U.S.A.’s Makena Kellerman in third.

The under-23 men’s XCC also saw a Halter on top, with Nicolas Halter of Switzerland winning the race. He finished ahead of German racer Paul Schehl and Netherland’s Rens Teunissen van Manen. Canada’s Ian Ackert was part of the lead group contesting the sprint, finishing sixth and as the top Canadian. Mika Comaniuk placed 15th, and Soren Weselake finished 27th, all within a minute of the winning time in a highly competitive race.

Thursday’s events also included the junior men’s and women’s XCO races. Emilien Belzile was the top Canadian in the junior men’s XCO, finishing 11th. National champion Ethan Wood followed in 16th, and Evan Moore in 22nd. In the junior women’s race, Alexia Haviland led the Canadian contingent in 23rd place, with Eliane Blais in 35th, Alexane Arpin in 45th, and Lacey Denis in 52nd.

Switzerland’s Anja Grossmann secured another win for her country in the junior women’s title, beating Barbora Bukovska of the Czech Republic and Agathe Vauchamp of France. Australia’s Connor Wright won the junior men’s race by over a minute, ahead of Michael Hettegger of Austria and Marwan Borhoumi of Switzerland.

Upcoming events and British contenders

The championships will continue with gravity events on Friday, featuring junior and elite qualifying rounds for Saturday’s downhill championships. Cross-country racers will return to the track on Sunday for the under-23 and elite XCO championships, which are the final events of the 2026 worlds in Val di Sole.

British cyclists are also making their presence felt at the championships. Charlie Aldridge, fresh from a double success in the short-track and cross-country at the European Championships, is vying for his first senior World Championship win. He previously claimed under-23 world gold in 2023. Tom Pidcock, an Olympic gold medallist and 2023 world champion, is a late entry after finishing ninth in this year’s Tour de France. Former under-23 world champion Evie Richards will be looking to improve on her fourth-placed finish at last month’s European Championships, competing against a strong field that includes reigning world champion Jenny Rissveds, European champion Sina Frei, and Martina Berta, who aims to win on home soil.

The 2026 Mountain Bike World Championships in Val di Sole will conclude with the infamous and highly technical “Black Snake” downhill track.

Coverage of the elite cross-country women’s and men’s events on Sunday, August 30, will be available from 11:50 BST to 13:40 BST for the women’s race and from 14:05 BST to 16:25 BST for the men’s race.

Source: ca.sports.yahoo.com