Pieterse and Azzaro win XCC in Nové Město, Pidcock second

Puck Pieterse kicked off her first mountain bike appearance of 2026 with victory in the short track at round 2 of the UCI Mountian Bike World series in Nové Město, Czechia. The versatile Dutch rider had a lot of work to do to move up through the pack, but she got the job done and took the lead around the halfway point. After a dramatic last few laps, including a crash for favourites Alessandra Keller and Jolanda Neff, culminated in a small group sprint, and Pieterse surged across the line for her first MTB win of 2026.

Tom Pidcock's presence in Czechia created a lot of buzz in the buildup, especially for followers of road racing, but like Pieterse, the multi-hyphenate bike rider had an uphill climb on his hands given his starting position deep in the pack. At the front, it was a very competitive race with about half a dozen riders knocking chunks out of one another. Pidcock then managed to join the leaders in the last couple of laps, and it was his acceleration that created the decisive separation. However, the European champion had a dangerous man on his wheel, and sure enough, the 26-year-old Frenchman Mathis Azzaro out-punched the Brit to take his second consecutive XCC win this season.

Elite women's top 5 XCC

1. Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Premier Tech) 21:37
2. Laura Stigger (Specialized Factory Racing) st.
3. Nicole Koller (Lapierre PXR Racing)st.
4. Evie Richards (Trek-Unbroken XC) +0:01
5. Sina Frei (Specialized Factory Racing) st.

Elite men's top 5 XCC

1. Mathis Azzaro (Original Racing Division) 21:46
2. Tom Pidcock (Pinarelli-Q36.5) +0:01
3. Dario Lillo (Giant Factory Racing) st.
4. Martin Vidaurre (Specialized Factory Racing) +0:02
5. Charlie Aldridge (Cannondale Factory Racing) st.