France’s Pauline Ferrand-Prevot has returned to the top of the mountain bike world, securing a second place finish in Saturday’s XCO short track event. Switzerland’s Alessandra Keller took the win, with Ferrand-Prevot finishing just behind her. This set the stage for Sunday’s XCO race, where Ferrand-Prevot dominated, finishing a full minute ahead of Batten, who secured second place.
Following her victory on Sunday, Ferrand-Prevot announced that this would be her last year competing in mountain biking. She expressed a desire to focus on road cycling moving forward and stated that the 2024 Olympics in Paris present a final opportunity for her to achieve her goal of becoming an Olympic champion on home soil.
As of May 25, Americans Haley Batten and Alessandra Keller currently hold the top two spots in the UCI rankings, with Savilia Blunk of the USA also in the top three. Ferrand-Prevot’s victory has once again highlighted her talent and determination in the sport and sets up an exciting journey as she transitions to a renewed focus on road racing.
