The elite men’s cross-country Olympic (XCO) race in Araxá was full of drama, with Simon Andreassen (Cannondale Factory Racing) emerging victorious in a sprint to claim his first Whoop UCI Mountain Bike World Cup win since 2020 during the second round of racing for 2024 in Brazil.
The race began with Mairiporã winner Christopher Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing) being relegated to the back of the field after a first lap crash. Despite this setback, Blevins fought hard and managed to finish in 16th place, just one point behind his teammate Victor Koretzky who finished 15th.
The race concluded with a thrilling four-way battle for the win between Andreassen, his Cannondale Factory Racing teammate Alan Hatherly, Filippo Colombo (Scott-SRAM MTB Racing Team), and Koretzky. Despite Koretzky’s efforts to overtake Andreassen, the Danish rider held him off to take the victory, with Hatherly finishing third in the sprint ahead of Colombo.
Andreassen expressed his surprise and joy at the win, commenting that it had been a few years since his last World Cup victory. “I can’t believe it! It’s been such a long time since I won a World Cup and now I have another one under my belt,” he said. Koretzky, who had initially looked poised for the win before a mechanical setback, congratulated Andreassen on his strength and sprint performance. “Simon rode really well and deserved to win,” he said.
Koretzky currently leads the overall standings with 520 points, followed by Andreassen with 136 points behind, and Blevins just one point behind him after finishing 22nd in Araxá. The next cross-country round will take place at Nové Město na Moravě from May 24-26.
