Wilier-Vittoria: Pal Arinsal, Andorra, UCI MTB World Series Round 6 - Full Recap

It was a full-on weekend of racing at Pal Arinsal, Andorra, for round six of the World Cup, and the Wilier-Vittoria MTB Factory Team was once again in the thick of the action. Whether in XCC or XCO, the team’s riders fought up front and brought home seven top-10 finishes out of eight races.

Luca Braidot delivered strong performances both in Friday’s short track and Sunday’s grueling XCO race. After finishing 9th in the XCC, he climbed to an impressive 5th place in the XCO, won by Tom Pidcock.

That result earned him a place on the podium and another proud showing in the Italian champion’s tricolour jersey — just as he had done in Val di Sole.

“It was tough out there, but I’m really satisfied because the legs felt great — and when that happens, everything’s more fun,” said Braidot. “Since Val di Sole, I’ve been feeling the form come around, and today confirmed it. This is a great place to restart and build toward a strong end of the season.”

Simone Avondetto had a tougher time in the short track, finishing 21st, but bounced back with a solid ride in Sunday’s XCO, taking 10th place and honoring the European Champion’s jersey, which he’ll continue to wear for two more weeks before putting it back on the line at the upcoming European Championships in Melgaço, Portugal, on July 27.

Juri Zanotti, meanwhile, showed impressive consistency, finishing 14th in both the XCC and the XCO. He also debuted his newly earned Italian champion’s jersey in the short track.

“It was a special feeling to wear the tricolour jersey for the first time in the XCC — but it didn’t make the race hurt any less,” Zanotti admitted. “Sunday was also the first time all three of us were fighting together at the front. That was fun — and pretty special.”

In the elite women’s races, Sofie Heby Pedersen continued her steady progress toward the world’s top 20, finishing 21st in the XCC and 20th in the XCO.

Podium for Gustav Pedersen in XCC, Tough Luck for MacPhee

Wilier-Vittoria’s U23 squad also shined once again. Gustav Heby Pedersen continues to be one of the most consistent riders of the season. In Andorra, he scored a brilliant 2nd place in the short track and a 7th in the XCO, moving up to 2nd overall in the XCC standings and 3rd in the XCO.

His close friend and teammate Elian Paccagnella also rode well, finishing 8th in the XCC and 12th in the XCO. 

“This is one of my favorite venues, especially for short track. It’s so fast — it felt like being in a washing machine,” Gustav joked. “Whether you were leading or sitting on a wheel didn’t make much difference. I had fun out there.”

It was a far more frustrating weekend for Ella MacPhee. After an encouraging 4th place in the XCC, she crashed early in the XCO and spent the rest of the race chasing from behind. She ultimately finished 11th, but held on to the overall lead in the U23 XCO World Cup standings.

“Ending the weekend like this is honestly sad and frustrating,” said the young Canadian. “I got squeezed and went down, and suddenly I saw everyone riding away — it was tough to take. Luckily, I’m still leading the standings. Now it’s time for a short break, and I’ll come back more fired up than ever, ready to bounce back.”

Next up are the European Championships at the end of July in Portugal, while the World Cup takes a brief summer pause before returning at the end of August for the classic round in Haute-Savoie, France.