Wilier-Vittoria: UCI MTB World Series 2026, Round 8 Soldier Hollow - Recap

A strong start to the US trip! At Soldier Hollow, Midway, Utah, for the penultimate round of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup, the Wilier-Vittoria MTB Factory Team came away satisfied with both the results and the form shown by its riders.

In particular, Luca Braidot produced his best performance of the season. After finishing 10th in Saturday's Short Track, he delivered an outstanding ride in the XCO, taking 4th place, just 12 seconds off the win and only five seconds away from the podium.

"Finally, I had really positive feelings right from the start," said Braidot. "I felt good on the bike and was able to race at the front, even though I had to make up some positions and fight all the way to get back to the leaders. Once I got there, I knew I had the legs to come away with something more than fourth place. I just missed out on the podium, which is a little disappointing, but I'm still very happy with the race and, above all, with the feelings I had today."

It was a more difficult weekend for Simone Avondetto, who finished 14th in the XCC and 16th in the XCO, but remains 5th overall in the World Cup standings. Juri Zanotti continued to perform consistently, with a solid 11th place in the Short Track followed by 17th in Sunday's race. There were also encouraging signs from Sofie Heby Pedersen, who improved on her 16th place in the XCC to finish 12th in the Elite women's XCO.

Her brother Gustav Heby Pedersen continues to be one of Wilier-Vittoria's most reliable performers, and Soldier Hollow provided further proof. The young Dane stepped onto the podium in the Short Track with 3rd place, after a race decided in a sprint from a large group. Sunday's XCO was a very different and highly tactical affair, with Pedersen eventually having to settle for 8th.

"I'm really happy with third place in the Short Track and to be back on a World Cup podium," said Pedersen, who currently sits 4th overall. "I expected a little more from the XCO and hoped I could fight closer to the front, but things didn't go exactly the way I wanted. Still, I'm coming away from this weekend with some really good results and plenty of motivation for the final round of the season."

Canada's Ella MacPhee, meanwhile, rounded out her weekend with 9th place in the Short Track and 5th in the XCO. With one round remaining, she sits 5th overall in the U23 standings.

The final act of the season is scheduled for 2–4 October, once again in the United States, this time at the Olympic venue of Lake Placid.