Silver by a tyre's width. That's how Evie Richards' 2026 short track world championship ended in Val di Sole; out-sprinted on the line by Austria's Laura Stigger after a race that had both the Italian crowds and me on our feet for all ten laps. It's the sort of result that could read as heartbreak or as vindication, depending on the season you've had. For Richards, though, it's probably a bit of both.
Richards arrived in Val di Sole with a palmarès few in the field can match: elite cross-country world champion in 2021, Commonwealth Games gold in 2022, two under-23 cyclo-cross world titles either side of that, and, more recently, the overall World Series short-track crown in 2025. She's a rider whose punchy full-gas style is built for exactly this kind of race: short, sharp, tactical, and flat out from the start.
What makes it remarkable is how she managed to be at the sharp end at all, given the challenging season she's had.
2026 has been brutal for Richards, even by mountain biking's unforgiving standards. She opened the World Cup campaign in YongPyong carrying the aftermath of injury and still managed second in the short track opener, then came Nové Město: fourth in the XCC, before a horror crash in the following XCO race sent her over the bars at speed on a technical section. X-rays cleared her neck, but the head impact was serious enough to floor her for weeks, layering yet another concussion onto a rap sheet that already includes a partially dislocated knee, a lower back injury and a string of wrist problems. XC MTB takes no prisoners, and can be a real test of a rider's character.
Racing again by La Thuile was impressive enough, but ending up on a world championship podium in Val di Sole a matter of weeks later is truly remarkable.
The Bike: Trek's still-unnamed flex-stay prototype
The machine underneath her for that short track final is the same one that turned heads when it broke cover earlier in the season: an unreleased, unnamed Trek prototype that the brand itself said: "may never hit store shelves." It replaces the modified Top Fuel downcountry platform Richards raced last year, a bike that always looked slightly overbuilt for XC racing and felt more like a trail bike.
The new frame runs a flex-stay rear end, ditching a pivot at the dropouts to save weight and bearings while keeping the suspension responsive enough for Val di Sole's brutal descents. The XCC course is smoother and less technical, so some changes come from tyre pressure and inserts, but settings remain very similar across both disciplines.
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Speaking of bars, she runs a one-piece bar and stem from Trek's in-house brand Bontrager and goes for a 760mm width. Some riders run narrower bars for Short Course, but not here. They are also custom-painted purple to match the rest of the bike.
Travel sits at 115mm out back, slightly shorter than some of the latest top-tier XC bikes, but still enough to handle the ever-increasing technical nature of the courses. Gone are the days of superlight hardtail builds that valued climbing performance above all else, though her bike does feature a few parts from Carbon-Ti to help shave a few grams. (Image credit: Neal Hunt)
Geometry follows conventional XC architecture with a top-mounted shock, with many brands settling on a similar silhouette as the best option for an efficient full suspension design. (Image credit: Neal Hunt)
Drivetrain duties go to SRAM's XX SL Eagle AXS Transmission. (Image credit: Neal Hunt)
A pair of Look X-Track Race Carbon-Ti pedals keep her feet locked in place. (Image credit: Neal Hunt)
RockShox's electronic Flight Attendant takes care of suspension across fork, shock and an AXS wireless dropper post with 100mm of drop. (Image credit: Neal Hunt)
It's a system that automatically adjusts damping mode to terrain, auto-locking out and adjusting the damping depending on how the mechanic and rider set it up. (Image credit: Neal Hunt)
Not only does it make for a much cleaner, uncluttered handlebar, it means one less thing for the rider to think about on track. (Image credit: Neal Hunt)
Her top tube appears to have taken a knock here, perhaps from a hasty remount at some point. (Image credit: Neal Hunt)
For the World Champs, the British rider runs a custom blue-and-red setup with 180mm rotors, offering enough power and modulation on the steep hillsides of Val Di Sole. (Image credit: Neal Hunt)
Pirelli's Scorpion XC RC tyres are fast but offer just enough grip, with minimal centre tread and medium-depth shoulder knobs, completing a wheel package that's ideal for the dry conditions on track this week. (Image credit: Neal Hunt)
The wheels are a standout detail: Bontrager Kovee RSL carbon rims laced with Berd PolyLight spokes. (Image credit: Neal Hunt)
They have a braided Dyneema polyethene construction that can shave up to 200g off a wheelset versus steel spokes and claim to offer a more compliant ride. (Image credit: Neal Hunt)
