MTB World Cup XCO – Mitterwallner makes it two in a row in Les Gets

Mona Mitterwallner (Cannondale Factory Racing) wins the XCO at the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in Les Gets 2023 (Image credit: Bartek Wolinski / Red Bull Content Pool)

In the last round of the Mountain Bike World Cup in Andorra Mona Mitterwallner (Cannondale Factory Racing) stepped up to take her first World Cup Cross-Country Olympic win in the elite category, and in the searing heat of Les Gets she did it again.

The 21-year-old, who was near unbeatable in the U23 category, clearly demonstrated that she is now a force to be reckoned with in the elite category as well by taking that second victory in a row.

Mitterwallner chased with Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (Ineos Grenadiers), who had worked her way up to the front of the race despite having to start well back in the grid for her home race after missing the short-track due to illness. Hayley Batten (Specialized Factory Racing), who had been out the front early, was also initially part of the group but fell back before long and it was the remaining duo that this time made contact with Pieterse.

However, Ferrand-Prevot drifted away and the battle then came down to the two 21-year-olds. Once Mitterwallner tasted the front in the fifth lap, the fastest of the race, she wasn't giving it up, crossing the line with a 38-second winning advantage while Pieterse came second and Ferrand-Prevot held firm in third.

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Simone is a degree-qualified journalist that has accumulated decades of wide-ranging experience while working across a variety of leading media organisations. She joined Cyclingnews as a Production Editor at the start of the 2021 season and has now moved into the role of Australia Editor. Previously she worked as a freelance writer, Australian Editor at Ella CyclingTips and as a correspondent for Reuters and Bloomberg. Cycling was initially purely a leisure pursuit for Simone, who started out as a business journalist, but in 2015 her career focus also shifted to the sport.