Avancini takes Brazil's first MTB World Cup win in Vallnord
Schurter keeps World Cup lead






Brazil's Henrique Avancini (Cannondale Factory) defeated Mathieu van der Poel (Corendon-Circus), to win the fourth round of the XCC short track series at the Mountain Bike World Cup. With his success, Avancini became the first Brazilian to win a Mountain Bike World Cup in any discipline.
World Cup leader Nino Schurter (Scott-SRAM), Van der Poel and Round 2 XCC winner Sam Gaze (Specialized) took the early lead, with Avancini bridging up and moving into the lead on the second lap of the eight-lap race.
Avancini stayed at or near the front for the rest of the race, marked by Van der Poel, Schurter and Gerhard Kerschbaumer (Torpado Gabogas). He then rode them off his wheel on the final climb, holding on to win by a bike’s length despite a late charge by Van der Poel, with Kerschbaumer taking third.
"It's amazing to win," said Avancini. "To win the short track is an amazing feeling. I've always had really strong legs, but I was getting lost in the middle of the races, so I discussed it with my team, and we delivered the plan. I was trying to control the fast guys - Nino, Van der Poel and Gaze - and I had crazy good legs. This win goes to Brazil."
Despite finishing fourth, Schurter continues to lead the overall XCO World Cup standings handily, with a 285 point gap over Van der Poel.
Full Results
| # | Rider Name (Country) | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Henrique Avancini (Bra) | 0:19:53 |
| 2 | Mathieu Van Der Poel (Ned) | 0:00:01 |
| 3 | Gerhard Kerschbaumer (Ita) | Row 2 - Cell 2 |
| 4 | Nino Schurter (Swi) | Row 3 - Cell 2 |
| 5 | Luca Braidot (Ita) | 0:00:03 |
| 6 | Titouan Carod (Fra) | 0:00:04 |
| 7 | Maxime Marotte (Fra) | Row 6 - Cell 2 |
| 8 | Samuel Gaze (NZl) | 0:00:11 |
| 9 | Daniele Braidot (Ita) | 0:00:13 |
| 10 | Manuel Fumic (Ger) | 0:00:15 |
| 11 | Florian Vogel (Swi) | 0:00:18 |
| 12 | Marco Aurelio Fontana (Ita) | Row 11 - Cell 2 |
| 13 | Mathias Flueckiger (Swi) | 0:00:19 |
| 14 | Carlos Coloma Nicolas (Spa) | Row 13 - Cell 2 |
| 15 | Jordan Sarrou (Fra) | 0:00:23 |
| 16 | Lars Forster (Swi) | 0:00:26 |
| 17 | Victor Koretzky (Fra) | 0:00:30 |
| 18 | Bartlomiej Wawak (Pol) | 0:00:31 |
| 19 | Martin Loo (Est) | 0:00:35 |
| 20 | Gioele Bertolini (Ita) | 0:00:36 |
| 21 | Hugo Drechou (Fra) | 0:00:39 |
| 22 | Sergio Mantecon Gutierrez (Spa) | 0:00:43 |
| 23 | Catriel Soto (Arg) | 0:00:48 |
| 24 | Howard Grotts (USA) | 0:00:50 |
| 25 | Jan Škarnitzl (Cze) | 0:00:54 |
| 26 | Andri Frischknecht (Swi) | 0:00:56 |
| 27 | Anton Cooper (NZl) | 0:00:58 |
| 28 | Karl Markt (Aut) | 0:01:01 |
| 29 | Pablo Rodriguez Guede (Spa) | Row 28 - Cell 2 |
| 30 | Nadir Colledani (Ita) | 0:01:12 |
| 31 | Daniel Mcconnell (Aus) | 0:01:15 |
| 32 | Gregor Raggl (Aut) | 0:01:46 |
| 33 | Nicola Rohrbach (Swi) | Row 32 - Cell 2 |
| 34 | Reto Indergand (Swi) | Row 33 - Cell 2 |
| 35 | Thomas Litscher (Swi) | Row 34 - Cell 2 |
| 36 | David Valero Serrano (Spa) | Row 35 - Cell 2 |
| DNF | Lukas Flueckiger (Swi) | Row 36 - Cell 2 |
| DNS | Stephane Tempier (Fra) | Row 37 - Cell 2 |
| DNS | Grant Ferguson (GBr) | Row 38 - Cell 2 |
| DNS | Martins Blums (Lat) | Row 39 - Cell 2 |
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Latest on Cyclingnews
-
Launching a new road racing season – A guide to Australia's 2026 sun-drenched opening block
A Perth National Championships entree for the locals before world descends for Tour Down Under and Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race -
'I am very disappointed' – No more cyclo-cross battles with Mathieu van der Poel as Wout van Aert to undergo surgery after crash in Mol
Van Aert and Van der Poel’s last match of 2026 was due at the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup in Zonhoven on Sunday -
Exact Cross Mol: Mathieu van der Poel conquers snowy conditions to take another victory after Wout van Aert crashes heavily
Belgian abandoned race after catching world champion but crashing in his wheel, as Aerts and Orts finish on podium -
All the new WorldTour team kits for 2026 – UAE Team Emirates, SD Worx-Protime, NSN Cycling and more
Rounding up all the reveals and new designs so far



