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The third edition of the XTERRA World Cup reached its climax beneath the Dolomites in Trentino, Italy. The finale played out on a course that combined the energy of a spectator-friendly village, complete with berms, bridges, and sweeping sightlines, with the wild trails of the Paganella Hills and the backdrop of Lake Molveno, voted Italy’s most beautiful lake time and again.
Crowds filled the village, families lined the course, and countless more followed live around the world. It was the kind of setting that has come to define the World Cup series: community at its heart, world-class racing in its core, and a connection to place that made the finale feel bigger than the sport itself. Watch the full replay here.
Loanne Duvoisin (CHE) won the women’s finale in 36:03, with Solenne Billouin (FRA) second and Isla Hedley (GBR) third. Marta Menditto (ITA) secured the overall crown, becoming the first non-French athlete to win the World Cup and did so on home soil. In the men’s race, Sullivan Middaugh (USA) repeated his 2024 triumph to win again in 31:37, ahead of Jens Emil Sloth Nielsen (DNK) and Arthur Serrières (FRA). Felix Forissier (FRA) finished fourth but still defended his overall World Cup title.
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With the XTERRA World Championship no longer included in the World Cup, the series ended for the first time with an all-out, fast-format Short Track showdown. Few places could have delivered a better finale, as the Trentino course once again produced rapid-fire racing, just as in 2023 and 2024 when the winners were decided by a second or less. Across 8 stops and 11 races in 2025, every climb, descent, and transition counted toward series points and the overall title. Now in its third year, the World Cup pro series has become the biggest stage at the highest level of off-road triathlon, each series producing faster racing and tighter finishes.
For the men coming into the final race, razor-thin margins meant even the slightest mistake could have cost the series. Digging deep at the right moment proved decisive, as Felix Forissier (FRA) defended his crown with 766 points, edging out his brother Arthur Forissier (FRA) on 745. Sebastian Neef (DEU) completed the men’s overall podium with 598. For the women, Marta Menditto (ITA) sealed the title with 729 points in front of her home crowd. Aneta Grabmüller (CZE) took second with 600, while Alizée Paties (FRA) secured third on 550.
To capture this global journey, XTERRA launched Beyond the Finish Line, a new docuseries spotlighting the destinations, communities, and lifestyle that shaped the World Cup. Riding along with nine athletes, each with entirely different goals, the series followed how they navigated the courses, cultures, and connections that defined every stop.
Watch the full Beyond the Finish Line series here.
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The 2025 XTERRA World Cup opened in Australia with back-to-back wins from Jens Emil Sloth Nielsen (DNK) and Alizée Paties (FRA), who both left Dunsborough in golden caps. From there the tour crossed into Greece, where Felix Forissier (FRA) launched his season with a hard-fought victory, and Paties extended her streak. Weston Park in the UK followed just a week later, with Félix Forissier taking control and Paties again untouchable as she claimed her third straight win.
The action then moved to North America with races in Oak Mountain and Quebec. Rain-slicked trails in Alabama saw Forissier edge Sullivan Middaugh (USA) in the Full Distance before Middaugh struck back in the Short Track, while Paties stretched her dominance to six straight. Quebec marked the turning point: Forissier added to his streak, but Paties finally stepped aside as Marta Menditto (ITA) surged to her first victory of the year, resetting the women’s race for the European swing.
The series closed in Europe with fireworks. In Czech, Forissier stayed perfect in Full Distance racing while Aneta Grabmüller (CZE) lit up the home crowd with her first World Cup Short Track win. Germany then marked 25 years of Zittau with Jens Emil Sloth Nielsen and Solenne Billouin (FRA) crowned European Champions in the final Full Distance showdown. That left the finale in Trentino, where Duvoisin won the women’s Short Track, Menditto sealed the overall crown on home soil, and Forissier defended his title after one of the tightest battles yet. Three years in, the World Cup has never looked stronger.
For full results and details from each stop, check the official series page here.
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Under partly cloudy skies in Lake Molveno, with air temperatures at 15 °C (59 °F) and water temperatures at 17 °C (63 °F), the 2025 XTERRA World Cup came down to an intense Short Track finale (Swim 0.4K, Bike 8K, Run 3K). The women’s race saw Isla Hedley (GBR) clock the fastest swim of the day in 5:59 to lead out of the water. Loanne Duvoisin (CHE) then powered through the bike with the best split of 17:51 before holding strong on the run to claim the win in 36:03. Anna Zehnder (CHE) posted the fastest run at 10:42, but it was Solenne Billouin (FRA) who came through for second in 36:30, with Hedley securing third in 36:40.
Federico Spinazze (ITA) set the tone with the fastest men’s swim in 5:31. Jens Emil Sloth Nielsen (DNK) then stamped the bike with the day’s best 15:46 and backed it up with the fastest run at 9:07. Sullivan Middaugh (USA) kept the pressure steady and won it in 31:37, Sloth Nielsen followed seven seconds back in 31:44, and Arthur Serrières (FRA) took third in 31:55.
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Loanne Duvoisin (CHE) said, “On the climb for the bike, it was a good place to push, and after two laps I caught the front of the group and I had good legs for the end.” Solenne Billouin (FRA) reflected, “I was happy to feel better and better through the race and I think I have a lot of good things to take with me for Saturday. The sport we do is so hard, it’s so challenging, you always have to find something deep in you to keep fighting.” Isla Hedley (GBR) admitted, “That was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever done. The atmosphere, you’ve got people all the way around cheering you on, and it just gives you that extra bit of motivation to dig deep.” Marta Menditto (ITA) closed by saying, “I’m proud of the mentality that I have and that I’ve had. I’d like to finally prove to myself that the hard work pays off in the end. Winning the World Cup is an achievement that I didn’t think could be real at the start of the season.”
Sullivan Middaugh (USA) added, “Last year I was a little surprised by my performance, but this year I went in with more confidence and really knew I could push the pace at the front. Once I got on the run, it was just as hard as I could go to the finish line. I didn’t want to leave it to a sprint finish against the French this time.” Jens Emil Sloth Nielsen (DNK) described it as, “very fast-paced, almost like Formula One, where we had really no room for mistakes. It all went down quite fast.” Arthur Serrières (FRA) explained, “Even when we don’t have Short Track, I do a really high-intensity session the day before every big race. For me, it’s quite perfect.” And Felix Forissier (FRA) concluded, “My goal was not to win the race but to save my first place in the World Cup ranking. I did it, and I’m pretty happy. I’m also happy that my brother is on the podium with me — triathlon is in the family.”
For those wanting every detail, from swim splits to finish times, the complete results are on the Trentino World Cup page here.
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The race village in Trentino brought together music, entertainment, and a curated expo space that celebrated the XTERRA community and its history. A big screen streamed the action live, while food stalls and the podium area gave spectators a central place to gather. The tape-free course boundaries, marked with reusable mesh and posts, stood out as a sustainable feature and made it easy for the crowd to follow the racing from different points along the course.
Among the age groupers preparing for their own races on Saturday, many gathered to watch the Short Track and share their impressions. Josephine Teo (MYS) called it “second to none. Adrenaline rushing non-stop. I was just too excited. Molveno is such a beautiful setting, and the water is crystal clear, so beautiful. This Short Track idea from XTERRA is definitely a good one. It makes the race so much more exciting to watch because it’s short, intense, and fast. Triathlon can be hard to follow on TV, but this format keeps everyone engaged the whole time.”
Mitchell Addison (CAN) echoed the sentiment. “I think it’s a great concept. Super short course, everyone redlining all the way. It’s an interesting scene. The production is great. You get front row seats with the bikes going by and a big screen right here to watch it all.”
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Marie Fleury and Chris St. Croix (CAN), racing later in the week, enjoyed the chance to see the pros up close. “All the intensity and you can see the athletes pass several times. Fast-paced action. I find it inspiring. Normally, when you’re encouraging someone in a triathlon you only see the start and the finish, maybe a transition. But here you can watch a good part of the race.”
Michel van Schie (NLD), also preparing for his World Championship start, appreciated the format’s accessibility. “I think it’s very entertaining. You get to see and learn about the top guys from close up. It’s fun to watch.”
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For others, it was a happy surprise. Franziska Rosenstatter (AUT), who was visiting Molveno with her partner, said, “Very nice. We didn’t know about this, and now it’s a nice afternoon for us to watch. It’s very nice, you are always updated. And it’s nice that you don’t have to buy a ticket. We were hiking today on the Dolomites and we already heard that something was going on here. Then we walked down and wow — wonderful.”
Speaking at the event, Conrad “The Caveman” Stoltz (ZAF), a two-time Olympian and four-time XTERRA World Champion with more than 53 XTERRA wins, now Race Director for XTERRA South Africa and a youth coach in Stellenbosch, said, “I think the Short Track is such an amazing idea. I’ve had so many of the youth ask about entering it one day. It shows you how the elites and the Short Track influences and inspires the young ones.”
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The energy in the village was just the beginning, a taste of what’s still to come with the World Cup awards and opening ceremony on Thursday evening, where the off-road community comes together for live performances, shared moments on a massive backdrop playing season highlights, kicking off a weekend of celebration.
Friday brings a full slate of activities, with the World Championship on Saturday streaming live, and the Youth World Championship on Sunday streaming live in two parts, first the Youth A race and then the Youth B and Junior races. The Short Track replay is already available on YouTube, and updates will continue throughout the week on XTERRA Europe Instagram.
The third edition of the XTERRA World Cup reached its climax beneath the Dolomites in Trentino, Italy. The finale played out on a course that combined the energy of a spectator-friendly village, complete with berms, bridges, and sweeping sightlines, with the wild trails of the Paganella Hills and the backdrop of Lake Molveno, voted Italy’s most beautiful lake time and again.
Crowds filled the village, families lined the course, and countless more followed live around the world. It was the kind of setting that has come to define the World Cup series: community at its heart, world-class racing in its core, and a connection to place that made the finale feel bigger than the sport itself. Watch the full replay here.
Loanne Duvoisin (CHE) won the women’s finale in 36:03, with Solenne Billouin (FRA) second and Isla Hedley (GBR) third. Marta Menditto (ITA) secured the overall crown, becoming the first non-French athlete to win the World Cup and did so on home soil. In the men’s race, Sullivan Middaugh (USA) repeated his 2024 triumph to win again in 31:37, ahead of Jens Emil Sloth Nielsen (DNK) and Arthur Serrières (FRA). Felix Forissier (FRA) finished fourth but still defended his overall World Cup title.
With the XTERRA World Championship no longer included in the World Cup, the series ended for the first time with an all-out, fast-format Short Track showdown. Few places could have delivered a better finale, as the Trentino course once again produced rapid-fire racing, just as in 2023 and 2024 when the winners were decided by a second or less. Across 8 stops and 11 races in 2025, every climb, descent, and transition counted toward series points and the overall title. Now in its third year, the World Cup pro series has become the biggest stage at the highest level of off-road triathlon, each series producing faster racing and tighter finishes.
For the men coming into the final race, razor-thin margins meant even the slightest mistake could have cost the series. Digging deep at the right moment proved decisive, as Felix Forissier (FRA) defended his crown with 766 points, edging out his brother Arthur Forissier (FRA) on 745. Sebastian Neef (DEU) completed the men’s overall podium with 598. For the women, Marta Menditto (ITA) sealed the title with 729 points in front of her home crowd. Aneta Grabmüller (CZE) took second with 600, while Alizée Paties (FRA) secured third on 550.
To capture this global journey, XTERRA launched Beyond the Finish Line, a new docuseries spotlighting the destinations, communities, and lifestyle that shaped the World Cup. Riding along with nine athletes, each with entirely different goals, the series followed how they navigated the courses, cultures, and connections that defined every stop.
Watch the full Beyond the Finish Line series here.
The 2025 XTERRA World Cup opened in Australia with back-to-back wins from Jens Emil Sloth Nielsen (DNK) and Alizée Paties (FRA), who both left Dunsborough in golden caps. From there the tour crossed into Greece, where Felix Forissier (FRA) launched his season with a hard-fought victory, and Paties extended her streak. Weston Park in the UK followed just a week later, with Félix Forissier taking control and Paties again untouchable as she claimed her third straight win.
The action then moved to North America with races in Oak Mountain and Quebec. Rain-slicked trails in Alabama saw Forissier edge Sullivan Middaugh (USA) in the Full Distance before Middaugh struck back in the Short Track, while Paties stretched her dominance to six straight. Quebec marked the turning point: Forissier added to his streak, but Paties finally stepped aside as Marta Menditto (ITA) surged to her first victory of the year, resetting the women’s race for the European swing.
The series closed in Europe with fireworks. In Czech, Forissier stayed perfect in Full Distance racing while Aneta Grabmüller (CZE) lit up the home crowd with her first World Cup Short Track win. Germany then marked 25 years of Zittau with Jens Emil Sloth Nielsen and Solenne Billouin (FRA) crowned European Champions in the final Full Distance showdown. That left the finale in Trentino, where Duvoisin won the women’s Short Track, Menditto sealed the overall crown on home soil, and Forissier defended his title after one of the tightest battles yet. Three years in, the World Cup has never looked stronger.
For full results and details from each stop, check the official series page here.
Under partly cloudy skies in Lake Molveno, with air temperatures at 15 °C (59 °F) and water temperatures at 17 °C (63 °F), the 2025 XTERRA World Cup came down to an intense Short Track finale (Swim 0.4K, Bike 8K, Run 3K). The women’s race saw Isla Hedley (GBR) clock the fastest swim of the day in 5:59 to lead out of the water. Loanne Duvoisin (CHE) then powered through the bike with the best split of 17:51 before holding strong on the run to claim the win in 36:03. Anna Zehnder (CHE) posted the fastest run at 10:42, but it was Solenne Billouin (FRA) who came through for second in 36:30, with Hedley securing third in 36:40.
Federico Spinazze (ITA) set the tone with the fastest men’s swim in 5:31. Jens Emil Sloth Nielsen (DNK) then stamped the bike with the day’s best 15:46 and backed it up with the fastest run at 9:07. Sullivan Middaugh (USA) kept the pressure steady and won it in 31:37, Sloth Nielsen followed seven seconds back in 31:44, and Arthur Serrières (FRA) took third in 31:55.
Loanne Duvoisin (CHE) said, “On the climb for the bike, it was a good place to push, and after two laps I caught the front of the group and I had good legs for the end.” Solenne Billouin (FRA) reflected, “I was happy to feel better and better through the race and I think I have a lot of good things to take with me for Saturday. The sport we do is so hard, it’s so challenging, you always have to find something deep in you to keep fighting.” Isla Hedley (GBR) admitted, “That was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever done. The atmosphere, you’ve got people all the way around cheering you on, and it just gives you that extra bit of motivation to dig deep.” Marta Menditto (ITA) closed by saying, “I’m proud of the mentality that I have and that I’ve had. I’d like to finally prove to myself that the hard work pays off in the end. Winning the World Cup is an achievement that I didn’t think could be real at the start of the season.”
Sullivan Middaugh (USA) added, “Last year I was a little surprised by my performance, but this year I went in with more confidence and really knew I could push the pace at the front. Once I got on the run, it was just as hard as I could go to the finish line. I didn’t want to leave it to a sprint finish against the French this time.” Jens Emil Sloth Nielsen (DNK) described it as, “very fast-paced, almost like Formula One, where we had really no room for mistakes. It all went down quite fast.” Arthur Serrières (FRA) explained, “Even when we don’t have Short Track, I do a really high-intensity session the day before every big race. For me, it’s quite perfect.” And Felix Forissier (FRA) concluded, “My goal was not to win the race but to save my first place in the World Cup ranking. I did it, and I’m pretty happy. I’m also happy that my brother is on the podium with me — triathlon is in the family.”
For those wanting every detail, from swim splits to finish times, the complete results are on the Trentino World Cup page here.
The race village in Trentino brought together music, entertainment, and a curated expo space that celebrated the XTERRA community and its history. A big screen streamed the action live, while food stalls and the podium area gave spectators a central place to gather. The tape-free course boundaries, marked with reusable mesh and posts, stood out as a sustainable feature and made it easy for the crowd to follow the racing from different points along the course.
Among the age groupers preparing for their own races on Saturday, many gathered to watch the Short Track and share their impressions. Josephine Teo (MYS) called it “second to none. Adrenaline rushing non-stop. I was just too excited. Molveno is such a beautiful setting, and the water is crystal clear, so beautiful. This Short Track idea from XTERRA is definitely a good one. It makes the race so much more exciting to watch because it’s short, intense, and fast. Triathlon can be hard to follow on TV, but this format keeps everyone engaged the whole time.”
Mitchell Addison (CAN) echoed the sentiment. “I think it’s a great concept. Super short course, everyone redlining all the way. It’s an interesting scene. The production is great. You get front row seats with the bikes going by and a big screen right here to watch it all.”
Marie Fleury and Chris St. Croix (CAN), racing later in the week, enjoyed the chance to see the pros up close. “All the intensity and you can see the athletes pass several times. Fast-paced action. I find it inspiring. Normally, when you’re encouraging someone in a triathlon you only see the start and the finish, maybe a transition. But here you can watch a good part of the race.”
Michel van Schie (NLD), also preparing for his World Championship start, appreciated the format’s accessibility. “I think it’s very entertaining. You get to see and learn about the top guys from close up. It’s fun to watch.”
For others, it was a happy surprise. Franziska Rosenstatter (AUT), who was visiting Molveno with her partner, said, “Very nice. We didn’t know about this, and now it’s a nice afternoon for us to watch. It’s very nice, you are always updated. And it’s nice that you don’t have to buy a ticket. We were hiking today on the Dolomites and we already heard that something was going on here. Then we walked down and wow — wonderful.”
Speaking at the event, Conrad “The Caveman” Stoltz (ZAF), a two-time Olympian and four-time XTERRA World Champion with more than 53 XTERRA wins, now Race Director for XTERRA South Africa and a youth coach in Stellenbosch, said, “I think the Short Track is such an amazing idea. I’ve had so many of the youth ask about entering it one day. It shows you how the elites and the Short Track influences and inspires the young ones.”
The energy in the village was just the beginning, a taste of what’s still to come with the World Cup awards and opening ceremony on Thursday evening, where the off-road community comes together for live performances, shared moments on a massive backdrop playing season highlights, kicking off a weekend of celebration.
Friday brings a full slate of activities, with the World Championship on Saturday streaming live, and the Youth World Championship on Sunday streaming live in two parts, first the Youth A race and then the Youth B and Junior races. The Short Track replay is already available on YouTube, and updates will continue throughout the week on XTERRA Europe Instagram.
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