The French duo have completed the three-peat, winning the 2024 World Championship to become only the third and fourth athletes in XTERRA history to have won the most competitive race in off-road triathlon back-to-back-to-back.
The reigning champions were pushed hard in the early stages of the race, but ultimately experience played a key factor as Billion took the lead on the bike and Serrières early on the run, with both defending champions never looking back. Felix Forissier was the biggest threat of the day, pushing Serrières hard through the first two legs of the race and holding on through the run to secure second. Jens Emil Sloth Nielsen was unable to catch the French leaders on the bike, running mostly alone to secure third. Sandra Mairhofer and Loanne Duvoisin pushed a fast pace early on to take the lead, but a fall on the bike from Duvoisin left her in third while Mairhofer held on to second after being passed by the now three-time World Champ. Read the full race recap here or watch the livestream replay here.
World Champ Solenne Billion left nothing to chance, wrapping up the World Cup series in Thursday’s Short Track race, while Forissier left it to the final day but still finishes with a convincing lead at the top of the rankings. The two French athletes never once relinquished the golden cap after laying claim to it in the very first race of the series.
Over and above her three-peat of World Championship wins, Billouin also becomes the first female to hold the World Championship and World Cup titles simultaneously. 2023 World Cup Champion Alizée Paties finishes in second this year, leapfrogging teammate Marta Mendito in the final race to claim silver and leave Menditto in third.
In the men’s overall, Felix takes the title after finishing second last year. Denmark’s Jens Emil Sloth Nielsen also moves up a rung this year, finishing in second place. Last year’s World Cup winner and this year's European Champion and World Champion, Arthur Serrières, was able to work himself onto the podium in third, despite less races contributing to his tally.
For the final rankings of the 2024 XTERRA World Cup, see the leaderboard here.
The elite press conference has just wrapped up, with the top 6 men and women having their final say before the World Championship race gets underway at 10:00 tomorrow morning.
On stage from the women's field was World Champion Solenne Billouin, 2023 World Cup Champion Alizée Paties, 2-time European Champion Sandra Mairhofer, ITU Cross-Triathlon World Champion Marta Menditto, Aneta Grabmüller, and Anna Zehnder. Answers were measured yet insightful, with the respect between the 6 athletes on stage evident throughout. A common theme amongst them was the challenging dips faced at different periods within the season, but all six are feeling strong ahead of tomorrow's race.
For the men, it was World Champ, World Cup Champ and European Champ Arthur Serrières that took to the stage, along with long-time rival Felix Forissier, Maxim Chané, Michele Bonacina, Jens Emil Sloth Nielsen, and Sullivan Middaugh. While all are looking forward to an intense battle tomorrow, unfortunately Michele Bonacina will not be at his best after picking up an unfortunately timed lung infection.
Tomorrow we go racing one final time for the World Cup and also for the World Championship title. The weather looks to have taken a turn for the better, with dry conditions predicted. However, the trails will still be greasy from all the rain and mud will be the order of the day. If you're in Molveno, get down to the lake at 10:00 for the start, or tune in live from anywhere via the link below.
If anybody thought the notorious Czech Short Track finish could not be topped, Trentino has replied resoundingly with another thriller, setting the tone for an epic World Championship this Saturday. Billouin delivered a signature performance that sees the reigning World Champ take the World Cup title with a race to spare, while Sullivan Middaugh pushed to the absolute limit to claim his first Short Track win by less than a second.
In the women’s race, it was Aneta Grabmüller who led the first half, with the 2024 breakout athlete holding on long enough to finish second, just ahead of European Champion Loanne Duvoisin. For the men, the podium was decided in less than a second, with Sullivan Middaugh, Felix Forissier, and Arthur Serrières locked in an all-out sprint for the final 100 metres. Middaugh did just enough to give the roaring American fans what they wanted, with Forissier finishing second and Serrières in third. Watch the full race replay or read the race recap here.
Billouin will go into the World Championship race knowing she already has the World Cup series wrapped, but Forissier will need to deliver in the final race of the series as Jens Emil Sloth Nielsen still remains a threat. Tomorrow we’ll hear from the top contenders at the press briefing, and then nothing remains of the series and season except the biggest race of them all.
Another dry day here in Molveno and the World Champs atmosphere is now in full swing. The race village is up, the world’s best have arrived, and the air is filled with a mix of nerves and excitement as reality sets in that the biggest race of the season is now just over two days away.
But nobody will be feeling the pressure more than the top 30 male and female cross-triathletes in the world as they prepare to go to battle in tomorrow’s Short Track race. Mother nature is expected to show all her grit with the race set to go down in rainy and wet conditions. Yet rain or shine, this is the penultimate chance to score points and move up the World Cup rankings, so expect nothing less than full-throttle racing as the best of the best head into XTERRA’s fastest format for a final time this series.
The race village will serve as the heart of the event, with athletes almost always within sight as they take on the multi-lap course at full speed. If Solenne Billouin takes a podium spot she’ll be the new World Cup Champion, while the men’s title looks like it will go down to the final race.
If you’re in Molveno, get down to the lake at 14:00 tomorrow for the spectacle that is Short Track racing. If not, tune in into the livestream from anywhere, with the women up first at 14:00 and the men at 15:00.
Trentino part 3 is officially underway, with the World Cup finale returning to the foothills of the Brenta Dolomites to settle the series and officially crown the 2024 World Cup Champions. In a sport that is defined by taking on the elements, never has weather played a more prevalent part in the talk amongst athletes. Yet despite the conditions for Thursday’s Short Track race looking challenging, Tuesday has delivered a little bit of everything, but mostly blue skies and ideal conditions for athletes to recce the course.
With athletes leaving nothing to chance, almost every one of the top contenders has already been out on the course, acclimatising to the icy waters of Lake Molveno and getting their lines dialled on the trails that have seen changes made since last year’s World Championship.
The race village is almost completely set up and ready to go, so spectators in Molveno are encouraged to get down to the lake to scout the best viewing spots for the first bit of racing action which will be the fan-favourite Short Track race on Thursday.
XTERRA’s pro series is once again set to culminate in the foothills of Italy’s Brenta Dolomites. The fast-paced Short Track race will present the penultimate chance to pick up valuable points before the World Championship race unfolds—a 1.5K swim in crisp lake waters, followed by a 32K bike ride on flowing yet root-laden trails, and a 10K technical trail run to decide who will end the series with 2024 World Cup title. Felix Forissier and Solenne Billouin have their sights set on double-champion status, but a deep roster of top contenders will be ready to push the series leaders to their limit through every inch of the course.
The livestreamed Short Track race features only the fastest 30 men and women in the sport, with World Cup rankings determining key starting positions on the shore of Lake Molveno. Racing at full tilt from start to finish, athletes will take on a 2-lap, 400m swim in ice-cold lake waters, followed by an 8K bike course packed with steep bridges and sharp gradient shifts, and a final 2-lap, 3K foot race to the finish. With 75 series points at stake, this race will be critical for those chasing a podium finish in the overall rankings.
On September 28, all questions will be answered in what promises to be one of the most unpredictable World Championship races in recent history. A race with no second chances, where pressure will make or break, and where champions will be crowned.
Arthur Serrières and Solenne Billouin stand on the edge of history with a potential three consecutive World Championship wins, yet the margins are razor-thin, and the competition has never been tougher. Felix Forissier seems hell-bent on redemption after last year’s near miss, while Jens Emil Sloth Nielsen appears more confident than ever that he is ready to end the French reign at the top. Loanne Duvoisin sent shockwaves through the women’s field with her dominant performance at the European Championship, while Sandra Mairhofer will undoubtedly give everything she has to deliver a win for the host country. It all comes down to one final race, with every one of the world’s best cross-triathletes on the line. Watch live at 09:45 (GMT +2).
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