eMTB XC Results from the Val di Sole World Championships 2021

Aug 27, 2021 at 6:51
by Ed Spratt  
The results are in from the 2021 eMTB XC World Championships in Val di Sole. In the Elite Women's race, Nicole Goeldi came out on top after a close battle with second-placed Laura Charles. Coming across the line just over 40 seconds back in third was Sofia Wiedenroth. Closing out the top five was a tight finish between Harriet Harnden and Melanie Pugin. Jerome Gilloux bested the Elite Men's field with a 13 second lead over Hugo Pigeon to take the rainbow stripes. Coming off his XCC Short Track win yesterday, Christopher Blevins finished in third, taking home another medal from Val di Sole.

Check out the full results below.


Results:
Elite Men

1st. Jerome Gilloux: 51:44
2nd. Hugo Pigeon: +18
3rd. Christopher Blevins: +1:11
4th. Joris Ryf: +1:15
5th. Theo Charmes: +2:01

Elite Women

1st. Nicole Goeldi: 49:24
2nd. Laura Charles: +13
3rd. Sofia Wiedenroth: +43
4th. Harriet Harnden: +51
5th. Melanie Pugin: +52


Full Results
Elite Men


Elite Women




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89 Comments

  • 77 0
 I don't see Emily Battery in the results did she pull the plug?
  • 2 0
 I was shocked to hear she had a AC/DC and then DNF.
  • 2 1
 Yep, so her bike wasn't charged in time to race
  • 90 17
 I’m shocked this is a real event.
  • 17 20
 No you're not. Sad, maybe, but none of us should be shocked.
  • 25 2
 @aaronjb: the joke, you missed it.
  • 15 0
 @letsgoridebikes18: Dammit. Whoosh.
  • 2 1
 Revved me right up!
  • 5 0
 They should run the Women and the Men in together one race.
  • 4 1
 All jokes aside, I want to try and ebike race. It sounds like a lot of fun (mostly because people/racers probably don't take it seriously)
  • 5 2
 @hamncheez: I done both eDuro and eXC racing and everyone thinks it's easy and not much competition. But wrong, lots of fast guys and you will be gassed by the end of the race that's the reality of it.
  • 2 0
 @mr-epic-3: I realize that, I'd hope any sporting competition would leave you gassed.

I just mean the atmosphere.
  • 49 6
 Is this the race walking of motor cross?
  • 5 4
 Nailed it
  • 1 1
 Stealing that... Thanks!
  • 56 15
 I just cant get over how much of a joke a motor assisted XC race is...
  • 47 6
 I'm all for whoever wants to ride a motor assisted MTB and I really could not care less. You do you, and I'll do me, but to hand out a rainbow striped jersey, and in an XC event no less, well that just diminishes the meaning of that colorful jersey. They could've had an adaptive XCO race for people with challenges greater than most of us will ever know, and that would be what the rainbows are all about. Not this race.
  • 6 5
 I thought there was a filter for all the haters?
  • 18 3
 @enduroNZ: there’s a filter for eMTB stuff, but even people who like eMTBs can think this discipline is pretty lame.
  • 44 8
 Fuck this and bring 4x back even dual slalom
  • 6 0
 4X world champs is happening as well. It just doesn't get any coverage.
  • 3 0
 e4x! Ebikes, where you have four racers going UP the 4X course!!
  • 3 0
 @IanJF: we are trying, our 4x photog had some issues at the border and I’m not sure he made it into the country.
  • 19 4
 I'm all for EBikes when they help make mountain biking accessible for those who couldn't get into or stay in it conventionally. Hell, I'm for it for their own style enduro races, more stages, further apart etc. E XC racing, it's a no from me.
  • 2 0
 You totally blew the chance to give a little Randy Jackson montage. Disappointing...
  • 27 8
 NO ONE CARES
  • 8 0
 This is to ensure the FIM don't try and steal eMTBs for themselves again...
  • 1 0
 Exactly, this is spot on. I don't think anyone really knows what eMTB racing will look like in three, five, or ten years. This is almost more of a placeholder event to keep eMTB under UCI.
  • 1 0
 Aw, c'mon, that FIM race was entertaining! haha
  • 8 0
 Not a bad week for Mr. Blevins.
  • 4 0
 3rd medal, now has a full set
  • 8 2
 All the riders are juiced. Its the current thing to do.
  • 3 1
 Is there a clear article on how these races work (rather than work my way through the UCI regulations)? I suppose the max speed is capped and probably also the motor output power (at the crank, at the wheel axle in case of drivetrain losses?) But other than that, of course if you're descending above 25km/h it is all up to you to deliver the power and all, but is there a maximum battery capacity too? Trying to find the technical limits of making the lightest weight batteries with the max allowable battery capacity seems like scary business. Or trying to make them discharge a little deeper than stock. I'd rather not see people one-up each other there. Maybe you can prevent disaster on such a racetrack, but not quite if they take it out when training on their own.

I'm by no means against people riding e-bikes. I just still don't get how it contributes to a race like this. Which still isn't a judgement but I'm looking for those answers.
  • 2 0
 I agree with those that think e-bikes for XC racing is a bit off-putting and this is all commercially driven. But...I am curious to know the differences in average speed are over the same course versus regular bikes, and to know if there are certain winning strategies to get the most of the motor, when to nurse it, when to hammer etc.
  • 2 1
 I did a trial between my Trek Top Fuel & Trek Rail back in the summer. Same course (NZ XC Nationals course lap at Crocodile Park in Christchurch, NZ) & same duration (90mins) using the middle of the three power settings on the Rail.

Unsurprisingly, I went further on the Rail (20km) than the Top Fuel (15km), but what I didn't expect was that my average heart rate was identical when riding each bike.

Overall, I think either bike can give you a good cardio workout, depending on how hard you choose to work, but the non eMTB gives a better strength workout.
  • 5 0
 Blevins would've won and Absalon would've come in second if they ran this race with the power off
  • 1 0
 Were they on inferior bikes?
  • 3 2
 I don’t understand the haters - sure it’s an odd event, but still requires fitness and bike skills to win. I’d guess the motor just shifts the percentage of time more from climbing to descending, making downhill skills even more important compared to a regular xc race.
  • 12 7
 What a waste of time.
  • 1 0
 Ha ha, all the negative props are probably the people who raced the event lol
  • 5 0
 One way to fix doping.
  • 2 1
 It seems Blevins has the legs for a XCO podium, I don’t understand his strategy racing eMTB. I hope for him I’m wrong but he’ll probably pay for all these efforts on saturday
  • 2 0
 Fair points. Regardless of Saturday's outcome he still was able to come away with some Rainbow Strips.
  • 1 0
 @emery033: and Gold, Silver and Bronze medals. Not exactly a bad WC.
  • 2 1
 Emtb's are fun, I enjoy looking for the toughest climb to see if i can clear it Riders are now racing them on xc courses, sorry, lame!!! What's next E-Tour De France........same difference
  • 1 1
 How do you finish 4, 5, or (!!!) 6 laps down in a race that the winner finished in 51 minutes? Were these 5 minute laps or something?

Also yeah, ebike races, if we just have to have them, should be totally nuts and cool. Ride up stuff nobody could do without the motor, enduro format with crazy fast transfer times, no speed cutoff, etc. Normal XC seems silly at best since anyone fit can pin the bike at the speed cutoff on any normal XC climb. At that point it's just a sort of lame enduro anyway.

-W
  • 1 0
 It was a short circuit
  • 4 5
 Marketing. Period. Manufacturers don't do this out of the goodness of their heart to sponsor /support anybody. It is just one of the fun ways to assist in helping make money/advertise. Riders do good=promote brand in online media= $$$.
It is also what allows us mortals to get trickle down tech, shiny new to us stuff, and keep the circle of $ going.
  • 4 1
 Were any of the riders grounded? Is that why so many DNfed?
  • 3 0
 Good grief, what sad twats.
  • 1 2
 Looks like they were enjoying themselves and happy actually :-)
  • 1 0
 Damn... there are other cycling disciplines that don't yet a have a proper UCI WC that probably deserve it. Who the heck assked for this? Wink
  • 1 0
 What would be a version of this that makes sense? Maybe an enduro with 3x the elevation and tight transfer times
  • 2 2
 I'd love an ebike, wouldn't ride it in daylight though. Shouldn't have able bodied racers on them either, make it for the clinically obese or summat, make us wear lycra too.
  • 3 4
 On the plus side if I ever lose all self-respect and dignity, I could always race eMTBs professionally. How the f*ck did the PB filter not keep this pile of dogshit out of my news feed?!
  • 1 0
 Under-rated comment!
  • 6 8
 Why do some people get all upset because there's a race scene for eMTB's which you have to pedal in order to get assistance from the motor, but they have no problem that there's a race scene for DH bikes which you need to get on a chairlift to be able to ride?
  • 2 0
 Why is it so hard to understand for you and likeminded folks that using technical aids such as a chairlift or a shuttle before or after your ride is not the same as using technical aids during your ride?
  • 6 0
 Because in DH the chairlift part isn’t part of the race itself, now is it?

XC is a showcase of physical endurance, what’s the point of adding a motor? It’s laughable. Let’s start letting Olympic swimmers get towed by a boat as they swim, we will call it e-swimming. Oh wait, that would just be stupid....
  • 1 4
 @TypicalCanadian: but why do you feel there can only be UCI XC and DH and nothing else? What's preventing EMTB racing exist alongside, just as once upon a time there was no such thing as EWS?
  • 3 0
 @notsofastoverfifty: not sure where I ever said there shouldn’t be any other discipline besides XC and DH, but adding motors to a discipline where physical fitness/endurance is paramount seems silly.

I hope they don’t start adding motors to the TDF, then we will know we hit peak stupidity.
  • 3 0
 @notsofastoverfifty: it’s a motorized vehicle bozo is it really hard to understand?
  • 1 0
 @notsofastoverfifty: You are really embarrassing yourself here, I know you know the difference. You don't need to defend riding e-bikes, just shut down your computer and go ride your e-bike on Port Hills.
  • 2 1
 I was glad that Jerome Gilloux won and he was wearing baggies, Disappointed that Chris Blevins (USA) was wearing spandex:/
  • 1 0
 opportunity to CHEAT! secret extra battery, dismantle speed limit controls,

ebike race - why?
  • 2 0
 If we are going to have emtb race the stages should be hundreds of km long
  • 4 2
 Lame
  • 1 0
 Seriously, how does one qualify for a Worlds eBike race?
  • 10 0
 Charge the battery and show up
  • 1 0
 Looking at the selection criteria....... Where abouts would I find those? I seriously would like to see how a National federation selects people to represent a country, when that country has no events in this discipline....
  • 1 1
 This event really does not make sense to me, unless its like on the Romaniacs course maybe ...
  • 3 2
 The idea of "racing" E-Bikes is such a joke.
  • 3 5
 Much like only racing your bike down a hill, huh?
  • 1 1
 @notsofastoverfifty: I'm doing 4 - 5 XC races every year and don't care much for pure DH riding.
  • 3 4
 @BenTheSwabian: you know who else does a lot of XC races? Some bloke called Julien Absalon, ever heard of him? There he is in 9th place. But maybe you're a better XC rider than he is?
  • 1 2
 Same people hating are probably the same people that used to post on forums how you don't need a dropper and you should use your skills...
  • 2 0
 Yea, naw
  • 6 5
 Pointless
  • 1 6
flag notsofastoverfifty (Aug 27, 2021 at 12:50) (Below Threshold)
 And DH racing?, How d'you feel about that?
  • 2 0
 @notsofastoverfifty: not so smart either if you think you are making a valid comparison
  • 1 0
 @RPBarker: and if someone has never tried riding an eMTB, how can their comparison be valid?
  • 1 0
 @notsofastoverfifty: the one discipline that has over and over gotten the sport to new audiences every time it slumps
  • 1 0
 @notsofastoverfifty: didn’t read name for old cranks like yourself go at it, but the cycling organizing body crowning a world champion for riding a vehicle with a motor pedals or not is rworded. Motorcycles literally started as bikes with motors
  • 1 0
 @notsofastoverfifty: I've tried riding an emtb although not sure what your point is there. The point of downhill is who can get down a very steep a rugged course the fastest. What's the point of racing a mtb with assistance from a motor?
  • 4 3
 This makes me sad
  • 1 1
 At least ebikes get ridden up the hill unlike some other mtb disciplines
  • 2 3
 And still the fittest is a winner... or doped
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