Valero and Weinbeer Claim XCM World Cup Wins in Andorra

David Valero of Spain and Bettina Weinbeer of Germany won the men's and women's races at the Cross-Country Marathon (XCM) World Cup on Sunday at Naturland in Sant Julià de Lòria.

The second edition of the Andorran event attracted leading international riders to a challenging three-lap course, aided by good weather. Competitors faced extended technical descents and a punishing final ascent that proved decisive.

In the men's event, Norway's Eskil Evensen-Lie opened a strong lead early on but was reeled in by a pursuit group featuring Valero, Colombia's Leonardo Páez, Andorra's Marc Stutzmann Porro, Britain's Samuel South, Switzerland's Fabian Fanger and Mexico's Gerardo Ulloa. The frontrunners progressively slimmed down, with Valero and Páez breaking away during the second lap. The pair collaborated to extend their gap before Valero unleashed a decisive attack in the closing stages, dropping Páez to secure the win. The rider from Baza not only claimed victory at Naturland but also took the overall World Cup lead. Páez took second place, ahead of Ulloa in third.

The women's race saw a tense showdown between Weinbeer, Germany's Natalia Fischer, Italy's Claudia Peretti and Poland's Paula Gorycka, who pulled clear of the peloton amid frequent changes at the front. Weinbeer distanced her rivals in the final kilometres to finish alone, with Fischer second and Peretti third. Gorycka ended fourth.

Naturland also hosted the second round of the SCOTT Marathon series, where Ferran Puiggermanal prevailed in the long XCM distance and Joel Cruz won the short XCP category.