The Leogang World Cup weekend delivered the kind of racing that tests more than speed. With rain, mud and a demanding cross-country course shaping every lap, the U23 field had to stay composed, react quickly and keep moving when conditions were anything but predictable.

For SR SUNTOUR athlete Paul Schehl, it became a weekend to remember. The German U23 rider opened his campaign with victory in the short, intense XCC race, using the format’s tight margins and constant pressure to his advantage. Two days later, he returned to the start line for the longer XCO race and proved that the first result was no one-off.

Schehl again found the rhythm needed for the conditions. He crossed the line first, 16 seconds ahead of Alix Andre-Gallis, with Naël Rouffiac completing the podium. Fellow Lexware Mountainbike Team rider Khalid Sidahmed also delivered a strong ride, finishing just outside the top ten and underlining the team’s depth in the U23 field.

With Schehl’s consistency across two very different formats in challenging conditions, he moved into second place in the Men’s U23 overall cross-country standings, keeping him firmly among the riders setting the pace this season.

For SR SUNTOUR, weekends like this show why World Cup racing remains such an important testing ground. From the explosive efforts of short track to the sustained demands of Olympic cross-country, riders need equipment that supports control, traction and consistency without distraction.

Congratulations to Paul Schehl and the Lexware Mountainbike Team on a standout double victory in Leogang.