Foto Story

The stakes were high in Andorra, and so were the expectations and pressure on SR SUNTOUR riders. Paul Schehl arrived at altitude after another U23 XCC/XCO double in La Thuile. Martina Berta was fresh off her first-ever Elite XCO World Cup victory on home soil. Mathis Azzaro had celebrated on the Elite XCO podium. The stage was set, but the results were anything but a given.

BERTA CLAIMED SECOND PLACE

For Berta, the Women Elite XCO race became one of the most entertaining battles of the season. Jenny Rissveds established a lead at the front, leaving a group of four—and eventually just Berta and Sina Frei—to fight for second. The advantage swung back and forth through the final stages, with neither rider able to break clear. The duel continued through the final metres, where Berta claimed second by just one second over Frei. With the result, Berta moved into third place in the overall XCO World Cup standings.

Mathis Azzaro of Origine Racing Division also placed second in the Men Elite XCO, remaining with Adrien Boichis at the front until Boichis made his move late in the race. Azzaro finished 19 seconds behind, with a comfortable 53-second margin over third-place finisher Luca Schwarzbauer, securing his second consecutive XCO World Cup runner-up result.

SCHEHL’S FOURTH CONSECUTIVE U23 XCO WIN

Paul Schehl’s remarkable season continued with yet another clean sweep of the Men’s U23 races for the Lexware Mountainbike Team. Friday’s XCC was hard-fought until the finish, with Schehl crossing the line two seconds ahead of Thibaut François Baudry. Sunday’s XCO was more decisive, with Schehl leading from the opening lap and steadily increasing his advantage, finishing 1:17 ahead of Baudry. The weekend marked Schehl’s fourth consecutive U23 XCO win and fifth consecutive U23 XCC win, extending his leads in both the XCO and XCC World Cup standings.

At Pal Arinsal, high expectations were matched by the physical demands of racing at altitude, where every effort—and every error—carries a greater cost. Tuned for efficiency on the climbs and control through technical sections, SR SUNTOUR suspension helps riders conserve energy, maintain traction and trust the bike as fatigue builds. In Andorra, our riders and their teams proved they could succeed at high altitude under high pressure.

Congratulations to Martina Berta, Mathis Azzaro, Paul Schehl, Origine Racing Division and the Lexware Mountainbike Team on another exceptional World Cup weekend.