Cink & Pieterse Win Muddy Leogang XCO World Cup | MTB News
Ondřej Cink stunned in a muddy Leogang XCO race, securing a pivotal victory during the Whoop UCI Mountain Bike World Series. Meanwhile, Puck Pieterse continued her dominance, notching another win after a strong short-track performance, underscoring her mastery of mountain biking.These results,along with Samara Maxwell’s steady performance,highlight the intense competition.Cink’s unexpected triumph adn Pieterse’s continued success create compelling narratives in the MTB news. News Directory 3 keeps you updated on all the action.Discover what’s next in the thrilling world of mountain bike racing.
Cink and Pieterse Triumph in Leogang XCO Showdown
Updated June 09, 2025
Ondřej Cink of Cube seized a surprising victory in the challenging, muddy cross-country Olympic (XCO) race at Leogang, Austria, marking the fourth round of the Whoop UCI Mountain bike World Series. Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck), the reigning world champion, added to her success by winning after her short-track victory.
Pieterse quickly established a lead in the slippery conditions, which tested both equipment and riders. Despite a flat tire hindering her chances in the previous XCO round, Pieterse navigated the course effectively, avoiding major setbacks.
“It’s been a goal of mine to have the perfect weekend and until now it didn’t work out, but I’m super happy today in this track. I maybe was a bit too eager to get to the front directly, I’m not good at waiting so I decided to go for it,” Pieterse said, reflecting on her strong performance.
Samara Maxwell (Decathlon-Ford) of New Zealand recovered from a difficult start to finish second, 16 seconds behind Pieterse. Nicole Koller (Ghost Factory racing) finished third. maxwell’s consistent performance, including her first World Cup win in Brazil, keeps her comfortably ahead in the overall series standings.
In the men’s race, Cink’s victory was unexpected. The 34-year-old Czech rider, who joined Cube this season, demonstrated resilience after his former team’s closure.
Cink acknowledged the difficulty of the race, stating, “I’m super happy, I was waiting for a long time for this, I was second many times and I really like this place, I was U23 world champion here in Saalfeden [in 2012]. I was thinking once that my career is already over because I’m one of the oldest here so I don’t have words for that.”
Despite a late challenge that narrowed his lead, Cink maintained his pace to secure his first elite World Cup win. He finished 18 seconds ahead of Swiss riders Mathias Flückiger (thömus maxon) and Fabio Püntener (Bike Team Solothurn).
“This course suits me very well but the conditions not really, I don’t like the muddy conditions, slippery but I don’t know what happened today, I just did it. With two laps I started to feel really bad but when I saw I opened the gap a little bit I got some power again and I pushed the limit in the last climb,” Cink added.
The race proved challenging for some favorites. Victor Koretzky withdrew due to illness and a training crash, while Christopher Blevins finished 17th in the XCO race after winning the short-track event. However, Blevins’ strong start to the season ensures he retains the series lead.
What’s next
The Mountain Bike World series continues, with riders looking to build on their performances and challenge for the overall title. Stay tuned for further updates and race results.