In Saturday’s XCO short track event, Switzerland’s Alessandra Keller took the win, with France’s Pauline Ferrand-Prevot finishing in second place and Team USA’s Haley Batten in third. This set the stage for Sunday’s XCO race, where Ferrand-Prevot dominated, finishing a full minute ahead of Batten, who secured second place. With her victory, Ferrand-Prevot solidified her status as a strong contender for Paris 2024, which will be her fourth Olympics in the mountain bike discipline.
Following the event, Ferrand-Prevot announced that this would be her last year competing in mountain biking. She expressed a desire to focus on road cycling moving forward. She mentioned that the 2024 Olympics in Paris present a final opportunity for her to achieve her goal of becoming an Olympic champion on home soil. As of May 25, Americans Haley Batten and Alessandra Keller currently hold the top two spots in the UCI rankings. Savilia Blunk of the USA is also in the top three. Ferrand-Prevot’s victory has once again highlighted her talent and determination in the sport, setting the stage for an exciting journey as she transitions to a renewed focus on road racing.
