CX80 MTBO World Cup: Splittorff and Haga take top places; Team World Cup to Finland

Dane Nikoline Splittorff finished strongly with a 60-point lead in the women’s World Cup, and Finnish rider André Haga ended 52 points ahead in the men’s, thanks largely to a good first half of the season. This is Splittorff’s third overall victory in successive years; Haga was fifth last year and seventh in 2022.

Through the four World Championship individual races and then counting 7 from the total of 9 races in the 2024 CX80 World Cup, the top three women’s and men’s order of placings has remained the same. Splittorff has won five of the races this season and was second and third once each, giving her a clear overall victory. Two race wins went to each of Gabriele Andrasiuniene, Lithuania and Ruska Saarela, Finland. The Lithuanian rider achieved four second places alongside her two wins, a very consistent set of results. Both Denmark and Finland have two riders in the top six in the final standings.

Photos: Nina Hoffmann

The men’s list is much closer in terms of points scores, with the race wins being shared between six riders: two each for André Haga, Vojtech Ludvik and Jan Hasek (Czechia), and one each for Samuel Pokala (Finland), Fabiano Bettega (Italy) and Krystof Bogar (Czechia). Haga’s successes came earlier in the season, and at the World Championships his only medal has been a silver in the Middle race; his overall victory was secured because second-placed Ludvik achieved just one gold and one bronze in the championships, whilst third-placed Andreas Waldmann has not won any of the season’s races.  Finland and Czechia both have two riders in the top six.

Winners of the U-23 World Cup this year are: Tilda Palm, Sweden and Noah Rieder, Switzerland.

The 2024 Team World Cup consists of the two Mixed Relays earlier in the season plus the men’s and women’s Relay races here. After a very close competition, Finland emerges victorious after both the men’s and the women’s teams won silver medals at WMTBOC. Czechia finishes in second place and Lithuania in third.

Final CX80 World Cup scores

Women

  1. Nikoline Splittorff DEN 640 points
  2. Gabriele Andrasiuniene LTU 580
  3. Ruska Saarela FIN 475
  4. Martina Tichovska CZE 395
  5. Valerie Kamererova CZE 288
  6. Cæcilie Christoffersen DEN 283

Men

  1. André Haga FIN 485
  2. Vojtech Ludvik CZE 433
  3. Andreas Waldmann AUT 386
  4. Samuel Pokala FIN 351
  5. Jan Hasek CZE 350
  6. Fabiano Bettega ITA 345

Final U-23 World Cup top three

Women

  1. Tilda Palm SWE 460
  2. Celine Wellenreiter SUI 450
  3. Rozalie Kucharova CZE 420

Men

  1. Noah Rieder SUI 500
  2. Armel Berthaud FRA 470
  3. Flurin Schnyder SUI 380

Team World Cup – leading positions

  1. Finland 66 points
  2. Czechia 63
  3. Lithuania 56
  4. Italy 41
  5. France 38
  6. Austria and Switzerland 37