Austrian MTBO star Hannes Hnilica has taken a commanding lead in the CX80 MTBO World Cup standings after the European MTBO Championships in Portugal. In the women’s category, Sweden’s Elvira Larsson continued her steady performance and takes over the lead.
It’s hard to ignore Hannes Hnilica’s performance when looking back at the European Championships in Almeida. The young Austrian, born in 2004, swept all the gold medals in the Portuguese spring heat and catapulted himself to a commanding lead in the World Cup standings.
Here, Hnilica is now listed for 520 points, while Vojtech Ludvik (CZE), who led the World Cup before the championships, is in second place with 415 points. And then it’s a long way down to third place, which Swiss Noah Rieder holds with 266 points.
Team Austria crowned a great championship week by winning the mixed relay on Thursday. Photo: EMTBOC
Close battle for women’s title
Among the women, the top positions were thoroughly shaken up. Elvira Larsson came in 4th, 3rd and 3rd respectively in the three individual championship races in Portugal and now leads the standings with 410 points. The two-time Swiss European champion Celine Wellenreiter is not far behind with 378 points, while the defending World Cup winner Nikoline Splittorff (DEN) follows in third place – just 11 points behind the Swiss. Both Ruska Saarela (FIN) and Iris Aurora Pecorari (ITA), who led the World Cup before Almeida, are not far behind in fourth and fifth place respectively.
In the U23 World Cup standings, Hnilica and Pecorari have practically killed all the excitement. Hnilica leads the men’s competition with 600 points. The two Frenchmen Armel Bertaud and Antoine Lesquer have 357 and 258 points in second and third place respectively.
Pecorari has amassed 580 points in the women’s competition, with Siiri Rasimus (FIN) second with 316 points. Her compatriot Silja Yli Hietanen is close behind with 312 points.
The CX80 MTBO World Cup will be decided in August, with the final events being held at the World Championships in Sweden.
Go to full CX80 World Cup standings
Top standings
Women
1 Elvira Larsson, SWE 410 points
2 Celine Wellenreiter, SUI 378
3 Nikoline Splittorff, DEN 367
4 Ruska Saarela, FIN 348
5 Iris Aurora Pecorari, ITA 345
6 Constance Devillers, FRA 252
Men
1 Hannes Hnilica, AUT 520 points
2 Vojtech Ludvik, CZE 415
3 Noah Rieder, SUI 266
4 Jonas Maiselis, LTU 250
5 Fabiano Bettega, ITA 214
6 Andreas Waldmann, AUT 182