Slovenia\u2019s Jakob Klemen\u010di\u010d and Ukraine\u2019s Mariia Sukhopalova are the overall winners of the 2026 UCI Mountain Bike Eliminator World Cup. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
With August\u2019s Brazil round cancelled, and April\u2019s postponed Tajikistan event later called off entirely, Aalen, Germany, provided the season finale for the world\u2019s greatest cross-country eliminator (XCE) riders. Ultimately, Klemen\u010di\u010d retained the title he won in 2025 while Sukhopalova claimed her first UCI World Cup overall standings crown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Heading into the final round, Klemen\u010di\u010d sat in second position behind fellow countryman Matic Kranjec \u017dagar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Twenty-three-year-old Klemen\u010di\u010d, known for his explosive sprint acceleration, dominated round one in Sakarya, T\u00fcrkiye, topping the time-trial qualifier before winning the heats. That result gave him a combined 100 points and the overall lead heading into round two, ahead of Austria\u2019s Theo Hauser (78 points) and Romania\u2019s Mate Szakacs (70 points).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Everything changed after round two in Gdynia, Poland, as Kranjec \u017dagar, who\u2019d finished fourth in T\u00fcrkiye, vaulted to the top of the World Cup standings, posting the fastest qualifying time and winning the heats. He therefore left the round with a total of 165 points \u2013 10 points ahead of Klemen\u010di\u010d in second. They were both the clear favourites heading into Aalen, with Hauser completing the provisional podium with 111 points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Would Klemen\u010di\u010d defend his crown, or would his 24-year-old countryman \u017dagar record the biggest victory of his career? Renowned for his powerful standing starts from the gate, fearless overtaking in tight corners and strong acceleration on short climbs, \u017dagar had all the ingredients needed to claim the title.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As it transpired, \u017dagar progressed through the early knockout rounds but was eliminated in the semi-final. It was a different story for Klemen\u010di\u010d, who advanced confidently through the knockout rounds to line up in the final against Hauser, Belgium\u2019s Jarne Vandersteen and Germany\u2019s Louis Krauss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Combining his trademark acceleration, technical precision through the obstacles and exceptional sprint power, Klemen\u010di\u010d timed his effort perfectly surging past Hauser on the finishing straight to take the win. It secured him both the Aalen race victory and the overall title. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Klemen\u010di\u010d’s 2026 season mirrored his 2025 season, where he won both the UCI World Cup and the European Championships. The only blot on his copybook came at the 2026 UCI World Championships in Barcelona, Spain, where he qualified fastest for the final but an early mechanical put the title out of reach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the women\u2019s event, Sukhopalova made her intentions clear from the outset with a-flawless display in the opening UCI World Cup round in T\u00fcrkiye, defeating Germany\u2019s Marion Fromberger (85 points) and the Netherlands\u2019 Didi de Vries (70 points) in the final. Backed by the fastest time in qualifying, she took the lead in the UCI World Cup standings with 100 points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sukhopalova followed that performance with another victory in Gdynia, Poland,giving her two wins from the opening two rounds of the series, with Fromberger and de Vries once again second and third. The Ukrainian therefore arrived at the final round in Aalen as the heavy favourite to claim her first UCI World Cup title, leading the standings with 195 points, 30 ahead of Fromberger (165 points) and 57 ahead of De Vries (138 points).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But the result wouldn\u2019t be a mere formality. The Aalen course is regarded as one of the toughest on the calendar. Set in the city centre, it features a steep start climb that makes gate position crucial; technical stair sections; tight corners where overtaking opportunities are limited; artificial obstacles and jumps; and a long uphill sprint from the final obstacle to the finish line, all in front of thousands of spectators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sukhopalova negotiated the early knockout rounds with ease, advancing through the heats to reach the four-rider final. There she lined up against Fromberger, Czech Ad\u00e9la Perni\u010dka, and six-time UCI World Champion and seven-time European Champion Gaia Tormena of Italy, who was competing in her first round of the Mountain Bike Eliminator World Cup series. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tormena produced a masterclass in the Aalen final. After a clean start, she bided her time before launching a decisive attack through the technical sections and uphill climb, opening a gap that nobody could close. Fromberger, buoyed by the home crowd, crossed the line second, just in front of Sukhopalova. That third-place finish was enough for Sukhopalova to secure the overall World Cup title, closing the season on 270 points. Fromberger took the runner-up spot in the final standings on 245 points, with de Vries, fifth in Aalen, completing the overall podium on 185.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Aalen round brought to a close a season which, despite a reduced calendar, tested the riders’ speed, technical skill and tactical acumen like never before. Klemen\u010di\u010d and Sukhopalova finish at the top of the overall standings, and the series has confirmed the growing strength of the field and the increasing global appeal of XCE.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Slovenia\u2019s Jakob Klemen\u010di\u010d and Ukraine\u2019s Mariia Sukhopalova are the overall winners of the 2026 UCI Mountain Bike Eliminator<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14833,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[98,458],"class_list":["post-14832","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-newsbeat","tag-cycling","tag-mountain-bike"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t