Controversy and dominance were the order of the day in the men’s and women’s races respectively, as Arthur Forissier claimed his first win to move into 2nd place and Solenne Billouin doubled her points to keep her lead in the 2024 XTERRA World Cup.
.jpg)
The two Forissier brothers worked together as a pair to control the race from the front, with Felix Forissier eventually opening up a gap to see him headed for a comfortable second win in the series. But a wrong turn coming into the race village cost the younger brother precious seconds as Arthur Forrisier crossed in 1st to claim his first win of the series. It was a lot less of a screamer in the women’s race as France’s Solenne Billouin put in another dominant performance to finish unchallenged up front with over 2 minutes to spare. The current World Champ is now 2 for 2 in the series, heading into stop #3 with the perfect score of 200 series points.
.jpg)
Felix Forissier will be disappointed with his mishap, but he will also take confidence in the fact that he clearly has what it takes to continue winning in this series. His 2nd place finish sees him keep his position at the top of the leaderboard with 190 points, while World Champion Arthur Serrières opened his World Cup campaign with a 3rd place finish that now leaves him in 9th place in the series.
Aneta Grabmüller announced herself as the name to watch with a 4th place finish in Taiwan, and today she backed that up with an impressive 2nd place. The Czech athlete is now tied in 2nd place in the series with reigning World Cup Champion Alizée Paties. Sandra Mairhofer took the final spot on the podium, opening her World Cup run with a 3rd place finish that sees the Italian enter the series leaderboard in 7th.
Just last night the local square was buzzing with elite and age group athletes as they took advantage of the unbeatable local cuisine here in Vouliagmeni. That energy will undoubtedly carry through to tomorrow as the square now transforms into a livestream viewing party location ahead of the race tomorrow.
The XTERRA Media team also caught up with two top contenders from the Women’s race for their thoughts on the race and season ahead.
France’s Emma Ducreux won Greece ‘23 in her very first XTERRA race. She knows defending will be a big ask, but she isn't getting caught up worrying about the superstars set to start alongside her. She will focus on her pace and use her swim speed to control the race from the front, allowing the race to come to her.
There is a lot of anticipation for how Sandra Mairhofer will open her World Cup campaign, and by the looks of things it seems clear that the Italian is not just here to make up the numbers. Her outstanding mountain bike performances seem to have been part of a carefully planned season to go big in the European World Cup races in this series.
In less than 24 hours we go between the tape to find out who will be the first to break the tape and walk away with the max 100 points at stop #2 of the 2024 XTERRA World Cup.
With most of the pros now having spent time out on the course, a lot of the feedback seems to be centred around the new and improved bike loop. This is the product of George Chanoumis, a local XTERRA Coach who has built multiple singletrack sections over the course of 3 years to avoid paved areas and elevate MTB riding in the area.
The bike loop now has increased technicality with speed management being crucial through the dry sections where small pebbles line the top layer. Some new sections also include a fair amount of sharp rocks which have already led to a few flat tires this week. Finding the right flow will be key for those looking to get ahead.
In athlete updates, it looks like we’ll see Michele Bonacina back in action after injuring his wrist on a recce in Taiwan. The Italian may not be back to full form yet but he will be out to salvage some World Cup points. Unfortunately, however, Morgane Riou (FRA) will not start after the French air traffic control strike left her with no way to get to Vouliagmeni in time.
Defending World Cup Champ Arthur Serrières is locked in to get his campaign started, although he knows this one is likely to be tight with a tough finish on what he describes as a “brutal run course”.
It’s been almost exactly a month to the day, but XTERRA World Cup racing is officially back as athletes begin to arrive in numbers here in Vouliagmeni. There are countless reasons why Greece was included in the series this year and they all seem to be on full display already. The bay is looking as enticing as ever, the trails are running fast, and the XTERRA atmosphere in the small beachside town can be felt almost immediately on arrival.
The list of big names already getting familiar with the course reads like the top end of the World Rankings, including the likes of World Champions Arthur Serrières and Solenne Billouin, World Cup Champion Alizée Paties, APAC Champion Kieran McPherson, and current World Cup leader Felix Forissier.
The course that awaits them will be a fast one, with plenty of mediterranean rock to add some tech between the speed along the bike and run sections.
Weather is looking warm and dry throughout the week, leaving athletes plenty of time to get their equipment and lines dialed in before we go between the tape once again for the 2024 XTERRA World Cup this Saturday.
Having first debuted on the XTERRA circuit in 2013, Greece is not entirely a newcomer. But while many elite athletes will arrive with experience on this course, never will they have pushed it at the pace necessary for a podium finish in World Cup conditions. If Taiwan was a test of resilience, Greece will be a test of speed.
It’s also the first of 3 stops in XTERRA’s most competitive region, with 50 pros set to contest the race in Vouliagmeni. Current double-champion Arthur Serrières will be on the starting line as he looks to regain his place at the top, while Italy’s Sandra Mairhofer will also be out hunting as she looks to shake up the leaderboard in her opening race of the season.
The race begins in the open waters of the Aegean Sea before heading into the mountain trails above Varkiza and Vouliagmeni to decide who goes and who stays in the coveted top-10 section of the World Cup leaderboard. Read here for some of the key battles set to play out at the front of the race, or watch the video below for a full breakdown of the course that awaits in Greece and the top contenders ready to give it their all when the action begins on Saturday, April 27.
.jpg)
.jpg)
For news, event updates, stories and more.
XTERRA is a global lifestyle brand that champions the outdoor enthusiast in their pursuit of relentless adventure.
.svg)
.svg)
