Oak Mountain
May 18-19
US$30,000
175 Points
Full-Distance Triathlon
Short Track
🔴 Watch Replay
Moving to the 3rd stop in the series, Oak Mountain returns for another wild ride to Blood Rock. It’s a fast and flowing course with so many twists and turns through the deep forest trails that seeing who is just ahead or just behind is a challenge in itself. This is a course that requires taking risks without taking a foot off the gas, and comes with 2 high-intensity races in a single weekend.
1.5K
Swim
33K
MTB
10K
Trail Run
Showers
28°C
Water 23°C
+645m climb
Summary
Full Distance Results

Felix Forissier and Sandra Mairhofer Win Oak Mountain Full Distance

No mistakes this time. Felix Forissier has stamped his name firmly on the Full Distance race in Oak Mountain, bagging the 100 series points to extend his lead at the top of the pile. Riding to the front of the race and heading into the final section in the lead, the Frenchman then laid down the fastest run of the day to catch some well-earned breathing room at the top of the leaderboard.

Defending World Cup Champion Arthur Serrières crossed just 50 seconds behind his on-course rival to now move up into 5th position in the overall rankings, while Jens Emil Sloth Nielsen’s return to the podium in 3rd sees him move up into 2nd place.

Sandra Mairhofer will have a lot to celebrate after a convincing win in the women’s race. The Italian put her renowned bike skills to work, opening up a large gap as she led into the final 11K. Despite a late surge from the reigning World Champ that would see the gap close by over a minute, Mairhofer was never in danger of losing the lead, claiming the 100 series points to move into 5th place in the series.

Solenne Billouin’s 2nd place finish is more than enough the French athlete to hold on to the series lead and the golden cap for tomorrow’s Short Track race, while Alizée Paties’s 3rd place sees her now stand alone in 2nd after coming into stop #3 in a tied 2nd place with Czech’s Aneta Grabmüller.


Men's Full Distance Results (Top 10)
#
Athlete
Time
Swim
Bike
Run
Prize Money
Points
Total
Rank
1
Felix Forissier
Times:
2:20:59
Swim:
20:27
Bike:
1:23:16
Run:
35:55:00
$3,000
Points:
100
Total:
290
Rank:
1
2
Arthur Serrieres
Times:
2:21:49
Swim:
20:29
Bike:
1:23:24
Run:
36:14:00
$2,300
Points:
90
Total:
172
Rank:
5
3
Jens Emil Sloth Nielsen
Times:
2:22:32
Swim:
22:06
Bike:
1:21:24
Run:
37:23:00
$1,700
Points:
82
Total:
247
Rank:
2
4
Sullivan Middaugh
Times:
2:23:36
Swim:
21:00
Bike:
1:22:42
Run:
38:16:00
$1,400
Points:
75
Total:
75
Rank:
12
5
Maxim Chane
Times:
2:25:00
Swim:
20:26
Bike:
1:23:34
Run:
39:21:00
$1,100
Points:
69
Total:
213
Rank:
4
6
Arthur Forissier
Times:
2:26:49
Swim:
21:43
Bike:
1:25:00
Run:
38:39:00
$900
Points:
63
Total:
245
Rank:
3
7
Theo Dupras
Times:
2:26:55
Swim:
22:05
Bike:
1:21:30
Run:
41:47:00
$750
Points:
58
Total:
111
Rank:
9
8
Kieran Mcpherson
Times:
2:27:08
Swim:
21:41
Bike:
1:25:33
Run:
38:21:00
$600
Points:
53
Total:
160
Rank:
6
9
Eric Lagerstrom
Times:
2:28:12
Swim:
19:52
Bike:
1:27:33
Run:
39:14:00
$450
Points:
49
Total:
49
Rank:
18
10
Michele Bonacina
Times:
2:29:28
Swim:
20:28
Bike:
1:25:44
Run:
41:50:00
$300
Points:
45
Total:
76
Rank:
11
Women's Full DIstance Results (Top 10)
#
Athlete
Time
Swim
Bike
Run
Prize Money
Points
Total
Rank
1
Sandra Mairhofer
Times:
2:43:57
Swim:
24:08:00
Bike:
1:33:06
Run:
45:04:00
$3,000
Points:
100
Total:
182
Rank:
5
2
Solenne Billouin
Times:
2:46:31
Swim:
24:10:00
Bike:
1:36:59
Run:
43:44:00
$2,300
Points:
90
Total:
290
Rank:
1
3
Alizee Paties
Times:
2:47:12
Swim:
24:32:00
Bike:
1:36:14
Run:
44:53:00
$1,700
Points:
82
Total:
247
Rank:
2
4
Marta Menditto
Times:
2:50:26
Swim:
24:23:00
Bike:
1:39:22
Run:
44:55:00
$1,400
Points:
75
Total:
226
Rank:
4
5
Amanda Felder
Times:
2:52:08
Swim:
22:05
Bike:
1:39:46
Run:
48:26:00
$1,100
Points:
69
Total:
69
Rank:
11
6
Aneta Grabmuller
Times:
2:52:42
Swim:
22:02
Bike:
1:40:35
Run:
48:28:00
$900
Points:
63
Total:
228
Rank:
3
7
Suzie Snyder
Times:
2:53:14
Swim:
23:50
Bike:
1:39:18
Run:
48:14:00
$750
Points:
58
Total:
58
Rank:
15
8
Anna Zehnder
Times:
2:55:18
Swim:
24:30:00
Bike:
1:44:40
Run:
44:22:00
$600
Points:
53
Total:
180
Rank:
6
9
Elizabeth Orchard
Times:
2:59:27
Swim:
24:25:00
Bike:
1:41:26
Run:
51:33:00
$450
Points:
49
Total:
98
Rank:
9
10
Emma Ducreux
Times:
3:02:04
Swim:
22:59
Bike:
1:47:27
Run:
49:58:00
$300
Points:
45
Total:
90
Rank:
10


Tomorrow the battles continue in the fast-paced Short Track race, where a max 75 points could see even more changes in the overall rankings as the 2024 World Cup series nears the half way mark.

Short Track Start List
Men's start list
Points
Felix Forissier
FRA
290
-
Jens Emil Sloth Nielsen
DNK
247
-
Arthur Forissier
FRA
245
-
Maxim Chane
FRA
213
-
Arthur Serrieres
FRA
172
-
Kieran Mcpherson
NZL
160
-
Federico Spinazze
ITA
146
-
Theo Dupras
FRA
111
-
Michele Bonacina
ITA
76
-
Sebastian Neef
DEU
63
-
Sam Teller
USA
62
-
Morgan Rhodes
GBR
51
-
Eric Lagerstrom
USA
49
-
Gautier Marin
FRA
37
-
Hugo Bourjon
FRA
34
-
Nicolas Harvey
CAN
31
-
Steve Croucher
USA
28
-
Francisco Serrano
MEX
25
-
John Wiygul
USA
22
-
Branden Rakita
USA
21
-
Brian Smith
USA
15
-
James Kirschner
USA
13
-
Charlie Smoak
USA
11
-
Boris Janata
SVK
10
-
Women's start list
Points
Solenne Billouin
FRA
290
-
Alizee Paties
FRA
247
-
Aneta Grabmuller
CZE
228
-
Marta Menditto
ITA
226
-
Sandra Mairhofer
ITA
182
-
Anna Zehnder
CHE
180
-
Lorena Erl
DEU
103
-
Elizabeth Orchard
NZL
98
-
Emma Ducreux
FRA
90
-
Romane Cizeron
FRA
66
-
Suzie Snyder
USA
58
-
Carolyne Guay
CAN
37
-
Katie Button
CAN
34
-
Amanda Presgraves
USA
25
-
Katja Krenn
AUT
23
-
Shannon Feran
USA
21
-
Brittany Schroeder
USA
19
-

Short Track Results

Billouin and Serrières Win Stop #3 Short Track

After riding a large section of the bike course on a flat tire yesterday, Solenne Billouin has finally shaken the curse of the mechanical in Oak Mountain, laying down a strong performance in the Short Track to extend her lead at the top of the leaderboard. The World Champ walks away with the increased 75 points to create a comfortable gap between her and the rest of the field ahead of stop #4 in Belgium.

Aneta Grabmüller’s lightning-fast swim and strong bike performance saw her lead into the final section, with only the World Champ able to run her down. Grabmüller’s 2nd place finish sees her move within 13 points of Alizée Paties who holds her place in the rankings after finishing 3rd.

Arthur Serrières broke the tape for the first time this year, defending his Short Track title in Oak Mountain to show some serious intent in the series. The reigning World Cup Champion chose not to race Taiwan in favour of a longer training, but after taking 3rd in Greece, 2nd in the Full Distance yesterday, and 1st in the Short Track, he is now back on track to contend for overall win in the series.

Felix Forissier closed out in 2nd to keep his position at the top, while Arthur Forissier’s 3rd place finish sees him move back up to 2nd on the leaderboard, but only with a slim 3 points separating him and Denmark’s Jens Emil Sloth Nielsen in 3rd.


Men's Short Track Distance Results (Top 5)
#
Athlete
Time
Swim
Bike
Run
Prize Money
Points
Total
Rank
1
Arthur Serrieres
Times:
33:35
Swim:
05:46
Bike:
17:17
Run:
09:13
$900
Points:
75
Total:
247
Rank:
5
2
Felix Forissier
Times:
33:56
Swim:
05:45
Bike:
17:21
Run:
09:32
$700
Points:
67
Total:
357
Rank:
1
3
Arthur Forissier
Times:
34:04
Swim:
05:48
Bike:
17:20
Run:
09:43
$500
Points:
61
Total:
306
Rank:
2
4
Jens Emil Sloth Nielsen
Times:
34:19
Swim:
06:14
Bike:
17:04
Run:
09:25
$250
Points:
56
Total:
303
Rank:
3
5
Maxim Chane
Times:
34:21
Swim:
05:44
Bike:
17:32
Run:
09:42
$150
Points:
51
Total:
264
Rank:
4
Women's Short Track Results (Top 5)
#
Athlete
Time
Swim
Bike
Run
Prize Money
Points
Total
Rank
1
Solenne Billouin
Times:
38:59
Swim:
06:50
Bike:
19:29
Run:
11:15
$900
Points:
75
Total:
365
Rank:
1
2
Aneta Grabmuller
Times:
39:17
Swim:
06:25
Bike:
19:49
Run:
11:41
$700
Points:
67
Total:
295
Rank:
3
3
Alizee Paties
Times:
39:41
Swim:
06:48
Bike:
19:48
Run:
11:36
$500
Points:
61
Total:
308
Rank:
2
4
Sandra Mairhofer
Times:
40:11
Swim:
06:53
Bike:
19:56
Run:
11:51
$250
Points:
56
Total:
238
Rank:
5
5
Anna Zehnder
Times:
40:59
Swim:
07:00
Bike:
20:57
Run:
11:31
$150
Points:
51
Total:
231
Rank:
6

Talking Points

For a detailed breakdown of how stop #3 played out in Oak Mountain, read the Full Distance race report here or watch the Short Track live replay here. But for now, let’s discuss what these results mean for those in strong contention for the series win, starting with the women’s Short Track winner.

The big concern for the women’s field coming into stop #3 was that, if Solenne Billouin had to keep her perfect score by winning both races in Oak Mountain, the World Champ would have forged an insurmountable lead in the series. That didn’t happen as her bad luck on these trails dragged into a second year when she flatted in almost the exact same place as 2023, but her decision to back herself and keep pushing at full speed was a clear demonstration of just how strong the Frenchwoman is, and just how committed she is to keeping her place in the series.

With almost 20K still to go on the bike, Billouin rode with no air in her back tire, relying on just the inserts she had chosen to install to avoid the worst case scenario. When that happened, she powered on, betting big on herself to hold enough pace on the bike and make time back on the run. It was a move that deserves serious respect, and her efforts were well rewarded with a 2nd place finish, allowing her to qualify for the Short Track where she cleaned up to take maximum points in round 2.

"You have to finish anyway and take all the points you can. It's part of what keeps me focused on racing."
Solenne Billouin

Billouin is now 52 points ahead of 2nd place. It’s not an insurmountable lead, but it will take something special to run that lead down. If she can end this season as a double-champion with a hat-trick of World Championship wins to her name, her legacy as one of the strongest women the sport has ever seen will be well on its way to being carved in stone.

But if there is one person that could rain on the World Champions’s parade this year, it’s Italy’s Sandra Mairhofer. Between Billouin’s mechanical in the Full Distance and Mairhofer’s fall in the Short Track, it’s massively unfortunate that we were robbed of the chance to see these two go properly head to head. When Mairhofer and Billouin (and their bikes) are both on form, they deliver some of the best battles the sport has seen. It may not have happened in Oak Mountain, but it does seem inevitable in the races to come.

Mechanical’s aside, Mairhofer put down a race winning performance on Saturday that Billouin would unlikely have matched. She has one race less than others making up her tally so it seems like a stretch that she would chase down Billouin in the World Cup. But already in 5th position, she could work herself up into a podium position and enter the World Championship as the biggest threat to Billouin’s Italian three-peat.

"I was able to push hard on the uphills and downhills. After I passed Solenne on the downhill, I pushed hard to extend the gap between us."
Sandra Mairhofer

Felix Forissier is another name that could put an end to the dream of a World Championship three-peat. In just a short space of time this season, he now seems like the betting favourite when it comes to Full Distance racing. It was another clinical performance by the current series leader on Saturday, exiting the water in the chase pack and hunting down the race leader before they’d even hit the first section of singletrack. Keeping pace with the likes of Arthur Serrières and Jens Emil Sloth Nielsen as they headed into T2, the younger Forissier was still able to open the taps and claim the win almost a minute ahead of the current World Champ.

"I saw the leaders at the end of the water, and the first man [Nicolas Harvey] was not far away. I just wanted to start my race and control the difficulty.”
Felix Forissier

However, despite taking 2nd place, Forissier never looked comfortable in the Short Track race, likely from pushing as hard as he did in the Full Distance. Whereas the same cannot be said of Arthur Serrières who claimed the win with time to spare. This is the first time the World Champion has tasted victory this season, and he may now just be hitting his stride. A 3rd in Greece, 2nd in Oak Mountain Full Distance, and a 1st in the Short Track will be a worrying trajectory for Forissier and everybody else in the men's field as a determined in-form Serrières can be almost impossible to stop. In 2023 he became the first ever double-champ in XTERRA history, and will likely stop at nothing to do it again.

And finally, Czech’s Aneta Grabmüller will surely have mixed feelings as she leaves Alabama. Bike issues that got overlooked in the pre-race bike check cost her heavily in the Full Distance as she drained her energy to push through the 33K loop to hold on to a 6th place finish. One of the biggest breakout athletes of the year, she will be disappointed to have given up her tied 2nd place in the rankings as she drops down to 3rd. But a strong showing in the Short Track race where she came in just 18 seconds behind the leader will give her confidence that she can still bounce back as her battle with the reigning World Cup Champion Alizée Paties, now in 2nd overall, looks locked in for the rest of the series.

Belgium is next, where stop #4 officially brings an end to the first half of the series, and a time to start making moves for anybody looking to close out the series with a place on the podium.

Race Week Updates
Friday, May 17

The talk all week has been just how good this bike course is to ride. Not all that difficult to ride slowly, but add some speed and it becomes a beast. Brake, corner, sprint, repeat. If you save half a second in each corner, you can be minutes ahead by the end of the lap. The battles in this section will be intense, with no time to take a foot off the gas.

But the weather could throw a huge curveball. It’s been dry all week but now it’s looking like a big storm could roll in to completely change the conditions of the course. Only a handful of the top athletes have experience on these trails in the wet, which could shake things up quite a bit. But taking on the elements is all part of the game, and also one of the biggest reasons why nothing is ever a given when it comes to XTERRA racing.

Tomorrow we go between the tape for stop #3 of the XTERRA World Cup, with 44.5K of tough racing set to decide who adds the max 100 points to their tally. Check out the course map below to see what XTERRA’s best will be up against, and be sure to follow on IG for updates from on the ground in Oak Mountain, Alabama.

Thursday, May 16

Eric Lagerstrom is onsite, with the accomplished roadie setting up two very tantalising side battles within the race. This is the US athlete’s favourite XTERRA course, especially the fast and flowing bike course that is tailor made to his style of riding. Last year he came within inches of winning here in Oak Mountain, proving that he has what it takes to challenge the world’s best on these trails.

The first battle is with World Champion Arthur Serrières, as they prepare for round 2 in Oak Mountain. In 2023, Lagerstrom took the champ down to the wire, with Serrières eventually getting ahead on the run to take the win by just 38 seconds. Now that they have experience going head to head on this course, it will be interesting to see how part 2 plays out on Saturday.

The second battle will be between the three local heroes, Eric Lagerstom and the Middaugh duo, as they look to add the first-ever North American Championship crown to their list of accolades. It’s the first XTERRA race for all three this season, making it impossible to know the form they’re in. But for these three, national pride may just outweigh the value of series points as they prepare to go to battle with almost equal chances of emerging as the 2024 North American Champ.

Wednesdsay, May 15

The World Cup series has officially touched down in Alabama, USA, with current and former champs such as Sullivan and Josiah Middaugh and Suzie Snyder now playing host to the large Euro and APAC contingents that have made the long trip over. The weather over the last few days has served up near-perfect conditions on the trails, with the bike course running ultra fast for those out finding their lines.

Series leader Solenne Billouin is looking as confident as ever as she looks to get some redemption on this course in Oak Mountain. Last time out, the World Champ suffered a mechanical in the Full Distance race that effectively put her out of the runnings for the Short Track , leaving her with a zero-point haul here in Alabama. This time round she comes prepared with a heavier bike set up that should be enough to avoid a repeat of 2023.

Felix Forissier is also looking in good spirits as he prepares to defend his lead at the top. The mishaps of Greece are clearly in the past, with the European Champ now looking ahead to a race where he’ll need to keep a close eye on his older brother. Arthur Forissier is just 8 points behind, meaning if they both finish in the top three and Arthur crosses ahead of Felix, Arthur becomes the new series leader.

Race Preview

The Return to Blood Rock

A venue that almost seems as if it was created entirely just for off-road triathlon. Between the clear waters of Double Oak Lake and the world-class trails of Oak Mountain, Stop #3 has just about everything an off-road triathlete could ask for: a pristine lake swim, an epic bike loop that balances fast and flowing sections with a healthy portion of climbing, and absolutely no shortage of singletrack on the run to the finish. But with limited sections that allow for clear passing, strategy will be key for the 50+ pro athletes set to battle it out on the course.

Full Distance Start List
Men's start list
Points
Felix Forissier
FRA
190
-
Arthur Forissier
FRA
182
-
Jens Emil Sloth Nielsen
DNK
165
-
Maxim Chane
FRA
144
-
Federico Spinazze
ITA
112
-
Kieran Mcpherson
NZL
107
-
Sullivan Middaugh
USA
0
-
Scott Anderson
DEU
94
-
Arthur Serrieres
FRA
82
-
Sebastian Neef
DEU
63
-
Theo Dupras
FRA
53
-
Eric Lagerstrom
USA
0
-
Josiah Middaugh
USA
0
-
Sam Teller
USA
43
-
Michele Bonacina
ITA
31
-
Morgan Rhodes
GBR
28
-
Edmond Roy
CAN
0
-
Hugo Bourjon
FRA
17
-
Francisco Serrano
MEX
0
-
John Wiygul
USA
10
-
Branden Rakita
USA
0
-
Steve Croucher
USA
0
-
James Kirschner
USA
0
-
Gautier Marin
FRA
0
-
Boris Janata
SVK
0
-
Nicolas Harvey
CAN
0
-
Sean Kickbush
USA
0
-
Noah Petersen
USA
0
-
Brian Smith
USA
0
-
Charlie Smoak
USA
0
-
Women's start list
Points
Solenne Billouin
FRA
200
-
Aneta Grabmuller
CZE
165
-
Alizee Paties
FRA
165
-
Marta Menditto
ITA
151
-
Anna Zehnder
CHE
127
-
Sandra Mairhofer
ITA
82
-
Lorena Erl
DEU
72
-
Elizabeth Orchard
NZL
49
-
Emma Ducreux
FRA
45
-
Suzie Snyder
USA
0
-
Romane Cizeron
FRA
25
-
Ali O'donnell
USA
0
-
Amanda Felder
USA
0
-
Katie Button
CAN
0
-
Katja Krenn
AUT
0
-
Carolyne Guay
CAN
0
-
Amanda Presgraves
USA
0
-
Brittany Schroeder
USA
0
-
Shannon Feran
USA
0
-
Kamille Larocque
CAN
0
-
Jennifer Smith
USA
0
-

This is where the first off-road vs on-road battle of 2023 came down to the absolute wire when Arthur Serrières edged out Eric Lagerstrom by just 22 seconds, and in 2024 we’ll get to see the rematch with both athletes locked in for round two. The current World Cup Champion will be looking for nothing less than a win as he hopes to break into the top 5, but he’ll be up against a tougher field than last year with both Forissiers and a far more threatening Sullivan Middaugh ready to go to battle. It’s a similar story in the women’s race, where a repeat of last year would be a welcome result for the World Cup Champ Alizée Paties as she looks to gain back some ground on series leader Solenne Billouin. But this year brings a far more formidable startlist, including the surging Aneta Grabmüller and the heavily-credentialed Sandra Mairhofer.

This will also be the first double-feature stop of the series and this year that means a lot more. The new scoring system gives almost as much weight to the Short Track race as it does to the Full Distance. FD races now come with 100 max points and ST races with a massive 75, therefore a good showing in both could mean a significant jump up the leaderboard, while a poor performance in either could lead to a significant drop. 

Only the top 25 elite male and female finishers will qualify for the Short Track race, with the remaining 5 places awarded to wild card athletes with enough speed and skill to push the pace of the race up front and disrupt the status quo. Both races will be streamed LIVE on YouTube on May 19 at 9:00am CT.

Series Stops
SERIES Reads
Race Recap
Sep 28, 2024
Billouin, Serrières Complete the Three-Peat at the 2024 XTERRA World Championship
The 28th XTERRA World Championship concluded on September 28, bringing together over 1,000 of the world's best off-road triathletes from more than 50 countries in Molveno, Italy. Arthur Serrières (FRA) and Solenne Billouin (FRA) each secured their third consecutive World Championship titles, placing them among the greats in XTERRA history.
Race Report
Sep 26, 2024
Middaugh, Billouin Capture Final Short Track Victories of the 2024 XTERRA World Cup
On September 26, the 2024 XTERRA World Championship four-day festivities aired live with the Short Track Race as Solenne Billouin (FRA) and Felix Forissier (FRA) secured their wins in a made-for-TV competition at the penultimate showdown of the 2024 XTERRA World Cup.
Profile
October 18, 2024
Arthur Serrières: On the Edge of History
Arthur Serrières has already made his mark with two consecutive World Championship titles, but now he’s on the verge of something even greater. A third win in Italy would solidify his place among the all-time legends of off-road triathlon, as the Frenchman looks to etch his name into history.
Story
September 20, 2024
Bigger, Better, and Beyond: Inside the 2024 XTERRA World Championship
Italy is set for a monumental meeting of the world’s best off-road triathletes as the 28th edition of the XTERRA World Championship returns to the trails of Trentino. With World Championship titles on the line for elites, age division athletes, and now juniors too, here’s everything to know about the biggest event in off-road triathlon

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Elizabeth Orchard
GBR
Sixteen time World Champion and seven time spelling bee winner, Jack Johnson is the most respected XTERRA athlete of all time.
Position
#3
Points
84
Age
37
Height
178cm
Weight
63kg
Strength
MTB