XC-racing continues with (second-)biggest objective of season: World Championships in Andorra

It has been a relatively quiet period in the XC scene after the three World Cups in one month in Europe. Only Jordan Sarrou did not have a quieter time, as he lined up for the biggest race of his career in Paris earlier this month. For the others, there was a chance to take a small breather and then set their sights on the World Championships in Andorra. Most of them went to altitude camps to be optimally prepared for the Worlds at 2000 meters of elevation.

Sarrou enjoyed a few days soaking in the vibes in Paris before refocusing on the big goals remaining this season. The slightly disappointing result, especially considering his fitness, was hard for the French national champion to digest, but after about a week, Sarrou realized that there are still goals ahead this season that motivate him.

He headed to the mountains with his family, with both road and mountain bikes packed on the back of the car. "Here I am, enjoying my time while also training hard. In addition, I spend time in the gym. All in all, I am doing well now and looking forward to the World Championships on an exciting track and at altitude."

Altitude Camps

Most of Team BMC’s riders found the mountains attractive to spend their summers ahead of the World Championships. So did Titouan Carod and Juri Zanotti, who went on a three-week altitude training camp together in southern Switzerland before heading to race in the French Cup in Les Menuires.

However, not everything went according to plan during the preparation phase for Andorra. After a very successful altitude camp, Carod crashed in Les Menuires, missing the World Championships in a season where things had already not gone his way most of the time.

Zanotti said, "Everything went really smoothly until the race in Les Menuires, where I finished on the podium. We were just over 2000 meters of elevation, similar to Andorra. After ten days of acclimatization, we started doing efforts at higher altitudes. It was hard, but every day we felt better. These kinds of efforts will be worth it in Andorra. I am sure this camp will have been useful. I hope a top 10 finish is within reach in Andorra, and I feel bad for Titouan not making it there."

U23 cyclist Maxime l’Homme went also up to 2000 meters, but then in Davos. Later this week, Team BMC will share a storyline with the Swiss rider about his altitude camp in preparation for the Worlds. An altitude camp was not necessary for Häberlin, who had already completed two altitude camps this season. Her final preparation race before the Worlds was in Basel, Swiss Bike Cup, the week before the big event. 

Team BMC’s second U23 rider, Janis Baumann, struggled with his health after the European block of World Cup racing and focused on his recovery. Unfortunately, Baumann is still suffering from a virus and won’t be able to start in the small country in the Pyrenees.

The track in Andorra is challenging, according to Häberlin, and has "a bit of everything." "I started to like the course quite recently. I hope for a good race and to be in a good position straight from the start. I hope to be close to the top 10 in the XCO race."

Both the XCC World Championships and the XCO World Championships are happening in the final days of August and the first few days of September. Additionally, on Wednesday the 28th, some yet-to-be-determined riders will line up for the World Relay XCO Championships.

Zanotti and l’Homme will only race the XCO. Häberlin and Sarrou will line up for both the XCC and the XCO race, happening on Friday the 30th and Sunday the 1st of September, respectively.