Lapierre PXR Racing Takes on La Thuile
The UCI Mountain Bike World Cup arrived in La Thuile for the very first time, and the Italian venue wasted no time proving why it will be remembered. Steep climbs, technical descents and thick clouds of dust created one of the toughest race weekends of the season, demanding precision, endurance and resilience from every rider on the grid.
For Lapierre PXR Racing, the results may not have matched every expectation, but the weekend highlighted something equally important: the team's determination to keep fighting, no matter how challenging the conditions become.
Friday: Setting the Stage
The weekend began with an intense XCC race, where securing a strong start position for Sunday's XCO was the main objective. On a narrow, physical circuit with very few overtaking opportunities, every position counted.
Nicole Koller once again showed her class, finishing fifth to earn a front-row start for Sunday's main race. Anne Terpstra crossed the line in 13th, while Caroline Bohé finished 18th, giving all three Lapierre PXR Racing women starting positions within the first three rows.
Despite still feeling the effects of a lingering injury, Anne was pleased with her performance.
"I was happy with today. I still feel my leg sometimes, which annoys me, but I don't think it holds me back." – Anne Terpstra
Anton Cooper also delivered a composed ride, battling through heavy traffic on the demanding new circuit to secure his place on the XCO grid.
Sunday: A Battle Against the Elements
By Sunday, the already dry course had become even more unforgiving. Dust hung in the air, visibility dropped dramatically and the technical descents became increasingly unpredictable, turning the Olympic Cross-country race into a true battle of survival.
Nicole Koller continued her impressive consistency, racing inside the top ten throughout the day before crossing the finish line in ninth place.
"Hard and tough day. Somehow I only had one pace, which was not enough to battle at the front. I also struggled to find my rhythm, but I'm happy to finish inside the top 10." – Nicole Koller
Anne Terpstra delivered another controlled performance, managing the demanding conditions to finish 15th and add another solid result to her season.
For Caroline Bohé, the race took an unfortunate turn after a heavy crash on one of La Thuile's unforgiving descents. Showing real determination, she got back on her bike and completed the race in 35th place. Most importantly, she escaped without serious injury.
Tobias Lillelund Continues His Progress
After achieving a career-best result at the previous World Cup round, Tobias Lillelund backed it up with another confident ride in La Thuile.
Finishing 24th, he secured his second consecutive Top 25 finish and continued to demonstrate his steady progression at the highest level of cross-country racing.
"It was difficult out there today, but happy to have a consistent race and find myself inside the top 25." – Tobias Lillelund
Anton Cooper endured another difficult weekend. The team will take the opportunity to regroup, analyse the challenges and come back stronger at the next round.
Stronger Through Adversity
Not every World Cup weekend delivers podiums or personal bests. Sometimes success is measured by resilience, teamwork and the ability to learn from adversity.
Reflecting on the weekend, Team Manager Thomas Wickles summed it up perfectly:
"It was a tough day out for us, but if this is our worst day of the year, it shows how high our standard is. Nobody is completely happy with how things went, but the main thing is that everyone is fundamentally okay after some heavy impacts. That was the key today. We reset from here."
La Thuile tested every rider, every bike and every member of the team. Lapierre PXR Racing leaves Italy with valuable lessons, renewed motivation and the same commitment that has defined the season so far.
The dust will settle—but the fight continues.
