On 2 October 2026, the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series closed its 2026 UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup season at Lake Placid Olympic Sites in New York, with the women’s finale serving up a proper title-race sting. Martina Berta won the Women Elite XCC round in damp, muddy conditions, while Sina Frei finished third to secure the overall crown ahead of Jenny Rissveds.
Title maths in the mud
Frei started the day with the advantage: a top-three finish would be enough to wrap up the series, while Rissveds needed both the race win and for Frei to miss the podium. That made the front of the race doubly loaded, with Rissveds, Frei, Berta and Evie Richards all in the early leading group as the rain made traction a precious little luxury.
Berta chose her moment late. After Rissveds and Frei had helped shape the pace, the Italian moved up before attacking as the leaders took the bell for the final lap. Only Rissveds could follow, but Berta held her off through the closing corners and the sprint to the line to take her second XCC World Cup victory in North America. Rissveds finished second, with Frei third — enough to win the overall title by 60 points.
Jackson’s first U23 win
The women’s U23 race added another bright note to the day. Valentina Corvi had already secured the overall title before the Lake Placid short track, but Bethany-Ann Jackson made the finale her own with a late attack from the lead group. She held on for her maiden Women U23 UCI XCC World Cup victory, ahead of Rafaelle Carrier and Makena Kellerman.
A compact finale with bite
For women’s cross-country, Lake Placid mattered because it showed how much the short-track format can hold inside a small space: a late winner, a title calculation that stayed live to the line, and an U23 rider stepping onto a first World Cup top step. Short race, big aftertaste.