‘That’s our podium, that’s our decision’ – Fourth and fifth placed Forster and Schurter crash men’s podium at Mountain Bike World Series opener

The opening round of the 2025 Whoop UCI Mountain Bike World Series in Brazil was meant to end with three-rider cross-country podiums but the riders had other ideas, going against plans to cut  the numbers.

The  women's elite XCO podium, after a highly-emotion debut win for New Zealand's Samara Maxwell (Decathlon Ford), ended with the new three-rider podium protocol but the men's elite podium was hijacked. 

The top three riders, all from Specialized Factory Racing – Victor Koretzky, Christopher Blevins and Martin Vidaurre – received their prizes and stood on the steps for photos. They soon shuffled over to make room for fourth-placed Lars Forster (Thömus maxon) and fifth-placed Nino Schurter (Scott-SRAM).

Their move accompanied by a huge roar from the crowd.

"That's our podium, that's our decision," said a later instagram post by Forster and his Thömus maxon team manager Ralph Naf alongside a picture of the five on the podium.

The broadcast from Araxá quickly cut to an out of focus shot of a tree and purple flowers once the two extra riders joined the podium, before putting up the results instead of the continuation of the podium ceremony.

Broadly supported rider opposition to the plan for a cut to the long-standing five-rider podium was brought to prominence in the public arena last week when more than 120 riders, including the entire top 30 of the men and women, delivered a statement firmly objecting to the change and the way it was implemented despite their clear opposition. 

The attempt to change the podium cut decision before the first round in Brazil failed with a response from the UCI last week stating: "The updated podium protocol is a key part of our long-term strategy for the sport and is intended to remain consistent going forward."

The podium extras show that not all  the riders were content to leave it at that.

An opening round of firsts

As well as being the first round which was to have only three-rider podiums. the results at Araxá, Minas Gerais, Brazil also broke ground.

Maxwell's first UCI World Cup round win in the women's elite XCO immediately after the former U23 World Champion embarked on her first elite World Cup season, was also a first for New Zealand. 

The 23-year-old took the win at a World Cup by breaking away from the leading group of seven early on lap seven of the eight lap race, taking advantage of the climb to establish the gap and then holding off a charged chase to the line.

Nicole Koller (Ghost Factory Racing) came over the line in second, four seconds back as she pipped Maxwell's Decathlon Ford teammate Savilia Blunk in a two-way sprint. Alessandra Keller (Thömus maxon) was then fourth ahead of Candice Lill in fifth.

In the men's elite race, Koretzky and Blevins shared turns on the front of the race after gapping all their rivals in the early stages of the nine lap event. 

Koretzky took the solo victory with Blevins rolling over the line ten seconds back. Vidaurre completed the top three sweep for Specialized a further 19 seconds back after winning the sprint from the chase group behind.

It was then Forster in fourth and in fifth Schurter completed a huge fightback after an early flat meant he was cast outside the top 40 positions in lap two.

Finn Treudler (Cube Factory Racing) and Isabella Holmgren claimed the U23 XCO victories while on Saturday, in the short-track, it was Blevins and Evie richards (Trek Factory Racing-Pirelli) who claimed the elite top steps while Sondre Rokke (Berrie-Polimedical) and Holmgren took the U23 victories.