Ieri si è corsa la penultima prova della coppa del mondo di enduro a La Thuile, decretando i vincitori 2025 in campo elite maschile e femminile. Lukasik ha portato la Fox Podium sul gradino più alto del podio.
Risultati uomini elite, donne elite, uomini junior, donne junior.
La Thuile – Valle d’Aosta marked its return to top-tier Enduro racing by hosting the penultimate round of the 2025 UCI Enduro World Cup. The venue, a familiar name in the sport, previously featured five times in the Enduro World Series between 2014 and 2021.
The final one-day event of this year’s calendar contained a 46.77-kilometre route with over 2,700 metres of descending. Three demanding stages faced competitors during the daytime including a high-altitude start above 2,500 metres for the first 3.4-kilometre Kappa Trail stage. Riders then faced a lengthy transfer up the mountainside to Col Croce which was 3.9 kilometres in length with an elevation of -941 metres. Back across to the other side of the valley the final daytime test with Chaz Dura Express providing a test of 5.9 kilometres with an elevation of -988 metres. Big mountain descents challenged the Enduro competitors with technical terrain and raw, natural.
The day was wrapped up with a short 600-metre night stage, lit by floodlights with an elevation drop of 151 metres.
Sławomir Łukasik (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) did just enough to seal victory in La Thuile – Valle d’Aosta and with it the Men Elite UCI Enduro World Cup overall crown.
Despite being pushed in the latter stages at last weekend’s round in Val Di Fassa – Trentino (Italy), the Polish rider found his rhythm when it mattered to take the honours. Last weekend’s runner-up Richard Rude Jr (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) returned back to Downhill action in La Thuile – Valle d’Aosta, resulting in one less podium challenger.
Łukasik started the day where he left off last weekend and posted the quickest time on the opening stage of 7:06.7 along the 3.4-kilometre course.
Privateer Daniel Booker saw a rock damage his wheel and end his overall hopes last weekend in Val Di Fassa. The Australian was back in the mix at La Thuile – Valle d’Aosta, finishing second just +3.8 seconds behind in the opening stage and Canadian Lief Rodgers was third +5.2 seconds back.
The 3.9-kilometre long Col Croce stage saw a complete change in the faces leading the charge as Canadian Elliot Jamieson took the spotlight and posted the quickest time of 8:26.04. New Zealander Murray led the charge for second just 0.9 of a second behind and Jesse Melamed (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) was third. Łukasik kept the overall lead heading into the third stage after losing six seconds to the stage winner but finishing faster than challenger opponent Booker.
Fellow New Zealander Matthew Walker (Pivot Factory Racing) took the honours on the Chaz Dura Express stage, while an enthralling overall battle developed behind. After 5.9 kilometres of racing only two tenths of a second separated second place on the stage Murray and Łukasik in third.
Heading into the final Nightfall stage Murray had a slender over lead of just 0.216 of a second ahead of Łukasik. Brooker took the final stage in a show of fearlessness and technical ability under the floodlights. French rider Adrien Dailly was just six tenths of a second behind and Melamed finished third. The overall battle saw Łukasik finish fourth on the stage and an important 0.266 of a second ahead of Murray to snatch the overall honours by five hundreds of a second. Murray was regretting some small mistakes on the nighttime stage which ultimately proved the difference.
Meanwhile, a crash for Walker on the final stage resulted in him dropping down the overall standings as Melamed finished third overall.
“It was a really good day on the bike,” said 2025 UCI Enduro World Cup overall series winner Łukasik. “It was so much fun riding here and every stage was amazing, with a bit of everything on it.
“It was a really good battle with Charles (Murray) today, it was really great day. I can’t believe I’ve won the overall, it’s an amazing feeling and I’m so stoked about that. I’ve never been to Haute-Savoie so I’m excited about that race, but more relaxed because I took the overall win. It will be fun to ride and more focus for the World Championships.”
Kuchyňková took an emotional first Women Elite UCI Enduro World Cup victory. The Slovakian rider had taken two podium positions this season but was yet to stand on the top step heading to La Thuile – Valle d’Aosta.
British privateer Conolly was pushed all the way for victory last weekend in in Val Di Fassa – Trentino and once again faced a tough ask in Italy. With the course placed on the border with France, Mélanie Pugin gave the travelling supporters a gift by winning the opening stage in a time of 8:25.1.
Conolly had the opportunity to seal the overall series with a round to spare and the British rider remained in touch by finishing second on the stage just 0.5 of a second behind.
New Zealander Winnifred Goldsbury led a pack of riders battling for third on the stage (2.4 seconds behind the winner), meanwhile Kuchyňková finished five seconds back on the opening stage. Kuchyňková reversed that deficit on the Col Croce stage after posting an impressive time which was nine seconds quicker than second placed Conolly.
Despite being the longest stage of the day at 5.9 kilometres long there was little to separate the Elite women on Chaz Dura Express. Conolly went quickest but was just 3.3 seconds quicker than Canadian Elly Hoskins and Kuchyňková was three tenths of a second further back. Coming into the final stage Kuchyňková had no room for error with an advantage of just 2.6 seconds ahead of Conolly.
The Nightfall test saw Delia Da Mocogno go quickest, just two tenths of a second ahead of Nadine Ellecosta (Abetone Ancillotti Vittoria Factory Racing) in second and Raphaela Richter in third.
After a long day of racing Kuchyňková crashed on the final stage and finished 10th. Overall rival Conolly was also challenged by the lighting, finishing seventh and less than a second ahead. That result meant that Kuchyňková clinched her first UCI World Cup win and Conolly’s second was enough to secure the Women Elite UCI Enduro World Cup for the season.
An emotional Kuchyňková said: “It feels so good to win my first ever Elite, it was such a long day.
“I had so many moments in this race, it means the world to me and I just need to process it right now. I’m so thankful and really grateful for everyone who stood behind me in really hard times. It feels so good.
“I was really looking forward to the nighttime stage as I was on a really good run. Then I came into the rock garden and I crashed. I thought it was over for me, I kept going and crossed the line. I saw everyone was so happy so I knew that I had done it.”
2025 UCI Enduro World Cup overall series winner Conolly added: “I knew I could wrap up the title today, so I’m happy with how I rode and Simona was just incredible today, she’s an insane rider so I’m really stoked for her.
“It’s been my best season so far and I’m really happy. It was my goal at the start of the season to win the overall. We’ll celebrate tonight, we’ve got a small break until the next World Cup and then the World Championships is the next goal.”
