Les Gets World Cup: Racing, Mud & More
Few stops on the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup calendar deliver an atmosphere quite like Les Gets.
Packed hillsides, deafening crowds and some of the most passionate fans in Europe once again turned the French Alps into one of the highlights of the season. From the chaos of a rain-soaked Downhill track to tight racing at the front of the Cross-Country field, Les Gets delivered a weekend full of challenges, strong performances and plenty of action for TRP-supported athletes and teams.
Downhill: Mud, Changing Conditions & a Fight to the Finish
Weather became one of the biggest stories of the Downhill weekend.
Heavy rain ahead of qualifying transformed the track, but the conditions weren't the same for everyone. Early riders raced through active rainfall on a course that was extremely wet but still relatively loose and fast.
For Asa Vermette, the road to Sunday's Final wasn't straightforward either.
After crashing in Q1, Asa was forced into Q2, where he put together the run he needed to advance. In the Final, he delivered when it mattered, charging to 6th place and finishing just 1.2 seconds from the podium.
The result also moves Asa into 2nd overall in the Elite Men's World Cup standings, continuing an impressive first season of Elite World Cup racing.
Newkirk Continues Her Top-Five Form
Coming off a breakthrough World Cup victory earlier this season, Anna Newkirk continued to show that she belongs at the front of the Elite Women's field.
Anna advanced directly through Q1 before putting together another strong Final run, finishing 5th in Les Gets. Just 0.8 seconds separated her from the podium and 2.1 seconds from the win.
The result keeps Anna firmly among the championship contenders, sitting 4th overall in the World Cup standings.
Frameworks Racing / TRP also had another American inside the Top 5, with Zana Logar finishing 5th in Junior Women.
Cross-Country: Fighting at the Front
The racing stayed tight on the Cross-Country side of the venue, where Origine Racing Division's Mathis Azzaro was once again in the fight for a World Cup victory.
In the Men's XCC, Azzaro spent several laps at the front and entered the closing stages with a chance to win. A lost pedal in one of the final corners ended his opportunity to contest the finishing sprint, but Mathis still crossed the line in an impressive 4th place.
Teammate Knut Røme finished 25th, while Julian Schjelb led the TRP-equipped KMC Nukeproof riders in 22nd.
In the Women's XCC, Martina Berta continued her remarkably consistent season with a 7th-place finish, adding another Top 10 to her 2026 campaign. KMC Nukeproof's Lia Schiver finished 30th.
Carla Hahn added another strong result for KMC Nukeproof in the U23 field, finishing 8th.
A Tough Sunday in XCO
Sunday's Olympic Cross-Country races brought a different set of challenges.
Mathis Azzaro suffered a wheel-related mechanical on the opening lap, effectively ending his opportunity to fight at the front of the race. Knut Røme was also caught up in a crash that pushed him further down the field.
Martina Berta once again provided one of the strongest results of the day, finishing 7th in the Elite Women's XCO and completing her weekend with Top-10 finishes in both XCC and XCO.
Lia Schiver finished 30th.
In U23 racing, Origine Racing Division's Naël Ruffiat charged to 5th, adding another Top-5 World Cup result for the TRP-supported program.
A Team Replica Up for Grabs
Fans who stopped by the EKOÏ booth in Les Gets had the chance to enter for something pretty special: a complete Santa Cruz Dragon Speed Team Replica bike.
The bike is built to mirror the team's World Cup setup, complete with TRP components and equipment from Dragon Speed's technical partners.
Missed it in Les Gets? There's one more chance. The bike will be back on display at the World Championships in Val di Sole next weekend, where fans who visit the EKOÏ pit booth can enter before the winner is drawn.
If you're headed to Worlds, stop by, check out the bike and get your name in.
A New 32-Inch Race Bike Breaks Cover
One of the more interesting bikes in the Les Gets paddock wasn't actually on the start line.
Origine Racing Division brought along a fully built 32-inch XC prototype, equipped with TRP components. While the bike hasn't been raced yet, it wasn't simply there for display. The prototype showed signs of use and has reportedly been part of the team's testing and training program.
There's no word yet on when—or if—we'll see the prototype between the tape, or how much of it could eventually make its way to a production bike. For now, it's another interesting development to watch as 32-inch wheels continue to find their way into World Cup XC testing.
World Cup Athletes Ride TRP
