The second week of the 2025 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Switzerland shifted to cross-country racing, with the short track (XCC) events opening the program in Zermatt.
In the elite women, Rebecca Henderson started from the second grid, and was immediately on the back foot after a fast start saw Sweden’s Jenny Rissveds lead the field into the rock garden on the opening lap.
A focused Rebecca Henderson on the start line.
The Canberran crossed lap one in 23rd place before steadily working her way forward as the pace remained high.
By lap two she had moved into 19th, then gained another four spots on lap three as the front group began to settle.
With 12 riders up front including 2024 world short track champion Evie Richards, Henderson set about bridging across and her persistence paid off.
By lap five, the Australian XCC champion was inside the top 10 in seventh after a crash reshuffled the order and split the bunch.
On lap six a leading group of four established a gap, while Henderson continued to fight just behind sitting 20 seconds off the chase group.
While Richards’ chances ended with a flat tyre, the race for the podium intensified between Alessandra Keller and Rissveds.
Henderson held her pace on the final lap, crossing the line in eighth place, 39 seconds behind Switzerland’s Keller, who claimed gold on her home course.
Rebecca Henderson congratulates Canada's Jennifer Jackson post race.
Earlier in the day, rain greeted the U23 women’s field for their eight lap race.
The slippery conditions produced constant lead changes in the opening laps, while Australia’s national U23 champion Ella Menigoz dug deep at the back of the field.
Ella Menigoz made her debut in the XCC.
She fought through the early phases but was pulled at the halfway point, to finish 36th on debut at the world championships.
Results
Women Elite XCC
🥇Alessandra Keller (SUI) 20:43
🥈 Jenny Rissveds (SWE) +0:04
🥉 Jennifer Jackson (CAN) + 0:14
8 Rebecca Henderson (AUS) +0:39
Women U23 XCC
🥇Isabella Holmgren (CAN)19:52
🥈Carla Hahn (GER) +0:20
🥉Tyler Jacobs (RSA) +0:26
36 Ella Menigoz (AUS) -4lap
Full results can be found here.
Photo Credit: SWPix