Switzerland – Giant Factory Off-R-Road Team rider Alan Hatherly delivered a masterclass performance at the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships, claiming the elite men’s cross-country Olympic (XCO) title with an authoritative solo breakaway. The South African rider seized his opportunity on the second lap and never looked back, finishing 48 seconds ahead of his closest rival.
Capitalizing on a mistake by France’s Victor Koretzky that caused a bottleneck in the peloton, Hatherly accelerated decisively, building a gap that stretched beyond 90 seconds. His relentless pace forced a five-rider chase group to abandon hopes of catching him, instead focusing on the battle for silver and bronze.
Everything aligned perfectly today,” Hatherly remarked. “I knew it had to be a time trial, not a tactical race. I went full gas from the start and never eased up until it was safe.” Despite easing slightly in the final laps due to fatigue, his lead remained unassailable. 
Behind him, Simone Avondetto of Italy surged on the final lap to take silver, while Koretzky narrowly edged Swiss riders Mathias Flückiger and Luca Schätti for bronze, much to the disappointment of the home crowd.
The victory marks a triumphant return to top form for Hatherly, who battled illness during the spring classics and a serious crash in May. Recently focusing solely on mountain biking after dual commitments with Team Jayco AlUla on the road, he demonstrated that his fourth-place finish at August’s World Cup in Les Gets was a sign of greater things to come.
“Switching completely to mountain biking a month ago clearly paid off. Retaining this jersey is a dream come true,” Hatherly added.
