By Laura Strother
Martina Berta delivered a landmark performance at Soldier Hollow in Midway, Utah, on Saturday, 19 September 2026, winning the women’s elite Cross-country Short Track (XCC) World Cup in 22:06. Racing at the Utah Olympic venue’s debut WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series event, Berta became the first Italian rider ever to win a UCI XCC World Cup, defeating Alessandra Keller by six seconds and Sina Frei by seven seconds.
The result headlined the penultimate round of the 2026 UCI Cross-country World Cup season at the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series event presented by SCOTT Sports. Berta’s victory also established the first major women’s elite result at Soldier Hollow, where the short-track course produced a tightly controlled race before a decisive late attack split the field.
A Tactical Race Breaks Open on the Penultimate Lap
The early stages featured a lead group containing Jolanda Neff of CANNONDALE FACTORY RACING, Gwendalyn Gibson of TREK-UNBROKEN XC and Haley Batten of SPECIALIZED FACTORY RACING. Batten, racing less than 20 miles from her hometown, entered the contest with a clear opportunity to make an impact in front of a home crowd.
As the pace eased, Gibson’s teammate Evie Richards was forced to bridge across to the front group. She then took turns at the front to keep the tempo high and discourage additional attacks. That effort helped create a tense stalemate through the middle stages, with the leading riders monitoring one another while preserving the energy required for the final laps.
Berta eventually shattered that equilibrium.
She launched her move at the start of the course’s long descent on the penultimate lap. The attack immediately created separation, and by the time she crossed the line to take the bell, Berta had opened a 10-second advantage over the chasers.
The gap did not remain intact. On the final climb, fatigue began to show, and the chasing group steadily reduced Berta’s advantage to six seconds. A momentary hesitation among the riders behind her, however, proved decisive. That pause gave Berta enough breathing room to regain control of the race and maintain her lead to the finish.
Berta crossed the line in 22:06, securing 250 World Cup points and a place in Italian mountain-bike history.
“It's unreal. My plan was to make a hard effort on the second-to-last lap to reduce the group for the final lap, but when I looked back, nobody was there. I was really on the limit and wasn't sure I could stay away on my own for the entire last lap, so to pull it off in front of this crowd is amazing,” Berta said.
Keller and Frei Secure the Remaining Podium Positions
Alessandra Keller responded to Berta’s attack from the chasing group and carved out a small but crucial advantage of her own. The THÖMUS MAXON rider finished second in 22:12, six seconds behind Berta, and collected 200 points.
Sina Frei of SPECIALIZED FACTORY RACING edged the sprint for third. Her time of 22:13 placed her seven seconds behind the winner and earned 160 points.
The top three results were:
- 1. Martina Berta (ITA), ORIGINE RACING DIVISION, 22:06, 250 points
- 2. Alessandra Keller (SUI), THÖMUS MAXON, 22:12 (+0:06), 200 points
- 3. Sina Frei (SUI), SPECIALIZED FACTORY RACING, 22:13 (+0:07), 160 points
The narrow margins behind Berta reflected the race’s tactical character.
Keller’s attack was strong enough to separate her from the remaining chasers, while Frei’s late acceleration secured the final podium position. Berta, meanwhile, absorbed the pressure on the last climb and resisted the closing move over the final section.
A Historic First for Italian XCC Racing
Berta’s win represented more than a first World Cup victory at a new venue. It made her the first Italian rider ever to win a UCI XCC World Cup.
The achievement came through a carefully timed attack rather than an early attempt to control the race.
Berta remained within the tactical contest while the front group managed the pace, then committed fully when the course reached its long descent on the penultimate lap. The move forced the other contenders to respond under pressure and placed Berta in control before the decisive final lap.
Her victory also gave ORIGINE RACING DIVISION the top result in the women’s elite XCC at Soldier Hollow. With the course debut taking place at Utah’s Olympic venue, the win became the defining result of the first short-track World Cup race held there.
Frei Strengthens Her Overall Lead
The Soldier Hollow result carried significant consequences for the women’s overall UCI Cross-country World Cup standings. Frei strengthened her grip on the series lead, extending her advantage over Jenny Rissveds of CANYON XC RACING.
Rissveds could only finish fifth in the XCC race. That result left Frei in a stronger position heading into the final round, although the championship remained unresolved with one round still to race.
Frei acknowledged the uncertainty surrounding the title fight after securing third place.
“Anything can happen in racing. There's still one round to go and I'm still looking forward,” Frei said.
Her response reflected the competitive state of the series. Frei had increased her advantage, but the season had not yet reached its conclusion. The penultimate-round result therefore delivered both momentum and pressure: Frei gained ground in the overall standings, while her rivals retained one final opportunity to challenge for the title.
Soldier Hollow Establishes Its Place on the World Cup Calendar
The Soldier Hollow weekend marked the venue’s debut on the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series. Located in Midway, Utah, the venue is an Olympic site and brought the series to a new setting during the decisive late-season phase of the 2026 campaign.
The women’s elite XCC race provided an immediate test of the course’s competitive demands. The long descent gave Berta the launch point for her decisive move, while the final climb exposed the fatigue accumulated during the short, high-intensity contest. The course rewarded timing, discipline and the ability to sustain an advantage after the field began to close.
For fans following the event through race coverage, Soldier Hollow’s debut delivered a clear competitive narrative: a controlled opening, a tense middle phase and a late solo attack that held together by the narrowest winning margin.
JTS Media’s mountain-biking coverage follows the intensity and precision of events like the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series, where a single move can determine both a race result and a season’s direction.
Looking Ahead to Sunday’s XCO Race
The women’s elite XCC result set the stage for Sunday’s Elite Women’s Cross-country Olympic (XCO) race at the same Soldier Hollow venue. Berta entered the next day’s competition with a historic short-track victory already secured and went on to win the XCO race as well, completing an XCC-XCO double.
That achievement extended the significance of her Saturday performance. Berta’s XCC victory was not an isolated breakthrough at Soldier Hollow; it became the first half of a perfect weekend at the venue’s World Series debut.
The Saturday race also left the overall title fight active for the final round. Frei strengthened her lead over Rissveds, while Berta’s form added another major storyline to the closing stage of the season. Soldier Hollow therefore opened its World Cup history with a record-setting victory, a closely contested podium and a championship battle that remained alive heading into the final round.
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