"The course lived up to its legendary billing. Covering 125 km from Verbier to Grimentz, the route hugged alpine valleys, tackled high altitude-including the imposing Pas de Lona at 2,787 meters-and tallied nearly 5,000 meters of ascent. Imagine a marathon with climbing (and a nice hike-a-bike) worthy of the Alps, terrain that punishes battered legs and rewards calculated patience. The course was challenging enough; the stacked field didn't help the unprepared."
"In the men's race, Swenson buried himself within the front chase group early on. By the third checkpoint at Evolène-around the four-hour mark, he seized the lead, similar to his tactics in the LifeTime Grand Prix races. From there, he orchestrated a masterclass in pacing. He passed L'A Vieille (checkpoint 5) with most threats still lurking nearby, but he carried composure into the final climb up Pas de Lona and held steady through the descent to Grimentz."
Keegan Swenson and Kate Courtney each captured elite world titles at the 2025 UCI Mountain Bike Marathon World Championships, producing the first American sweep of both XCM rainbow jerseys. The race ran 125 km from Verbier to Grimentz, climbed nearly 5,000 meters and crossed the Pas de Lona at 2,787 meters, combining high-altitude effort with hike-a-bike sections. Swenson rode within the leading chase group early, took the lead near Evolène around the four-hour mark, paced steadily up the final climb and descent, and finished in 6:01:44.3 to take men’s gold ahead of Samuele Porro and Héctor Paez León.
Read at Bikerumor
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