Bjorn Riley Takes First World Cup Win in Pal Arinsal XCC Sprint

Two corners from the line in Pal Arinsal, Bjorn Riley chose the risk. He came off the wheel of Adrien Boichis, opened the sprint early and held the gap to the finish. It gave the American his first UCI Mountain Bike World Cup victory, taken in the elite men's cross-country short track on 10 July 2026.

How Andorra was decided

The eighth round of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series ran on the highest course of the season, the trails above La Massana. Rain had reworked the ground before the elite races, and the short track turned ragged. Riley did not lead it. Boichis and his Specialized team drove the front, and it was only on lap seven that Riley bridged across to the leading four.

The final lap broke the race open. Boichis kicked on the climb, the move that has decided so many of his short tracks, and only Martin Vidaurre's compatriots could answer. Riley sat third. Then Aldridge, chasing a different line through the woods, skidded and struck a tree, going down and out of contention. That left two. Riley knew the Frenchman's finish and gambled that the legs were not there. He attacked with two corners remaining and crossed the line after ten laps in 20:54, one second clear. Boichis took second, Christopher Blevins third at three seconds, a podium of two Specialized riders and two Americans.

"We all know each other's strengths, and heading into the final climb I knew Boichis has an explosive kick," Riley told reporters afterwards. "I could tell he didn't quite have it on the climb today." The sprint itself unsettled him. "I'm not used to having to sprint for the win, so that was a little scary," he said, describing the glance back that found his rival still on his shoulder.

The step up

Riley grew up in Boulder, Colorado, so thin air is familiar ground. He had gathered twelve medals at the US mountain bike nationals since starting as a junior in 2018, and he had worn the national XCC title since 2024. What he had never done was win on the international circuit. Andorra changed that.

The result also carries weight inside his team. Riley rides for SCOTT-SRAM alongside the names that shaped the sport, and he spoke of slowly earning his place among them. Boichis, the day's runner-up, moved into the short track overall lead, a reminder of how narrow the margin was.

For Bjorn Riley, a first win arrived the hard way, in a sprint he did not want and won anyway.