Evie Richards of Great Britain has etched her name into the mountain biking record books, becoming the most successful female rider in the history of short-track cross-country racing. Richards claimed her historic seventh victory in the discipline with a thrilling win in Araxá, Brazil, over the weekend.
The 28-year-old secured back-to-back wins in Brazil, taking the second round of the UCI Cross-country Short Track (XCC) World Cup on Friday. She also won the opening round on the same course the previous weekend.
With this latest triumph, Richards surpasses French Olympic gold medallist Pauline Ferrand-Prévot to top the all-time rankings for elite women in the short-track category.
“I think when you’re world champion and leading the series, there’s a lot of pressure, so I was really nervous before,” Richards admitted after her win.
Despite her nerves, the reigning world champion said the plan for the race remained fluid.
“We had a bit of a rough plan, but nothing changes too much. You’ve just got to think on your feet. Depending on how the race goes, you can’t really have a fixed plan,” she explained.
Richards’ performance in the opening round was more dominant. Although she had not specifically targeted that race, she closely followed her rivals’ attacks before launching her own decisive move. On the final steep climb, she surged ahead and rode solo to the finish, defeating Australian rider Samara Maxwell.
In contrast, her second win in Araxá required more effort and strategy. Richards was tightly marked by Swiss rider Nicole Koller and Sweden’s Jenny Rissveds. She managed to break away only in the final stretch, launching a long-range sprint that her competitors could not match.
The British rider’s success underlines her growing dominance in the short-track discipline and confirms her status as one of the sport’s most consistent and versatile talents.
Meanwhile, in the men’s event, American rider Christopher Blevins matched Richards’ feat by completing his own double in Araxá. Blevins had also claimed victory in the season’s opening round and followed up with another strong performance to seal back-to-back wins in Brazil.
As the UCI World Cup season continues, all eyes will be on Richards to see whether she can extend her lead in the series and build on what is already a groundbreaking year.