Heartfelt Gold: emotional World Title wins for Edvin Lindh and Mariia Sukhopalova

The 2025 UCI Mountain Bike Eliminator World Champions have been crowned! In an emotional showdown in Sakarya, Türkiye, Edvin Lindh of Sweden and Mariia Sukhopalova of Ukraine claimed gold and the iconic rainbow jerseys, securing their place in mountain bike history.

Thousands and thousands of fans in the impressive Ayçiçek Bisiklet Vadisi bike stadium witnessed high-level racing on a physically and technically demanding track. With punchy climbs and gnarly descents, only the most complete riders rose to the top by the end of the day.

In the men’s category, pre-race favorites Edvin Lindh and Jeroen van Eck immediately showed their form, finishing first and second in the qualifying time trial. In the women’s time trial, Didi de Vries set the fastest time. Unfortunately, outgoing UCI World Champion Gaia Tormena and Madison Boissière were sidelined due to recent training crashes.

The evening’s final heats delivered plenty of surprises. Defending champion Jeroen van Eck was knocked out in the quarterfinals, along with Titouan Perrin-Ganier and Coline Clauzure. UCI World Cup leader Marion Fromberger, the top favorite for the women’s race, was eliminated in the semifinals and had to settle for fifth place in the small finals, as did her compatriot Simon Gegenheimer.

Edvin Lindh and Mariia Sukhopalova, however, showed no signs of weakness throughout the day. In the men’s big final, Lindh took control from the start, creating a decisive gap and claiming his first-ever, emotionally overwhelming UCI World Title. Theo Hauser earned silver for Austria, Matic Kranjec Zagar took bronze for Slovenia, and Luiz Henrique Cocuzzi narrowly missed out on a medal for Brazil after a crash.

In the women’s final, Sukhopalova also dominated from the start. While Isaure Medde of France and Didi de Vries of the Netherlands delivered strong performances to finish second and fourth respectively, it was Sukhopalova (gold) and Maria Sherstiuk (bronze) bringing pride to Ukraine in a time of great difficulty for their homeland. After winning her first UCI World Cup round earlier this year in Tajikistan, Sukhopalova now adds a maiden world title to her palmarès.

Finish line quotes

Edvin Lindh was overcome with emotion as he realized his dream: “I can’t believe this, man – I just can’t. Ever since crashing out of last year’s UCI World Championships in Aalen, I’ve dreamed of this day. That crash was such a horrible feeling – I was hungry for revenge. Knowing how fast I was in the time trials, I knew I could beat anyone in the finals – but I had to take the lead early. I can’t wait to race a full year in the rainbow jersey. I’m looking forward to every single day.”

For Mariia Sukhopalova, the gold medal meant more than words could express. Supported by fellow Ukrainian Maria Sherstiuk, she said: “I did it. This is such a big shock – these emotions are unbelievable. I’m so happy. This is such a historic moment for Ukraine.” Sherstiuk added: “It’s amazing to represent our country in these hard times, while war is still going on. We’re so proud to wear this jersey, and I’m so proud of Mariia. It’s a dream come true to share the podium.”