Makena Kellerman wins U23 XCC race in Nové Město Na Moravě

Makena Kellerman of the USA won the U23 XCC race at Nové Město Na Moravě, extending her lead in the Mountain Bike World Series ahead of her XCO debut. The victory came on Friday, 22 May 2026, as she edged out Lisa Kristine Jorde of Norway in a close sprint at the finish line. This win continued Kellerman's streak from her earlier World Cup victory in South Korea three weeks prior.

The race saw a strong start, with 24 riders remaining together during the first half. USA's Bailey Cioppa initially set a swift pace alongside Swiss rider Fiona Schibler. Throughout the race, Kellerman kept her position near the front, strategizing with fellow competitor Valentina Corvi from Canyon XC Racing. On the final lap, Jorde surged ahead, leading a reduced group before Kellerman made her decisive move. The two riders created a gap, and Kellerman sprinted to secure the win, crossing the finish line ahead of Jorde, with Corvi finishing third three seconds later.

"I’m honestly feeling so pumped. We’ve never really waited, usually we girls go first, and waiting all day was a first for me. I just practiced being patient with my teammate Bailey [Cioppa]," Kellerman remarked after her victory. The US rider, who also claimed the women's US U23 cyclo-cross national title in December, expressed immense pride in her achievement, stating, "I didn’t know if I was going to get it in the end, but I’m so proud that I never gave up. This is unbelievable. I just realised ‘you won one, you can win another’... I’m so happy I get to wear it another weekend."

In the men's U23 XCC category, Paul Schehl of the Lexware Mountainbike Team also claimed victory, leading seven of the eight laps. He managed to pull away from his closest competitor, USA's Ian Ackert, creating a seven-second gap. Although other competitors closed in during the last lap, Schehl maintained his lead, finishing ahead of Nael Rouffiac (Origine Racing Division) and Alix Andre-Gallis (Decathlon Ford Racing).

Nové Město Na Moravě has hosted World Cups on 16 separate occasions since 2011. The day featured only U23 XCC races, while elite XCC and U23 XCO races for both men and women were scheduled for Saturday. The weekend's events are set to conclude on Sunday with elite XCO races, where prominent riders including Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Premier Tech) and the reigning UCI XCC World Cup winner Evie Richards (Trek-Unbroken XC) are expected to compete alongside Olympic champion Tom Pidcock (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team), who holds four wins in Czechia.