The world’s top marathon mountain bikers lined up in Selva Val Gardena for the HERO Südtirol Dolomites, a race widely regarded as one of the most grueling single-day events on the calendar due to its punishing distance-to-elevation ratio. Doubling as the fourth round of the 2026 HERO UCI Cross-country Marathon World Cup, the Italian Alps served up an absolute sufferfest that ultimately rewarded tactical patience and sheer horsepower.
Pushing the Big Gear
In the men’s 86-kilometer race, Spain’s David Valero Serrano (Klimatiza Orbea Team) took the victory in 4:30:11, winning his debut appearance at the notorious event. The Tokyo 2020 bronze medalist outlasted a fractured elite group that included former WorldTour road pro Diego Rosa and Dutch Marathon Champion Tim Smeenge over a route packing a ridiculous 4,500 meters of elevation gain.
While mountain bike marathon legends like eight-time HERO winner Leonardo Paez suffered untimely mechanicals—specifically a handlebar malfunction at the Lupo Bianco—Valero Serrano stayed patient in the lead group. He finally launched his race-winning acceleration on the Zallinger climb to ride clear of his rivals. The real technical flex of the day, however, was his drivetrain. Valero Serrano powered a massive 36-tooth chainring over the high Alpine passes to secure his win, while his closest competitors were left spinning much smaller 32T and 34T setups.
Rosa crossed the finish line 41.4 seconds behind the Spaniard to secure second place, with Smeenge stopping the clock at 4:31:00 to round out the podium.
Men’s Ranking
| Rank | Rider | Nation | Team | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | VALERO SERRANO DAVID | SPA | KLIMATIZA ORBEA | 4:30:11 | |
| 2 | ROSA DIEGO | ITA | 4:30:52 | +41,4 | |
| 3 | SMEENGE TIM | NED | 4:31:00 | +49,0 | |
| 4 | PAEZ LEON HECTOR LEONARDO | COL | LEECOUGAN BASSO | 4:31:19 | +1:08,2 |
| 5 | CHERCHI DARIO | ITA | LEECOUGAN BASSO | 4:33:40 | +3:29,8 |
| 6 | ALLEMAN WOUT | BEL | 4:34:53 | +4:42,4 | |
| 7 | SEEWALD ANDREAS | GER | SINGER KTM RACING | 4:36:09 | +5:58,4 |
| 8 | PORRO SAMUELE | ITA | KLIMATIZA ORBEA | 4:37:17 | +7:05,9 |
| 9 | SAMPARISI LORENZO | ITA | KTM SPADA | 4:37:48 | +7:37,0 |
| 10 | GESCHE ANTONA SEBASTIAN ANDRES | CHI | KLIMATIZA ORBEA | 4:38:19 | +8:08,8 |
A Wire-to-Wire Masterclass
The women’s 60-kilometer race, featuring 3,200 meters of climbing, was a completely different tactical affair. Italy’s Claudia Peretti put on a wire-to-wire climbing clinic, dropping the entire field on the opening ascent of Passo Gardena and refusing to relinquish her lead. The reigning Italian Marathon Champion soloed to victory with a commanding time of 3:53:48.
Behind Peretti’s masterclass, the battle for the remaining podium steps was frantic. Defending 2025 World Cup champion Rosa Van Doorn clawed her way back from eighth place at the 30-kilometer mark to cross the line in second, an impressive recovery ride for the Dutch star returning from an early-season knee injury.
Poland’s Paula Gorycka Kurmann narrowly escaped her frustrating streak of fourth-place World Cup finishes, edging out current series leader Anna Weinbeer by a mere three seconds to take the final podium spot.
Women’s Ranking
| Rank | Rider | Nation | Team | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PERETTI CLAUDIA | ITA | 3:53:48 | ||
| 2 | VAN DOORN ROSA | NED | 3:56:21 | +2:32 | |
| 3 | GORYCKA – KURMANN PAULA | POL | 3:57:41 | +3:52 | |
| 4 | WEINBEER ANNA | SUI | KTM SPADA | 3:57:44 | +3:55 |
| 5 | PIANA DEBORA | ITA | 4:00:41 | +6:52 | |
| 6 | FUMAGALLI MARA | ITA | KTM SPADA | 4:02:01 | +8:12 |
| 7 | BOHLIN AMANDA | SWE | 4:03:04 | +9:15 | |
| 8 | NJEMCEVIC LEJLA | BIH | 4:03:18 | +9:29 | |
| 9 | BOLTON CHELSEA | USA | 4:05:15 | +11:26 | |
| 10 | FISCHER EGUSQUIZA NATALIA | SPA | EXTREMADURA ECOPILAS | 4:06:07 | +12:18 |
Looking Ahead
Despite narrowly missing the podium in Italy, Weinbeer (KTM Spada Brenta Brakes) retains the red leader’s jersey in the overall World Cup standings. Valero Serrano’s dominant ride ensures he also keeps the men’s red jersey as the marathon circuit prepares for its fifth round at the Black Forest ULTRA Bike Marathon in Kirchzarten, Germany, on July 26.
