Gaia Tormena takes her fifth World Championship XCE title with a dominant performance

MERIDA-supported athlete Gaia Tormena has taken her fifth World Championship title in the Mountain Bike Eliminator (XCE) class with a dominant performance in Aalen, Germany. The Italian rider, hailing from the Aosta Valley, was firmly in control of the races from start to finish, piloting her BIG.NINE hardtail to the fastest time in qualifying and controlling each of her races from the front of the pack.

In the final, she faced tough competition for the rainbow jersey from local favourite Marion Fromberger and fellow German Lia Schrievers, but with her signature combination of technical prowess and pure power, she extended her lead to two seconds on the spectator-packed urban course. As ever, she rode her BIG.NINE hardtail, equipped with Shimano drivetrain, Fox suspension and Vittoria tyres to take a result that was never really in doubt.

This latest  World Championship XCE victory is Gaia's fourth in a row, making her the most dominant force since the introduction of the discipline and with her being solely responsible for Italy leading the medal tables in the Women's category. Tormena also has a substantial lead in the overall XCE World Cup competition, putting her in a strong position to take victory there with two rounds yet to race.

Mountain Bike Eliminator is a high-intensity form of mountain bike racing where four riders go head-to-head on an urban course, with the fastest two progressing to the next round and the others being eliminated from the competition. The race track consists of numerous obstacles for riders to tackle, making it a daunting prospect for racers and a highly entertaining one for spectators. Unlike the gravity-orientated 4X competition, the race courses do not have a net downhill, so explosive power and fitness as much as technical ability is needed to succeed in this format.

You can follow Gaia Tormena's latest exploits on Instagram here. We wish her well for the remaining rounds - Forza Gaia!

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