Yesterday’s World Championships action centred around XC racing, with the Junior Women and Team Relay events taking place on Lugano’s unusually aggressive course. We had a chance to ride the XC course recently, and it’s a bit of an eye-opener for anyone who thinks that World Cup XC courses aren’t technical enough these days. It’s all steep, sharp, fairly short hills in both directions, and there’re plenty of big boulders and pointy looseness to concentrate the mind…

Australia’s already a force to be reckoned with in downhill competition, but look out for the Aussies in Elite XC racing in the future too. Lisa Mathison won the Junior Women race in convincing fsahion, four minutes ahead of Italy’s Eva Lechner and Germany’s Almut Grieb. Best Brit result was a promising 14th from Nikki Harris.

And it was another day of celebration for Poland. After a Polish one-two for Maja Wloszcowska and Magdalena Sadlecka in the Marathon, the Polish team swept to victory in the Team Relay. Switzerland was second, Canada third. And the Brits? Erm, last.

But we all know which events the British team is strongest in, and the DH and 4X are coming up soon…