Double victories seemed to be the done thing at Les Gets at the weekend, with a slightly different version offered by the men’s XC. Canadian Ryder Hesjedal combined his first ever World Cup win with taking the overall title in the men’s U23 series. Meanwhile, Filip Meirhaeghe cruised into third place and an overall title win. The women’s was won by Marga Fullana, with Alison Dunlap just hanging on the series championship and Caroline Alexander making sixth overall.

In contrast to the perfect conditions enjoyed by the downhill riders, heavy rain overnight on Saturday had left a muddy course for the cross-country racers, but it didn’t seem to put the riders off and it looked as though a win could come from any of the men’s leading group. But it was Hesjedal who held on at the front and added a World Cup win to his Bronze in the World Champs last week. Christoph Sauser came in 29 seconds behind in second place and series winner Filip Meirhaeghe took third at 49 seconds. In fourth and fifth place were Kashi Leuchs and Roland Green. Liam Killeen was the first Brit to finish in 41st place.

The race for the series title was pretty much a foregone conclusion for Meirhaeghe with his only competition, Bart Brentiens, off-form after a recent crash in the run up to the World Championships.

The women’s race had the most closely contested series title, though Spaniard Marga Fullana always looked in charge of the race. Fullana collected her third World Cup win of the season 1:44 ahead of second-place finisher Anna Szafraniec (Poland). While Fullana led from the start, Spitz, Szafraniec and Alison Sydor vied for second place. This made things difficult for Dunlap. With her competition for the series title, Sabine Spitz, looking likely to get second or third place, Dunlap could not rest easy further back in the field, needing to finish fifth to hold on at the top. But Swiss rider Petra Henzi was not going to make it easy for Dunlap and piled on the pressure as they battled round the course. In the end Dunlap came through with 11 seconds on Henzi and sealed the series title 45 points clear of Spitz.

Again the first Brit to finish was in 41st place, Victoria Wilkinson, with Caroline Alexander wholly absent. In the overall results, though, Alexander had finished so strongly in the two events she was placed that she came in sixth.

For more info and results look at the UCI website.