Cerrar
News 06.07.2026
Historic World Cup Victory & Challenge Roth Podium
It was a weekend full of highlights for our CUBE athletes: Kasper Hickman made history at the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in La Thuile by claiming his first-ever Downhill World Cup victory. At the same time, Lucy Charles-Barclay secured an impressive second place at Challenge Roth, earning a podium finish at one of the world's most prestigious long-distance triathlon events.
Historic Success at the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in La Thuile
Round five of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series took the riders of CUBE Factory Racing and the CUBE Actionteam to La Thuile, Italy.
The standout performance came from Kasper Hickman of CUBE Factory Racing. After missing the opening part of the season due to injury, the young Finn worked his way back to the top step by step. With an outstanding run in the final, he claimed his first-ever UCI Downhill World Cup victory while making history as the first Finnish rider ever to win a Junior UCI Downhill World Cup.
Max Hartenstern narrowly missed out on the finals, finishing 14th in the second qualifying session.
The CUBE Factory Racing team also competed in the Short Track races. Kira Böhm finished 23rd in the Elite Women's race, Ondřej Cink placed 28th, and Nikolaj Hougs crossed the line in 34th in the U23 race. As Nikolaj had not yet fully recovered, the team decided he would sit out Sunday's Olympic Cross Country race. This left only Kira and Ondřej on the start line for Sunday's XCO events. Unfortunately, Kira was forced to abandon her race, while Ondřej battled through the demanding course to finish 23rd in the Elite Men's race.
The CUBE Actionteam also faced a setback in the Enduro competition. Simona Kuchyňková aggravated her existing knee injury in a crash and will unfortunately require surgery. Zakarias Johansen showed great determination after crashing on Stage 1, delivered solid performances on the remaining stages, and finished the race in 33rd place.
Challenge Roth: Podium Finish for Lucy Charles-Barclay
Lucy Charles-Barclay's decision to race at Challenge Roth was made at short notice—but it proved to be absolutely the right one. After once again demonstrating her exceptional swimming ability and leading the race early on, Lucy was passed on the bike by eventual winner Alanis Siffert. A strong marathon allowed her to secure second place, crossing the finish line in 8:16:41.
The race provided an important benchmark on the road to the upcoming key events of the season and offered valuable insights for the next phase of her preparation.
Frederic Funk also delivered a strong performance in a world-class field. Finishing seventh in 7:38:14, he improved on the time from his long-distance debut last year and once again demonstrated his impressive progression.
