Once again, Ronja Blöchlinger marked her presence on the podium in Pal Arinsal, Andorra! Continuing her streak of accomplishments, with a win in the U23 XCC earlier this week, the Liv Factory Racing athlete raced her trusty Pique Advanced Pro 29 to second place in the U23 XCO - Cross-country Olympic.

In the fifth round of the UCI XC World Cup Series, the sudden change in weather created challenging conditions as the week progressed. Elizabeth Walker, Liv Racing Team Manager, remarked, "After a week with warm temps, the weekend brought a glimpse of winter with rain, high winds, and temps dipping into the single digits [Celsius]. The race schedule was changed in the days leading up to the XCO, so we were able to capitalize on knowledge picked up from the men’s U23 race."

The U23 Women’s XCO race commenced with the new World Champion, Sammie Maxwell, surging ahead. However, lap after lap, Blöchlinger and fellow Swiss rider narrowed the gap and eventually overtook the leader amidst the challenging combination of wind, rain, and mud. The track was thoroughly soaked and sluggish, Blöchlinger worked hard to close the gap even more, ultimately settling into a well-earnt second place behind Noelle Buri.

Walker shared her thoughts on the results, stating, "It's hard to be sad about a 1st in XCC followed by a 2nd in XCO! Ronja is proving to be one of the most consistent racers of the season, and we all look forward to our final European round in Les Gets followed by the North American races in late September/early October!”

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