French men sweep Leogang cross-country podium; Keller claims third behind Rissveds

Women's race: Rissveds masters the mud

Heavy rain shortly after the start turned the already damp Leogang course into a mud bath. Olympic champion Jenny Rissveds adapted best, recovering from an early collision with American Savilia Blunk to build an unassailable lead. She crossed the line 56 seconds ahead of Dutch rider Puck Pieterse, who overtook Switzerland's Alessandra Keller in the final lap. Keller had run as high as second with a 10-second cushion over Pieterse, but could not match the Dutchwoman's climbing power and settled for third, 1 minute 14 seconds behind the winner. Nicole Koller finished fourth, just 18 seconds adrift of her compatriot.

With such conditions everyone makes mistakes, you just have to trust your skills and hope for others' mistakes.

Men's race: French trio breaks clear early

A French breakaway formed in the opening lap as Luca Martin, Mathis Azzaro and Adrien Boichis opened a gap that the field could not close. American Bjorn Riley initially stayed with them but eventually faded. In the final ascent, 23-year-old Boichis launched a decisive attack to claim his maiden World Cup victory, with Azzaro taking second and Martin third. It marked Martin's third consecutive podium after two runner-up finishes in South Korea and the Czech Republic.

Swiss perspectives

The Swiss men narrowly missed the podium but placed five riders in the top 15. Mathias Flückiger, a two-time winner in Leogang, fought back from a slow start to finish seventh, 1 minute 39 seconds behind Boichis. Filippo Colombo overcame a first-lap crash that left him with a bleeding elbow to take ninth. In the women's race, short-track star Sina Frei suffered three crashes in the mud after starting on dry tires; a front wheel change eventually provided more grip. She placed ninth and lost her overall World Cup lead.

Overall standings implications

Yongpyong

2 place

Nove Mesto

2 place

Leogang

1 place

The results reshuffled the overall cross-country World Cup classifications. Rissveds, who had been second in the opening rounds in Yongpyong and Nove Mesto, now tops the women's standings. Frei slipped from first, while Keller's podium moves her up the rankings. On the men's side, the French sweep underscores the nation's depth as the series heads into the second half of the season.