Bankes and Ulbricht take Snowboard Cross Crystal Globes in thrilling Bataille Royale

The final FIS Snowboard Cross World Cup race of the season delivered a stunning finish, with Charlotte Bankes (GBR) and Leon Ulbricht (GER) taking the Crystal Globes at the Bataille Royale in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada.

Bankes won the big final after a flawless day on the slope, having already secured the Crystal Globe victory by making the last four after her closest rivals missed out earlier on. It was her 40th individual World Cup podium, her 28th individual World Cup win and her third of the season, and her third Crystal Globe after 2022 and 2023.

Ulbricht won his first Crystal Globe after finishing second in the big final to Adam Lambert (AUS), despite holding a lead of just one point in the rankings coming into the weekend.

The Rookies of the Season were also announced in Mont-Sainte-Anne: 17-year-olds Jonas Chollet (FRA), and Lisa Francesia Boirai (ITA).

Chollet finished sixth in Mont-Sainte-Anne, his sixth top-10 finish of the season. He started things off with a maiden career win in Cervinia, Italy, and also picked up a third place in Erzurum, Türkiye.

Although Francesia Boirai missed the finals in Mont-Sainte-Anne, she made her first World Cup semifinals in Cervinia in December, and won both the individual and Mixed Team events at the 2026 FIS Junior World Championships Snowboard Cross, becoming the first Italian to take those titles.

France won the Nations Cup for the season, with French riders reaching the podium at every World Cup this year.

Bankes ends season on a high

Charlotte Bankes has not had a perfect season, starting out her return to competition after breaking her collarbone in training in Mont-Sainte-Anne last year with ninth in Cervinia. But she bounced back with a win in Dongbeiya, China, and since then has been one of the leading contenders for the Crystal Globe.

Coming into the last race, Bankes held a 13-point lead over last year’s Globe winner, Lea Casta (FRA) and was 34 points ahead of Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games champion Josie Baff (AUS). Chloe Trespeuch (FRA) was also in contention, hoping to finish her first full season after becoming a mother in style.

But both Casta and Baff failed to make it past the quarterfinals on Saturday. Baff was knocked out after a clash with Julia Nirani Pereira (FRA) as the French rider tried to pass, while Casta missed the semifinals thanks to a superb late overtake from Brianna Schnorrbusch (USA). She did, however, take third place overall.

Schnorrbusch pulled off a similar trick in the semifinals to claim her first-ever big final place. In the second semifinal, Michela Moioli (ITA) crashed early on, leaving Bankes fighting with Eva Adamcyzkova (CZE) and Sina Siegenthaler (SUI) for the two big final spots. In a photofinish, Siegenthaler knocked out the Czech Olympic silver medallist, while Bankes ensured herself the Globe even before the last race thanks to the points difference with Trespeuch.

However, the British rider was not going to leave anything to chance. She took the lead in the big final early on as Schnorrbusch went down, and neither Trespeuch nor Siegenthaler could find a way to pass again.

“I took a crash in training yesterday and was feeling a bit rough, but this was the main focus for the end of the season. Just tried to focus on each run, really build the speed. I’ve got an incredible team around me as well and without them nothing would be possible,” Bankes revealed after the race.

Bankes said the season had been hard, particularly after missing out on an individual Olympic medal before taking the Mixed Team title in Livigno in February.

“I really wanted to focus on this for the last part of the season. It really means a lot, but it has been hard with the injury and that Olympic gold and just trying to refocus, the energy levels have not been incredibly high."

Second place for Trespeuch secured her another overall podium finish, the sixth of her career, and her 46th podium finish – including five this season. Siegenthaler took her second podium of the year, another third place.

“It was a great fight and a great sensation, because the track was very cool with some speed and I prefer the tracks with speed,” Trespeuch said.

Trespeuch said she was aiming to go one better next year and lift the Crystal Globe for a second time in her career.

Siegenthaler said: “It went all really fast and I thought maybe I can gain some speed at the bottom part of the course, so that was my plan to do. It wasn’t going well, but I’m still really hyped about the third place. It’s motivating a lot for the next season.”

Moioli won the small final for fifth overall, ahead of Adamcyzkova, Pia Zerkhold (AUT) and Abbey Wilson (AUS). For Wilson it was a career-best finish in eight World Cup starts.

Switzerland's Aline Albrecht raced her last World Cup in Mont-Sainte-Anne, finishing 22nd. Albrecht has made 49 starts, reaching two big finals, in her career.

Lambert puts up a fight, but Ulbricht holds on

The men’s races in Mont-Sainte-Anne delivered a series of photofinishes, down to the big final, where Lambert was still in with a chance of the Crystal Globe as he trailed Ulbricht by 42 points.

Ulbricht’s chances were substantially increased after the quarterfinals, when Aidan Chollet (FRA) – who was second in the standings by a single point ahead of the weekend – was knocked out by his teammates Guillaume Herpin (FRA) and Julien Tomas (FRA).

In the first semifinal there was a photofinish for the second qualifying spot. Lambert found huge speed in the closing stages to come through from the back of the pack and take the win, but Ulbricht, Olympic champion Alessandro Haemmerle (AUT) and Colby Graham (CAN) crossed the line together. Ulbricht’s board was just in front.

Another photofinish decided the second semifinal, with Evan Bichon (CAN) reaching only his second big final, two years on from his first – also in Canada – ahead of Jonas Chollet and behind Tomas.

Bichon had a slow start in the big final before taking the lead ahead of Lambert and Ulbricht as Tomas slipped out of contention. But Lambert and Ulbricht, both with an eye on the Globe, rode well and into the finish Lambert had the better speed to take the win.

For Lambert, it was his fourth podium finish of the season, and his second victory both of the season and his career after he also won in Dongbeiya.

“Winning any race is just the best feeling, but I came into this race knowing that if I wanted to have a chance at the Globe I had to win. I also told myself that I’d be way more happy to take a victory here and finish outside of the top three than if I’d won the Globe getting fourth place, so I’m really happy," said Lambert.

He said he would keep training on snow in the Australian winter to come.

Ulbricht secured his third second-place finish in a row and his fourth podium of a season in which he has missed the semifinals only once. That meant he was able to lift his first Crystal Globe in his fourth year on the World Cup tour, with Lambert second and Aidan Chollet third.

“In the last bank I gave it all and tried my best to win and bring it down, but then Lambo came in my draft and passed me, and that’s how it is. Super happy, it was a great event here, the weather is good, the track is good,” Ulbricht said of the race.

He added that he was very happy with the overall victory.

Bichon capped things off for Canada with his maiden World Cup podium, consolation from Canada after Olympic silver medallist Eliot Grondin (CAN) withdrew from the competition due to illness.

“I’m beyond happy to be on the podium in third place in Canada, and for it to be my first one, especially this year, was super special,” Bichon said.

Mont-Sainte-Anne was the last World Cup for Tomas, who is stepping away from the sport after five seasons, including one win in Gudauri last season.

The FIS Snowboard Cross World Cup will return next winter with more exciting racing. The highlight of the 2026/27 season will be the FIS Snowboard, Freestyle and Freeski World Championships 2027 in Montafon, Austria, in March.

FIS wishes all the athletes the best for their off-season.

Head to Reuters Connect and Actionpress.de to view and purchase a wide selection of photographs from this race and from all FIS events.

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