Ulbricht back on top as French women shine in Erzurum Snowboard Cross World Cup

Germany’s Leon Ulbricht claimed his first podium finish of the 2025/26 FIS Snowboard Cross World Cup season in Erzurum, Türkiye, despite almost crashing out in the 1/8 finals.

Ulbricht has not reached a podium since winning in Erzurum last year, but survived a day of drama to take his third career World Cup victory.

In the women’s racing, 2024/25 Crystal Globe winner Lea Casta took her second win of the current season, topping an all-French podium.

The field in Erzurum was slightly reduced after the Canadian and Italian teams, plus a number of the leading USA riders, chose not to compete. That will have dented Crystal Globe chances for Olympic medallists and world champions Eliot Grondin (CAN) and Michela Moioli (ITA), who were well-positioned before the Turkish World Cups.

Olympic bronze medallist Jakob Dusek (AUT) pulled out after qualification due to sickness.

Ulbricht holds on against French charge

Ulbricht produced a series of fast starts throughout the day, but nearly came unstuck in the first race when he fell before bouncing back up and holding on to take a spot in the quarterfinals.

The German was not the only rider to find the snowy, windy conditions challenging; riders went down during each round, causing surprises in the results.

Alessandro Haemmerle (AUT) was one of those riders. Haemmerle had cruised through to the semifinals and looked like he was poised to become the first Olympic champion to win the following World Cup race.

But, in a three-way clash in the semifinal with Quentin Sodogas (FRA) and Theodore McLemore (USA), it was Haemmerle who came off worse. With Sodogas disqualified for missing a gate, that left the way open for McLemore to claim his first-ever place in a big final in his sixth World Cup start behind Aidan Chollet (FRA).

Ulbricht won the second semifinal ahead of Loan Bozzolo (FRA), with World Cup leader Adam Lambert (AUS) unable to find a way past Bozzolo in the closing stages of the race.

In the big final, Ulbricht again got out early and stayed in front throughout the race. Chollet was second, with McLemore poised to take a maiden World Cup medal before Bozzolo came past him. It was Chollet’s second second place of the season, while Bozzolo reached the podium for the first time since the last World Cup of 2024/25.

“It’s so satisfying, I can’t really describe it. It was an amazing day for me, the conditions were pretty hard but I think I had also a little bit of luck,” said Ulbricht.

Haemmerle won the small final to finish fifth overall, ahead of Martin Noerl (GER) and Sodogas; Lambert crashed out. However, as he started the day with a comfortable lead, the Australian remains at the top of the World Cup standings, now with 252 points. Ulbricht has climbed into second place with 195 points, narrowly ahead of Aidan Chollet (194 points) and Jonas Chollet (172). Haemmerle, with 165 points, is fifth.

There were solid results for other riders too in Erzurum. Noah Bethonico (BRA) made his first quarterfinal, the 22-year-old having never previously progressed through a heat at a World Cup. Olympic Mixed Team champion Huw Nightingale (GBR) also achieved his best-ever individual World Cup finish, 10th.

French women sweep podium

There was joy for the French women as Lea Casta, Chloe Trespeuch and Julia Nirani-Pereira swept the podium in the big final.

Casta deployed her trademark fast starts throughout the day’s racing, but did not have every race her own way. In the semifinal Nirani-Pereira found a way past last year’s Crystal Globe winner, and she tried to do the same again in the big final.

Chloe Trespeuch was also never out of the running, claiming her spot in the big final after a good overtake of fellow French rider Maja Iafrate-Danielsson in the semifinal. In the medal race, Trespeuch held her nerve after a slower start than her rivals and took advantage when Mia Clift (AUS) crashed out.

The three French riders were all in a bunch coming into the final jumps, and it was there that Casta found more speed and elevation to retake the lead, and claim her second victory of the season after winning the opener in Cervinia in December.

“That’s a really good track. I think it’s my favourite one since the beginning of the season, because (there were) a lot of moves,” Casta said.

Trespeuch’s second place is her third podium finish in a row, and her 45th overall. She has now equalled Michela Moioli (ITA) in second place in the all-time standings for podium finishes, behind Lindsey Jacobellis (USA), with 50.

Manon Petit Lenoir (FRA) finished fifth after a strong finish in the small final, ahead of Pia Zerkhold (AUT), Sina Siegenthaler (SUI) and Iafrate-Danielsson.

Olympic champion Josie Baff (AUS) and Olympic Mixed Team champion Charlotte Bankes (GBR) both went out at the quarterfinal stage, unable to find their way past the faster starters in front of them.

Bankes led Baff by four points in the overall World Cup standings ahead of the Erzurum World Cups. Casta, Trespeuch and Nirani-Pereira have now overtaken and Casta is top of the rankings with 244 points, ahead of Trespeuch with 239 and Nirani-Pereira on 237.

Baff sits fourth with 214 and Bankes has 213 points, meaning everything could well change again on Sunday.

Racing in Erzurum continues on Sunday 8 March, with qualification at 10:00 local time (08:00 CET), followed by finals from 12:00 local time.

QUICK LINKS

• Race Calendar

• Start Lists / Results - Erzurum, TUR

• Erzurum Stats Preview

• 2025-26 Men's Cup Standings

• 2025-26 Women's Cup Standings