France and Australia cap off Montafon weekend with Mixed Team podium
Mar 22, 2025·Snowboard Cross)
After a stellar day in individual racing on Friday, France and Australia celebrated more success with podium finishes in the Mixed Team event at the FIS Snowboard Cross World Cup in Montafon on Saturday.
France 2 – Julia Pereira de Sousa and Aidan Chollet – took first place, after finishing second and third respectively in the individual events on day 1.
Australia 1, Adam Lambert and Josie Baff, took second, backing up Lambert's second place in the men’s competition on Friday, while the individual winners Loan Bozzolo and Lea Casta (France 1) were third.
Baff is the only rider to reach the podium in the two Mixed Team races to have taken place this season, after winning in Erzurum, Türkiye, earlier this month alongside Cameron Bolton (AUS).
Tight team racing brings thrills to Montafon
From the first quarterfinal onwards the Mixed Team event brought plenty of thrills to Montafon. France 1, Bozzolo and Casta, looked good from the start, with Bozzolo leading out his leg comfortably and Casta cruising through just ahead of Charlotte Bankes (GBR) to send the French to the semifinals.
In the second quarterfinal Austria 1, Jakob Dusek and Pia Zerkhold, had an easy run after Krystof Choura (CZE) and Liam Moffat (CAN2) clashed; Tess Critchlow (CAN2) got the better of Karolina Hrusova (CZE) in the women’s leg.
The women’s leg of the third quarterfinal was crucial after a close men’s leg won by Nathan Pare (USA1) over Lambert. Baff took the lead almost immediately, but Brianna Schnorrbusch (USA1) was challenged hard by Noemie Wiedmer (SUI) and only just held on for second place.
After the four men crossed the line almost together in the fourth quarterfinal, it was Audrey McManiman (CAN1) and Pereira de Sousa who soon opened out the advantage to take the two qualifying spots ahead of USA 2 and Italy.
The first semifinal was incredibly close among the men. Dusek led the way but all four riders were very much in the race and a margin of less than a second split them at the finish. That meant the women also set off close; while Zerkhold had the best start Bankes had the best mid-race speed, and she took the win just ahead of Casta to push Austria 1 and Canada 2 into the small final.
Snowboarding skills were very much on display in the second semifinal as Evan Bichon (CAN1) and Pare came together. Somehow, both men stayed upright and in fact Pare then found extra speed to cross the line ahead of Lambert and Chollet.
In the women’s leg, Pereira de Sousa had a blistering start and was soon leading the pack, with Baff second and the USA and Canada trailing behind.
That French speed was again on display in the big final, as Chollet and Bozzolo went head-to-head at the front of the men’s race. Lambert went high on the tricky turn 3 and was close to crashing, but held on to stay in contention.
With the medals at stake it was the French riders who led off the women’s leg, with Baff tight behind and Bankes slow out of the gates. Baff managed to come past Casta on the inside and some good work in the last set of rollers gave her enough of an advantage to secure second place, behind Pereira.
"It’s so cool that the four who got on the podium yesterday are back on the box. Sharing these podiums together is just great,” said Pereira de Sousa.
The duo said racing their teammates brought an extra dimension to the win.
“Racing against Lea and Loan is cool, it’s a bit like training, we train together all year so we know each other by heart and it’s really so nice, it pushes us to show our best selves,” Pereira de Sousa said.
The French squad go into next week’s world championships on a high after scooping two-thirds of the podium finishes on offer in Montafon.
Pereira de Sousa said: “I want to keep my feet firmly on the ground, but it gives us confidence. We need to take a few days of rest to refuel and gain some energy before the world championships.”
Bankes was unable to catch the group in front, meaning the reigning world champions Great Britain go to Engadin next week without a Mixed Team win this season, following their second place in the first races in Erzurum.
Evan Bichon and McManiman of Canada 1 took fifth overall with Canada 2, Moffat and Critchlow, sixth. Austria 1, Dusek and Zerkhold, were seventh and Pare and Schnorrbusch of USA 1 eighth.
Riders now travel to Switzerland for the Engadin 2025 FIS Snowboard, Freestyle and Freeski World Championships. Snowboard Cross qualification takes place on Thursday 27 March, with individual finals on Friday 28 March and the team event on Sunday 29 March.
The following weekend, 4-6 April, the season’s Crystal Globes will be awarded after two final World Cup races in Mont Sainte-Anne, Canada.
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