French riders shine in thrilling day of Montafon Snowboard Cross
Mar 21, 2025·Snowboard Cross)
French riders took four of the six podium places on offer as the FIS Snowboard Cross World Cup tour stopped in Montafon, Austria – with the women’s competition tightening right up as a result.
Lea Casta (FRA) beat compatriot Julia Pereira de Sousa (FRA) for the win in the women’s race, with overall leader Charlotte Bankes (GBR) back in third.
On the men’s side, Loan Bozzolo (FRA) took his first win of the season and only the second in his career, ahead of Adam Lambert (AUS) and Aidan Chollet (FRA).
Lucky Lambert splits French podium
Austrian hopes were high for home success in Montafon, after Jakob Dusek and Alessandro Haemmerle finished second and third respectively in qualification. But ultimately it was not to be, as the French squad impressed again and Lambert took his second podium finish in as many races.
The one-eighth finals saw several crashes and mistakes, taking out riders including Radek Houser (CZE), Jarryd Hughes (AUS) and Martin Noerl (GER) and Julien Tomas (FRA), the latter two colliding with each other. Reigning world champion Dusek was in a strong position in his race before making a mistake on a turn and putting himself out of contention, which allowed Lambert through from fourth place to first.
A similar mistake to Dusek’s put Nathan Pare (USA) out of the running in the quarterfinals. Jake Vedder (USA) managed to save himself in a close fourth quarterfinal, where Lambert once again surged through to win in a photofinish with Vedder second.
World Cup leader Eliot Grondin (CAN) looked solid in his first two heats and was at the front in the semifinal before he took a turn awkwardly and lost speed, dropping back to fourth place. Despite Lucas Eguibar’s (ESP) best efforts, that paved the way for Bozzolo and Chollet to progress to the big final.
Vedder crashed out of contention in an otherwise close second semifinal, where Merlin Surget (FRA) had the better start ahead of Haemmerle. But once again it was Lambert with the speed in the finishing straight and the Australian took the win over Surget in a photofinish, pushing Haemmerle into the small final.
That meant three French riders racing for the podium alongside Lambert. Chollet had the quickest start, but Bozzolo stayed cool and soon took the lead. A mistake by Surget meant he dropped back, and it was Lambert who had the best run to the line, overtaking Chollet for second place.
It was only Bozzolo’s second-ever World Cup win after he finished first in Cervinia in 2022/23. This season, the 25-year-old has secured two third places in Beidahu and in Gudauri two weeks ago.
“In the final I started second just next to Aidan and I dropped him, and then I saw that I was passing him in the second bend, so I said OK, I just have to do what I know to do. I just stayed on my two feet,” Bozzolo said after the final.
Lambert’s second place means 2024/25 is his best season yet, with back-to-back podiums in Gudauri and Montafon. Chollet also sealed his second podium finish of the season, after victory in Cortina d’Ampezzo in February.
Haemmerle won the small final for fifth overall, with Grondin sixth, Eguibar seventh and Vedder eighth. Grondin continues to lead the overall standings with 504 points, while Bozzolo has climbed into second with 363 points ahead of Dusek with 327. Chollet and Tomas round out the top five.
Men's highlights
France one-two tightens overall standings
The women’s competition proved tight and thrilling in every round, with riders exchanging positions and battling for the crucial top-two finishes during the quarterfinals and semifinals.
World Cup leader Charlotte Bankes (GBR) had an straightforward quarterfinal, benefiting from a fall by Sina Siegenthaler (SUI) to take a comfortable lead. Fastest qualifier Audrey McManiman (CAN) also went out.
The other leading contenders progressed through to the semifinals too, although Josie Baff (AUS) had to fight her way past Tess Critchlow (CAN) and only took second on the line.
In the fourth quarterfinal all eyes were on 2024 Crystal Globe winner Chloe Trespeuch (FRA), making her comeback to the circuit just three months after giving birth. Trespeuch had a slowish start and was chasing Noemie Wiedmer (SUI) and Mia Clift (AUS), but when Clift crashed out Trespeuch was unable to avoid the Australian and also fell. That gave Wiedmer and Aline Albrecht (SUI) an uncontested ride to the next round.
Despite the result, Trespeuch said she was happy to have been able to race.
“I was very active during my pregnancy, I was able to train and strengthen my body in preparation right to the end, so that helped me to stay in shape well. After the birth I continued to work, little by little, and in re-integrating specific work more and more that allowed me to find my form again,” she said.
She said being a mother and an athlete was still new, but she was relishing the challenge.
“I’m lucky enough to have a partner who supports me in my dreams and my projects. We’re a good team. We give each other time and both of us remain ambitious. It’s true that being an athlete with a baby is logistically demanding, but it’s so nice to be able to imagine going to the end of my career with Marlo,” Trespeuch said.
In a stacked first semifinal Lea Casta (FRA) was first out, chased by Manon Petit Lenoir (FRA) and Michela Moioli (ITA) with Bankes off the back. But Bankes somehow found her way through Petit Lenoir then Moioli to make the big final alongside Casta. In the second semifinal, Julia Pereira de Sousa (FRA) and Josie Baff (AUS) qualified ahead of Wiedmer and Albrecht.
Bankes was initially metres off the back of the big final, led out by Casta and Pereira de Sousa. But some huge jumps saw the Briton catch the pack in the closing stages and she managed to edge out Baff for third place.
In front, it was a tight head-to-head battle between the two French riders, with Casta taking her second win of the season in a photofinish. The duo exchanged a warm embrace and celebrations once they had picked themselves up.
Casta has now only missed the podium once in eight individual World Cup races this season; Pereira de Sousa has finished first or second in the last three races. Bankes, meanwhile, has made the podium six times on the current tour.
Moioli took fifth overall in the small final, ahead of Petit Lenoir, Wiedmer and Albrecht.
The result means Bankes now leads Casta by just 17 points in the standings. Pereira de Sousa has overtaken Baff into third place, with 400 points ahead of 389 for the Australian. Moioli remains fifth.
Racing in Montafon continues on Saturday 22 March with the Mixed Team event. Finals begin at 14:45 CET.
Women's highlights
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