Titouan Perrin-Ganier becomes UCI World Champion in Barcelona

At the UCI Mountain Bike Eliminator World Championships in Barcelona, Titouan Perrin-Ganier claimed the world title, once again writing history. For the French rider, it marks the seventh world championship title of his career and an impressive comeback at the highest level.

After two years in which Perrin-Ganier was unable to replicate his previous World Cup and World Championship successes, the experienced rider delivered a remarkable performance. Improving from heat to heat, he impressed in the final with a tactically smart and highly efficient race, executing decisive overtaking moves at exactly the right moments. The final also saw an unfortunate turn of events for the competition: the 2025 overall World Cup winner, Jakub Klemencic, suffered a technical failure (broken chain) and was forced to retire. Perrin-Ganier capitalized on the situation with confidence, making his decisive move on the finishing straight to secure the world title. “There were not many people who still believed in me. Steffen Thum, Rémi Laffont, and my family, we sat together in October last year and agreed: I still have one big race in my legs,” said Perrin-Ganier immediately after crossing the finish line. The newly crowned world champion also emphasized the important role of his Racingteam. Teammate Gegenheimer supported him up to the semi-finals, contributing to the team’s strong overall performance. 


For the Germany-based Mountainbike Racingteam, this title represents a major success on the international stage. At the same time, it provides a positive note following an unfortunate race for German medal contender Marion Fromberger. Fromberger showed strong form but was forced to retire in the quarterfinals after a crash. Both tires lost grip in a corner, causing her to fall. The 25-year-old Bavarian sustained multiple abrasions but fortunately no serious injuries, meaning her participation in the remainder of the season is not at risk.


“We are world champions and keep both the title and the rainbow jersey within our Racingteam. That’s simply fantastic and proves that consistent, long-term work pays off,” said team manager Steffen Thum after the race. Thum also highlighted Perrin-Ganier’s importance to the team: “Titouan has been a key part of our team for many years, not only as a rider, but also in his role within the team. This is often underestimated: a winning team doesn’t just appear, it has to grow together. That makes it even more special that Titou will ride his final season as a professional in the world champion’s jersey.”