Highlights Four-Cross@UCI MTB World Cup Val di Sole

The overall titles may have been decided going into the final round of the UCI Four-Cross World Cup presented by Shimano, but there was still intense competition for victory in Val di Sole, Italy, at one of the best attended events of the season. World Champion Tomas Slavik (RSP 4 Cross) beat World Cup champion Jared Graves (Yeti Fox Shox) in the men’s competition, while Anneke Beerten (Milka-Trek) confirmed her status as top woman in the sport by taking her fourth win of the season. The 16 women who qualified were whittled down to four, for the final: Beerten, Switzerland’s Lucia Oetjen, Melissa Buhl of the United States and Celine Gros (Morzine-Avoriaz/Haute-Savoie). Beerten, who had dominated each of her heats on the way to final easily took the win, followed by Oetjen and Buhl. Steffi Marth of Germany won the small final for fifth. “It has been amazing,“ said Beerten. “It was hard to keep focus, when you already have the title in the bag, but I said to myself ’th