Tropical MTB Challenge is, for many Canadians, the first real test of form after a long off-season of training. Wednesday’s Continental Series XCO – a new category between HC and World Cup level events – was the marquee event in a trio of races down in Puerto Rico this week. And the Canadians? They were flying.
Ian Ackert landed a win in the under-23 men’s race while Ella Myers won the under women’s.
In the elite races, Gunnar Holmgren finished second in a close battle with U.S. national champion, Riley Amos while Savilia Blunk controlled the women’s race.
Elite men and women: Holmgren resurgent, Blunk dominant
In the elite women’s race, U.S. Olympian Savilia Blunk took control, setting the pace early on. The Decathlon Ford rider continued to push until she was alone on the front, and never looked back. Blunk takes the win, and the continental leader’s jersey ahead of fellow U.S. racer Madigan Munro. Giuliana Salvini takes the final podium spot.
In the elite men’s race, Mexico’s World Cup winner Gerardo Ulloa Arevalo tried to set the tone early on with Riley Amos and Tyler Orschel following. Amos was the first to challenge the reigning Pan Am champ but Ulloa was quick to respond with an acceleration of his own. That stretched out the field with a group of five or so forming. Canada’s Gunnar Holmgren, in a solid show of his return to form, led for a good part of the last lap before Amos attacked to take the win in Salinas.
Holmgren finishes second, Ulloa third, Orschel fourth and Austin Beard fifth.
Ian Ackert Tropical MTB Challenge
Canada takes home U23 wins at Tropical MTB Challenge
In the under-23 XCO events, it was all about Canada. Ella Myers landed a win in the women’s race before Ian Ackert repeated that result in the under-23 men’s race, with four Canadian’s following him in a sweep of the U23 men’s extended podium.
The under-23 men’s XCO came down to a duel between Ian Ackert and Zorak Paille, both for Pivot Cycles-OTE. Ackert separated himself on the final lap to win by 19 seconds. Paille held on for second. Mika Comaniuk, Felix-Antoine Leclair and Alexander Woodford filled out the top five. Canada’s success didn’t stop there, with Maxime St.Onge in sixth and Tristan Taillefer in eighth.
On the under-23 women’s side, Ella Myers takes the win. Only the U.S.A.’s Ingrid McElroy could disrupt a repeat of the U23 men’s podium sweep. Lily Rose Marois continued a very good week in Puerto Rico with a third place, Elli Clark followed in fourth and Alexia Harel fifth for the final wide-angle podium spot. Marie Fay St.Onge in sixth, Lily Boucher in eighth, and Ayana Gagne in ninth made the top 10 a very Canadian event.
2026 Tropical MTB Challenge – Continental Series XCO
Elite Men (Top 5)
Riley Amos
Gunnar Holmgren
Gerardo Ulloa Arevalo
Tyler Orschel
Austin Beard
U23 Women (Top 5)
Ella Myers
Ingrid Mcelroy
Lily Rose Marois
Elli Clark
Alexia Harle
Elite Women (Top 5)
Savilia Blunk
Madigan Munro
Giuliana Salvini
Suheily Rodriguez
Bayli McSpadden
U23 Men (Top 5)
Ian Ackert
Zorak Paille
Mika Comaniuk
Felix Antoine LeClair
Alexander Woodford