Being the most consistent and strongest rider throughout the season, Lejla Njemcevic climbed to the top of the podium in the overall standings of the UCI XC Marathon World Cup as the season finale took place in Snowshoe, West Virginia!

The overall standings were at stake when the final event of the tough and prestigious UCI XC Marathon World Cup took place in a chilly and foggy Snowshoe. Lejla Njemcevic (Bosnia and Herzegovina) came to the start line ready to defend her lead in the overall cup standings after an impressive season where she maintained a consistently high level.

On this day, a distance of 100km with no less than 2,275m of climbing was to be covered on the technical and wet track - everyday food for an experienced XCM rider. After 6 hours and 4 minutes of hard riding, Lejla crossed the finish line in fourth place in today's race, which, together with her victory in Nove Mesto na Morave and 3 other podium finishes during the season, was enough to secure her the overall victory.

"It's a dream come true. To stand here and hold the trophy, it will take some time to sink in!" says Lejla before continuing to tell how the variety of track profiles made this season extra tough.

"We have had flatter tracks where it is important to maintain high speed and drive smart, we have had tracks with over 4000 meters of altitude, and we have had extremely technical tracks like today. It really requires you to be a complete cyclist who can ride regardless of conditions, and I am incredibly proud to have achieved that." Lejla wraps up an amazing season, ranked as the best female XCM cyclist in the world, she can lean back and enjoy a moment before winter training begins and preparations for 2024 take off.

Photo: "Piper Albrecht"