Race Report Les Arcs 2026
Last weekend, after a longer racing break, the team reunited at the Velo Vert Festival in Bourg-Saint-Maurice. In 2026, the festival moved to the Haute-Tarentaise region, into the mountains behind Mont Blanc. It would be hard to find a better backdrop. Excitement was high, especially as it was finally a chance for everyone to see each other again.
Friday – The E-Enduro Race
The festival kicked off on Friday with the E-Enduro race. Six really great downhill stages, exactly the kind of terrain that suits us. In the men's race, it was a close battle between Théo and Kelan. In the end, Théo came out on top by just two seconds, taking the win ahead of his teammate. Helen won the women's category ahead of Flo Espiñeira. A one-two victory — the weekend could not have started any better.
Saturday – The Bosch Challenge
Saturday featured the main event. It was also a new event in France for the now well-established Bosch E-MTB Challenge. As always, the organization was excellent, and the race was well integrated into the festival. We were happy about the early start. Unlike at the World Cup in Leogang, the weather was perfect this time, allowing us to avoid the midday heat. In the Pro category, riders faced seven stages and nearly 1,700 meters of climbing. Battery changes were only allowed if riders carried the spare battery themselves in their backpack. As a result, most competitors opted to use a single battery and rely on careful energy management.
First Half of the Race
After a short transfer, the first two stages got underway. First an up-and-down stage, followed by a pure uphill stage. After the brief ride to the start, it was a real shock to the system. Kelan’s bike shut down right before the start of Stage 1, creating a moment of panic. He solved the issue quickly, and all three riders made it cleanly through the first two timed sections. One thing was already clear: it was going to be a long day in Bourg-Saint-Maurice, with plenty of pedaling.
Women's Standings after Stage 2 1. Anna Spielmann: 3:26.65 - 2. Florencia Espiñeira: +0:04.36 - 3. Laura Charles: +0:07.57 - 4. Helen Weber: +0:10.55 - 5. Jana Urban: +0:18.95
Men's Standings after Stage 2 1. Jérôme Gilloux: 3:14.27 - 2. Kenny Muller: +0:03.41 - 3. Lukas Dennda: +0:08.63 - 4. Théo Ruhlmann: +0:09.78 - 5. Guillaume Heinrich: +0:12.33
Following his scare at the start, Kelan was sitting in eighth place. Over the course of the day, however, he steadily worked his way up to fourth.
At last, the first downhill stage arrived. It was great fun to ride, but highly exposed and therefore particularly dangerous at speed. A theme that would continue throughout the day. Stage 3 followed an alpine hiking trail with numerous switchbacks and a high average speed. This was where the team struck. Théo set the fastest men's time with 3:36.23, while Helen also claimed the stage win in the women's race with a time of 4:00.02.
Second Half of the Race
Stage 4 once again featured a mix of climbing and descending, including a no-feet zone. Any rider who took a foot off the pedal in this section received a five-second penalty. This stage also traversed long stretches of exposed terrain, making it anything but safe at race pace.
Stage 5 was a pure downhill stage, fast and packed with flowing corners. Here, Kelan was unbeatable. With a time of 3:18.46, he set the fastest stage time of the day among all professional riders.
Stage 6 was the Pro Stage, likely the longest power stage of the season. It featured 185 meters of climbing, a no-feet zone, and plenty of technical corners. On this long ascent, raw pedaling power was the decisive factor. As a result, this was where we lost the most time to the leaders. The fastest times were set by Jérôme Gilloux and Anna Spielmann, who ultimately went on to win the overall classification. The stage design itself is certainly open to debate.
Stage 7 combined flowing downhill sections with a longer descending segment and yet another no-feet zone. It provided a fitting finale to a long day of racing.
The Results
The battle for the top positions in the men's race was incredibly close. At the finish, just 0.71 seconds separated Théo and Kenny Muller. Théo held on to second place with a total time of 22:46.21. The victory went to Jérôme Gilloux, who built most of his advantage on the uphill stages and the Pro Stage alone, where he gained more than 14 seconds on Théo. Kelan capped off a strong day in fourth place with a time of 23:26.19, highlighted by his stage win.
In the women's race, Helen secured a podium finish. She placed third, just 7.76 seconds behind Florencia Espiñeira. As with Théo, the Pro Stage proved to be the decisive factor in the final standings. The overall win went to Anna Spielmann.
Final Results Women 1. Anna Spielmann: 24:32.57 - 2. Florencia Espiñeira: +0:24.97 - 3. Helen Weber: +0:32.73 - 4. Laura Charles: +1:25.81 - 5. Jana Urban: +2:51.73
Final Results Men 1. Jérôme Gilloux: 22:21.25 - 2. Théo Ruhlmann: +0:24.96 - 3. Kenny Muller: +0:25.67 - 4. Kelan Grant: +1:04.94 - 5. Guillaume Heinrich: +1:15.27
Thoughts on the Bosch E-MTB Challenge
By now, we have completed three rounds of both the European E-MTB Tour and the Bosch E-MTB Challenge, making it a good time for an assessment. The two series focus on different aspects of racing. The European Tour comes closest to the classic E-Enduro format, while the Bosch Challenge has a broader approach, deliberately welcoming newcomers and placing greater emphasis on uphill stages. This weekend, however, the outcome was influenced a little too heavily by body weight. That is not an excuse, it is simply physics. On long, relatively non-technical climbs, every kilogram less provides an advantage that riding skill can hardly compensate for. For us, racing is at its best when the result is determined by riding ability. That is exactly what makes technical uphill stages so appealing. When the challenge comes from navigating technical terrain at speed, clean line choice and strong bike-handling skills matter more than pure climbing power.
Conclusion
The stages were the best we have ridden so far in a Bosch Challenge. They were fast, varied, and featured downhill sections that were genuinely enjoyable to race. Despite that, the weekend still had a strong uphill focus, with the smooth climbs rewarding pedaling power more than technical riding skills. Even so, we take away plenty of positives: an E-Enduro double victory on Friday, three stage wins on Saturday, and two podium finishes in the Bosch E-MTB Challenge.
Looking Ahead
Next up for the entire team is the European Tour round in Méribel. After that, the riders will go their separate ways. Théo will compete in Davos, and we will be reporting from there. Kelan is set to take on the E-Megavalanche, while Helen will race the EDR rounds in Val di Fassa and La Thuile.
For more impressions from race day, check out the vlog of the ROTWILD-Schwalbe Gravity Team.