Canadian Jennifer Jackson and Mexican Gerardo Ulloa were the stars of the Pan American MTB Championship, held this weekend at Finca La Lucha, very close to San José, the capital of Costa Rica.
The Orbea Fox Factory Team rider signed a perfect weekend in the fight for this continental prize, winning the XCO, XCC and Team Relay titles along with the Canadian national team.
In the men’s XCO race, Mexico’s Gerardo Ulloa won his first major title after serving an 18-month ban for failing 3 doping tests.
After his brilliant performance at the Araxá World Cup (Brazil), Jackson has shown an excellent form in this continental event, where the best cyclists of America met to compete in the different championships of the specialty.
The competition started with the Team Relay, where the Canadian signed a decisive lap that allowed her country to beat the United States and Chile. Just a day later, Jackson shone again in the Short Track (XCC), winning in a tight finish over the American Kate Courtney, after a thrilling head-to-head in the final laps.
In the main XCO race, Jackson and Courtney quickly stood out from the group, although the Canadian raced on the attack from the start, managed to pull away from her rival and open a lead that was widening lap after lap to over a minute. With this performance, Jackson won her second Pan American XCO title, culminating in spectacular fashion a dream start to the season.
The Toronto cyclist has not only reaffirmed her status as a great promise, but is beginning to consolidate herself as one of the figures to follow in international MTB this 2025.
In the men’s race, José Gerardo Ulloa signed what will surely be one of the most important victories of his career.
The Mexican rider returned to competition three months ago after serving the 18-month ban that kept him away from the circuits and made him miss the last Olympic Games in Paris 2024.
During this time the cyclist did not stop his training and has had the support of the Massi team and although we already saw him compete in the Araxá World Cup, it was in the Pan American where he signed a victory that is the confirmation of his great form.
In the XCO race, Ulloa beat the Brazilian Ulan Bastos (Caloi Henrique Avancini) with a final attack that allowed him to enter first with 6 seconds advantage. The podium was closed by the Argentinean Catriel Soto of the BH Coloma Team.
Source: www.brujulabike.com