Chané and Patiès give France a Short Track double at the XTERRA World Cup final in Suzhou

The 2026 XTERRA World Cup final kicked off Friday in China with the Short Track, won by Frenchman Maxim Chané and Frenchwoman Alizée Patiès in the historic setting of Panmen Square in Suzhou. The triathletes raced an intense, edgy and spectacular format: a 400 m non-wetsuit swim, an 8 km MTB leg and a 3 km run, under generous sunshine, with air temperature at 22 °C and water at 20.7 °C.

Cold sweat for Chané, who takes the lead on the run

Maxim Chané went through the full range of emotions in this Short Track. First came the stress of learning his bike would be ready only eight minutes before the start. “I broke my chain 40 minutes before the race and, thanks to the efficiency of the Chinese team, we were able to order a new one, which arrived in less than 20 minutes,” said the Nice native.

With the scare behind him, Chané could race his rivals on level terms. Italy's Michele Bonacina led out of the swim canal, followed by Dutchman Hugo Bosscher. Chané and his compatriot Elliot Labourdette came out together, 14 seconds behind Bonacina.

© XTERRA Planet

© XTERRA Planet

© XTERRA Planet

Bonacina reached T2 with a 17-second lead over Chané after the MTB loop, which is normally the Frenchman's strong suit. Behind them, fellow Frenchman Arthur Forissier was trying to close the gap to the chasing group.

“I felt good on the bike, but I couldn't make it across to the group just ahead of me, with Maxim Chané, Elliot Labourdette and Federico Spinazzè, in the final part of the course. So I rode alone, and it was the same on the run,” said the current World Cup leader.

A fourth Frenchman, Nicolas Duré, posted a bike split one second faster than Bonacina and started the run just four seconds behind Forissier. “I tried to come back on the bike, picking off riders one by one, but I still got to transition about 40 seconds behind the leaders,” he said.

© XTERRA Planet

© XTERRA Planet

© XTERRA Planet

Out front thanks to a quicker transition, Bonacina stretched his lead over Chané to 23 seconds at the start of the run, with Spinazzè and Labourdette following. “I did my best, but Maxim was on another level. He caught me midway through the second lap. I tried to hang on for a while, but it was a bit too fast for me, so I let him go ,” Bonacina said.

I ran like I had nothing to lose, and I think that's what let me win today.

Duré, for his part, passed Forissier, Labourdette and Spinazzè, putting a second Frenchman on the podium. “I was a bit too far back to go for the sprint,” Duré admitted. “I often give everything in the Short Track and then struggle in the Full Distance. So I preferred not to sprint, because I don't think it would have worked.”

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Chané crossed the line as the winner, seven seconds ahead of Michele Bonacina and 15 ahead of Nicolas Duré. Arthur Forissier finished fourth, ahead of Federico Spinazzè and Elliot Labourdette.

Alizée Patiès in total control

Britain's Isla Hedley led the women out of the water. Frenchwomen Alizée Patiès and Emma Ducreux followed six seconds later, ahead of Dutchwoman Romy Spoelder.

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Patiès, the recently crowned world champion, then posted the fastest MTB split of the day and took control of the race.

© XTERRA Planet

© XTERRA Planet

At the start of the run she held a 30-second lead over Romy Spoelder, with Emma Ducreux and Isla Hedley lurking behind. The three chasers left transition within five seconds of each other.

© XTERRA Planet

Dominant, Patiès also ran the fastest split to win ahead of Spoelder in second and Hedley in third, with Ducreux fourth.