Some races are about redemption.

One week after a disappointing performance in Nové Město, I arrived in Cheile Grădiștei, Romania, with only one thing on my mind: bouncing back.

Nestled in the Carpathian Mountains, Cheile Grădiștei is one of Romania’s premier winter sports resorts. Better known to many as the venue that hosted the European Mountain Bike Championships (2024), it has become a regular stop on the international MTB calendar. Fast, demanding and spectacular, it was the perfect place to reset the season.

A valuable opportunity

Beyond the race itself, this was an important weekend for the UCI rankings.

Only the top 15 riders would score precious UCI points, attracting a strong international field. National teams from Romania, Hungary, Ukraine, Türkiye and Spain all made the trip with the same objective.

Based on the UCI ranking of the riders present, I was called up 10th on the starting grid.

After my recent World Cup performance in Korea and considering the strength of the field, I knew that a Top 5 finish would already be a very successful day.

The course itself looked fantastic: fast, flowing, physical and enjoyable to ride. Whatever the outcome, I knew I would enjoy racing here.

Rain… once again

After several days of practice in dry conditions, the weather played the same trick it had all season.

Rain arrived just before race day.

Unlike previous races, I decided to trust my initial setup and kept my Schwalbe Rick tires mounted on my UNNO Horn. It was a calculated gamble. The course remained relatively fast despite the rain, and I believed the lower rolling resistance would outweigh the loss of grip.

Time to find out.

A fast start

As expected, Switzerland’s Julien Bard, my favourite for the victory, immediately took control of the race.

The pace was brutal.

Well positioned after the opening climb, I joined a group of five riders trying to stay within striking distance.

It didn’t take long to realise that Bard was simply on another level.

By the second lap, the race for victory was virtually over.

Instead, a new battle emerged.

Together with Ukrainian champion Oleksandr Obukhivskyi and Bulgarian champion Viktor Enev, we formed a trio fighting for the remaining podium positions.

The decisive moment

Lap after lap, Viktor Enev and I kept increasing the pace, hoping to distance the Ukrainian rider and secure at least a podium finish.

Then everything changed.

Halfway through the race, the local favourite and Romanian national champion Aron… came charging back from behind with incredible speed.

Without hesitation, he launched a powerful attack.

I couldn’t match his acceleration.

But instead of panicking, I focused on limiting the damage.

More importantly, the surge was enough to finally drop Viktor Enev, leaving only Aron ahead of me.

One lap later, luck also turned in my favour as Enev suffered a puncture, effectively ending his podium chances.

Managing the opportunity

From that point on, the strategy became simple.

Ride smart.

Stay smooth.

Avoid mistakes.

On a course that had become increasingly slippery, punctures and crashes were becoming more frequent.

There was no reason to take unnecessary risks.

A UCI podium—especially in a European Cup—isn’t something that happens every weekend.

Sometimes, the smartest race is simply bringing it home.

A breakthrough result

As expected, Julien Bard claimed a dominant victory, confirming the role of pre-race favourite.

Behind him, local champion Aron secured second place in front of his home crowd.

And for the first time in my career…

I stepped onto a UCI podium.

Third place.

A result that means far more than the trophy itself.

After the disappointment of Nové Město, it confirms that the work is paying off.

Even better, thanks to consistent performances throughout the season, I now move up to 5th overall in the European Cup ranking.

The season is still long.

But this podium feels like an important milestone.

Not the finish line.

Just another step in the right direction.