Mountain bike champion and outsider Santos delivers biggest surprise of European Cyclocross Championships
Cyclocross
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Follow us on GoogleThe 2026 European Cyclocross Championships are over, so it’s time to take a closer look at the results. In the elite women’s race on Saturday, the top 15 consisted of the expected countries, but in 16th place we found a relative outsider. Ana Santos finished in that spot representing Portugal, even though we don’t really consider that country a cyclocross powerhouse.
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Santos is MTB champion who hadn't trained in cyclocross before the European Championships
Santos, 24, is the national mountain biking champion and completed the entire MTB Series last season, from YongPyong in South Korea to Soldier Hollow in the United States. In late October, she won three cyclocross races in her home country, and then decided on a whim to travel to Zeddam.
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So there she surprised everyone by finishing in 16th place. “What can I say? Wow, I really didn’t expect this,” she begins her story. “Going to the European Championships wasn’t part of the plan at all. I hadn’t done a single cyclocross training session, and I came here with just one goal: to have fun and do my best.”
Santos was not prepared for the 99 steps in Zeddam
"And I've definitely achieved that goal," said Santos, who did have some trouble with the iconic 99-step staircase in the Achterhoek. "As for the rest, I clearly still need to practice climbing stairs at home," she joked on social media .
Finally, she thanks the Portuguese Cycling Federation for its support in the Netherlands. “Thank you so much for the opportunity and the support.”
The Portuguese rider tackled the steps with courage
Portugal is not a typical cyclocross powerhouse
Cyclocross is typically dominated by Western Central European countries, like France, Belgium, the Netherland, and Czechia. The country has never won a podium position at the European Championships, or World Championships, which makes Santos' outsider performance even more impressive.
Clarice WebsterEditor
Clarice has been following cycling her whole life, wroting about Thibaut Pinot (among others) for her university magazine while earning her masters in Journalism. She is passionate about furthering equality in sports coverage, and has taken huge inspiration from pillars of women’s cycling like Beryl Burton, Marianne Vos, and Laura Kenny.
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