Sammie Maxwell on her way to victory at the Mountain Bike Cross Country World Cup. Photo / Noam Meresse

Mountain biker Sammie Maxwell has created history, becoming the first New Zealand female to win a UCI MTB Cross-country World Cup.

The 23-year-old Decathlon Ford team rider positioned herself near the front throughout in the opening 2025 world series race in Araxa, Brazil today.

She held off Switzerland’s Nicole Koller, a former world champion on the road, and her American teammate Savilia Blunk in the sprint finish. It follows her second placing in the short track race on Sunday (NZT).

The previous cross country best by a New Zealander was a second placing by Olympian Rosara Joseph 17 years ago in Australia.

Maxwell, the current under-23 world champion, is competing in her first full UCI World Series season as an elite rider, but made her mark at the highest level with her eighth placing at the Paris Olympic Games.

Her ranking gave her a front row start, using her pace to move into the front group. She led after the first full lap, dropped 12 seconds behind the leader mid-race before using her climbing ability to move to the front. She made her move with two laps remaining, putting in a scorching lap to open an 18-second advantage.

She maintained her calm as the rivals flew at her over the final lap, to finish four seconds clear of her chasers.

Maxwell was overwhelmed with the performance and praised her Decathlon Ford professional team.

“It has not sunk in. It’s the little things. On Monday we did media and they wanted a celebration pose. I thought well that won’t get seen, so it won’t matter what I do. And here it is on the social posts.

“The team manager said it was going to be a hot race, super punchy climbs so to stay in the bunch and with two to go, do what you want. Coming into the feed zone with two laps to go, he looked at me, and said now you go on the climb.

“I’ve been working super-hard on technical skills on downhill. So I thought if I could get to the front and attack, and if I can get 10 seconds gap, that is a big time to make up.

“I can’t believe it worked. I can’t wait to watch the race.

Sammie Maxwell celebrates her win at the UCI MTB Cross-country World Cup.

“The team has been so incredible to me. I’ve had a hard time the last two years with my health and the team stood by me. So to have everything fall in to line for these amazing people is the most special part.”

Maxwell remains in Brazil for the second round on the same venue, with the course reversed from today.

There was a solid return to the World Cup for multi-national and Oceania champion, Anton Cooper who finished 36th in the elite men’s race. The Lapierre Racing Unity rider, who had a year out of the sport with illness, started off the sixth row and gradually found space to move forward, finishing with one of the fastest laps in the field.