Massi Ambrosi breaks into the top 15 at his first U23 World Champs
The 2025 UCI Mountain Bike XCO World Championships marked a major milestone for Cadence ambassador Massi Ambrosi, as he lined up for his first race in the U23 category. Racing against some of the strongest young riders in the world, Massi delivered an impressive performance to finish 15th overall.
A fast and demanding course
Describing the course, Massi shared:
“The race was fast, dusty, loose and punchy. The course featured a lot of climbing 160m (steep ones), natural root sections and some cool rock features where you had to watch out for punctures. It was 85 minutes of pure concentration and flat out racing.”
Over 8 laps, covering 26,1 km in total, as is usual in XCO style racing, the intensity never dropped.
Massi completed the race in 1:25:01, holding an average power output of 277 watts (329 NP) and an average heart rate of 176 bpm, peaking at 186 bpm. These race stats reflect the sheer physical demand of XCO racing at World Championship level.
XCO racing demands precision, practice and efficacy when it comes to sports nutrition and hydration. Massi has spent the year dialling in his fuelling strategy with Cadence Nutrition, ensuring consistent energy delivery lap after lap:
Massi’s Nutrition Strategy for Worlds
-
4 x half bottles of Cadence Carbofuel (one scoop per bottle)
-
3 x Cadence Vanilla Gels
- 1 x 250 ml Coca-Cola
** Total Carbs: +/- 246g of carbs over 1hr25mins /
** Total Carbs/hr: +/- 164g of carbs/hr
By spacing his intake strategically throughout the race, he avoided dips in energy and was able to maintain focus during the technical & demanding sections of the course.
For Massi, finishing 15th in his first U23 World Championships carries huge meaning.
“This result means a great deal to me. Starting from the 5th row, ranked 36th, I knew I had a big challenge ahead…I focused on giving everything I had, staying committed to moving forward and gaining positions wherever possible.”
From the start line to the finish, Massi showed resilience, strength and focus. His result highlights not only his potential on the world stage but also his determination to keep pushing forward as he gains experience in the U23 ranks.
“To finish 15th in my first U23 World Championships is something I’m proud of, and it has only fueled my motivation for the races ahead and the upcoming season. It is also always an honour to pull on the green and gold for the week and represent South Africa on the world stage.”
We’re proud to support Massi with Cadence Nutrition as he continues his journey and look forward to seeing what’s still in store for the remainder of the the 2025 season.
** These carbohydrate calculations are estimates and reflect a professional cyclist’s fuelling strategy. We do not recommend this intensity of fuelling without consulting a professional coach/ training your gut.
Images by: monica gasbichler
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