In 1990 the inaugural Word Championships were held in Durango and won by Ned Overend. In this article I’m going to provide you with an overview of all winning cross-country mountain bikes, because we all know that what you ride is more important than how you ride it.
I looked up who the winners were for the men’s cross-country event for the UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships starting with 1990 and ending with 1999.
Here they are.
Ned Overend – 1990 Specialized Stumpjumper Epic
The only thing not featured in this image is the RockShox 1 or RS-1 front suspension.
Julie Furtado – 1990 Yeti FRO
John Tomac – 1991 Raleigh Signature Edition
Henrik Djernis – 1992 Ritchey P22 Team
Thomas Frischknecht – 1996 Ritchey P-21
The original version had cantilevers not v-brakes.
Hubert Pallhuber – 1997 Diamondback Axis TT
Christophe Dupouey – 1998 Diamondback DBR Axis TT
Michael Rasmussen – 1999 Gary Fisher Katai
Founder Two Wheel Tales
Johan van Seijen is a lifelong cyclist, vintage bike restorer, and the founder of Two Wheel Tales. With over 20 years of hands-on cycling experience—from riding legendary events like the Amstel Gold Race and Liège–Bastogne–Liège to restoring classic Cannondales and Scotts—Johan combines real-world endurance with deep technical knowledge.
A former bike shop mechanic and short-time bike salesman, Johan brings firsthand insight into everything from high-performance road racing to DIY bike restoration. After earning a Master’s degree in Engineering from the University of Amsterdam, he focused his passion on sharing cycling wisdom through detailed guides, gear reviews, and restoration projects.
Johan rides regularly with TFC Weesp and MTB Noordwest, and when he’s not on the bike or under a workstand, he’s writing, filming tutorials, and testing nutrition and recovery strategies the hard way—on the open road.
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