The opening round of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series delivered a race weekend to remember, as athletes battled contrasting conditions on new courses in South Korea’s MONA YongPyong.For the likes of Asa Vermette (Frameworks/TRP), Vali Höll (Commencal Schwalbe by Les Orres), Mathis Azzaro (Origine Racing Division), Dario Lillo (Giant Factory Off-Road Team - XC) and Sina Frei (Specialized Factory Racing), Asia’s first UCI World Cup in 25 years will live long in the memory, as the quintet all got their respective 2026 seasons off to the strongest possible start.But the stories of the round run much deeper than who came out on top in the Cross-country Olympic (XCO), Cross-country Short Track (XCC) and Downhill (DH) finals, with events in MONA YongPyong shaping the narrative of the rest of the series.To get the inside line from the athletes themselves, TNT Sport’s The B Line returns for 2026, and features interviews with some of the round’s leading protagonists, getting their opinions and insights on the weekend’s action once the dust has finally settled.HÖLL IN POLE AND PIERRON’S PODIUMIn the opening episode of the series, Emma Stewart headed to the Downhill pits to get the unfiltered reaction after an explosive start to the series that saw first-year Elite Asa Vermette win on his debut race in the class and Vali Höll prove that, regardless of the bike she’s on, she remains the clear favourite for 2026.Vermette’s teammate and five-time UCI Downhill World Cup overall winner Aaron Gwin (Frameworks/TRP) shared his thoughts on his young compatriot’s rise up the ranks and his first memories of going head-to-head with the precocious talent.The rise in competition isn’t just in the men’s field either, but Aletha Ostgaard (Canyon DH Racing) and Sacha Earnest (Trek - Unbroken DH) revealed that there is a level of support between riders that goes beyond the race tape.Stewart also caught up with Amaury Pierron (COMMENCAL/MUC-OFF by Riding Addiction) and got the inside scoop on how he managed to crash in his race run yet still finish on the podium – something the Frenchman said he wouldn’t have believed possible a few years ago.CROSS COUNTRY’S US BOOMIn the Cross-country focus, presenter Ashleigh Wilmot sat down with Gwen Gibson (Trek - Unbroken XC) and Madigan Munro (Liv Factory Racing) to discuss Munro’s first UCI XCO World Cup podium, the contrasting racing experienced between the XCC and XCO in South Korea, and the rise of US riding more generally.“The huge difference between the short track and the cross country is short track is a packed race,” explained Gibson. “You’re constantly around a lot of people. You’re navigating. It’s first lap chaos but for the entire race.The Trek - Unbroken XC rider added that the muddy nature of the XCO meant other strengths beyond pure power shone through. “Your [bike handling] skills really showed through too. It was nice that it showed all sorts of strengths. In [XCO] days like this, it’s who is mentally on it and present and makes the most out of the muddy conditions.”The pair also shared how their history as former teammates at Trek and as part of the national set-up means they have a unique bond that transcends their current teams – with Munro moving to Liv Factory Racing in the off-season.“It’s definitely different to not be spending so much time together but it makes it even more fun when we get back to the races and get to race with each other,” said Gibson. “When I came across the line and was told where [Munro] had finished, I was like ‘no way’. [It’s nice] when you see one of your friends and their trajectory and all the battles.”“We’ve both been through some highs and lows together being teammates,” added Munro. “Even [Gibson’s] short track and coming sixth. It was incredible to see her back in the fight again. We had some tough races last year.”
Pidcock arrives in strong form following a busy spring that has included Strade Bianche, Milano–Sanremo, where he finished second, and a victory at Milano–Torino, alongside stage racing appearances at the Volta a Catalunya and Tour of the Alps. His road campaign was briefly disrupted by a crash earlier in the season, but the Brit returns to a venue where he has already enjoyed success, having taken victory in the UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup the last time he competed in Nové Město na Moravě in 2024.Pieterse arrives in standout form following an impressive run across the road Classics, including second place finishes at both La Flèche Wallonne and Liège–Bastogne–Liège, as well as podium contention at the Tour of Flanders and Milano–Sanremo Donne. She returns to the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series off the back of five victories last season, including a win in the UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup in Nové Město na Moravě.Both return to the mountain bike circuit with proven pedigree, adding significant star power to an already stacked start list.Find out where to watch all the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series action in Nové Město na Moravě HERE.
Apocalyptic conditions greeted the UCI XCO World Cup riders in South Korea as heavy rain turned the course into a mud bath, leaving races that seemed to play out in slow motion. Frei and Lillo defied the miserable weather to chalk up their maiden XCO victories.On the UCI XCO World Cup’s first visit to Asia, Frei became the 53rd women’s victor in the discipline and the 10th to triumph in Cross-country Olympic and Short track in the same week after her Friday triumph in MONA YongPyong, while Lillo joins a club of 63 other male winners.They took their wins in contrasting styles, as Lillo dominated while Frei waited until the final lap to make her move, but both riders lit up the gloomy day with beaming smiles as they crossed the finish line.Meanwhile Nicolas Halter (Thömus maxon) and Valentina Corvi (Canyon XC Racing) claimed victory in the Under 23 competitions, as the 2026 WHOOP UCI MTB World Series curtain-raiser came to a close in South Korea.FREI BESTS RISSVEDS AND MUNRO IN BATTLE ROYALEJenny Rissveds (Canyon XC Racing) looked to have the Elite Women’s race sewn up when she shot out to a 25-second lead on the opening lap, instead she was forced to settle for second following an enthralling race-long battle against Frei and Madigan Munro (LIV Factory Racing).Rissveds immediately piled on the pressure with only Frei and Savilia Blunk (Decathlon Ford Racing Team) able to follow, as Evie Richards (Trek - Unbroken XC) missed her pedal at the start on what turned out to be a difficult day for the Brit that included a heavy crash.Soon Rissveds went completely clear and appeared set to pick up where she left off last season and run away with her third successive victory, but she hit a wall on the second lap, allowing Frei to re-establish contact after dropping Blunk.As conditions continued to cause problems behind - including domino effects whenever a rider crashed on descent - Frei, Rissveds and Munro continued to trade blows, with the latter attacking Frei as she took the bell for the final lap.Yet the Swiss rider bounced back to first overhaul Munro, who recorded the best performance of her career on the way to the podium, then Rissveds who had led every single time across the line until the one that mattered most.As Jennifer Jackson (Orbea Fox Factory Team) inched into view behind, Rissveds slipped at a crucial moment giving Frei the critical breathing space she needed to clinch her maiden XCO win – just months after breaking her hand.“Finally. It took years, but once again our staff was so amazing. We had such great bikes, so light and that was crucial in these weather conditions,” Frei said.“This winter when I was injured, I did a lot of stepper work [in the gym] so maybe it helped me because otherwise I never run! Patience was crucial for sure today, and for me it was important to try and ride my own race. The bike was working so smooth up and down and it was such a great atmosphere here.”LILLO SECURES DOMINANT MAIDEN WINWith Specialized Factory Racing’s reigning champion Christopher Blevins missing the opening XCO round with a collarbone injury suffered in training in South Korea, the Elite Men’s field was wide open and the young guns stepped up in style.The entire podium was aged 25 or under while another of the most impressive riders of the day was Finn Treudler (CUBE Factory Racing), making his first appearance in an Elite UCI World Cup.Treudler’s afternoon was derailed by a series of mechanical issues that the rookie struggled to manage, but even if he had enjoyed a trouble-free race then it would’ve been a struggle to match the peerless Lillo.Like Rissveds, Lillo built a comfortable lead of 17 seconds over Treudler in the first lap as the 22-year-old was the only rider within half a minute of the early favourite. And though Treudler kept in touch for another lap, ultimately his first chain slip cost him any shot at victory and further bike problems consigned him to a 12th-placed finish.With the men’s race significantly more impacted by equipment than the women’s, some riders including Canyon Factory Racing’s Luca Schwarzbauer elected to switch to an intermediate tyre à la Formula 1, while early Specialized Factory Racing contender Martín Vidaurre saw his challenge also ended by a premature puncture.Instead, Cannondale Factory Racing pair Luca Martin and Charlie Aldridge stepped to the fore in Treudler’s absence, toting the famous Cannondale ‘leftie fork’ that worked wonders in the mud, and rode onto the podium at 1:46 and 2:39 behind the victorious Lillo.“I don’t know what to say. At the beginning of the week, when I looked at the forecast and I saw it was rain predicted for Sunday, I already told my teammates that Sunday’s going to be my day,” Lillo said.“When I woke up in the morning it was like ‘ok, today is the day’, I was so nervous before the start. We had a plan and everything just happened.“During the race, before the last lap, I didn’t really have any emotions in me. I crossed the finish line and the feeling I have at the moment, I’ve never experienced something in my life like that.It’s really difficult to put into words, I think I need a few minutes to understand what just happened.”CORVI AND HALTER STORM TO U23 WINSValentina Corvi became the first UCI XCO World Cup winner of the 2026 season as she stormed to U23’s victory at MONA YongPyong.The Italian attacked from the off and built a 40-second lead on the opening lap that she continued to grow throughout the race, eventually finishing 3:28 ahead of Elina Benoit (Lexware Mountainbike Team) as Bailey Cioppa rounded out the podium.Returning to the category that she won by 178 points last season, Corvi stamped her authority on the race immediately with Benoit clearly the second-best rider as she looks to improve on her seventh-place overall finish in 2025.“It’s amazing, today has been a really hard race,” Corvi said. “The mud was really hard and we had to run a lot, it was really tough. I’m super happy to win this.“I just tried to make my pace, my speed and not to make mistakes in the downhill. And just keep pushing, I saw the gap was becoming really big, I’m really happy. I just enjoyed this win and I’m looking forward to the next stages.”Nicolas Halter didn’t have quite as straightforward an afternoon as Corvi, but he also led every lap en route to a 35-second victory.Paul Schehl (Lexware Mountainbike Team) rallied on the final lap to cut almost half a minute off Halter’s lead, but the Swiss rider had built up such a buffer that he still crossed the line arms aloft with no other riders in sight.Like Corvi, Schehl simply rode the rest of the pack off his wheel early on, and Canyon XC Racing’s Thibaut François Baudry was the only other rider to finish within a minute of him.“I can’t believe it yet,” Halter said. “I already felt really good in the first uphill and I knew today is a good day. I think the key today was to ride smooth. Everybody makes faults but no big faults so I think that was the key today. Full gas all the time but never in the dark red.“I just concentrated on myself, I knew the race will be long, it was pretty slow so I just tried to ride smooth all the time and then I got the gap.”Five countries were represented on the U23 podiums, a fraction of the 37 nations that were on the entry sheets across the UCI Cross-country and Downhill World Cup rounds in South Korea.However, neither Halter nor Corvi could help their teams make much impact in the mixed team standings as Specialized Factory Racing lead the way after round one, with Trek - Unbroken XC and Cannondale Factory Racing just 56 and 62 points behind.Frei, Lillo, Halter and Corvi’s victories brought an end to the opening WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series of the season but the Cross-country competitors aren’t out of action for long as the UCI World Cup returns to Nové Město na Moravě in Czechia from May 22-25.
Asa Vermette (Frameworks Racing / TRP) and Vali Höll (Commencal Schwalbe by Les Orres) stamped their authority on a historic opening round of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series at MONA YongPyong in stunning style. Höll defied a flat back tyre as she stormed to victory while Vermette became the first rider to win an Elite UCI Downhill World Cup round on debut after qualifying fastest.It was a day for the history books as the UCI Downhill World Cup raced in South Korea for the first time, with Myriam Nicole (COMMENCAL/MUC-OFF by Riding Addiction) equalling Sabrina Jonnier’s record for the most race starts in women’s Downhill (93), while Höll’s victory means Commencal draws level with Cannondale as the winningest bike brand in the women’s discipline.Nicole made it a day to remember by finishing third in the women’s elite final, behind Gloria Scarsi (MS-Racing) and Höll who proved it was new team, no problem.Yet it was a tale of two UCI World Champions at MONA YongPyong as a disappointed Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) began the defence of his overall UCI World Cup title with a 26th-placed finish following a crash.After surrendering the UCI World Cup overall crown to Goldstone in the most dramatic of circumstances last year, it looked like Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity) would kickstart his revenge tour with victory, but he was upstaged by the 2025 Junior Men’s UCI Downhill World Cup runner-up in an Elite men’s competition that had everything.Meanwhile Höll wasn’t the fastest woman down the course as Aletha Ostgaard (Canyon DH Racing) sensationally won the Junior race with a time 0.841 seconds faster than the Austrian, and Jonty Williamson (Yeti / Fox Factory Race Team) won the Men’s Junior crown.VERMETTE LEADS NEW WAVE IN SOUTH KOREAA fascinating challenge greeted the riders in Korea as the surface of the dusty, rocky course made it hard to regain speed after errors, emphasising the importance of smoothness over aggression on the brand new 1.8km run.And a string of Elite male riders started strongly but saw their chances fade on the constantly evolving course, which caused particular problems in the wooded section before the Monster Energy Drop in the third quarter.That was where Jackson Goldstone came unstuck - though that wasn’t even the most dramatic crash of the day - in a men’s marathon competition.Kenneth Ryan Pinkerton (Mondraker Factory Racing DH) spent well over an hour in the hotseat thanks to his benchmark time of 2:47.578. In what was a theme all day, plenty of riders spent time in the green before either succumbing to Pinkerton’s rapid finish or losing control of their bikes, underlining the need for consistency and control on the tricky MONA YongPyong course.Finally, debutant Till Alran dislodged the American after his brother Max (both COMMENCAL/MUC-OFF by Riding Addiction) had been less than two tenths off taking the lead, but his reign didn’t last long as Bruni surged ahead by over two seconds. However, Bruni had barely taken his place on the throne when second-placed qualifier Amaury Pierron (COMMENCAL/MUC-OFF by Riding Addiction) looked set to take another huge slice off the leading time.Pierron was 1.6 seconds in the green approaching the final split but dramatically slid out, then remounted his bike and still went second at less than half a second behind Bruni.“I was quite suspicious about that section, I first lost my front wheel on the previous left, came into the following left maybe with too much angle, too much fire in me. I wanted it so bad,” Pierron said.His slip left just one rider with the opportunity to beat Bruni: Vermette starting his first-ever elite UCI World Cup race.Yet after he was slightly down at the first split, the American responded emphatically to take his historic first victory by a massive 1.5 seconds. He was the lone set of stars and stripes at the top of a leaderboard otherwise dominated by French riders as Bruni, Pierron, Alran plus Loris Vergier (COMMENCAL/MUC-OFF by Riding Addiction) and Nathan Pontvienne (Santa Cruz Burgtec by Goodman) all finished in the top six.Vermette paid tribute to the impact of legendary new Frameworks Racing / TRP signing Aaron Gwin (who finished 17th in South Korea) in advising him on how to navigate the time between qualifying and the race, adding: “I was so nervous at the top. My first World Cup, I’m dropping last, I was like ‘Oh my God’, I did a good run yesterday, so I just tried to do the same thing. I guess it worked.“I just had to go back to remembering why I started doing this, I love biking and that’s all I’m doing really, riding a bike down a mountain, that’s all I had to do. It all went away when I got on the track.“I’ve been dreaming of a World Cup win and doing it my first time is insane, I would never have dreamed of it like this. All the emotions were going through my head; I couldn’t believe it really.”HÖLL BACK TO HER BEST TO TAME TRICKY COURSESacha Earnest (Trek-Unbroken DH) was the early pacesetter in the Elite Women’s competition, gliding down the course to set a benchmark time of 3:17.409 that wouldn’t be beaten for another half an hour, as several higher-profile names came up short.Anna Newkirk (Frameworks Racing / TRP), Phoebe Gale (Orbea FMD Racing) and Marine Cabirou (Canyon DH Racing) were all up on the New Zealander before crashing while Gale’s teammate Tahnée Seagrave also came unstuck in the lower part of the course.Indeed, had Cabirou stayed on her bike throughout then, she may have been Höll’s toughest opponent, as the Frenchwoman threw everything at her run and was the fastest rider of the day through the first two splits before hitting the floor.Vali Höll finally ended Earnest’s stint in the hotseat despite carrying a flat tyre that she didn’t notice because of the loose surface, and none of the final five riders even rode a sector faster than the Austrian.Myriam Nicole showed discretion can be the better part of valour on a reserved run that contrasted sharply with her compatriot Cabirou. While not able to end her 624-day wait for a UCI World Cup win, she went second before being knocked down a peg by Gloria Scarsi. Harriet Harnden couldn’t repeat her qualifying heroics, missing out on a podium place by three tenths.“I’ve never struggled that much on a track ever before, I really doubted myself” Höll said. “Or [considered] just going back to Seoul and going shopping or something.“I also know the juniors’ times. Congratulations Aletha [Ostgaard] that’s pretty insane. I have to go a little bit faster or just not look at the times, so I’m not so stressed at the start.“It was really hard to race, it didn’t feel like a proper race run because you had to be so patient and ride it more like Enduro. I’m blown away that I could take the win here especially with a new team and a new bike, new people around. It’s a pretty good time.“I was a bit nervous about Max Commencal being here so I’m happy I could tick that off and I made him happy, made the whole team happy and made myself happy. I hope we can keep it going.”OSTGAARD AND WILLIAMSON DRAW FIRST BLOOD IN JUNIORSMany of the Junior field were racing on this UCI World Cup for the first time, including the spectacular Tilly Boadle (Commencal Schwalbe by Les Orres), whose eye-catching riding style was spectacular if not so well-suited to the YongPyong course.Instead, 2025 runner-up Aletha Ostgaard became the first victor of the UCI Downhill World Cup season, continuing her fine form from the end of last campaign. Ostgaard’s tidy run secured her third successive win while reigning champion Rosa Zierl (Cube Factory Racing) was forced to settle for second after some minor mistakes on her run.Last off the start ramp, Zierl couldn’t match the woman she bested last season, but the Austrian looked far from disappointed to have 50 points on the board while Ostgaard said:“It feels unreal. Honestly, I know how Rosa [Zierl] is, she just gets faster throughout a run, so I was so scared especially when I saw that first green split. But I had a solid day today, I felt really really good so I knew if I had a clean run in anger, I could put down a good run.“[Qualifying] made me angry in a way, I knew that I could do it, put in a clean run but I struggled in a section and I crashed. When I get angry I do pretty good because I find the fun in having a really hard challenge so when I’m having fun it’s good. I love racing Rosa because she keeps me on my toes, I’m just going to have fun, ride well.”With even more changes to the Men’s Junior start list from 2025, only one of last season’s top ten returning, the second event of the day was incredibly incident-packed. A host of riders bit the dust, none harder than Luke Mallen (Outlaw Intense Racing) whose crash caused a red flag on the course.At that stage Felix Griffiths (Santa Cruz Syndicate) and Stan Nisbet (AON Racing) led a British 1-2, but New Zealand came to the fore afterwards initially through Malik Boatwright (Continental Atherton) and Camden Rutherford (Nukeproof Axess Racing)After Alex Mallen (Outlaw Intense Racing) shook off the shock of his brother’s crash by moving onto the podium, Jonty Williamson shot to the top.Sacha Brizin (Commencal Schwalbe by Les Orres) pushed Rutherford into fourth but none of the three remaining riders could beat Williamson as the best returning rider from 2025 won by a quarter of a second from his compatriot.“I’m really happy with it, it’s been a dream since I was a kid to win a World Cup,” Williamson said, in a post-race interview eerily similar to Vermette’s. “Pretty good run, loose up the middle section where I lost quite a bit of time but managed to pull it back so I’m stoked.“It wasn’t my favourite [track] but still a super fun track, super loose compared to the other ones. A bit more slow-paced, quite difficult.”Brizin and Boadle’s podiums helped Commencal Schwalbe by Les Orres into second in the Team standings after round one too, though COMMENCAL/MUC-OFF by Riding Addiction have already opened up a commanding lead of 33 points. Behind them, the battle for the final podium spot currently held by Frameworks Racing / TRP is a tight one with eight teams separated by 22 points.The action continues in MONA YongPyong, South Korea as the UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup gets underway on Sunday, completing the first of 14 action-packed weekends of WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series action. Meanwhile Höll, Vermette, Ostgaard, Williamson and the rest of the Downhill field are next in action in the French town of Loudenvielle - Peyragudes at the end of May.
The 2026 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series kicks off in style this weekend with South Korea’s MONA YongPyong set for a historic season opener.The venue will see the first-ever Asian UCI Cross-country Short Track (XCC) and UCI Cross-country Olympic (XCO) World Cups in the formats’ histories, while it will host only the fourth UCI Downhill (DHI) World Cup on the continent, and the first in 25 years. If that wasn’t enough, the tracks, terrain and conditions will provide complete unknowns for the majority of the field – all of whom will be keen to make strong starts to their 2026 series.From course information and how and who to watch, here’s all you need to know ahead of the MONA YongPyong UCI World Cup.ENTER THE UNKNOWNSouth Korea’s largest and oldest ski resort, and a venue of the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games, MONA YongPyong transforms in summer into a trail network worthy of hosting the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series and the world’s best athletes.Located 186km east of Seoul, the bike park offers a mix of fast, technical Cross‑country and All Mountain trails that wind through dense woodland and open terrain. For this event, a brand‑new Downhill track has been purpose‑built, combining high‑speed open piste sections with wide, off‑camber forest terrain, punctuated by a series of large jumps.After a long off-season, these new trails are set to challenge riders in both the Endurance and Gravity fields. As a completely new venue, athletes will need to learn the respective courses from top to bottom. For many, it will also be their first time racing in Asia, and specifically in South Korea, which will involve getting to grips with different terrain and climate conditions.Vali Höll (Commencal Schwalbe by Les Orres), the defending UCI Downhill World Cup champion, welcomed the unpredictability of the venue: “It’s cool that there’s a brand‑new track that nobody could pre-practice on, it’s very rare nowadays that riders don’t get to ride the track in advance, especially for the first round of the season, so it’s going to be super exciting.”Jenny Rissveds (Canyon XC Racing), who enjoyed a strong finish to her 2025 campaign with 8 UCI World Cup wins across XCC and XCO, also highlighted the appeal of racing somewhere new: “I’m always excited for new venues and new places. Change is good. I appreciate changes in the World Cup”.WHEN IS THE MONA YONGPYONG UCI WORLD CUP?The 2026 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series round in MONA YongPyong starts with the Women’s U23 UCI XCC World Cup at 10:35 (UTC+9) on Friday, May 1 and concludes with the Men’s UCI XCO World Cup at 15:30 (UTC+9) on Sunday, May 3.All key timings for race weekend can be found HERE.WHERE CAN I WATCH?There will be several ways to watch the action unfold at Asia’s only Cross-country and Downhill UCI World Cups of the 2026 season. Mountain bike fans can enjoy live coverage of the Elite UCI XCO, XCC and DHI World Cup Finals anywhere in the world.Europe:Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Baltics, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Tajikistan, Türkiye, Ukraine – HBO Max / EurosportIreland – TNT SportsUnited Kingdom – HBO Max, TNT SportsCzechia – CT Sports (Only Elite XCC, Elite Downhill and Women Elite XCO races live)Switzerland, Liechtenstein – HBO Max (full coverage) and SRG/RSI (Only Elite XCC and XCO races live)Asia:Indonesia, Macao, Malaysia, Mongolia, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Philippines, Singapore, Chinese Taipei, Thailand - Eurosport WorldSouth Korea – Eurosport World (full coverage) and KBSN (Only Elite Downhill races live)Oceania:Australia – Stan SportNew Zealand : MTBWS TVNorth America:Canada – FloSportsUSA – HBO MaxSouth & Central America: Direct TV (LATAM) and MTBWS TV (all other territories)Africa: MTBWS TVFor more information, visit the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series official website to check availability in your location.The men’s and women’s Junior UCI Downhill World Cup races will also be available on HBO Max (in all available territories) and MTBWS TV via subscription. Follow the UCI Downhill World Cup qualification day on live timing and across social media.RIDERS TO WATCH:RISSVEDS TO RESUME DOMINANCE?While the 2025 UCI XCO World Cup overall was won by Samara Maxwell (Decathlon Ford Racing Team), it was her rival Jenny Rissveds (Canyon XC Racing) who appeared to be in the form of her life at the season’s conclusion. With Maxwell taking a season-long sabbatical, the reigning UCI XCO World Champion and Rio 2016 gold medalist becomes an automatic favourite at every round, but it will be interesting to see if she has been able to maintain that momentum over a long, seven-month off-season.There will be a number of riders looking to halt the Swede’s string of back-to-back wins with Evie Richards (Trek-Unbroken XC) the most likely contender. Alessandra Keller (Thömus maxon) would have been an obvious pick, but the Swiss rider has decided to skip the South Korean round to recover after winning the Absa Cape Epic. Richards meanwhile finished 2025 with back-to-back UCI XCO World Cup podiums, highlighting how she has added Olympic-distance duration to her explosive XCC attributes.BLEVINS THE RIDER TO BEATChristopher Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing) had a record-breaking 2025 and the American will do well to match his results, which included three XCO-XCC doubles throughout the series. The reigning UCI XCO World Cup overall winner will be the rider to beat in South Korea and has shown already in his career that he tends to start seasons strongly – finishing second at the opening round in Araxá (Brazil) in 2025 and winning 2024’s curtain raiser in Mairiporã (Brazil). He will be without two of his main rivals and teammates in Asia – Victor Kortezky (Specialized Factory Racing) absent due to injuries and Adrien Boichis (Specialized Factory Racing) currently racing in the Tour de Romandie. It won’t be a foregone conclusion for Blevins though, who will face competition from his other teammate and second-place finisher in last year’s overall Martín Viduarre Kossman (Specialized Factory Racing), Luca Martin (Cannondale Factory Racing), and Finn Treudler (Cube Factory Racing), the Swiss young gun making his step up to the Elite ranks after dominating the Under 23s.RICHARDS AND BLEVINS TARGETTING STRONG START IN XCCBefore Sunday’s Cross-country Olympic action, there’s Friday’s Cross-country Short Track race for riders and fans to sink their teeth into. Again, it will be the usual suspects in contention for the win and superior starting spots in the XCO – Richards and Rissveds in the women’s competition, and Blevins, Martin and Charlie Aldridge (Cannondale Factory Racing) in the men’s – but there will be a number of other riders looking to stake their claim and capitalise on any confusion caused by a new course.Sam Gaze (Alpecin-Premier Tech) and Haley Batten (Specialized Factory Racing) both managed it back in 2024 at Mairiporã and Araxá respectively. Prior to that, Mathias Flückiger (Thömus maxon) came out on top at the inaugural XCC in Pal Arinsal (Andorra) back in 2022.ALL EYES ON HOW HÖLL COPES WITH NEW SETUPVali Höll (Commencal Schwalbe by Les Orres) had a successful 2025 by her high standards – adding a fourth consecutive UCI Downhill World Championship and fourth UCI Downhill World Cup overall title to her burgeoning collection. But the 24-year-old didn’t have it all her own way. Despite successfully defending her overall crown, she had to show grit, grinding out consistent top five finishes and winning just one UCI Downhill World Cup all season, which came in October’s penultimate round in Lake Placid Olympic Region, New York (USA). The off-season has also seen her switch teams to Commencal Schwalbe by Les Orres – meaning a change in bike and management – so it will be interesting to see how she fares in the first Asian UCI Downhill World Cup in 25 years.Höll’s single win in 2025 wasn’t just a reflection of her own form, but also of the rising competitiveness in the female field – the likes of Tahnée Seagrave (Orbea FMD Racing), Gracey Hemstreet (Norco x adidas Race Division) and Marine Cabirou (Canyon DH Racing) ready to pounce on any mistake from the Austrian.GOLDSTONE VS BRUNI RETURNS FOR ROUND TWOJackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) and Loïc Bruni’s (Specialized Gravity) battle for the 2025 UCI Downhill World Cup overall turned into an absolute epic – the Canadian securing his first title when defending champion Bruni was unable to start the final race run of the season due to injury. With Bruni back to full fitness, fans can expect their duel to resume from the off in Saturday’s finals, although there is added competition this year that means we might have more than a two-horse race on our hands.Max and Till Alran (COMMENCAL/MUC OFF by Riding Addiction) and Asa Vermette (Frameworks Racing/TRP) are some of the most exciting riders to make the step up from the Junior ranks. It’s also worth keeping an eye on Luke Meier-Smith (Giant Factory Off-Road Team - DH) – the Australian showing he’s a quick learner on new courses with a win at Lake Placid Olympic Region’s Downhill debut, and in good form having recently been crowned Oceanian Continental Champion.WILDCARD TEAMSThe following wildcard teams have also been confirmed to compete in MONA YongPyong: UCI Cross-country World Cup: Bike Team Solothurn, Trinity Racing, Lexware Mountainbike Team, Rouvy, BH-Wallonie MTB Team, UNNO Factory Racing and Massi.UCI Downhill World Cup: Outlaw Intense Racing, Crestline Speedshop, Team High Country, Pivot Factory Racing, The Alliance Racing and Stoic Racing.Most of them featured throughout the 2025 series, but Outlaw Intense Racing, Crestline Speed Shop, Stoic Racing and UNNO Factory Racing will all make their UCI World Cup debuts. The debutants are all predominantly youth-focused and their riders will be competitive in the Junior (Downhill) and Under-23 (Cross-country) ranks.Pivot Factory Racing will field a more experienced five-rider lineup that includes the 2026 American UCI Continental Champion Roger Viera, New Zealand national champion Jenna Hastings, multi-time top 10 UCI World Cup finisher Bernard Kerr, and exciting North American prospect Dylan Maples. Elsewhere, the likes of Team High Country and The Alliance Racing will look to build on their regular top 10 finishes in the Junior ranks from 2025.Racing gets underway in MONA YongPyong on Friday with the UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup. Full schedule and event details are available here.
The opening round of the UCI Cross-country Short Track (XCC) World Cup made the format’s Asian debut in MONA YongPyong (South Korea), and the new venue delivered fast and frenetic racing from the off.In the women’s event, it was a case of a rider returning to the top spot with Sina Frei (Specialized Factory Racing) taking her first win in the format since 2024’s season finale in Mont-Sainte-Anne (Canada), while in the men’s, Mathis Azzaro (Origine Racing Division) finally opened his XCC account after a string of second places.While the talk before the season opener was of Jenny Rissveds (Canyon XC Racing) and reigning UCI XCC World Cup overall winner Evie Richards (Trek - Unbroken XC) resuming their battle from last year, the Swede never really threatened the front of the race, with Richards the most likely to rival Frei for victory – the Brit ultimately settling for second, with Martina Berta (Origine Race Division) in third.In the men’s Elite, Azzaro appeared to be one of the strongest riders as the race approached its second half, and used his matches wisely – letting the likes of Filippo Colombo (Scott-SRAM MTB Race Team) and Finn Treudler (Cube Factory Racing) do all of the hard work before launching the race-winning move on the final lap. Simone Avondetto (Wilier-Vittoria Factory Team) and Dario Lillo (Giant Factory Off-Road Team) were the other podium finishers, with both also riding a tactically strong race.Before the Elites, it was the turn of the U23s on MONA YongPyong’s lactic acid-inducing course, and it witnessed debut wins in both the men’s and women’s races – Spanish national champion Thibaut Francois Baudry (Canyon XC Racing) edging it in the men’s, and Makena Kellerman soloing to the line with a seven-second advantage in the women’s.STIGGER SETS UP FREI FOR SHORT TRACK WIN MADE BY TEAMWORKSpecialized Factory Racing used their numerical advantage at the front of the race a number of times during the men’s 2025 UCI XCC World Cup series, and the women’s team showed that they can use the same tactics at the 2026 season opener.It was Haley Batten (Specialized Factory Racing) who looked strong from the start – the American duking it out with Evie Richards and Martina Berta for the early lead on the first lap – while Jenny Rissveds appeared to be settling in for the long haul towards the front of the lead group.As the initial fast pace settled down, Laura Stigger (Specialized Factory Racing) and Jolanda Neff (Cannondale Factory Racing) came to the fore, but it would be a short-lived surge from the Swiss Tokyo 2021 Olympic champion.By lap four of 10, Sina Frei joined the party at the front and Specialized had all three riders in the front group of 10, showing the squad’s strength and potential for team tactics to come into play.The following lap, Batten’s crash on the wide, rough line of the course’s technical descent brought an end to her race – the American initially soldiering on before retiring to focus on Sunday’s finals – and reduced Specialized’s numbers to two. Meanwhile last year’s main protagonists Richards and Rissveds appeared to be winding up for a showdown once more.Frei had other ideas though. On lap six, the Swiss star launched an attack over the top of the course’s false flat to lead into the singletrack descent, but with Rissveds and Richards hot on her tail, it was a move that didn’t stick – although could have just been a sighter for a later lap.By lap eight, there was still a group of 13 at the front and it could have been anyone's race, but on the following loop, it was Stigger who lit the touch paper. The Austrian surged on the course’s tough, rocky climb, and it was Richards who set about chasing her down. The pace appeared to be too much for Rissveds though, who couldn’t follow the attack.Crossing the line to take the final lap bell, it was still Stigger in the lead with Richards on her tail, while Rissveds and Frei almost had a coming together with the chasing pack strung out. Tackling the climb for the last time, Richards had finally managed to catch Stigger, but as Frei launched another attack over the top, the Brit wasn’t able to respond.Frei flew down the descent and had a big enough lead to hold of Richards to the line, while Berta came home third. Rissveds meanwhile minimised her losses to finish fifth.Speaking at the end of the race, Sina Frei said: “Laura [Stigger]did a great job. We had some good teamwork and then during the last uphill we punched again, and I just went all in. It’s amazing. I had such a great bike. The Epic 9 is so stiff on the uphill so I could pedal full gas through. In the end it’s incredible to win here.“In the downhill, it was important to stay in the front because it had a lot of dust out there and it was a fun course and great atmosphere. There’s no better way to start the season than this.“It gives me a lot of confidence heading into Sunday. The whole brand and team have been fully behind me, giving everything, and I know they’re watching, so this feels like a shared success, which makes it even more special.”AZZARO TIMES ATTACK TO PERFECTION TO CLINCH DEBUT SHORT TRACK WINAfter a brilliant women’s Elite race, the men’s contest started just as frantically as riders vied for position on the opening lap. Martín Vidaurre Kossman (Specialized Factory Racing) and Finn Treudler (CUBE Factory Racing) were the strongest off the line, while Luca Martin (Cannondale Factory Racing) and Charlie Aldridge (Cannondale Factory Racing) made up an early pack of four after the first descent.While the pace remained high for lap two, things had settled down by lap three and as the race approached its halfway point, the lead group was like a washing machine with any number of riders taking the lead before being swallowed up and cycled back into the pack. One rider conspicuously absent though was Christopher Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing) – the reigning UCI XCC World Cup overall winner back in 21st after five laps.By the following lap, the American was in the mix – showing how choppy it was at the front – while Simone Avondetto and Joshua Dubau (Decathlon Ford Factory Racing) also found themselves towards the front of the pack.Filippo Colombo however had other ideas, and the Swiss rider soon took the race by the scruff of the neck. Leading into the descent, he hunkered down over his handlebars on the start/finish straight to lay down the power and the sudden injection of pace created a gap. Martin, Aldridge, Azzaro and David List (Decathlon Ford Factory Racing) were the only riders who could follow, but by the climb of lap seven, the group was back together again.No one else seemed to want to take the race on, so it wasn’t a surprise to see Colombo attempt the same tactic at the start of lap 10. Azzaro and Treudler were the riders to go with this time, with Martin retiring with a flat tyre and Aldridge off the pace. Blevins meanwhile was down in 26th – the American eventually finishing down in 28th.On the penultimate lap, it was Colombo who went again, Azzaro the only rider who could go with, and the pair worked together to form a breakaway, while Treudler led an uncooperative chasing pack featuring Avondetto and Lillo.Despite the numerous surges though, the elastic wasn’t broken, and a group of nine were still in contention at the start of the final lap. It was Lillo who blinked first – the Swiss rider attacking on the climb. Colombo had no answer for his compatriot, but Azzaro and Avondetto still had something in the tank, and the pair flew past Lillo as the climb reached its summit.It was Azzaro who led into the technical singletrack section, and the Frenchman would make the positional advantage count, taming the twisting trail before powering home. Avondetto would finish second – the Italian’s highest XCC placing, while Lillo held on for third.Speaking after the race, Mathis Azzaro said: “It was an aggressive race. Everyone was touching the handlebars and wanted to go in the best position that they could. I was patient. I waited for my time. I stayed calm the whole race and I knew I had a good chance to do my kick at the very top of the climb. I made it. I did the downhill all out. And yeah, finally my first World Cup [win] in the short track.“The luck can be on your side. Sometimes it’s easy, sometimes it’s not. I’m happy to start the season like this. I worked a lot in the winter. My hope is that it’s like this for the whole season.”KELLERMAN AND FRANCOIS BAUDRY CLAIM DEBUT WINS IN U23Makena Kellerman recorded her debut win in the U23 UCI XCC World Cup, soloing to the line after a last lap attack that second-place Valentina Corvi (Canyon XC Racing) couldn’t handle.Kellerman had been part of the lead group from the start and broke clear with Corvi on the penultimate lap to lead the chasing pack by four seconds. The Italian couldn’t contain the American when she launched her attack, and finished second, while Elina Benoit (Lexware Mountainbike Team) came home third.Speaking after the race, Makena Kellerman said: “It feels really incredible. It’s honestly what I dreamed of this year going into my last year. I’m on a whole new program and whole new team, and I was so excited to make those people proud and also just show what I can do and my passion that I’ve been blessed with.The course is pretty tactical. Straight away you’re into a kick into a last punch over the climb, and then you go flat into a descent that’s singled out so you have to be really smart with positioning and making sure you’re staying in the group but have enough to kick in the last laps.”The men’s U23 race was a much tighter affair with a group of seven still in contention as the contest entered its final lap.It was Thibaut Francois Baudry and Heby Gustav Pedersen (Wilier-Vittoria Factory Team) who managed to break clear, with the Spaniard having too much for the up-and-coming Danish rider. Paul Schel (Lexware Mountain Bike Team) was the best of the rest, securing two podium spots for his team in the U23 class.Speaking at the end of the race, Thibaut Francois Baudry said: “I’m so happy. The emotions here at the finish line with the whole team and everyone who has been working with me in the off-season is so amazing. I’m super proud of myself, and super happy, and now already looking forward to Sunday.I’m a rider who’s quite light, so I didn’t think the short track would be my thing. Last year it was a bit hard. But I could do it here so I’m super happy. I’m now even more looking forward to Sunday because there is a lot of climbing and that’s what I like, so we will see.”WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series action continues with the UCI Downhill World Cup Finals tomorrow before the UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup closes proceedings in South Korea on Sunday. Find out how to watch here.
After a seven-month off-season, the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series is back for its opening round, with the UCI Downhill World Cup in South Korea for the first time, bringing the format back to Asia after a 25 year absence.In sunny, dry but windy conditions, riders took to the MONA YongPyong’s downhill track for the venue’s first qualifying runs on the brand new 1.8km course.All eyes were on last year’s strongest athletes Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity), Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) and Vali Höll (Commencal Schwalbe by Les Orres) to see if they have been able to retain their race pace over the long break.HARNDEN SHOWS HER MULTIDISCIPLINE SKILLSHarriet Harnden (AON Racing) had an up-and-down Downhill debut last year as the 2024 UCI Enduro World Cup overall winner switched her focus to the other Gravity format for the duration of the season.Undeterred by mixed results, she has continued with her quest for Downhill glory in 2026, and her persistence looks like it’s paying off – the Brit recovering from a slow start to qualify fastest and be the only female rider to break the 3:23 barrier.The only rider to get within a second of Harnden was Valentina Roa Sánchez (MS-Racing), who recorded her highest ever Elite qualifying place, while Italian Gloria Scarsi (MS-Racing) rounded out the top three.Reigning overall winner and UCI Downhill World Champion Vali Höll had to settle for sixth on her race weekend debut for new team Commencal Schwalbe by Les Orres, but will be confident that she can find another gear in tomorrow’s finals.Höll’s closest competitor in last year’s overall series, Gracey Hemstreet (Norco x adidas Race Division), was forced to go again in Q2 after a poor start in her first attempt, while Tahnée Seagrave (Orbea FMD Racing) was another established star who struggled initially. Both riders made it through though at a second time of asking.Other riders who scraped through in Q2 include Phoebe Gale (Orbea FMD Racing), Sacha Earnest (Trek - Unbroken DH) and Lisa Bouladou (Santa Cruz Burgtec by Goodman). Nina Hoffman’s (Santa Cruz Syndicate) weekend meanwhile is over, and the German will have to wait until the end of May before going between the race tape in Loudenville - Peyraguades (France).VERMETTE ON THE PACE IN FIRST ELITE SHOWINGAsa Vermette (Frameworks Racing/TRP) has shown that the step up between the Junior ranks and the Elite class might not be a big issue for him, as the 19-year-old blew away the competition with a blistering run on the MONA YongPyong mountainside.The American started his run in the mix, but he got faster and faster as the track went on, recording the quickest times at intermediate splits three and four to cross the line at 2:47.859 – a qualifying time that no-one could get within a second of.Amaury Pierron (COMMENCAL/MUC-OFF by Riding Addiction) was the closest – the Frenchman getting his season off to a strong start with a 2:49.151. Evan Medcalf (Commencal Schwalbe by Les Orres) meanwhile recovered from a poor first intermediate split to finish third on the hill.In the battle between last year’s top two – Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) and Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity) – the Frenchman narrowly had the edge over his main rival, Bruni qualifying sixth to the 2025 UCI Downhill World Champion’s 8th.Other riders to make it through in Q1 include Loris Vergier (COMMENCAL/MUC-OFF by Riding Addiction), Finn Iles (Specialized Gravity), Andreas Kolb (Santa Cruz Syndicate) and privateer Antoine Rogge.Elsewhere, last year’s Junior overall winner Max Alran (COMMENCAL/MUC-OFF by Riding Addiction) made it through in Q2, as did Aaron Gwin (Frameworks Racing/TRP) and Troy Brosnan (Canyon DH Racing). Some of the big names missing out on finals though include Dakotah Norton (Scott Downhill Factory), Danny Hart (Norco x adidas Race Division) and Oisin O’Callaghan (Trek - Unbroken DH).Racing gets underway tomorrow (Saturday, May 2) in MONA YongPyong from 11:30 KST with the women’s junior finals. Find out how to watch here.
Ahead of the opening round of the 2026 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series in MONA YongPyong, South Korea on 1-3 May, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) Sports has finalised a standout roster of broadcast partners and agreements to ensure comprehensive coverage of the series to fans worldwide.Every UCI Cross-country and UCI Downhill World Cup round will be broadcast live and on demand through WBD’s channels and platforms, including Eurosport (across Europe) and TNT Sports (in the UK and Ireland) with streaming also on HBO Max as well as around the world through WBD’s broadcast partners.Fans can follow the UCI Enduro World Cup through a range of dedicated content, including course previews featuring the route and its key sections, practice day and race day video highlights on the official YouTube channel, key race moments on social media and live timings on the official WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series website.WHERE TO WATCHMountain bike fans across Europe can enjoy live coverage of the Elite UCI Cross-country Olympic (XCO), Cross-country Short Track (XCC) and UCI Downhill World Cups in the following territories:Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Baltics, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Türkiye, Ukraine – HBO Max / EurosportIreland – TNT SportsUnited Kingdom – HBO Max, TNT SportsFans in Indonesia, Macao, Malaysia, Mongolia, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Chinese Taipei and Thailand can watch live coverage of every round on Eurosport World, while fans in the USA will be able to stream coverage on HBO Max.Live coverage of every round will also be available throughout the season in Australia on Stan Sport, in Canada on FloSports and in LATAM on DirecTV and MTBWS TV.Additional sub‑licence agreements may apply on a round‑by‑round basis, with full details published ahead of each event.In markets without WBD platforms or sub‑licence partners, such as the African continent or New Zealand,, coverage will be available on MTBWS TV, the evolution of WBD Sports’ distribution partnership with streaming service Staylive. For more information, visit the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series official website to check availability in your location.In addition to coverage of Elite racing at UCI Cross-country and Downhill World Cups, the racing at the Junior UCI Downhill World Cup will be available to watch throughout the season on HBO Max (in all available territories) and MTBWS TV via subscription.WHERE TO WATCH: MONA YONGPYONG, SOUTH KOREAThe 2026 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series season kicks off this weekend in MONA YongPyong (South Korea). In addition to the above, cross-country and downhill coverage of this round will also be available in the following territories on the following channels and platforms:Czechia – CT Sports (Only Elite XCC, Elite Downhill and Women Elite XCO races live)Switzerland, Liechtenstein – SRG/RSI (Only Elite XCC and XCO races live)South Korea – KBSN (Only Elite Downhill races live)ENHANCED BROADCASTLast season saw the introduction of a range of new broadcast features designed to help fans better understand the racing and connect more closely with teams, with these innovations set to continue in 2026.Broadcast graphics will continue to maximise on-screen visibility and increase media value for teams, athletes and brands, by incorporating elements such as headshots, race bike images, team logos, colours, career numbers and national flags. Together, these elements create a cohesive and instantly recognisable visual identity across events and media platforms.WBD will also continue to provide deeper context for fans at home, with accessible, data-driven insights such as heart-rate zones and athlete strain metrics during races, all powered by WHOOP. FPV drones will continue to be integrated into the live broadcast, providing dynamic aerial angles and immersive perspectives that enhance the viewing experience and bring fans closer to the action.Supporting the storytelling of the series and its athletes, Ashleigh Wilmot, Josh Carlson, Oli Beckingsale and Ric McLaughlin will return to screens for live coverage, with former Enduro rider Elliott Heap joining as a presenter across all Enduro video content.In addition to live coverage, the round up show The B Line will deliver a more entertaining, exclusive take on each downhill and cross-country race weekend, featuring athlete perspectives, behind‑the‑scenes insights and untold anecdotes that bring the characters, chaos and personality of the sport to life. Following each race weekend, The B Line will be published every Monday on the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series YouTube channel.In 2025, the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series saw record-breaking worldwide TV viewership, generating over 87 million cumulative views across the season. The majority of the audience was driven via WBD’s channels and platforms (HBO Max, Eurosport, discovery+ and TNT Sports), with growth was fuelled by thousands of hours of racing broadcast on over 25 partner TV and streaming channels, reaching fans in over 150 countries and territories worldwide.Following the start of the UCI Cross-country and UCI Downhill World Cup, the UCI Enduro World Cup launches in Loudenvielle-Peyragudes (France) on 28 May.
Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) Sports Europe and GOBIK are proud to confirm a new long-term partnership, naming GOBIK an Official Supplier of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series for the three next seasons.The Spanish cycling clothing brand joins the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series as the Official Technical Apparel Supplier across all UCI Cross-country Short Track (XCC) and UCI Cross-country Olympic (XCO) World Cup events. Cross‑country is defined by intensity, explosiveness, endurance and technical skill, values that strongly resonate with how GOBIK positions itself as a brand.Beyond its visibility as Official Supplier, the partnership will come to life through a dedicated activation designed to create a direct connection between elite sporting performance and the fan community. At every UCI Cross-country World Cup round, fans will be invited to elect the ‘Best XC Riders of the Event’. Throughout live broadcasts of the Elite races, viewers will be prompted to scan an on-screen QR code and vote for their standout rider of the weekend - across both the men’s and women’s fields - via WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series’ official platforms. Performances in both XCC and XCO will count, with voting remaining open until the final moments of the race, blending on-track action with real-time digital engagement.At the end of each event weekend, the two winning Elite riders will be rewarded with a bespoke WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series x GOBIK jersey, specifically designed for that round, and complemented by a prize purse.In addition, one participating fan will win a signed replica jersey from the Best XC Riders of the Event, further strengthening the connection between athlete, brand and community.All jerseys will form part of a special limited-edition collection celebrating the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series, alongside additional technical apparel. These collector’s items will be available for fans to purchase on-site at every round within the fan zone, as well as on GOBIK’s official website.Alberto García, co-founder of GOBIK, stated: “For us, this long-term collaboration is much more than an agreement: it is a way to continue supporting a sport that is part of our DNA. We want to be where the highest level of mountain biking happens, bringing innovation and building a real connection with its entire community.”Chris Ball, Vice President of Cycling Events at WBD Sports, said: “We’re thrilled to welcome GOBIK on board as an Official Supplier of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series for the coming seasons. GOBIK has been part of the mountain bike community for many years, supporting and outfitting teams across the UCI World Cup circuit for almost a decade. It’s fantastic to see them extend their involvement in the sport, and we’re especially excited about this new activation, which will allow us not only to spotlight standout riders at every round, but also to put fans at the heart of the experience by giving them a voice in the process, strengthening the connection between the Series and its global audience in what we’re calling the year of the fan.”Currently, GOBIK outfits four of the 20 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series teams set to contest the full Endurance season this year: Cannondale Factory Racing, Wilier Vittoria Factory Team, Mondraker Factory Racing and Bixs Race Team. This alliance with the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series reflects GOBIK’s ambition to further expand its international footprint and consolidate its position within the mountain bike ecosystem.GOBIK’s journey with the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series gets underway this weekend with the season opener in MONA YongPyong, South Korea – marking the return of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup to Asia for the first time in 25 years.
After a record-breaking 2025 season of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series, the UCI Enduro World Cup returns in May, with updated regulations, rankings and qualification pathways as the world’s top riders line up on a new calendar in pursuit of overall honours.The season opens with two one-day races in Loudenvielle–Peyragudes (France) and Saalfelden Leogang–Salzburgerland (Austria), before moving into a sequence of two-day events beginning in Val di Fassa–Trentino (Italy). Following this, riders will head to La Thuile–Valle d’Aosta (Italy), which marks the halfway point of the season and features the return of the night stage, before two-day racing resumes in Aletsch Arena–Bellwald, Valais (Switzerland) and Morillon, Haute-Savoie (France).After dominating last season, overall winners, Slawomir Łukasik (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) and Ella Conolly, will be back between the race tapes, aiming to defend their titles. Both claimed their first UCI Enduro World Cup wins and proved they had developed a taste for it, each finishing the year with three race victories in addition to the overall title. Replicating that success will not come easily, however, with a deep and competitive field ready to challenge, including Alex Rudeau, Lief Rodgers, Elly Hoskin and Simona Kuchynková (Cube Action Team), all of whom established themselves as genuine contenders over the course of last season.Fans can follow the action throughout the year with comprehensive coverage at every round, including detailed course previews featuring the route and its key sections; practice day and race day video highlights on the official YouTube channel, key race moments on social media, live timings on the official WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series website and a highlights programme broadcast on TNT Sports and Eurosport a week after the event. This season, former Enduro rider and Enduro World Series (EWS) Under 21 Champion Elliott Heap joins the team as a presenter for all video content, bringing valuable first-hand race experience and in-depth insight and analysis.Amateur riders will once again get their chance to test themselves on the same trails - and now on the same days - as the sport’s elite through the Enduro Open. In Loudenvielle–Peyragudes, Saalfelden Leogang–Salzburgerland, Val di Fassa–Trentino, Aletsch Arena–Bellwald, Valais, and Morillon, Haute-Savoie, participants will drop in just hours before the professionals and then wait at the finish line to compare their times directly with them on the same terrain under the same conditions. New age categories, as well as a pairs category, have also been introduced to create more competitive and rewarding racing by grouping riders into narrower bands. Registrations for all rounds are now open.NEW FOR 2026The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) Sports have introduced updates to the regulations, rankings and qualification pathways for the UCI Enduro World Cup. These changes aim to align Enduro with the Downhill and Cross-country formats, ensuring consistent regulations within the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series while expanding opportunities for riders to compete at UCI World Cup level. From 2026, Enduro riders will earn UCI Ranking points instead of Global Ranking points, aligning the format with the wider cycling ecosystem. UCI ranking points will be awarded at all Enduro races on the UCI International Calendar.The introduction of the UCI Enduro ranking system creates a second pathway into the UCI Enduro World Cup, with the top 50 men and top 50 women in the rankings at the time of entry earning automatic qualification.The Global Ranking list used for 2025 qualification has been frozen, with the top 300 men and top 75 women (as of 31/12/2025) securing automatic qualification for the full 2026 UCI Enduro World Cup season.Other ways to qualify for the UCI Enduro World Cup include:Any rider registered with a WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series Team or UCI Mountain Bike TeamCurrent UCI World Champions, Continental Champions and National ChampionsThe Top 50 Men and Top 50 Women in the UCI EDR Individual RankingEach National Federation also receives additional quota places to use at their discretion – three per Elite category and four per Junior category - allowing them greater flexibility to select and enter riders alongside those who qualify through standard allocation criteria.More information on the full UCI Regulations can be found here.The 2026 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series season kicks off on 1 May in MONA YongPyong, (South Korea) with cross-country and downhill action. The UCI Enduro World Cup and Enduro Open begin in Loudenvielle-Peyragudes (France) on 28 May.
Every year, Earth Day provides an opportunity to reflect on the future of our planet, on global sustainability and on the actions that individuals and organisations can take to protect the environments in which we live and work.Today, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) Sports is pleased to share an update on its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) roadmap for the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series, an initiative that has been steadily developed since WBD Sports Europe was appointed global promoter of all major UCI Mountain Bike World Cups in 2023.Last season was marked by a host of key milestones, including WBD Sports’ commitment to the UCI Climate Action Charter and the official launch of the Women in Mountain Bike program. In 2026, these efforts will ramp up even further with a concrete roadmap designed to align all championship stakeholders around a shared ambition: to leave no trace, but to leave a legacy.A FRAMEWORK FOR A LASTING LEGACYLeave No Trace, Leave a Legacy sits at the heart of the CSR roadmap, developed to encompass the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series’ initiatives at every level.Recognising that mountain biking is part of the future of the mountain regions and therefore shares a responsibility for their protection, the program aims to safeguard outdoor ecosystems, strengthen local communities and create a positive, long-lasting legacy.The roadmap focuses on trail stewardship, prioritising the protection, maintenance and regeneration of the trails and ecosystems that host the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series, while recognising the vital role outdoor communities play in the social and economic life of mountain regions.Beyond on‑site actions, it also seeks to embed sustainability into the wider culture of elite mountain biking, leveraging the influence of athletes to drive and inspire meaningful change that reaches well beyond the series.LAUNCH OF THE LEGACY AWARDOne concrete action launching this year is set to become a key barometer for stakeholder engagement: the first edition of the Legacy Award. Designed to recognise impactful initiatives, share best practices, encourage innovation and leadership and inspire the wider ecosystem, this award will play a central role in bringing the CSR roadmap to life.Riders, teams and local organising committees will be invited throughout the season to submit evidence of their own CSR initiatives in order to be considered for the Legacy Award. All submissions will be reviewed by a jury -to be announced- which will assess each entry and select the winner.The Legacy Award recipient will be presented and celebrated at the end of the season as part of the new WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series Awards Ceremony, taking place in Lake Placid on 4 October. More information will be shared in due course.A COLLABORATIVE APPROACHTo drive the day‑to‑day work across all CSR‑related areas, a dedicated CSR Committee has already been established. Its role is to reinforce the importance of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series’ CSR roadmap at all levels and actively involve all stakeholders in this journey.Led by Anja Rodenbroker, Women in Mountain Bike Ambassador for WBD Sports, and Gautier De Stoppani, CSR Strategy Project Leader at WBD Sports Europe, the CSR Committee brings together representatives from all Local Organising Committees, along with one representative per format (Endurance and Gravity). It serves as the main forum to discuss, coordinate and amplify CSR initiatives developed across the series.In support of the ambitious goals set out in the CSR roadmap, the newly created Committee will also collaborate on the development and rollout of a new tool, TrailGuard. Designed to structure, centralise and automate the collection of CSR-related information, this new platform aims to make evaluation processes and reporting more efficient and consistent across the series.
The 2026 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series is less than a month away and all 40 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series Teams and riders have been confirmed for what’s set to be a thrilling 14-round season.But amongst the new team line-ups and kit reveals, lies another set of key updates to spotlight: the UCI International Elite Numbers and a brand-new way to present and celebrate the overall leaders throughout the season.UCI INTERNATIONAL ELITE NUMBERS: HOW THEY WORK AND WHAT THEY REPRESENTIntroduced at the start of last season as part of a broader set of reforms across the sport aimed at helping teams build greater value, career numbers were brought in to add a sense of legacy to the competition. They help strengthen rider identities, bring fans closer to the athletes, and are quickly becoming an integral part of each WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series round, making it easier to spot at a quick glance who’s battling it out at the front of an Endurance race or laying down an impressive race run in the Gravity formats.Only Elite riders who had earned the privilege by winning a round of their respective UCI World Cup (Cross-country Olympic, Cross-country Short Track, Downhill or Enduro) were invited to select a UCI International Elite number (2–999). Ahead of the 2025 season, riders were ranked in order based on the number of UCI World Cup wins in their respective formats, with the rider with the most wins getting to select their number first.As the 2025 series played out and riders picked up their first UCI World Cup wins, they were also rewarded with getting to choose their career numbers, as seen with Slawomir Lukasik (Yeti / Fox Factory Race Team) selecting 5 in the UCI Enduro World Cup or Gracey Hemstreet (Norco X adidas Race Division) picking 17 in the UCI Downhill World Cup. Cross-country rider Charlie Aldridge (Cannondale Factory Racing) also selected the number 321 after his first UCI World Cup win at the 2025 season finale in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada.WHO GETS TO USE THE NUMBER ONE PLATE?While there are 998 potential numbers for riders to choose from, the number 1 plate is reserved for the current leader of each format’s UCI World Cup standings. In the instance where the rider leading the series also has a unique career number, the number 1 plate will supersede the career number.In a change from past seasons when overall leaders wore a distinct red or green number 1 jersey depending on the format, this year’s leaders will continue to race in their standard team kits or UCI World Champion, Continental Champion or National Champion jerseys but with the number 1 added.In addition to this, overall leaders will be presented with a commemorative number 1 plaque during the podium ceremonies. This update is designed to maximise visibility for teams and enhance their brand building opportunities throughout each event.THE FULL LIST OF CAREER NUMBERSDOWNHILLMen2. Loris Vergier (COMMENCAL/MUC-OFF by Riding Addiction)3. Troy Brosnan (Canyon DH Racing)4. Amaury Pierron (COMMENCAL/MUC-OFF by Riding Addiction)5. Danny Hart (Norco X adidas Race Division)6. Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate)7. Aaron Gwin (Frameworks / TRP)8. Ronan Dunne (Mondraker Factory Racing DH)9. Benoit Coulanges (Scott Downhill Factory)11. Reece Wilson (AON Racing)13. Greg Minnaar (Norco X adidas Race Division)15. Matt Walker (Trek - Unbroken DH)17. Jordan Williams (Specialized Gravity)18. Luke Meier-Smith (Giant Factory Off-Road Team – DH)22. Rémi Thirion (Giant Factory Off-Road Team – DH)23. Laurie Greenland25. Martin Maes (Orbea / FMD Racing)29. Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity)51. Thibault Dapréla66. Andreas Kolb (Santa Cruz Syndicate)88. Alex Fayolle99. Finn Iles (Specialized Gravity)100. Oisin O’Callaghan (Trek - Unbroken DH)256. Samuel BlenkinsopWomen4. Camille Balanche7. Myriam Nicole (COMMENCAL/MUC-OFF by Riding Addiction)11. Valentina Höll (Commencal Schwalbe by Les Orres)12. Marine Cabirou (Canyon DH Racing)17. Gracey Hemstreet (Norco X adidas Race Division)57. Tahnée Seagrave (Orbea / FMD Racing)81. Eleonora Farina (MS-Racing)96. Nina Hoffmann (Santa Cruz Syndicate)CROSS-COUNTRYMen3. Lars Forster (Thömus maxon)4. Samuel Gaze (Alpecin-Premier Tech)5. Titouan Carod (BMC Factory Racing)6. Victor Koretzky (Specialized Factory Racing)7. Ondřej Cink (Cube Factory Racing)8. Christopher Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing)9. Jordan Sarrou (BMC Factory Racing)10. Nino Schurter11. Alan Hatherly (Giant Factory Off-Road Team – XC)12. Luca Martin (Cannondale Factory Racing)18. Martin Viduarre (Specialized Factory Racing)24. Mathias Flückiger (Thömus maxon)69. Simon Andreassen (Orbea Fox Factory Team)84. David Valero Serrano (Klimatiza Orbea Team)321. Charlie Aldridge (Cannondale Factory Racing)444. Luca Braidot (Wilier-Vittoria Factory Team)Women2. Loana Lecomte (BMC Factory Racing)3. Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Premier Tech)4. Anne Terpstra (Lapierre PXR Racing)5. Jolanda Neff (Cannondale Factory Racing)6. Yana Belomoina (Massi)7. Kate Courtney9. Haley Batten (Specialized Factory Racing)11. Alessandra Keller (Thömus maxon)13. Evie Richards (Trek-Unbroken XC)25. Laura Stigger (Specialized Factory Racing)27. Rebecca Henderson (Orbea Fox Factory Team)59. Mona Mitterwallner (Mondraker Factory Racing XC)69. Jenny Rissveds (Canyon XC Racing)666. Samara Maxwell (Decathlon Ford Factory Racing Team)ENDUROMen2. Jack Moir4. Richie Rude Jr (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team)5. Slawomir Lukasik (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team)8. Charles Murray11. Matthew Walker21. Jesse Melamed22. Luke Meier-Smith (Giant Factory Off-Road Team – DH)25. Martin Maes (Orbea / FMD Racing)133. Alex RudeauWomen3. Simona Kuchynkova (Cube Action Team)4. Ella Conolly7. Elly Hoskin8. Isabeau Courdurier9. Morgane Charre (Pivot Factory Racing)44. Harriet Hardnen (AON Racing)88. Rebecca Baraona
The Enduro Open gives amateur riders the chance to ride the very same stages as the UCI Enduro World Cup on the same weekend, and now, for 2026, even on the same days. It’s as close as it gets to racing like a pro!At its core, enduro has always been about adventure. The discipline was born from long days in remote mountains where self‑sufficiency mattered as much as skill. That spirit lives on today in the Enduro Open - a focus on fun, exploration and community, with a competitive edge for those who want to push their limits. Whether you're chasing seconds or just soaking in stunning views, you’ll put your fitness, riding skills and problem‑solving to the test.ENDURO OPEN CALENDAR28–31 May: Loudenvielle – Peyragudes (France)11–14 June: Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland (Austria)26–28 June: Val di Fassa – Trentino (Italy)17–19 July: Aletsch Arena – Bellwald (Switzerland)14–16 August : Morillon, Haute‑Savoie (France)NEW FOR 2026A major evolution arrives this season as Enduro Open Racing will now run on the exact same course and the same days as the UCI Enduro World Cup. The participants will drop in just hours before the pros and then wait for the world’s best at the finish line in order to compare their times directly with them on the same terrain under the same conditions and on the very same taped course while being at the finish to cheer the Elite riders of the discipline.NEW RACE CATEGORIESFor 2026, race categories have been expanded and are now fully age‑based, creating more competitive, more balanced and more rewarding racing by grouping riders into narrower bands.17–18 Male / Female19–34 Male / Female35–39 Male / Female40–44 Male / Female45–49 Male / Female50–54 Male / Female55–59 Male / Female60+ Male / FemaleE-MTB Male 17+E-MTB Female 17+Pairs 17+ (mixed or gender specific)UPCOMING ENTRIESEntries for Loudenvielle – Peyragudes (France) and Saalfelden Leogang - Salzburgerland (Austria) will open on 3 April.Entries for the remaining Enduro Open races in Val Di Fassa – Trentino (Italy), Aletsch Arena – Bellwald (Switzerland), Morillon, Haute-Savoie (France) will be opening on 17 April. Stay tuned to our official website and social media channels for updates or sign up for our newsletter by entering your email address at the bottom of the webpage.Entry requirements: There are no entry criteria for Enduro Open races. All you need is a bike and the desire to enjoy a truly unique and unforgettable mountain biking experience. However, spots are limited to 300 riders per round, so speed is key if you want to secure your place on the Enduro Open start line. More details on the races, pricing, and included services:28–31 May in Loudenvielle – Peyragudes (France)Alongside world‑class competition, the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series at Loudenvielle–Peyragudes, presented by FACOM, gives amateur riders the opportunity to race between the tapes through Open Racing. Riders can put their skills to the test in Enduro and E‑Enduro categories, tackling the exact same course used by the UCI Enduro World Cup’s elite.Below you’ll find everything you need to know, including race formats, pricing, and what’s included.Entry fee: €130, with a reduced fee of €80 for Junior categories (17–18)Services included:Official race entry and number boardTraining day accessAccess to feed stations and water pointsUplift / shuttle / gondola access where applicableTiming equipmentAccess to professional technical supportWelcome goodie bagFree Bike Park Day with lift access on Sunday 31 May to ride the parkMake a weekend of it! Loudenvielle offers much more than racing. Bring friends and family and enjoy the full festival atmosphere:Watch the UCI Downhill World Cup Finals on Sunday 31 MayExplore the event village with activities for all agesKids’ races, Monster FMX shows and live musicFood stalls, entertainment and a lake ride for the whole family.Click HERE for registration. The process is quick and straightforward: simply log in with your existing account or create one if you don’t have one yet. Then complete your personal details, sign the waivers, and select your races.11–14 June in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland (Austria)Set in Austria’s largest mountain biking region, the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series heads to the Epic Bikepark Saalfelden Leogang, giving riders from around the world the chance to compete at this iconic venue as it celebrates its 25th anniversary this year.Riders can put their skills to the test in Enduro and E‑Enduro categories, tackling the exact same course used by the UCI Enduro World Cup’s elite.Below you’ll find everything you need to know, including race formats, pricing, and what’s included.Entry fee: €150, with a reduced fee of €80 for Junior categories (17–18)Services included:Official race entry and number boardTraining day accessAccess to feed stations and water pointsUplift / shuttle / gondola access where applicableTiming equipmentAccess to professional technical supportMake a weekend of it! Leogang offers much more than racing. Bring friends and family and enjoy the full festival atmosphere:Watch the UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup on Friday 12 JuneWatch the UCI Downhill World Cup Finals on Saturday 13 JuneWatch the UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup on Sunday 14 JuneExplore the event village with food stalls, entertainment and activities for the whole family.Click HERE for registration. The process is quick and straightforward: simply log in with your existing account or create one if you don’t have one yet. Then complete your personal details, sign the waivers, and select your races.26-28 June in Val di Fassa, Trentino (Italy)Join the world’s best as they race one of the most iconic venues on the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series calendar. The Enduro Open in Val di Fassa - Trentino, presented by Shimano, never disappoints, with infamous trails, unbeatable gelato, and a true enduro atmosphere.A landmark venue in the discipline, Val di Fassa made history in 2024 as the first location to host the UCI Mountain Bike Enduro & E‑Enduro World Championships. Now, the challenge awaits once again: will you take on the legendary Tutti Fruitti ridgeline alongside the UCI Enduro World Cup athletes in this two‑day epic race?Entry fee: €150, with a reduced fee of €80 for Junior categories (17–18)Services included:Official race entry and number boardTraining day accessAccess to feed stations and water pointsUplift / shuttle / gondola access where applicableTiming equipmentAccess to professional technical supportClick HERE for registration. The process is quick and straightforward: simply log in with your existing account or create one if you don’t have one yet. Then complete your personal details, sign the waivers, and select your races.17-19 July in Aletsch Arena – Bellwald, Valais (Switzerland)With steep, demanding, technical and untamed trails, Enduro Open racing in Aletsch will push every rider to their limits. This venue delivers a truly raw enduro experience and it’s no surprise it was selected to host the UCI Enduro & E‑Enduro World Championships in 2025.Riders will have the chance to test their skills on the exact same course raced by the UCI Enduro World Cup stars, tackling the challenge across two intense days of competition.Entry fee: €150, with reduced fee of €80 for 17-18 categoryServices included:Official race entry and number boardTraining day accessAccess to feed stations and water pointsUplift / shuttle / gondola access where applicableTiming equipmentAccess to professional technical supportClick HERE for registration. The process is quick and straightforward: simply log in with your existing account or create one if you don’t have one yet. Then complete your personal details, sign the waivers, and select your races.14-16 August Morillon, Haute-Savoie (France):The final round of the 2026 UCI Enduro World Cup season will unfold on the pine‑lined trails of Morillon, Haute‑Savoie. Join the heroes of the sport at this iconic venue and take on the very same trails at the Enduro Open, presented by Shimano racing shoulder to shoulder with the world’s best on a fitting stage for the season finale.Entry fee: €150, with a reduced fee of €80 for Junior categories (17–18)Services included:Official race entry and number boardTraining day accessAccess to feed stations and water pointsUplift / shuttle / gondola access where applicableTiming equipmentAccess to professional technical supportClick HERE for registration. The process is quick and straightforward: simply log in with your existing account or create one if you don’t have one yet. Then complete your personal details, sign the waivers, and select your races.
Today, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) Sports announces the return of original series Race Bikes, following the success of its debut season.Season two will air on WBD across mainland Europe (via Eurosport) and the UK and Ireland (via TNT Sports) as well as its streaming platform HBO Max. The behind-the-scenes four-part docuseries follows host Ric McLaughlin as he looks to lift the lid on some of downhill and cross-country’s most iconic bikes, meeting the riders and designers behind them and weaving each machine’s story together with rich archive footage.The first episode airs on Tuesday 7 April at 17:45 CEST (check local listings) with a deep dive into Loris Vergier’s Commencal Supreme – one of the most successful downhill mountain bikes of all time. The 30-minute episode includes interviews with the man whose name it bears – Max Commencal – shot at the manufacturer’s HQ in Andorra.Week two sees McLaughlin turn back the clock and head in search of 2011 and 2012’s most-winning bike – Aaron Gwin’s Trek Session 9.9. The American won nine UCI World Cup victories and two UCI World Cup overall titles aboard the Trek World Racing rig over the two seasons, becoming the first American to do so. McLaughlin’s search takes him to ex-manager Martin Whiteley’s house in Spain, where the pair delve into one of the most iconic periods in the sport’s history – and the bike that led the way.Episode three turns its attention to cross-country and one of the most cutting-edge designs to line-up on the current start grid – the Cannondale Scalpel. The show delves deep into the American manufacturer’s story and how it went from underdog to the top of the world, while also covers the career of 2020 Olympic gold medallist and Cannondale Factory Racing rider, Jolanda Neff.The series wraps up with one of the most mysterious bikes to grace the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series – Loïc Bruni’s Specialized Project Black. Developed out in the open but always kept relatively unmarked and under wraps, it’s the most cutting-edge bike to be covered yet on Race Bikes, and the first that McLaughlin has got to experience himself.Ric McLaughlin, Producer, Director and Presenter of Race Bikes, said: “Race Bikes is all about the bikes, but behind each one is a fascinating person and an equally fascinating story - how the bike was created and how it ended up where it is today. If you’re a core fan, you’ll definitely take something from it, but even if you only rode bikes as a kid and haven’t touched one in 20 years, there’s still something here for you.”This season follows on from the success of season one, where the four-episode series reached 3.3M viewers on linear TV (Eurosport and TNT Sports). All episodes of season one are currently available to stream on HBO Max.Schedule (timings subject to change, check local listings):Episode 1: Loris Vergier’s Commencal Supreme, Tuesday 7 April, Eurosport / TNT Sports, 17:45 CEST.Episode 2: Aaron Gwin’s Trek Session 9.9, Tuesday 14 April, Eurosport / TNT Sports, 17:30 CESTEpisode 3: Jolanda Neff’s Cannondale Scalpel, Tuesday 21 April, Eurosport / TNT Sports, 18:00 CESTEpisode 4: Loïc Bruni’s Specialized Project Black, Tuesday 28 April, Eurosport / TNT Sports, 17:45 CESTAll episodes will be available on demand on HBO Max.In addition to Race Bikes, WBD Sports’ documentary The Cycle is now available to stream on HBO Max. The 60-minute documentary follows five riders including WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series stars Lachlan Stevens McNab (Trek - Unbroken DH) and Evie Richards (Trek - Unbroken XC) and goes behind-the-scenes to reveal what it means to live as a professional rider.The 2026 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series season kicks off on May 1 in MONA YongPyong, South Korea – marking the return of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup to the Asian continent for the first time in 25 years. Live and on-demand coverage of every race is available through WBD’s channels and platforms including Eurosport (Europe) and TNT Sports (UK & Ireland) with streaming on HBO Max, as well as around the world through WBD’s broadcast partners.
Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) Sports Europe and GoPro are proud to confirm a new two-year partnership for the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series.The American technology company continues as Official Supplier of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series, with the role of Official Wearable Camera Supplier across all UCI Downhill World Cup rounds.Cutting‑edge helmet-mounted GoPro cameras will deliver immersive live rider perspectives from the world’s most demanding mountain bike courses. Top downhill riders — including reigning Men Elite UCI Downhill World Cup overall champion Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) and others — will provide fans with in‑depth course previews and exclusive content shared throughout the season on WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series and GoPro’s social channels, including @GoProBike Instagram and YouTube. GoPro integrations will also feature across Cross‑country and Enduro, where Carlson on Course will continue to offer expert course reviews alongside guest riders. As part of the partnership, GoPro will also receive dedicated on‑course branding visibility and a dedicated expo area on-site.GoPro makes the world’s best POV cameras for mountain biking—whether riders want the ultimate creative flexibility of the MAX2 360 camera or the unmatched, immersive perspective of HERO13 Black paired with the Ultra Wide Lens. GoPro’s Emmy® Award-winning HyperSmooth video stabilization, combined with a durable, waterproof design, helps capture unforgettable rider moments and perspectives—regardless of conditions. Learn more about GoPro’s mountain bike cameras and accessories at GoPro.com.Rick Loughery, Senior Vice President of Global Marketing and Digital Commerce at GoPro, said: “Continuing our partnership with the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series is easy decision. GoPro is deeply committed to the mountain bike community, and we’re excited to empower riders and athletes to capture the speed, skill, and intensity of UCI Downhill World Cup racing with perspectives only GoPro can provide.”Chris Ball, Vice President of Cycling Events at WBD Sports, said: “We’re thrilled to continue our partnership with GoPro for the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series. This relationship is built on long standing trust and a shared vision, developed over many years of close collaboration. Our ambition is always to put fans right at the heart of the action, and no one does that better than GoPro. Their innovative camera technology delivers truly immersive perspectives, bringing the intensity, speed and emotion of racing to our broadcasts and digital platforms.” The 2026 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series season kicks off on May 1 in MONA YongPyong, South Korea – marking the return of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup to the Asian continent for the first time in 25 years.
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