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The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) Sports are pleased to announce that the third edition of the UCI Mountain Bike Enduro and E-Enduro World Championships will take place in Finale Outdoor Region, Liguria, Italy, from October 16 to 18, 2026.The event will award the UCI World Champion titles and the coveted rainbow jerseys in the following six categories: Men Elite Enduro, Women Elite Enduro, Men Junior Enduro, Women Junior Enduro, Men E-Enduro, and Women E-Enduro.With over two decades of history rooted in outdoor sports and enduro riding, Finale Ligure and the Finale Outdoor Region have become one of the world’s most renowned mountain bike destinations. Since the first edition of Finalenduro in 2008, the region has continuously hosted the most prestigious international events, such as the Enduro World Series, including the Trophy of Nations, and the UCI Enduro World Cup, part of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series, alternating with the neighbouring town of Pietra Ligure. Finale has distinguished itself for the quality of its trails, its exceptional organization, and its deep connection with the authentic spirit of the sport.Stretching from the mountains to the sea, the region offers a network of over 200 trails, making it a natural playground for enduro. The elevation changes, terrain variety and breathtaking views over the Ligurian Sea create the perfect mix that has earned Finale the title of “Home of Enduro” – the place where the sport was born, evolved, and continues to inspire riders around the world.Chris Ball, VP Cycling Events, Warner Bros. Discovery Sports, said: “We’re proud to promote the third edition of the UCI Mountain Bike Enduro and E-Enduro World Championships, continuing to grow this exciting discipline on the global stage. Returning to Italy, where we celebrated the very first UCI Mountain Bike Enduro World Championships, makes this milestone even more special—and hosting it in Finale Outdoor Region, Liguria, widely regarded as the spiritual home of enduro, feels like it was only a matter of time. Enduro is deeply rooted in Finale’s culture, history, and identity, and being part of this new chapter in the history of the discipline is an honour. With the experience and innovation, we’ve honed through the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series, we’re ready to deliver an unforgettable event for athletes and fans alike.”David Lappartient, UCI President, said: “Over the years, Finale Outdoor Region, in Liguria, has become a sought-after destination for mountain bike specialists from around the world. An important and popular stopover of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series, it will now host the battles for the coveted rainbow jerseys of UCI World Champion for mountain bike Enduro and E-enduro. I am delighted that we are taking this prestigious event to one of the meccas of international mountain bike, where we can expect intense and top-quality competitions next October.”Simona Ferro, Vice President of the Liguria Region with responsibility for Sport, said: “In 2025, Liguria was named European Region of Sport: a recognition that crowned an extraordinary year, during which we also promoted major sporting events, fully acknowledging their strategic role in the development of the territory. It is significant to see that the 2026 events calendar in Liguria also includes international-level competitions, such as the UCI Mountain Bike Enduro World Championships, which will bring further prestige to the Finale Outdoor Region—an area that represents a global benchmark for outdoor activities, thanks to a unique location that connects the sea with inland trails. A truly exceptional setting, able to offer technically demanding routes and natural scenery of rare beauty.”Angelo Berlangieri, Mayor of Finale Ligure and Valter Sericano, Councillor for Sport, said: “The award of the 2026 UCI Mountain Bike Enduro and E-Enduro World Championships to Finale Ligure marks an extraordinary milestone, celebrating a journey that began in the late 1990s. From the early mountain bike events to today, we have seen the sport, the territory, and the local community grow together. Finale Ligure has become an international benchmark for enduro and the entire outdoor movement, thanks to a consistent effort in promotion, care, and shared vision. The UCI World Championships are not only a major sporting event but also recognition of a territory that, with passion and determination, has built a sustainable and successful model of development.”Cordiano Dagnoni, President of the Italian Cycling Federation, said: “I am extremely pleased about the awarding of the UCI Enduro and E-Enduro World Championships to Italy, and in particular to the territory of Finale Ligure. For the Italian cycling movement, this represents a clear confirmation of the strong organizational capabilities of our clubs and institutions, especially considering that, starting this year and in the years ahead, Italy will host numerous international events, including both World and European Championships.For Finale Ligure, this designation confirms its status as one of the regions that has best embraced the spirit of the times, recognizing outdoor activities as one of the most powerful drivers of tourism and territorial promotion. Finale is not only about cycling in its many expressions, from mountain bike to road cycling, but also about climbing, trekking, and a wide range of other outdoor activities. Cycling, however, plays a key role, as demonstrated by the awarding of this UCI World Championship, both in terms of economic impact for local communities and the overall number of visitors it attracts.The relationship between Enduro and Finale Ligure is long-standing, continuously evolving and always striving for new milestones. I therefore extend my congratulations to the local authorities who believed in this project, as well as the organizers who, with professionalism and expertise, have turned a dream into reality.”Ugo Frascherelli, President of the Finale Outdoor Region Consortium, added: “We are proud to be part of the Local Organising Committee for the 2026 UCI Mountain Bike Enduro and E-Enduro World Championships, the most prestigious event for these formats. This achievement is the result of true teamwork — a journey that began with the Finale Outdoor Resort Association and has been carried forward by the Finale Outdoor Region Consortium, through the collaboration between the municipalities of Finale Ligure and Pietra Ligure, local administrations, and all those who have contributed to the growth and international recognition of our destination.Today, outdoor sports are a real driver of the local economy, and this success confirms how promoting the region through major sporting events — with the UCI World Championships at the top — is key to its growth and global identity.”For more information on the 2026 UCI Mountain Bike Enduro and E-Enduro World Championships, Finale Ligure, Liguria, visit the official website events.finaleoutdoor.comPictures: © Nicola Damonte - Finale Outdoor Region

A VENUE WITH DEEP UCI WORLD CUP HISTORYAcross its 25 years, Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland has become a regularly visited venue in international mountain biking. It has hosted 14 UCI Mountain Bike World Cups, along with the 2012 and 2020 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships and is set to be host once again in 2028.Its opening season places the venue’s longevity into perspective. When the bike park began operations in 2001, Nicolas Vouilloz and Anne‑Caroline Chausson claimed UCI Downhill World Championship titles in Vail/Beaver Creek, Aaron Gwin had yet to make his UCI World Cup debut and future local favourite Valentina Höll (Commencal Schwalbe by Les Orres) was still months away from being born.The region has seen substantial growth since those early days. What began with a small collection of tracks has expanded into 21 lines and trails, or 30 including the Riders Playground, added in 2013 as a beginner‑friendly area. Rider numbers have increased on a similar scale - from 16,700 uplift rides in the first year to around 270,000 per summer season today.Across that time, Leogang has hosted countless major events and delivered some of the most memorable moments in both downhill and cross‑country competition, across its 120 kilometres of lines and trails.ANNIVERSARY EVENTS IN 2026To mark its 25‑year anniversary, the region will host a dedicated celebration weekend from 24–26 July, featuring community activities and riding programmes. The venue will also continue its focus on growing participation through initiatives such as the Ladies Shred Events, offering camps, coaching and workshops aimed at supporting and encouraging women and girls in mountain biking.The broader Saalfelden Leogang events calendar also sees the 7th edition of the Bike Festival Saalfelden Leogang, from 2–4 October.For the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series, Leogang remains an important and familiar stop. In its anniversary year, the venue will host another quadruple header from 11–14 June, with Downhill, Cross‑country Olympic (XCO), Cross-country Short Track (XCC) and Enduro all set to feature.25 years after first opening, Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland continues to play a significant role in the international racing landscape and will once again welcome the world’s best riders this June.

Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) Sports and Monster Energy are proud to announce a new long-term partnership for the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series.Monster Energy becomes a main partner of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series, taking on the role of Official Energy Drink partner. As part of the agreement, the global energy drink giant will join WBD Sports onsite at all 14 events, bringing fresh energy and engagement to fan activations, enhancing the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series experience both trackside and on broadcast.The partnership builds on Monster Energy’s longstanding commitment to mountain bike, having supported some of the sport’s most iconic athletes since the brand’s inception, including Sam Hill, Steve Peat and Brendan Fairclough. During the 2025 season, several UCI Downhill World Cup podium finishers were Monster Energy athletes, including Amaury Pierron, Marine Cabirou, Loris Vergier, Luca Shaw, Thibaut Dapréla and Troy Brosnan. This agreement will further amplify Monster Energy’s presence at mountain bike events and support WBD Sports’ mission to grow the sport globally.Beyond mountain bike, Monster Energy has firmly established itself within the wider cycling world, driven by its investment in athlete development programs, including Freestyle BMX.Chris Ball, Vice President of Cycling Events at WBD Sports, said: “We are absolutely delighted to welcome Monster Energy as a main partner for the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series. Securing a brand of Monster Energy’s reputation is a testament to the passion and dedication our teams have demonstrated since assuming the organisational and promotional aspects of the series. The team at Monster Energy has exciting plans for the forthcoming season and beyond, and we look forward to working closely with them to bring this new partnership to life.Daniel McHugh, Chief Marketing Officer at Monster Energy, said: “Mountain bike is one of the most progressive and exciting disciplines in global sport, and the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series represents the very pinnacle of competition. Monster Energy has a long history of supporting athletes and events that push limits and inspire fans, and we’re proud to partner with Warner Bros. Discovery Sports to elevate the experience for riders and audiences worldwide. We’re excited to bring our energy, creativity, and passion for the sport to every stop on the series.” Cody Dresser, Vice President of Action Sports at Monster Energy, said: “Mountain bike has always been part of Monster Energy’s DNA. The riders, the culture, and the fans share the same spirit that drives everything we do, pushing limits, taking risks, and elevating what’s possible. Partnering with the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series gives us an incredible platform to support the sport at every level. Fans can expect an elevated presence from Monster Energy throughout the 2026 season, with dynamic on-site activations that celebrate the athletes and bring the passion of the sport directly to fans around the world.”In 2025, WBD Sports drove the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series to new records across broadcast, digital and social platforms, and on-site fan attendance. Building on these strong foundations, the 2026 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series aims to deliver another record-breaking season across all four formats.The 2026 season kicks off on May 1 with the Race of South Korea – marking the return of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup to the Asian continent for the first time in 25 years.

Today, Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) Sports, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), and the French region of Haute-Savoie are pleased to confirm the two venues that will host the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series rounds from August 14 to 23.The first weekend of action in Haute-Savoie will see the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series return to Morillon on August 14-16 after the venue’s successful debut in 2025. The Grand Massif commune hosted the UCI Enduro World Cup season finale last year and will conclude the six-round series once more, with overall placings on the line at the Enduro Bike Park.Just five days after the dust has settled in Morillon, it will be the turn of Les Gets, which is hosting the final European rounds of the UCI Cross-country Olympic, Cross-country Short Track and Downhill World Cups between August 21-23.A staple of the UCI World Cup circuit since the 90s, when Nicolas Vouilloz, Steve Peat and Anne-Caroline Chausson dominated the Downhill course, Les Gets has been an annual fixture for the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series’ Endurance and Gravity athletes since 2019. Last year, Luca Martin (Cannondale Factory Racing) and Max Alran (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) gave the partisan French crowd something to cheer about in both formats, and the passionate local fan base will be hoping for more red, white and blue victories in 2026.The two back-to-back weekends of off-road riding will see the world of mountain bike converge on Haute-Savoie, with live music, entertainment, an expo, and fan activations at the event villages throughout. Last year’s event attracted more than 100,000 fans across the four formats, and big crowds are expected once again.Located in the heart of the French Alps and serving as a gateway between France, Switzerland and Italy, the Haute-Savoie region is a major partner for these two rounds of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series. Deeply committed to mountain bike and to sport more broadly, Haute-Savoie has consistently championed sport as a driver of regional vitality and as a way to showcase its remarkable natural assets on the global stage.The 2026 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series double-header in Haute-Savoie also provides a great preview of what the region has in store for when it hosts the 2027 UCI Cycling World Championships. First held in Glasgow in 2023, the event brings together multiple UCI World Championships across cycling’s different disciplines in a two-week celebration of bike-based brilliance.

The start of the 2026 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series might still be five months away, but there’s plenty of action for fans to sink their teeth into during the off-season transfer window.Although the number of moves has been a bit less than last year – where rider’s UCI points could help determine a team’s WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series Team status – there has still been plenty to digest and analyse, with new announcements coming almost every day.Here are the transfer headlines ahead of the 2026 series.DOWNHILLThe most anticipated transfer of the 2025-26 off-season has been the destination of Vali Höll. After YT Mob disbanded at the end of the 2025 season following YT Industries’ insolvency, the reigning overall series champion found herself without a team. However, after months of speculation, it was finally confirmed that she will join the French-based Commencal Schwalbe by Les Orres squad for 2026.In the same context, her compatriot Andreas Kolb has secured a new home as well, joining 2025 men’s Elite overall winner Jackson Goldstone at Santa Cruz Syndicate, with Brit Laurie Greenland appearing to make way for the Austrian pinner; Oisin O’Callaghan move to Trek Unbroken DH and enduro-turned-downhill rider Kasper Woolley head to MS-Racing.Another team making moves during the off-season are Mondraker Factory Racing DH. The Spanish factory team resigned Ryan Pinkerton on a three-year deal, while Oli Clark has been rewarded with a move from MS-Racing after a solid season in the Junior ranks, which included a UCI World Cup win at Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland (Austria).Clark will be filling Dakotah Norton’s shoes with the American joining season-long wildcard team Scott Downhill Factory for 2026 and looking to revive the Swiss manufacturer’s fortunes on the world stage. New Zealander Jess Blewitt has also made the switch from Cube Factory Racing.Finally, one of the biggest transfers is Aaron Gwin’s move to Frameworks Racing / TRP. The icon and five-time overall champion has led his own Gwin Racing team for the last two years but moves to the US-based team alongside Anna Newkirk and Asa Vermette, where it is hoped he will contribute competitive results while also acting as a mentor for the rest of the young team.ENDUROImpact of the YT Mob closure wasn’t limited to Downhill, with Jack Moir and Christian Textor both competing for the outfit in the UCI Enduro World Cup. While Textor had announced his retirement at the end of the 2025 season, Australian Moir has only just announced his own – calling time on a successful career that spanned both Downhill and Enduro.They aren’t the only two riders who won’t be present in the new series with 2026’s second-place finisher Jesse Melamed (Canyon CLLCTV) also partially stepping back from racing – the Canadian announcing that he won’t be at every round of the new season.CROSS-COUNTRYThe biggest headline of the Cross-country off-season has been the news from Samara Maxwell. The 2025 UCI XCO World Cup overall champion announced a contract extension with Decathlon Ford Racing until 2028 before confirming that she will take a season-long sabbatical in 2026 instead of defending her title.The other main story is the closure of Ghost Factory Racing after 15 years in the sport. The German team was the home of Anne Terpstra, Nicole Koller and Caroline Bohé, but all can be expected to be snapped up by other teams with announcements forthcoming.Elsewhere, Nina Graf has moved from Lapierre Unity Racing to Trek - Unbroken XC after some impressive top 10 performances in 2025, while Madigan Munro and Gunner Holmgren will leave the American factory team. Tyler Orschel has joined KMC Nukeproof MTB Racing Team – the Canadian privateer joining Bart Brentjens’ team after almost stepping away from the sport at the end of the 2025 series.Looking to the Under-23 ranks, Men U23 UCI XCO and Cross-country Short Track (XCC) World Cup champion Finn Treudler has had his contract extended with Cube Factory Racing to 2028 as he makes the step up to the Elites.

WBD Sports and the UCI are pleased to announce the 40 teams to have earned WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series Team status for the 2026 season.The WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series status guarantees their participation in every round of the series within their respective formats, placing them at the forefront of the sport’s elite competition.For the first time, the top 10 teams in the UCI Ranking (across Endurance and Gravity) have secured a two-year licence, underscoring their position among the sport’s elite.SECOND SEASON UNDER THE NEW QUALIFICATION FRAMEWORK After three years under WBD Sports’ guidance, the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series is set to embark on its second season since redefining the teams’ qualification criteria for the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup.The overhaul, introduced ahead of the 2025 season, established WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series Teams (previously known as UCI MTB Elite Teams) for the first time. This protected status guarantees participation in every round of their respective formats.The goal was to help teams build greater value, offering more benefits to athletes and the sport, creating a clear group for fans to rally behind, delivering more thrilling races, and establishing a clear pathway to the pinnacle of mountain bike. Early results speak for themselves – the 2025 series ranked among the most competitive in recent memory.For the 2026 season, a total of 83 teams from 20 nations registered as UCI MTB Teams across all formats. Of those, 40 teams across both Endurance and Gravity have secured WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series Team status:REFINED SELECTION CRITERIAEach format’s 20 selected teams feature the top 15 from the UCI Team Rankings plus five full-season wildcard spots awarded through a scoring matrix.A team’s UCI points are calculated by combining the points of the team’s four highest-ranked riders, regardless of category (Men Elite, Men Junior/U23; Women Elite, Women Junior/U23). These points are earned at Finals across all UCI-registered events (not just WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series rounds). The ranking cut-off was 28 October 2025.Ahead of the 2026 series, the selection criteria for WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series Team status were refined. The key change: unlike in 2025, riders no longer carry their points when transferring teams during the off-season. This means a team secures its World Series Team status based on its 2025 performance—even if the riders who delivered that success have since moved on.Also for the first time, the top 10 ranked teams in both the Endurance and Gravity formats have secured a two-year licence, while teams ranked 11-15 receive a one-year licence:ENDURANCE2-year licenceSpecialized Factory RacingDecathlon Ford Racing TeamCanyon XC RacingCannondale Factory RacingThömus MaxonWilier-Vittoria Factory TeamOrbea Fox Factory TeamCube Factory RacingScott-SRAM MTB Racing TeamBIXS Race Team1-year licenceTrek - Unbroken XCOrigine Racing DivisionKMC Nukeproof MTB Racing TeamGiant Factory Off-Road Team - XCLapierre PXR RacingWildcards (1-year licence)BH Coloma TeamLiv Factory RacingMondraker Factory Racing XCBMC Factory RacingAlpecin-Premier TechGRAVITY2-year licenceCanyon DH RacingSanta Cruz SyndicateCommencal/Muc-Off by Riding AddictionOrbea FMD RacingMondraker Factory Racing DHYeti / Fox Factory Race TeamCube Factory RacingSpecialized GravityTrek - Unbroken DHCommencal Schwalbe by Les Orres1-year licenceNorco X adidas Race DivisionMS-RacingNukeproof Axess RacingUnno Factory Racing DHGiant Factory Off-Road Team – DHWildcards (1-year licence)Santa Cruz Burgtec by GoodmanScott Downhill FactoryFrameworks Racing / TRPAON RacingContinental AthertonHOW ELSE CAN TEAMS TAKE PART IN THE WHOOP UCI MOUNTAIN BIKE WORLD SERIES?For teams that haven't secured WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series Team status, up to eight Wildcard spots per format are available at each UCI Mountain Bike World Cup. These Wildcard teams are announced ahead of each WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series round and are selected based on factors such as UCI Continental Series results, UCI team rankings and individual athlete profiles.HOW ABOUT PRIVATEERS AND INDIVIDUALS?Individual riders are still eligible to enter a WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series round based on the following criteria:Champions: Any current Olympic Champion, UCI World Champion, UCI Continental Champion or National Champion.Cross-country: any Elite athlete ranked in the top 100 or any U23 athlete ranked in the top 200 based on the last UCI Cross-country Olympic (XCO) Individual Ranking dated before the event entry closing date of the round.Downhill: any Elite athlete ranked in the top 50 or any Junior athlete ranked in the top 100 based on the last UCI Downhill Individual Ranking dated before the event entry closing date of the round.There are also additional spots up for grabs for the top Elite, Under 23 and Junior riders in any round or in the final standings of the UCI Continental Series, provided the rider is not registered with a WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series Team. More information is available in the UCI Regulations (art. 4.10.001 and 4.11.001).The 2026 season of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series kicks off on May 1 with the Race of South Korea – marking the return of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup to the Asian continent for the first time in 25 years.

The 22‑year‑old has spent much of the past year racing and training in Europe, a period marked by intense physical effort, travel, and time spent far from home. Following the close of the season, Maxwell has made the decision to step away temporarily from elite competition to prioritise her long‑term well‑being.In 2026, Maxwell will focus on rest, recovery, and personal reconnection, stepping back not only from racing but also from media duties, social media, and public appearances. The break will allow her to reset physically, recharge mentally, and spend valuable time with family and the communities that shaped her.Sammie Maxwell said: “This is the perfect time for me to take a break, breathe, and reconnect with my roots. I want to spend time with my family, recharge, and prepare for the challenges ahead,”Despite pausing her racing schedule next year, Maxwell’s focus continues to be a return to competition with renewed energy as she works toward her ultimate goal - representing New Zealand at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.We wish Sammie a restorative year ahead and look forward to welcoming her back to the start line when the time is right!

A record‑setting year both on and off the trails, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) Sports used the global platform of the 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series to drive meaningful impact across the sport and its communities through its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program and beyond.COMMITMENT TO CLIMATE ACTIONMountain bike and nature go hand-in-hand, and the importance of protecting the natural environment is critical for the future of the sport. To signify this and its continued commitment to sustainability, WBD Sports signed the UCI Climate Action Charter at the start of the 2025 season.Aligning with the Charter reinforces WBD Sports’ dedication to reducing its environmental footprint while championing the bicycle as a powerful symbol and instrument of climate action and ensures that initiatives such as science-based reduction targets and the biodiversity protection remain top priorities.As the global promoter of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series, WBD Sports plays a key role in encouraging and supporting its partners at each event to develop and implement initiatives aligned with this policy, ensuring that events and their stakeholders are working toward the same goals. This collaboration effort is essential for the successful implementation of most initiatives under the program.This was seen first-hand on the ground in Araxá, Minas Gerais (Brazil), where professional riders and WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series representatives joined a local tree-planting initiative at the venue. It follows a similar program from 2024 where 1,000 trees were planted at the Brazilian location – the number determined through a technical assessment of the event’s emissions, from air travel to local event logistics.These actions, along with its continued focus on sustainable event management, saw WBD Sports renew its ISO 20121 certificate – a prestigious validation of the structured framework that is applied to integrate sustainability into event management practices. In addition to promoting social inclusion and ensuring economic viability for all stakeholders, the framework involves setting long-term goals, implementing sustainable measures, evaluating performance, and continually improving internal and external processes and policies — all with the aim of reducing the environmental and social impact of the large-scale international events that WBD Sports promote.SHAPING THE PRESENT AND THE FUTURE OF THE SPORTWBD Sports’ CSR roadmap also places a strong focus on fostering inclusivity and equality within the sport, while inspiring the next generation of riders.Building on the networking breakfast held in Les Gets in 2024, which brought together women from across the mountain bike community, the brand-new Women in Mountain Bike program marked its first milestone in 2025 with the appointment of a WBD Ambassador.The Ambassador’s role is to connect athletes, staff, industry members and media voices to share ideas, identify challenges and collaborate on solutions to ensure the sport is equally accessible for women.The initiative aims to help build an inclusive and equitable environment and increase female representation across all areas of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series, which will hopefully have a trickle-down effect to the wider mountain bike community.The 2025 season also provided once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for young people, hosting special kids press conferences in partnership with Local Organising Committees at Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland (Austria), Lenzerheide (Switzerland) and Pal Arinsal (Andorra) where children from local schools and bike clubs had the opportunity to interview their heroes.Riders involved in the unique experience included WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series stars Valentina Höll (Commencal Schwalbe By Les Orres), Andreas Kolb (Santa Cruz Syndicate), Mona Mitterwallner (Mondraker Factory Racing XC), Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity), Loris Vergier (Commencal Muc-Off By Riding Addiction), Loana Lecomte (BMC Factory Racing), Camille Balanche, Finn Treudler (Cube Factory Racing), Thomas Litscher and Fiona Schibler (Bike Team Solothurn).This enriching experience connected the present and the future of the sport, inspiring enthusiasm among the next generation and encouraging their active participation in sporting events.Chris Ball, VP Cycling Events at Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe, said: “Our impact on the territories we visit around the world is aimed to continue long after the races are won. From individual actions in one location to wide-reaching strategies that guide how we operate globally, these initiatives are an integral part of our operations and hold significant importance for all stakeholders involved in delivering our events. This is not just words on paper; every decision we make takes into account how it aligns with our CSR roadmap”.Looking ahead to the 2026 season, WBD Sports remains committed to delivering events that are as thrilling on the trails as they are responsible, innovative and pioneering off them. The initiatives and actions launched this season will continue to grow and evolve, ensuring that the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series not only raises the bar in sporting performance but also leads the way in social and environmental impact.

Michelin has a long and storied history in mountain biking, so it made perfect sense when the iconic French manufacturer became a major, long-term partner of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series in 2024.But the world’s premier mountain biking racing contest is much more than an activation and marketing opportunity for the world’s leading tyre manufacturer. In fact, each of the race rounds acts as a test bed, where it ideates, creates, and refines its products over the cut-and-thrust nature of a race weekend.Its partnership with Origine Racing Division is a prime example of this relationship. The newly launched team worked closely with Michelin throughout the season, developing a range of cross-country tyres that were put through their paces by up-and-coming talent, such as Mathis Azzaro.The results speak for themselves too – Azzaro finishing fourth and seventh in the XCO and XCC standings overall in 2025, recording six podium places along the way and a bronze medal at the 2025 UCI Cross-country Short Track World Championships.Here, Michelin’s racing program manager Vincent Ledieu explains how the partnership with a UCI Mountain Bike World Series Team led to the development of new race-focused cross-country prototypes.THE ORIGIN OF THE PARTNERSHIPMichelin has been an ever-present at the pinnacle of mountain biking since the sport’s early days, so it was an obvious choice when Origine Racing Division founder Maxime Marotte was looking for a tyre partner to help elevate his new outfit to the top level.“In 2024, Maxime Marotte decided to create his own team after many successful years competing at the highest level in Olympic Cross-Country,” says Vincent Ledieu. “At Les Gets, we were shown the first outline of this ambitious project, and Maxime confirmed to us at Mont-Sainte-Anne, in the Michelin truck, that the team would be launched.“Maxime told us about an exciting roster of riders full of potential. The Origine team also announced that their goal is to develop top-level equipment (bike, drivetrain) as well as young talent (such as Mathis Azzaro).”A PERFECT FITMarotte’s ambitious project struck a chord with Vincent Ledieu, and it matched Michelin’s own development-focused goals.“Our mission at the highest level of competition is to meet the needs of our teams through continuous development of our tyres,” he says. “Competition is a laboratory for Michelin, and our teams are our partners for developing, thinking outside the box, and testing technologies all year long, across several continents.“Maxime came to know Michelin well when he was racing for the BH team. It was during those years that he experienced this ‘development program’, and that is certainly why he thought of us.”A STRONG STARTMichelin wasted no time and delivered prototypes featuring new designs and casings to the team and its riders during the 2024-25 off-season. There has been constant dialogue ever since, with feedback helping to refine the tyres at every stage of their development.“Three tread patterns have been tested, validated, and used in UCI World Cup races. The team has also tried different casing variants and tread compounds,” says Vincent Ledieu.“After a year of intense riding, we have jointly validated a strong-yet-lightweight casing for the most demanding XCO races. A compound has also been approved that offers a good balance between pedaling efficiency and grip in wet and muddy conditions. In addition, we now have a new portfolio of tread designs to give the team the best possible tools to adapt to the terrain and weather conditions they may encounter throughout the season.”But the process isn’t limited to the current range of cross-country tyres, and it’s a continuous development cycle that will influence designs and trends for years to come.“A year of work and technical feedback not only allows us to validate technologies, it also lets us plan ahead,” he explains. “We have already identified improvement areas in our design to give the team better chances in certain conditions. For example, performing well in Short Track is increasingly important for starting the XCO race on the front row, naturally increasing the chances of fighting for a podium. This is why, in 2026, we will work on tyre solutions that allow even better performance in XCC events and in XCO races with less technical terrain.”FUTURE GOALSOrigine Racing Division is clearly just getting started, with riders like Mathis Azzaro and Martina Berta targeting even greater things in 2026. And Michelin will be with the team every pedal stroke of the way, helping them achieve their ambitious targets.“Michelin wants to continue developing and collaborating with the Origine team to give them an even greater chance of reaching their podium goals in 2026,” says Vincent Ledieu. “The Origine team is one of the pillars of our ambition to provide our customers with top-level cross-country tyres. Follow the team, follow us at the UCI World Cups, and you’ll discover for yourself what we’re working on.“But above all, we are looking forward to seeing our team shine in the races and reach podiums throughout the season. The consistent performance of the Origine team and its steady rise throughout the 2025 season give us hope for great results in 2026 – our shared goal is to win.”

In its third season as broadcaster, promoter and organiser, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) Sports drove the 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series to new records across broadcast, digital and social platforms, and on-site fan attendance*.2025 reached a true turning point with significant updates to UCI Regulations, including major changes to the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup qualification system and the introduction of WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series Teams. These reforms build on a groundbreaking long-term partnership between WBD Sports and the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) launched in 2023, unifying most major mountain bike formats under a single brand for the first time.During 16 race weekends in 10 countries across three continents, 64 UCI World Cup winners were crowned, with new overall champions emerging in all-but-one Elite category, highlighting the heightened competitiveness and excitement driven by the latest reforms. On the industry side, 30 mountain bike manufacturers secured UCI World Cup victories through their trade teams during the season with Canyon leading the table, closely followed by Cube and Specialized.The 2025 season also welcomed an exciting new long-term partner venue in La Thuile – Valle D’Aosta  (Italy), which hosted the first-ever UCI Enduro World Cup night race, alongside the introduction of a thrilling Downhill course at a 2024 newcomer venue Lake Placid Olympic Region (USA) and the return of several iconic venues across South America, North America and Europe.NEW BENCHMARKS SET FOR VIEWERSHIPFor the third consecutive year, the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series saw record-breaking worldwide TV viewership. WBD’s channels and platforms (HBO Max, Eurosport, discovery+ and TNT Sports) accounted for the majority of the audience, generating over 87 million cumulative views across the season. This growth was fuelled bythousands of hours of racing broadcast on over 25 partner TV and streaming channels, extending the series’ reach to fans in over 150 countries and territories worldwide.As part of the reform, the UCI and WBD Sports also worked closely with the teams to deliver greater exposure and enhanced marketing opportunities. Broadcast graphics were upgraded to maximise on-screen visibility and increase the media value for teams, athletes and brands, incorporating elements such as headshots, race bike images, team logos, colours, career numbers and national flags. These enhancements helped raise awareness among millions of fans watching worldwide, while creating a more cohesive and recognisable visual identity across events and media platforms.In parallel, WBD continued to enhance its broadcasts to help viewers better understand the racing and 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.In 2025, WBD also invested in a portfolio of non-live cycling content, with the launch of two new, original documentaries – Grit and Glory: Enduro Mountain Bike Racing, an inside look at the 2025 UCI Enduro World Cup season, and Race Bikes, a deep dive into the sport’s fastest machines.FAN-LED GROWTHWBD takes storytelling beyond live broadcasts, capturing every moment on and off the track through comprehensive digital and social coverage.During the 2025 season, more than 250,000 new users followed the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series official accounts (TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube), bringing the total follower count to 1.25 million. This season, social channels have continued to bring fans closer to the action whilst attracting new audiences to the sport, surpassing one billion impressions since the start of the WBD Sports era in 2023.This interest carried over into the expanded media coverage of the series on owned and earned platforms. The new official WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series website (an essential hub for all news, previews, reports and athlete profiles) saw record-breaking volumes of traffic in 2025, generating 5 million total page views (+233% vs 2024) taking the total to more than 10 million since the series’ inception in 2023.Along with the millions of viewers watching at home and online, a record 440,000 fans attended on-site, with 97% of those surveyed saying they would return to another WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series event in the future. More than 100,000 descended on Haute-Savoie alone over two weekends of racing in Les Gets and Morillon.Chris Ball, VP Cycling Events at Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe, said: “The third year of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series has exceeded all expectations. What began as an ambitious vision a few years ago has now become one of the most thrilling spectacles on the international sporting calendar. With the continued support of the UCI, which has embraced our ambition for change, we have introduced reforms that are genuinely transforming the sport and elevating the experience for both athletes and fans.We are proud to see these results reflect the positive response to the changes we believed in from the outset, and we remain confident that we will continue to drive growth and innovation with every new season.”UCI President David Lappartientsaid: "From the opening rounds in Brazil in April, to four months of racing in European destinations, before returning to the American continent for the final two rounds - in the USA and Canada – the 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series was an enormous success. Thanks to our collaboration with Warner Bros. Discovery Sports we have taken this leading mountain bike series to new heights, both in terms of sporting interest and international popularity. We will continue to work together to build on this success and ensure that both mountain bike athletes and fans can continue to look forward to innovative and exciting season-long competitions.”EYES ON 2026The 2025 season marked the most significant overhaul in mountain bike since the inception of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in 1991, reshaping the sport’s landscape, raising professional standards across the series, and elevating elite teams to new levels and new audiences worldwide. Building on these strong foundations, the 2026 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series aims to deliver another record-breaking season across all four formats.The 2026 season kicks off in May with the Race of South Korea – marking the return of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup to the Asian continent for the first time in 25 years. The series will also make first-time stops at Soldier Hollow, Midway, Utah (USA) and Downhill’s spiritual home of Whistler Mountain Bike Park, British Columbia (Canada), delivering on decades of anticipation from fans, teams and athletes alike. And this is just a taste of things to come, with 14 race weekend across three continents, nine countries, including two quadruple headers and a series finale in the US at the iconic Lake Placid Olympic Region.*Figures from January 1st – November 1st 2025

The WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series experienced a shake-up at the start of the 2025 series.For the first time in UCI Mountain Bike World Cup history, UCI World Series Team status was introduced, which guaranteed spots on the start line at every round for 40 teams – 20 in Endurance and 20 in Gravity. The new regulations were introduced to make UCI World Cups more competitive whilst providing teams and athletes with greater opportunities for growth and visibility.While 30 of the spaces (15 across each format) were decided by UCI ranking points, five Endurance and five Gravity outfits would earn their places via yearlong wildcard spots.Fiercely contested, they were selected based on a scoring matrix that included criteria such as UCI team ranking, UCI Continental Series participation and results, athlete profiles, sponsor profiles and media reach.In Endurance, it saw the likes of multi-discipline stars Mathieu van der Poel and Puck Pieterse’s Alpecin-Deceuninck secure its place despite missing out via UCI rankings, while Reece Wilson’s new outfit AON Racing-Tourne Campervan was guaranteed a spot in the Downhill start hut.The 2026 season will see the same five year-long wildcard spaces on offer across Endurance and Gravity, with 19 teams currently awaiting their fate to see if they’ve been selected for next season.Teams likely to be in contention include Alpecin-Deceuninck, AON Racing-Tourne Campervan, and other year-long wildcard picks from last year such as Continental Atherton, Pivot Factory Racing (Gravity), Liv Factory Racing and Mondraker Factory Racing (Endurance).ADDITIONAL SPOTS AT EACH ROUNDIn addition to the wildcard UCI World Series Team spots, there will be up to eight wildcard spots available to regular UCI Mountain Bike teams in each format at each UCI World Cup round.These follow the same selection criteria as the year-long picks, but also considers the home nation of the team as well as recent results.These round-based picks aren’t just to make up the numbers either, and teams and riders can propel themselves from wildcard entrants to major contenders – Rogue Racing’s Thibault Daprela recording a podium (Val di Sole - Trentino, Italy) and 16th in the Downhill overall in 2025 despite only entering as a wildcard.

The off-season is a time for riders to enjoy some relaxation and recuperation before readying themselves for an intensive training block that will get race ready ahead of the first round of the 2026 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series in May.But this time of year is also an interesting proposition for teams, who are waiting eagerly to find out if they’ve done enough to secure UCI World Series Team status, and a spot at every UCI World Cup of the 2026 season.A new qualifying process was introduced at the start of the 2025 season to enhance the competitiveness and excitement of each UCI Mountain Bike World Cup, while establishing a clear development pathway to the highest level of mountain biking. All teams are required to register with the UCI to be classified as either a UCI Mountain Bike Team or a WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series Team (previously known as UCI MTB Elite teams). UCI World Series Team status is awarded to 20 teams in each of the Endurance and Gravity formats, which guarantees participation at each UCI World Cup.Like in the 2025 series, the 20 teams for each format are made up of the top 15 in the UCI team rankings and five year-long wildcard spots that are awarded based on a scoring matrix.A team’s UCI points are calculated by adding together the points of the four highest scored riders of each team without making a distinction between men Elite, men Junior/U23, women Elite and women Junior/U23. These points are accrued across all UCI-registered events (not just WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series points) and are scored in finals only. The rankings cut off was 28 October 2025.There is a bit of a difference for 2026 though. Unlike in 2025, points aren’t transferred with riders to their new teams, meaning there’s no opportunities for a team to make shrewd off-season signings to increase their chances of bagging UCI World Series Team status. Also, this season will see teams ranked 1-10 offered a two-year licence, and the teams ranked 11-15 offered a one-year licence, unlike last season where the top 15 ranked teams were only offered a one-year licence.Being in the top 15 provides an invitation to become a UCI World Series team, but it doesn’t guarantee participation—teams still need to accept and complete registration.Three-quarters of the UCI World Series teams decided, the remaining 10 spots are awarded to year-long wildcards, while there are a number of other ways that teams and riders can bag their spot on a startline or in the start hut, including round-by-round wildcard entries and a rider’s individual UCI ranking.

Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) and Vali Höll (YT Mob) might have come away with all the spoils from the 2025 season, but the 10-round series was one of the most competitive in recent memory with one nail-biting conclusion that will live long in the memory.Downhill mountain biking is fast, furious, and extremely unpredictable, but two riders had bucked the trend in recent history, showing consistency where others had crumbled and cruising to back-to-back overall series in 2023 and 2024.All eyes were on Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity) and Vali Höll (YT Mob) once more as the longest-ever season got underway in Bielsko-Biała, and whether any other athletes could end their dominance.As it turns out, they could. The men’s contest witnessed the rise of Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) – the 21-year-old Canadian returning to action after a year on the sidelines with injury – and a battle for the top spot with Bruni that wouldn’t be decided until the very last run of the series. While Höll still came out on top, her fourth overall series was the Austrian’s toughest test yet, with five different women standing on the top spot over the year. Goldstone’s record-equaling run and five wins enough to topple BruniWhen Loïc Bruni won qualifying and finals at the opening round in Bielsko-Biała (Poland), his competitors could have been forgiven for thinking that the series was already over. While there were still nine rounds to go, the Frenchman’s signature consistency would mean that his win in Poland probably wouldn’t be his last of the year, while only an uncharacteristic crash or injury would prevent him from winning his fifth overall title and third consecutive crown.Jackson Goldstone had other ideas though. Fresh from a season sat on the sidelines with injury, the Canadian had a point to prove after an impressive debut elite season in 2023 where he won his first two UCI Downhill World Cups and narrowly finished second behind Bruni in the overall. And although he could only manage a top-20 finish at the season opener, it was a warm-up for what was to come.From Loudenvielle-Peyragudes onwards, he was unstoppable, equaling Aaron Gwin’s (Gwin Racing) record for four wins in a row, while he had back-to-back perfect weekends in Val di Sole (Italy) and La Thuile (Italy). His results propelled him to the top of the standings, and at the midway point, he had a healthy 195-point lead over Bruni.His run would end in Pal Arinsal (Andorra), Bruni getting the better of Goldstone for his second win of the series, and the Frenchman would chip away at Goldstone’s lead with each round – the Canadian dropping points in Les Gets, Haute-Savoie (France) and Bike Kingdom Lenzerheide (Switzerland), while Bruni was his metronomic self with two top-five finishes.Neither made the podium in Lake Placid’s (USA) UCI Downhill World Cup debut, and things were poised tantalisingly with just Mont-Sainte-Anne (Canada) – Bruni leading by 72 and able to take the series even if Goldstone won.On finals day, Goldstone did all he could in front of a partisan home crowd, putting in the first 3:30 of the day to sit in the hotseat with only Luca Shaw (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) and Bruni to go. The American could only go second fastest, and then all eyes were on the start hut awaiting Bruni’s drop in. But it never came – the Frenchman injured during training on finals day and knowing that he wouldn’t be able to compete, let alone beat, Goldstone’s time. The Canadian had done it, winning the UCI Downhill World Cup Overall series on home soil, completing a Hollywood ending to a redemption story that also included winning the UCI Downhill World Championship. Höll shows grit to complete hat-trick of overall and world championship doubleWhile the men’s contest was a two-horse race, the women’s was the most open it has been in years. After Vali Höll’s dominance since breaking through to the elite class in 2021, the Austrian had a fight on her hands from the off.It was Tahnée Seagrave (Orbea/FMD Racing) who started strongest – the experienced Brit back to her best to take the opening round in Bielsko-Biała (Poland) – before Gracey Hemstreet (Norco Race Division) took up the mantle, winning her first two UCI Downhill World Cups.Marine Cabirou (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) and Nina Hoffmann (Santa Cruz Syndicate) got in on the action in Val di Sole (Italy) and La Thuile (Italy), but at the halfway point, Höll still led the overall despite not winning a weekend.It was her consistency that had got her there – the 23-year-old using her experience to grind out podium finishes even if she didn’t take the win – but as her winless UCI World Cup streak extended beyond a year, many wondered if it would be enough to see her through to the end of the season.Seagrave and Hemstreet cleaned up at the next three rounds, but their inconsistency couldn’t shake Höll from the overall top spot, and when the Austrian had her first opportunity to mathematically secure her fourth title and third consecutive crown in Lake Placid (USA), she seized it with both hands while her rivals’ challenges wilted.Fresh off the back of winning her fourth consecutive UCI Downhill World Championship, Höll blitzed the field on the venue’s new downhill course, going fastest in each intermediate split to win by almost three seconds. Hemstreet meanwhile could only manage 10th, meaning the title wouldn’t go to the final round.A crash in her Mont-Sainte-Anne (Canada) finals run saw Höll finish down in 14th, but she was still able to extend her lead – neither Hemstreet or Seagrave scoring a point over the weekend, meaning it was as you were for the top three spots in the overall. Alran edges Vermette and Rosa keeps it consistent in JuniorsWhile the Elite contests were the closest they’ve been in years, the Juniors were on another level.In the women’s field, Rosa Zierl (Cube Factory Racing) and Alehta Ostgaard (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) were the dominant forces – the pair claiming four wins each from the 10 rounds. It was Zierl who edged it though, beating Ostgaard by 45 points – the American’s failure to score anything in Loudenvielle-Peyragudes coming back to haunt her at the season’s end.The men’s contest meanwhile was an epic that featured two riders who often put down runs faster than the elites that followed. Max Alran (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) ultimately had the edge over Asa Vermette (Frameworks Racing/5Dev), but just 12 points separated the pair after 10 rounds of fierce and frenetic racing. It was Alran’s four wins to Vermette’s two that were the difference – the Frenchman outscoring his American rival despite the latter’s podium finishes.Next year the season kicks-off in South Korea.

The American and Brit dominated their respective series with consistency and race-winning performances that no-one else could handle.The UCI Cross-country Short Track (XCC) World Cup has become fiercely contested where results are much more than simply sorting the starting order for the race weekend’s UCI Cross-country Olympic (XCO) World Cup. The shorter, high intensity nature of the racing has seen specialists emerge, and when they are in form, they are almost unstoppable.Christopher Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing) and Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing-Pirelli) are two such riders. Explosive, aggressive and able to ride in the red for sustained periods of time, the pair had already shown they could beat the best in XCC races – Richards in particular going into the 2025 season as the reigning UCI XCC World Champion.But both pulled together seriously impressive series that left them head and shoulders above the rest, and worthy winners of the 2025 UCI XCC World Cup overall titles.BLEVINS GOES FIVE-IN-A-ROW BEFORE SIGNING OFF THE SERIES WITH ONE ROUND TO GOLike his UCI XCO World Cup record, Blevins had two UCI XCC World Cup wins to his name prior to the 2025 series, although you’d have to go back to Snowshoe (USA) in 2022 for his most recent short track victory. While he had recorded some podium finishes in 2024, it was his teammate and reigning UCI XCC World Champion Victor Koretzky (Specialized Factory Racing) who was the rider to watch going into the new season.The American had clearly had an impressive off-season though, and started the series in the best way possible – outsprinting Koretzky to take the win in the Araxá, Minas Gerais’ (Brazil) opening race. It was a feat he repeated six days later, again getting the better of Koretzky, and as the series moved from South America to Europe, he already held a healthy lead in the overall.It was the same story in Nové Mesto na Moravě (Czechia), while wins in Saalfelden Leogang - Salzburgerland (Austria) and Val di Sole (Italy) made it an unprecedented five in a row for Blevins. It wasn’t until Pal Arinsal (Andorra) in July when another rider would finally get the better of Blevins – Luca Martin (Cannondale Factory Racing) edging him on the line.While his season appeared to drift in the next two rounds, his early dominance meant that the overall never truly looked to be under threat. And when the opportunity presented itself to claim the overall on home soil in Lake Placid Olympic Region (USA), Blevins didn’t miss – flying round teammate Adrien Boichis (Specialized Factory Racing) on the line for his sixth win of the season, and Specialized’s sixth 1-2 of the year.Martin prevented it being a Specialized Factory Racing whitewash in the overall – the Frenchman adding a second win of the series at the season finale in Mont-Sainte-Anne (Canada) – while his teammate Charlie Aldridge (Cannondale Factory Racing) rounded out the overall podium.RICHARDS PUTS IN HER MOST-CONSISTENT SEASON TO ADD THE OVERALL TITLE TO HER 2024 RAINBOW BANDSWhen Evie Richards won the 2021 UCI XCO World Championship, the Brit appeared to suffer the curse of the rainbow bands during her year in the world champions jersey, only finishing two UCI XCO World Cups and 16th position her best placing.The 28-year-old had another three seasons’ experience on her side entering the 2025 series, and looked determined to not suffer the same fate while wearing the UCI XCC World Champions jersey.She started her season the best possible way, leaving Brazil with a 100% record from the opening two rounds and in control of the overall. A narrow second place to Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck) in Nové Mesto na Moravě was the first time she had been bettered in the XCC all year, while sixth in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland would be her worst result all season.Forced to skip Val di Sole – Trentino (Italy), her overall looked under threat from Pieterse, who had won three back-to-back UCI XCC World Cups. But come Pal Arinsal, Richards answered her critics, returning to the podium with second behind Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon) while the Dutchwoman wilted at altitude.Defending overall champion Keller appeared to be Richards’ main threat and was hitting form just at the right time, while Jenny Rissveds (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) threw her hat into the ring with a win in Les Gets, Haute-Savoie (France) with the series leader only managing fifth. But the Brit showed a new, steely resolve.While Rissveds could go on to win the next three rounds, finishing the season with an almost perfect record and picking up XCO/XCC doubles in Les Gets, Haute-Savoie, Lake Placid Olympic Region and Mont-Sainte-Anne (Canada), Richards was always in the background, finishing next best to the Swede to retain her advantage in the overall.Rissveds ultimately left it too late, and will rue her failure to score points in Nové Mesto with 110 points the difference between the two. Keller meanwhile finished third while also clinching the 2025 UCI XCC World Championship.SADNIK EDGES CORVI WHILE TREUDLER ADDS XCC TITLE TO XCO CROWN IN U23In the U23 field, it was a similar story with a competitive contest in the women’s U23 while one rider ran away with proceedings in the men’s U23.Katharina Sadnik (KTM Factory MTB Team) had the edge in the women’s U23, beating Women U23 UCI XCO World Cup overall winner Valentina Corvi (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) by 26 points. The Austrian collected six podiums all year, including the win in Pal Arinsal, but the series was separated by just six points as racing got underway in Mont-Sainte-Anne. Her third-place finish scored her 20 more points than Corvi, who could only manage seventh – the Italian likely regretting her two missed rounds in Nové Mesto and Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland.In the men’s U23, like in the XCO, Finn Treudler (Cube Factory Racing) dominated. While he wasn’t able to match his eight wins from the Olympic-distance format, the Swiss 22-year-old did win seven rounds in a row from Saalfelden Leogang - Salzburgerland to Mont-Sainte-Anne, and was only beaten by elite-class rider Adrien Boichis at the U23 UCI XCC World Championships.

The WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike Series would witness something of the changing of the guard in the Cross-country formats for 2025. Reigning UCI Cross-country Olympic (XCO) World Champions Alan Hatherly (Giant Factory Off-Road Team - XC) and Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck) would instead focus on the road – both skipping the first two and final two rounds of the year – while one of the G.O.A.Ts Pauline Ferrand-Prevot didn’t set foot on the trails once all season as she targeted (and won) the Tour de France Femmes. Elsewhere, consistent performers of previous seasons – Nino Schurter (Scott-SRAM MTB Racing Team) and Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon) had age and a comeback from injury to contend with.This void at the top of the table opened up the chance for other riders to stake their claim. And it was an opportunity that both Christopher Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing) and Samara Maxwell (Decathlon Ford Racing Team) seized with both hands.The pair were ever present at all 10 rounds of the series. But their debut title wins were down to more than simply showing up – both Blevins and Maxwell displaying the consistency needed be crowned overall champions. From an unprecedented three XCO-XCC doubles to an almost-perfect podium season, here’s how Blevins and Maxwell did it.BLEVINS BLOWS COMPETITORS AWAY BEFORE OVERCOMING MID-SEASON SLUMP IN STYLEPrior to the 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series, Christopher Blevins had only won two XCO races on the biggest stage – a sprint finish in Mairiporã (Brazil) in April 2024 and in Snowshoe (USA) back in September 2021. While the 27-year-old would have to settle for second best to teammate Victor Koretzky (Specialized Factory Racing) at the opening round in Araxá, Minais Gerais (Brazil), when the field returned six days later, the American made sure he didn’t miss again.His victory in South America was his third of the opening two rounds – Blevins also picking up the opening two UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup wins – and started a run of first-places that would last until round four in Saalfelden Leogang - Salzbugerland (Austria). A 17th place on the slopes in the Austrian alps wasn’t enough to dent his overall lead, while by the series’ midpoint in Val di Sole - Trentino (Italy), his advantage was more than 300 points.Blevins’ form appeared to desert him in Pal Arinsal’s (Andorra) high altitude arena – a 29th place his worst result of the year – and things didn’t seem to improve with 12th and 27th in Les Gets, Haute Savoie (France) and Bike Kingdom - Lenzerheide (Switzerland), respectively. But when the chance to mathematically secure the overall arose at home in Lake Placid Olympic Region (USA), the American rose to the occasion – clinching a third UCI XCO World Cup and XCO-XCC double of the season, and with it the title.Blevins could relax as the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series crossed the border into Canada for the final round, where teammate Martin Viduarre Kossmann (Specialized Factory Racing) secured second in the overall, and Luca Martin (Cannondale Factory Racing) third.MAXWELL CLINCHES NEW ZEALAND’S FIRST UCI WORLD CUP OVERALL CROWNSamara Maxwell had an impressive debut elite season in 2024, finishing within the top 20 at every UCI XCO World Cup she entered, but the 23-year-old took things up a gear for 2025 and signaled her intent from the off.At the opening round in Araxá, the New Zealander edged Nicole Koller (Ghost Factory Racing) and teammate Savilia Blunk (Decathlon Ford Racing Team) to record her debut UCI XCO World Cup win and the top spot in the overall, and it was a position she held on to all the way to the season’s end.Although she would only claim one more victory – in Pal Arinsal – the young rider’s consistency made her a runaway force that was impossible to contain. After her win in the season opener, Maxwell would become a feature of each round’s podium until race weekend 8 in Bike Kingdom - Lenzerheide at the end of September – when she finished sixth (her lowest position of the entire year).Other riders looked like they might be able to threaten Maxwell’s dominance. Puck Pieterse (Alpecin Deceuninck) put together a hat-trick of wins in Nové Mesto na Moravě (Czechia), Saalfelden Leogang - Salzburgerland and Val di Sole, but the 2024 UCI XCO World Champion lost her way in the second-half of the season. Jenny Rissveds (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) went one better, winning the final four UCI XCO World Cups of the series and the UCI XCO World Championship, but the Swede had ultimately left it too late to topple Maxwell. The Decathlon Ford Racing Team rider had to wait until the Mont-Sainte-Anne (Canada) season finale to confirm her crown, but signed off her season with a fourth second-place to take her and her country’s first-ever UCI World Cup overall series. Elsewhere, Rissveds would have to settle for second, with 2024 UCI XCO World Cup overall winner Alessandra Keller third.CORVI AND TREUDLER CROWNED U23 WINNERSIn the U23 field, another two riders dominated proceedings with podium-perfect seasons between them.In the women’s Under 23, Valentina Corvi (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) completed her second U23 season in style, picking up podiums at every round she entered and three wins in Val di Sole, Pal Arinsal and Les Gets. The Italian could afford to skip two rounds and still win at a canter to Vida Lopez De San Roman (Trinity Racing).In the men’s U23, it was the Finn Treudler (Cube Factory Racing) show. The Swiss 22-year-old dominated the field, winning eight out of 10 rounds with the only blemishes on his near-perfect record third-place in Nové Mesto na Moravě and second in Val di Sole. His 601-point victory in the overall over Rens Teunissen Van Manen (KMC Ridley MTB Racing Team) is one of the most one-sided performances ever, and it will be interesting to see how he fairs when stepping up to the elites in 2026.