Blevins breaks records and Richards shows resolve to win overall XCC titles

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.”

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.