Embacher and François Baudry Join UCI Cross-Country Olympic U23 Winners Club in Nové Město Na Moravě

Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Premier Tech) sprinted to UCI Cross-country Short Track (XCC) World Cup victory on her return to the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series in Nové Město Na Moravě, while fellow multi-discipline superstar Tom Pidcock was denied by a late kick from Mathis Azzaro (Origine Racing Division).Both XCC races came down the final straight of the final lap and Pieterse and Azzaro each kept their cool to round the leader and take victory on the tactical course in Czechia.Pidcock had gone from last to first in the men’s race but was overhauled late on by Azzaro, who managed to hold onto his brutal attack on the final lap. The Frenchman retains the Elite Men UCI XCC World Cup overall lead while fifth-placed Sina Frei (Specialized Factory Racing) stays atop the women’s leaderboard.RELENTLESS PIETERSE CAPS GLORIOUS RETURNPuck Pieterse emerged victorious from an intensely brutal women’s race packed with drama, fighting through from close to the back of the pack to win the sprint. The Dutch superstar hit the front at the start of lap three and attacked up the climb every lap in the second half of the race, putting her competition in the red each time even if she couldn’t shake them off.Instead, the key selection in the race came on the start/finish straight rather than the steep uphill section when Alessandra Keller (Thömus maxon) and Frei’s handlebars tangled, sending the UCI XCC World Champion into the barriers alongside Jolanda Neff (Cannondale Factory Racing).Neff cut a slightly ominous figure, opting for skinny gravel tyres in conditions a world apart from the apocalyptic weather last time out in MONA YongPyong. However, she ended the day with little more than a sore hand to show for it, later saying: “I wouldn’t do anything differently”.There threatened to be even more carnage when Trek - Unbroken XC’s Evie Richards - who was brought to a standing stop by that crash - engaged Pieterse in an all-out battle to the first corner of the final lap before the Dutchwoman once again attacked on the climb.Yet it was Jenny Rissveds (Canyon XC Racing) who led over the summit, with Pieterse allowing herself to be led out. Nicole Koller (Lapierre PXR Racing) was the first to jump but was passed by Pieterse and Laura Stigger (Specialized Factory Racing), with Richards finishing an impressive fourth after getting caught up in the crash.“I’ve missed it,” Pieterse said. “Here it always gets quite bunchy on the road and slows down a bit, however this year Jenny [Rissveds] was setting such a high pace that it took me a bit to get to the front. When I was there, I just decided to stay there, and tried to keep in control for the final sprint.“I saw Nicole [Koller] coming from the left and she was starting to step on the pedals. I thought ‘now I have to kick’, so I did. It’s super cool, flashbacks to last year’s Short Track here. The goal for tomorrow is just to keep the material [equipment] good and see from there how a one and a half-hour effort compares to the four-hour road sessions.”AZZARO OUTDUELS PATIENT PIDCOCK It was a much cagier men’s race without a presence like Pieterse or Rissveds to push the pace, and Pidcock spent the first four laps dead last to avoid the potential pitfalls of a much bigger bunch at the front.However, first Luca Schwarzbauer (Canyon XC Racing) then the returning Jordan Sarrou (BMC Factory Racing) belated kicked the race into gear and Pidcock himself finally stirred on the fifth lap, reaching the front by the sixth.Another stalemate ensued, only broken by the bell that sparked a drag race into the bottom of the final ascent, won by Charlie Aldridge (Cannondale Factory Racing) before Pidcock lit the touchpaper on the climb, shooting into the lead.Yet Azzaro spotted the move early enough to cling to the Brit’s wheel and Pidcock couldn’t shake the pack on the following jump line so was forced to jump early on the final straight, setting up Azzaro to outsprint him for victory while Dario Lillo (Giant Factory Off-Road Team XC) finished third.“Unreal, I felt the whole day I had the legs, but I was super nervous. You have to stay on the bike. That was the position I wanted in the finish,” Azzaro said.“I knew that Tom [Pidcock] was coming from the back, I just waited, he came the last lap like a Formula 1 car, and I just jumped into the wheel. It’s a name that everyone knows and I’m super proud to beat him, it’s great to race with a champion like this.”Meanwhile Pidcock admitted he waited too long to move up from last place in the field but added: “I knew when he was straight on my wheel. It’s hard coming back to mountain bike from some time away. I feel like I’ve no idea what I’m doing when I come back, so it’s just nice to get that first race out the way, know that I’ve still got the legs. It’s always a doubt when I come back.“I’m here to try and win, I’ve done it every other time. I’m here so need to keep that streak going [tomorrow].”SCHEHL AND KELLERMAN CELEBRATE U23 WINSPaul Schehl (Lexware Mountainbike Team) and Makena Kellerman claimed victory in the men’s and women’s U23 UCI XCC World Cup on Friday but did so in contrasting styles.Kellerman did it the traditional “patient” way, dropping the hammer on the final lap and winning the sprint while Schehl was the only XCC rider to drop the field, opening a seven-second lead on the penultimate lap and holding his advantage until the finish.“Normally it’s a very tactical race where it comes down to the last lap and a crazy sprint, but I don’t have the best sprint, so I said ‘I need to make it super hard, I need to go super early and long” Schehl said.The riders are done for the XCC, but the action is far from over. The Nové Město na Moravě weekend wraps up in style on Sunday with the elite men’s and women’s Cross-country Olympic races. Find out how to watch here.

Ahead of the opening round of the 2026 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series in MONA YongPyong, South Korea on 1-3 May, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) Sports has finalised a standout roster of broadcast partners and agreements to ensure comprehensive coverage of the series to fans worldwide.Every UCI Cross-country and UCI Downhill World Cup round will be broadcast live and on demand through WBD’s channels and platforms, including Eurosport (across Europe) and TNT Sports (in the UK and Ireland) with streaming also on HBO Max as well as around the world through WBD’s broadcast partners.Fans can follow the UCI Enduro World Cup through a range of dedicated content, including course previews featuring the route and its key sections, practice day and race day video highlights on the official YouTube channel, key race moments on social media and live timings on the official WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series website.WHERE TO WATCHMountain bike fans across Europe can enjoy live coverage of the Elite UCI Cross-country Olympic (XCO), Cross-country Short Track (XCC) and UCI Downhill World Cups in the following territories:Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Baltics, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Türkiye, Ukraine – HBO Max / EurosportIreland – TNT SportsUnited Kingdom – HBO Max, TNT SportsFans in Indonesia, Macao, Malaysia, Mongolia, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Chinese Taipei and Thailand can watch live coverage of every round on Eurosport World, while fans in the USA will be able to stream coverage on HBO Max.Live coverage of every round will also be available throughout the season in Australia on Stan Sport, in Canada on FloSports and in LATAM on DirecTV and MTBWS TV.Additional sub‑licence agreements may apply on a round‑by‑round basis, with full details published ahead of each event.In markets without WBD platforms or sub‑licence partners, such as the African continent or New Zealand,, coverage will be available on MTBWS TV, the evolution of WBD Sports’ distribution partnership with streaming service Staylive. For more information, visit the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series official website to check availability in your location.In addition to coverage of Elite racing at UCI Cross-country and Downhill World Cups, the racing at the Junior UCI Downhill World Cup will be available to watch throughout the season on HBO Max (in all available territories) and MTBWS TV via subscription.WHERE TO WATCH: MONA YONGPYONG, SOUTH KOREAThe 2026 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series season kicks off this weekend in MONA YongPyong (South Korea).  In addition to the above, cross-country and downhill coverage of this round will also be available in the following territories on the following channels and platforms:Czechia – CT Sports (Only Elite XCC, Elite Downhill and Women Elite XCO races live)Switzerland, Liechtenstein – SRG/RSI (Only Elite XCC and XCO races live)South Korea – KBSN (Only Elite Downhill races live)ENHANCED BROADCASTLast season saw the introduction of a range of new broadcast features designed to help fans better understand the racing and connect more closely with teams, with these innovations set to continue in 2026.Broadcast graphics will continue to maximise on-screen visibility and increase media value for teams, athletes and brands, by incorporating elements such as headshots, race bike images, team logos, colours, career numbers and national flags. Together, these elements create a cohesive and instantly recognisable visual identity across events and media platforms.WBD will also continue to provide deeper context for fans at home, with accessible, data-driven insights such as heart-rate zones and athlete strain metrics during races, all powered by WHOOP. FPV drones will continue to be integrated into the live broadcast, providing dynamic aerial angles and immersive perspectives that enhance the viewing experience and bring fans closer to the action.Supporting the storytelling of the series and its athletes, Ashleigh Wilmot, Josh Carlson, Oli Beckingsale and Ric McLaughlin will return to screens for live coverage, with former Enduro rider Elliott Heap joining as a presenter across all Enduro video content.In addition to live coverage, the round up show The B Line will deliver a more entertaining, exclusive take on each downhill and cross-country race weekend, featuring athlete perspectives, behind‑the‑scenes insights and untold anecdotes that bring the characters, chaos and personality of the sport to life. Following each race weekend, The B Line will be published every Monday on the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series YouTube channel.In 2025, the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series saw record-breaking worldwide TV viewership, generating over 87 million cumulative views across the season. The majority of the audience was driven via WBD’s channels and platforms (HBO Max, Eurosport, discovery+ and TNT Sports), with growth was fuelled by thousands of hours of racing broadcast on over 25 partner TV and streaming channels, reaching fans in over 150 countries and territories worldwide.Following the start of the UCI Cross-country and UCI Downhill World Cup, the UCI Enduro World Cup launches in Loudenvielle-Peyragudes (France) on 28 May.

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.