Fans Tune In and Turn Up: WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series Hits New Benchmarks in 2026

The British rider arrives following a standout 2026 campaign, capped by victory in the season’s final UCI Cross-country Short Track (XCC) World Cup at Lake Placid Olympic Sites, New York (USA), alongside three further UCI World Cup podiums that underlined his consistency.His success extended beyond the series, with Aldridge taking silver medals in both XCC and Cross-country Olympic (XCO) at the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships, alongside two gold medals at the UEC European Mountain Bike Championships.The move sees Aldridge join an established Thömus maxon roster featuring former UCI World Champion and UCI World Cup overall winner Alessandra Keller and UCI World Cup winner Mathias Flückiger. Both Swiss riders have extended their contracts with the team, ensuring it continues to draw on the experience of its established leaders while adding another proven contender in Aldridge.Developing the next generation will also remain central to Thömus maxon’s plans for 2027. After Monique Halter stepped up from the Thömus Akros Youngstars development set-up to the professional team during the 2026 season, her younger brother Nicolas Halter will follow for 2027. Both were crowned U23 UCI XCC World Champions in 2026. The 20-year-old’s promotion will see the siblings continue their development in the team’s performance environment alongside its experienced UCI World Cup riders.There will also be changes behind the scenes, with Phil Dixon joining the team’s athletic staff as Sports Director and Kenta Gallagher as Race Coach and Test Rider.The strengthened roster and staff form part of Thömus maxon’s ambition to raise the performance level across the squad while retaining its strong Swiss foundations and competing at the highest level of international mountain biking.

The 2027 calendar for the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series has been confirmed. The fifth season of the revamped UCI World Cup format will visit two continents and eight countries across 10 rounds between May and October 2027, showcasing the very best athletes in the sport’s Endurance (cross-country short track - XCC - and cross-country Olympic - XCO) and Gravity (Downhill - DHI) formats.The season gets underway on May 21st with cross-country racing at the traditional early-season stop of Nové Město na Moravě (Czechia), while the downhill campaign begins one week later in the French Pyrenees at Loudenvielle-Peyragudes (29-30 May).Following a weekend break, the second week of June marks the first of six XCO/XCC/DHI triple-headers at long-standing WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series venue Saalfelden Leogang - SalzburgerLand (Austria). The action then moves across the Alps to Les Gets, Haute-Savoie Mont Blanc (France), offering fans an early taste of what awaits later that summer when the Haute-Savoie region hosts the second edition of the UCI Cycling World Championships, with the cross-country and downhill UCI World Championship titles set to be decided at the iconic French venue.After another weekend off, La Thuile, Valle d’Aosta (Italy) welcomes the sport’s elite for just its second UCI Cross-country World Cup and third UCI Downhill World Cup, before the series heads back to the Pyrenees and Pal Arinsal, Andorra for the final round ahead of a six-week summer break.Bike Kingdom Lenzerheide (Switzerland) signals the start of the second half of the season on August 20 for both Endurance and Gravity athletes, before the final European round and last triple-header of the year sees the return of the legendary Val di Sole, Trentino (Italy), which was absent from the 2026 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series calendar due to its hosting of the 2026 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships.The series then heads across the Atlantic, with each format enjoying its own North American finale in 2027. The UCI Cross-country World Cup will conclude on September 25-26 at Soldier Hollow, Midway, Utah (USA), a venue that quickly established itself as one of the standout additions to the series in 2026 thanks to its spectacular setting, demanding courses and enthusiastic crowds. The downhill season, meanwhile, will come to a close on October 3 at the world-renowned slopes of Whistler Mountain Bike Park, British Columbia (Canada).David Lappartient, UCI President, said: “Every season of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series writes a new chapter in the history of the discipline, and the 2027 calendar has all the ingredients to make this one unforgettable, including six weekends featuring all three formats.“Mountain bike rewards riders who can adapt and overcome, and with every venue presenting its own challenges, only those who push their limits time and again will be fighting for the overall titles. In a year that also features the 2027 UCI Cycling World Championships, the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series will be an essential proving ground for athletes with ambitions of claiming the rainbow jersey in Haute-Savoie Mont-Blanc.”Chris Ball, Vice President of Cycling Events, EMEA Sports at Skydance, said: “The 2026 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series has delivered a season full of landmark moments, including the UCI World Cup debuts of South Korea, Soldier Hollow and Whistler, as well as innovative changes such as the Women Elite Downhill Finals bringing the racing programme to a close in Saalfelden Leogang - SalzburgerLand. Looking ahead to 2027, we’ve created a calendar that combines world-class venues, passionate fan bases and the highest level of competition in the discipline from the opening round to the season finales. The 2027 calendar will feature 10 rounds, with eight events per format. Every stop on the calendar represents a premier mountain bike destination in its respective country and a beating heart of its off-road community. Together, they will provide racing at the highest level, passionate crowds and an unforgettable atmosphere for both those on-site and the millions of fans watching around the world.” WHOOP UCI MOUNTAIN BIKE WORLD SERIES 2027 CALENDAR:Round 1 / May 21-23: Nové Město Na Moravě, Czechia (UCI Cross-country World Cup)Round 2 / May 29-30: Loudenvielle-Peyragudes, France (UCI Downhill World Cup)Round 3 / June 11-13: Saalfelden Leogang - Salzburgerland, Austria (UCI Cross-country and UCI Downhill World Cup)Round 4 / June 18-20: Les Gets, Haute-Savoie Mont Blanc, France (UCI Cross-country and UCI Downhill World Cups)Round 5 / July 2-4: La Thuile, Valle d’Aosta Italy (UCI Cross-country and UCI Downhill World Cup)Round 6 / July 9-11: Pal Arinsal, Andorra (UCI Cross-country and UCI Downhill World Cup)Round 7 / August 20-22: Bike Kingdom, Lenzerheide, Switzerland (UCI Cross-country and Downhill World Cup)Round 8 / September 10-12: Val di Sole, Trentino, Italy (UCI Cross-country and UCI Downhill World Cups)Round 9 / September 25-26: Soldier Hollow, Midway, Utah, USA (UCI Cross-country World Cup)Round 10 / October 2-3: Whistler Mountain Bike Park, British Columbia, Canada (UCI Downhill World Cup)

Ella Conolly returned to the top for a second consecutive season, winning three UCI Enduro World Cups on her way to defending the overall crown. While the Briton’s campaign was defined by consistency, the men’s competition could hardly have been more unpredictable. A different rider won at every round, and with six still in contention heading into the finale, Adrien Dailly (Speed Project) chose the perfect moment to take his only victory of the season and secure a surprise UCI Enduro World Cup overall title.Defending men’s champion Sławomir Łukasik (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) struggled to replicate the form that took him to the 2025 crown, eventually finishing ninth in the standings and opening the door for a new pool of contenders. Dailly ultimately emerged on top of an incredibly open title fight, writing his own underdog story in the process.The women’s field told a very different story. Conolly picked up where she had left off in 2025, combining outright speed with consistency to retain her title and establish herself once again as the rider to beat.While the UCI Enduro World Cup reached its conclusion in 2026, the season culminated at the UCI Mountain Bike Enduro World Championships, with the coveted rainbow jerseys decided in the spiritual home of Enduro racing.CONOLLY CLAIMS SECOND UCI WORLD CUP OVERALLAfter an incredible 2025 campaign that saw her stand on the podium at every UCI World Cup round, including three victories, Ella Conolly carried that momentum straight into 2026 as she set about defending her first overall title.She made the perfect start, winning the opening round in Loudenvielle – Peyragudes (France) by more than five seconds ahead of Mélanie Pugin (Speed Project). But it would not all be smooth sailing. Winnifred Goldsbury claimed her maiden UCI Enduro World Cup victory in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland (Austria), before Pugin took the win in Val di Fassa – Trentino (Italy), with Conolly finishing runner-up on both occasions.Any suggestion that Conolly’s grip on the title race was loosening was quickly put to rest. She returned to the top step in La Thuile – Valle d’Aosta (Italy), pairing speed with remarkable consistency across the demanding Alpine terrain, before following it up with another victory in Aletsch Arena – Bellwald (Switzerland). DNFs for Raphaela Richter and Goldsbury strengthened Conolly’s position in the standings, but the Briton needed little assistance from her rivals as another dominant display saw her tighten her grip on the overall.By the time the series reached its final round in Morillon, Haute-Savoie (France), Conolly held a 170-point advantage over Pugin and needed only a sixth-place finish to retain the title. The opening day did not go entirely to plan, with the Briton struggling in the intense heat and ending the day seventh, almost 40 seconds off the race lead. Pugin was also unable to fully capitalise, sitting just one place ahead overnight.Conolly recovered to finish fifth, comfortably enough to secure the UCI Enduro World Cup overall title for a second consecutive season. She ended the campaign 220 points clear of Pugin, with Elly Hoskin completing the overall podium in third, capping another season in which Conolly remained the benchmark from start to finish.DAILLY COMPLETES UNDERDOG STORY WITH SHOCK OVERALL CROWNAdrien Dailly (Speed Project) entered 2026 as an unlikely overall contender. After finishing just 68th in the UCI Enduro World Cup standings the previous season, few would have tipped the Frenchman to challenge for the title in a field packed with proven winners. But the reigning UCI E-Enduro World Champion steadily built his challenge before delivering when it mattered most.Dailly’s campaign began quietly. While fellow Frenchman Alex Rudeau took the opening victory in Loudenvielle – Peyragudes, Dailly finished fifth. Another fifth followed in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland, where defending overall champion Sławomir Łukasik  returned to winning ways, before a 12th-place finish in Val di Fassa left Dailly seemingly well outside the title conversation.But his season turned around in La Thuile. Dailly claimed his first podium of the campaign with second place behind Speed Project teammate Raphaël Giambi, before finishing runner-up again in Aletsch, this time behind another surprise contender in Ryan Gilchrist (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team). Without yet winning a round, Dailly’s consistency had suddenly propelled him into the heart of an increasingly unpredictable overall battle.Heading into the finale in Morillon, Canadian privateer Lief Rodgers led the standings, with Dailly just 82 points behind. Rodgers needed a podium to guarantee his maiden overall crown, but with the margins so tight, each of the top six riders remained mathematically capable of taking the title. Dailly, Rodgers, Giambi, Rudeau, Gilchrist and Łukasik all arrived with a chance, setting up a final-round showdown.Faced with his biggest opportunity of the season, Dailly produced his best performance. The Frenchman delivered a composed weekend to claim his first UCI Enduro World Cup victory of 2026 at exactly the right moment. With it came the overall crown, completing a remarkable rise. Dailly ultimately finished 43 points clear of Rodgers, with Gilchrist completing the overall podium in third.LIBNIK AND MARTI MONTESSINOS DOMINATE JUNIOR RANKSTwo riders stood head and shoulders above the rest of the Junior field in 2026, with Nežka Libnik and Hugo Marti Montessinos delivering dominant seasons on their way to the overall titles.After missing the opening round, Libnik wasted little time making her mark on the Junior Women’s competition. She claimed an outstanding four victories from six UCI World Cups, alongside a third-place finish in Aletsch. That remarkable run of form saw Libnik secure the UCI Enduro World Cup overall title by 35 points.In the Junior Men’s field, Marti Montessinos was even more dominant, winning every round he contested bar a runner-up finish in Val di Fassa. Such was his advantage that he had already wrapped up the overall crown at the penultimate round in Aletsch, meaning he arrived at the season finale in Morillon with the title already secured.UCI WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS BRING THE SEASON TO A SPECTACULAR CLOSEThe Enduro season was not finished there, with the spotlight turning to Finale Outdoor Region, Liguria (Italy), a venue synonymous with the history of the discipline, for the UCI Mountain Bike Enduro and E-Enduro World Championships. It was the first time the battle for the rainbow jerseys had been staged at the iconic destination, which has hosted Enduro racing every year since 2008.The Elite Enduro titles produced thrilling racing right to the final stage. Ryan Gilchrist (Australia) added a rainbow jersey to his breakthrough UCI World Cup season, holding off Elliot Jamieson (Canada) by just four seconds to claim the Men’s Elite title, while Raphaela Richter (Germany) edged Isabeau Courdurier (France) by a single second to take the Women’s Elite crown. In the Junior categories, UCI World Cup overall winners Hugo Marti Montessinos (France) and Nežka Libnik (Slovenia) capped dominant seasons by adding rainbow jerseys to their 2026 honours.There was more success in E-Enduro, where Adrien Dailly (France) capped a memorable year by successfully defending his UCI World Championship title just weeks after securing the Enduro UCI World Cup overall, while Helen Weber (Germany) produced a commanding performance to win five of six stages and claim the Women’s Elite rainbow jersey.