Finale Outdoor Region, Liguria to Host the 2026 UCI Mountain Bike Enduro and E-Enduro World Championships

The Enduro Open gives amateur riders the chance to ride the very same stages as the UCI Enduro World Cup on the same weekend, and now, for 2026, even on the same days. It’s as close as it gets to racing like a pro!At its core, enduro has always been about adventure. The discipline was born from long days in remote mountains where self‑sufficiency mattered as much as skill. That spirit lives on today in the Enduro Open - a focus on fun, exploration and community, with a competitive edge for those who want to push their limits. Whether you're chasing seconds or just soaking in stunning views, you’ll put your fitness, riding skills and problem‑solving to the test.Enduro Open Calendar:28–31 May: Loudenvielle – Peyragudes (France)11–14 June: Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland (Austria)26–28 June: Val di Fassa – Trentino (Italy)17–19 July: Aletsch Arena – Bellwald (Switzerland)14–16 August : Morillon, Haute‑Savoie (France)New for 2026A major evolution arrives this season as Enduro Open Racing will now run on the exact same course and the same days as the UCI Enduro World Cup. The participants will drop in just hours before the pros and then wait for the world’s best at the finish line in order to compare their times directly with them on the same terrain under the same conditions and on the very same taped course while being at the finish to cheer the Elite riders of the discipline.New race categories:For 2026, race categories have been expanded and are now fully age‑based, creating more competitive, more balanced and more rewarding racing by grouping riders into narrower bands.17–18 Male / Female19–34 Male / Female35–39 Male / Female40–44 Male / Female45–49 Male / Female50–54 Male / Female55–59 Male / Female60+ Male / Female​​E-MTB Male 17+​​E-MTB Female 17+​​Pairs 17+ (mixed or gender specific)​Upcoming entries:Entries for Loudenvielle – Peyragudes (France) and Saalfelden Leogang - Salzburgerland (Austria) will open on 3 April.Entries for the remaining Enduro Open races in Val Di Fassa – Trentino (Italy), Aletsch Arena – Bellwald (Switzerland), Morillon, Haute-Savoie (France) will be opening on 17 April. Stay tuned to our official website and social media channels for updates or sign up for our newsletter by entering your email address at the bottom of the webpage.Entry requirements: There are no entry criteria for Enduro Open races. All you need is a bike and the desire to enjoy a truly unique and unforgettable mountain biking experience. However, spots are limited to 300 riders per round, so speed is key if you want to secure your place on the Enduro Open start line. More details on the races, pricing, and included services:28–31 May in Loudenvielle – Peyragudes (France):Alongside world‑class competition, the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series at Loudenvielle–Peyragudes, presented by FACOM, gives amateur riders the opportunity to race between the tapes through Open Racing. Riders can put their skills to the test in Enduro and E‑Enduro categories, tackling the exact same course used by the UCI Enduro World Cup’s elite.Below you’ll find everything you need to know, including race formats, pricing, and what’s included.Entry fee: €130, with a reduced fee of €80 for Junior categories (17–18)Services included:-        Official race entry and number board-        Training day access-        Access to feed stations and water points-        Uplift / shuttle / gondola access where applicable-        Timing equipment-        Access to professional technical support-        -        Welcome goodie bag-        Free Bike Park Day with lift access on Sunday 31 May to ride the park-        Free Balnéa Spa resort access valid for the weekendMake a weekend of it! Loudenvielle offers much more than racing. Bring friends and family and enjoy the full festival atmosphere:-        Watch the UCI Downhill World Cup Finals on Sunday 31 May-        Explore the event village with activities for all ages-        Kids’ races, Monster FMX shows and live music-        Food stalls, entertainment and a lake ride for the whole family.Click HERE for registration. The process is quick and straightforward: simply log in with your existing account or create one if you don’t have one yet. Then complete your personal details, sign the waivers, and select your races.11–14 June in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland (Austria):Set in Austria’s largest mountain biking region, the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series heads to the Epic Bikepark Saalfelden Leogang. For the first time ever, Leogang is opening its race to Open entries, giving riders from around the world the chance to compete at this iconic venue as it celebrates its 25th anniversary this year.Riders can put their skills to the test in Enduro and E‑Enduro categories, tackling the exact same course used by the UCI Enduro World Cup’s elite.Below you’ll find everything you need to know, including race formats, pricing, and what’s included.Entry fee: €150, with a reduced fee of €80 for Junior categories (17–18)Services included:-        Official race entry and number board-        Training day access-        Access to feed stations and water points-        Uplift / shuttle / gondola access where applicable-        Timing equipment-        Access to professional technical supportMake a weekend of it! Leogang offers much more than racing. Bring friends and family and enjoy the full festival atmosphere:-        Watch the UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup on Friday 12 June-        Watch the UCI Downhill World Cup Finals on Saturday 13 June-        Watch the UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup on Sunday 14 June-        Explore the event village with food stalls, entertainment and activities for the whole family.Click HERE for registration. The process is quick and straightforward: simply log in with your existing account or create one if you don’t have one yet. Then complete your personal details, sign the waivers, and select your races.26-28 June in Val di Fassa, Trentino (Italy):Join the world’s best as they race one of the most iconic venues on the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series calendar. The Enduro Open in Val di Fassa - Trentino, presented by Shimano, never disappoints, with infamous trails, unbeatable gelato, and a true enduro atmosphere.A landmark venue in the discipline, Val di Fassa made history in 2024 as the first location to host the UCI Mountain Bike Enduro & E‑Enduro World Championships. Now, the challenge awaits once again: will you take on the legendary Tutti Fruitti ridgeline alongside the UCI Enduro World Cup athletes in this two‑day epic race?Entry fee: €150, with a reduced fee of €80 for Junior categories (17–18)Services included:-        Official race entry and number board-        Training day access-        Access to feed stations and water points-        Uplift / shuttle / gondola access where applicable-        Timing equipment-        Access to professional technical supportEntries open 17 April17-19 July in Aletsch Arena – Bellwald, Valais (Switzerland):With steep, demanding, technical and untamed trails, Enduro Open racing in Aletsch will push every rider to their limits. This venue delivers a truly raw enduro experience and it’s no surprise it was selected to host the UCI Enduro & E‑Enduro World Championships in 2025.Riders will have the chance to test their skills on the exact same course raced by the UCI Enduro World Cup stars, tackling the challenge across two intense days of competition.Entry fee: €150, with reduced fee of €80 for 17-18 categoryServices included:-        Official race entry and number board-        Training day access-        Access to feed stations and water points-        Uplift / shuttle / gondola access where applicable-        Timing equipment-        Access to professional technical supportEntries open 17 April14-16 August Morillon, Haute-Savoie (France):The final round of the 2026 UCI Enduro World Cup season will unfold on the pine‑lined trails of Morillon, Haute‑Savoie. Join the heroes of the sport at this iconic venue and take on the very same trails at the Enduro Open, presented by Shimano racing shoulder to shoulder with the world’s best on a fitting stage for the season finale.Entry fee: €150, with a reduced fee of €80 for Junior categories (17–18)Services included:-        Official race entry and number board-        Training day access-        Access to feed stations and water points-        Uplift / shuttle / gondola access where applicable-        Timing equipment-        Access to professional technical supportEntries Open 17 April

The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) Sports confirm the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series calendar for the 2026 season. The fourth year of the revamped format for mountain bike’s different UCI World Cups - launched in 2023 to unite almost all of mountain bike’s major formats under a single brand for the first time - will visit three continents and nine countries across 14 events between May and October and will feature the best athletes in the sport’s Endurance (Cross-country Olympic, XCO and Cross-country Short Track, XCC) and Gravity (Downhill, DHI and Enduro, EDR) formats.The series kicks off with a landmark weekend of Cross-country and Downhill racing at the Race of South Korea in MONA YongPyong – the first-ever Asian UCI XCO and XCC World Cup rounds and first UCI Downhill World Cup round on the continent in 25 years. After this, the action moves to Europe for the summer, with Nové Město Na Moravě (Czechia) welcoming the Endurance formats and Loudenvielle-Peyragudes (France) welcoming the Gravity formats – the UCI Enduro World Cup starting outside of Italy for the first time since 2023.The following weekend sees the first of two XCO/XCC/DHI/EDR quadruple-headers at long-term partner venue Saalfelden-Leogang Salzburgerland (Austria), before riders get a week’s break leading into the start of five back-to-back WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series race weekends.Lenzerheide (Switzerland) and Pal Arinsal (Andorra) welcome both the Cross-country and Downhill contingent, while Val di Fassa - Trentino (Italy) and the 2025 UCI Enduro World Championships venue Aletsch Arena-Bellwald, Valais (Switzerland) are the proving grounds for Enduro. In the middle of the five-week run is La Thuile – Valle d’Aosta (Italy), which hosts the second quadruple header of the series. Cross-country has also been added to the schedule following a successful debut for the venue in 2025 which saw the steepest Downhill track in the series’ history as well as the world’s first Enduro night stage.After a summer break, the European leg of the season concludes with back-to-back race weekends in Haute-Savoie (France) – one Cross-country and Downhill, the other the Enduro finale – before the Series jets off to North America for three rounds and two new venues. The first will see Cross-country contested on the trails of Soldier Hollow, Midway, Utah (USA) – a venue hosted by the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation, home to the USA Olympic biathlon team training centre and a regular on the IBU Biathlon World Cup circuit. With the region preparing to co-host the Olympic Winter Games in 2034, Soldier Hollow brings Olympic pedigree and world-class credentials to the closing stages of the season.Downhill will then take to its spiritual home in Whistler Mountain Bike Park, British Columbia (Canada), delivering on decades of anticipation with a stage set for unforgettable racing. The iconic venue, which hosted the Olympic Winter Games 15 years ago, will welcome the world’s best downhill riders for a UCI World Cup for the first time. The final weekend will see both the UCI Cross-country and Downhill World Cups decided in Lake Placid Olympic Sites, New York (USA).Chris Ball, Vice President of Cycling Events at Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe, said: “The 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series was always going to be about bedding in the major reforms that we introduced at the start of this year, and the competitiveness and excitement of each format shows that the changes are working. For 2026, we’re doubling down on our successes and pushing the sport even further into new territories. “The 2026 calendar will witness 14 gripping events that take in the world’s best destinations, including four proven Olympic venues, with half returning under multi-year agreements reflecting our sustained investment in the sport’s growth. Every venue we've introduced since 2023 has quickly become a favourite among athletes, highlighting WBD’s commitment to pushing the limits of performance while prioritising safety and expanding a world-class, global calendar. We’re continuing to expand the reach of the sport by bringing Cross-country Olympic racing to Asia for the first time, growing our footprint in the USA, and will fulfil a long-term wish from fans, teams and athletes alike by adding Whistler – one of the world’s most iconic mountain bike destinations - to the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series calendar from next year.” UCI President David Lappartient said: “Bringing together three different UCI World Cups, the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series will see many stories unfold in 2026 as the weekends of competition progress. The succession of races throughout the season means athletes must strive for consistency, and logically there will be ups and downs along the way. The experience of seasoned riders and the sheer audacity of younger athletes always makes for thrilling competition across the different rounds."In 2026, the UCI World Cups for cross-country Olympic, cross-country short track, downhill and enduro will span 14 weekends in the space of six months with exciting new hosts joining some of the series’ favourite venues. I am particularly pleased that the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series will expand into Asia in 2026, adding a new dimension to the series and providing a prestigious opening to the season.”WHOOP UCI MOUNTAIN BIKE WORLD SERIES 2026 CALENDAR:Round 1 / May 1-3: Race of South Korea, South Korea (UCI Cross-country and Downhill World Cups)Round 2 / May 22-24: Nové Město Na Moravě, Czechia (UCI Cross-country World Cup)Round 3 / May 28-31: Loudenvielle-Peyragudes, France (UCI Downhill and UCI Enduro World Cups)Round 4 / June 11-14: Saalfelden-Leogang Salzburgerland, Austria (UCI Cross-country, UCI Downhill and UCI Enduro World Cups)Round 5 / June 19-21: Lenzerheide, Switzerland (UCI Cross-country and Downhill World Cups)Round 6 / June 26-28: Val di Fassa - Trentino, Italy (UCI Enduro World Cup)Round 7 / July 3-5: La Thuile – Valle d’Aosta, Italy (UCI Cross-country, UCI Downhill and UCI Enduro World Cups)Round 8 / July 8-12: Pal Arinsal, Andorra (UCI Cross-country and Downhill World Cups)Round 9 / July 17-19: Aletsch Arena - Bellwald, Valais, Switzerland (UCI Enduro World Cup)Round 10 / August 14-16: Haute-Savoie, France (UCI Enduro World Cup)Round 11 / August 21-23: Haute-Savoie, France (UCI Cross-country and UCI Downhill World Cups)Round 12 / September 19-20: Soldier Hollow, Midway, Utah, USA (UCI Cross-country World Cup)Round 13 / September 25-27: Whistler Mountain Bike Park, British Columbia, Canada (UCI Downhill World Cup)Round 14 / October 2-4: Lake Placid Olympic Sites, New York, USA (UCI Cross-country and UCI Downhill World Cups)

Alex Rudeau came from behind to win the men’s Elite race at the final UCI Enduro (EDR) World Cup round of the 2025 season while Elly Hoskin underlined her superiority at the Morillon, Haute-Savoie (France) with a crushing 23-second women’s Elite triumph. Rudeau was five seconds behind after a gravity-intense Saturday that contrasted with the lung-busting nature of day two that featured several tough ascents against the clock, notably on stages five and seven, but it didn’t take long for Rudeau to overhaul the Canadian and despite Jesse Melamed (Canyon CLLCTV Factory) taking the penultimate stage, Rudeau held on. However, Melamed also had cause to celebrate at the finish line as he clinched second overall in the UCI Enduro World Cup ahead of Charles Murray (Specialized Gravity) while Simona Kuchynková (CUBE Action Team)’s third place in the round confirmed her status as women’s Elite runner-up. Hoskin’s procession to victory in France was ultimately more comfortable despite an early scare, she entered day two with a 13-second advantage and almost doubled it by the finish while Elise Porta (Lapierre Gravity Collective) and Melvin Almueis were triumphant in the juniors. INEVITABLE RUDEAU OUTDUELS MELAMED Rudeau immediately hit back against Melamed on the breathless stage five, wiping out his overnight lead before Murray piled further pressure on the Canadian with a daring stage win, proving he’d put a disappointing Saturday well behind him. And things got even worse for Melamed on stage seven which featured a surprise top five led by Elliot Jamieson while Rudeau put five more seconds into his rival, meaning he led by seven overall. The penultimate stage was the longest of the weekend with the most potential to separate the pack, and it was there that Melamed finally responded, wiping out Rudeau’s gains from the previous run and firing himself back into contention for the Morillon win while ensuring Murray remained out of the picture. But Rudeau had saved his best for last and on the same trail that closed day one, he won by a second to clinch his first win of the season at the final opportunity. Afterwards, he said: “Feeling good, it’s my 22nd victory and the last one was in 2023 in France also, so I think the vibe in France is good for me. I really like this kind of format, two days of racing.” Meanwhile Melamed acknowledged mountain biking 101 of “If I didn’t hit so many trees, I would’ve maybe won the race”though added he was ‘super happy’ to accomplish “my main goal was to stay on the podium.” Downbeat Murray said: “I’m stoked to be on the overall podium but it’s a little bit tough because I was in second, I had a turbulent weekend - some really good riding and stages, then some crashes and mistakes. It’s mentally pretty hard because I’ve given everything this season and third overall is still an incredible result but I was third last year, so my goal was to be second or first and we’re going to have to come back and try again.” Overall winner Sławomir Łukasik (Yeti/FOX Factory Team) arrived in France with one eye on next weekend’s UCI World Championships and he rode like it, finishing over two minutes back in 24th and then admitting he was “riding for fun”ahead of attempting to complete a prestigious double in Aletsch Arena/Bellwald, Valais (Switzerland). HOSKIN WINS RICHTER STARE-OFF After Hoskin was the undoubted story of the women’s Elite race on Saturday, Raphaela Richter countered straight away on day two by scorching to stage five victory, five seconds ahead of Hoskin and Kuchynková. Hoskin’s slide continued on stages six and seven when she first hemorrhaged four seconds to the Slovakian, then Richter’s win at Morillon Village cut the Canadian’s overall advantage to just a second. However, she produced a fine return on stage eight, finishing over 16 seconds ahead of Kuchynková and Richter meaning she could coast in third on the last run of the day and celebrate her second win of the season after Bielsko-Biała (Poland). “I’m just really happy, it was a long, long week and I’m really glad I got to back up that first win at the last stop, I was itching for that,” Hoskin said. “My mum was texting me all day, telling me via emojis how good I was doing. Rafa [Richter] was really on my ass for a bit and then I had a good stage eight and just had to keep it together on the last one.” Nadine Ellecosta’s late charge for Abetone Ancillotti Vittoria Factory Team wasn’t enough to challenge Kuchynková for second place overall, with champion Ella Conolly electing to sit out the round ahead of the UCI World Championships.  Kuchynková said afterwards: “It’s so crazy, my first Elite season, I’m just a rookie and I’m already second place and World Championships are next so all eyes on there.” ONLY ONE FAIRYTALE ENDING IN JUNIORS AS PORTA SPOILS ADAMS PARTY Porta completed her superior victory in the women’s junior race, continuing her dominance by winning every stage apart from Morillon Village following her Saturday sweep, and she crossed the line on the final run of the day holding a victory margin of over three and a half minutes. Chloe Bear (Yeti/FOX Factory Race Team) was the only rider to break the streak, winning stage seven by five seconds en route to finishing second in the round and third overall behind Lucile Metge, who wasn’t at the day two roll-out, and Kuchynková’s successor as women’s junior champion Lacey Adams (Yeti/FOX Factory Race Team) who had an off weekend in France. “The first day was super cool, I’m super happy to have two minutes in front of the other girls and I just tried to keep my advantage and stay on my bike, riding with flow,” Porta said. Adams was crowned overall winner before the summer break and though her victory lap wasn’t as flawless as she’d have liked, she still looked back on the weekend and the year with pride: “Big two days of racing, I really enjoyed them. I spent more time on the ground than I should’ve, a bit of a slow race for me but I’m stoked to take the overall.” Things went more smoothly for men’s junior overall champion Almueis after a difficult day one. Starting Sunday six seconds behind compatriot Hugo Marti Montessinos, Almueis immediately annihilated that gap with a daring Sairon Trail run that put him in the driving seat for the rest of the event. Though Marti closed the gap slightly with victory on stage seven, Almueis responded in style by putting eight seconds into the rest of the pack on the penultimate stage and holding firm on Paddock Express, which was won by Gabriel Santhuile. “Really good weekend for me, the first day was pretty hard with a slippery stage and I wasn’t confident on my bike, but second day I succeeded and I’m really happy to win the last of the season” Almueis said. The weekend also marked the final Open EDR and Open E-EDR events of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series season, as 192 riders took on four stages ridden by the pros. The WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series stays in the Haute-Savoie region of France for seven more days but relocates five miles north to Les Gets for the return of the Cross-country Short Track, Cross-country Olympic and Downhill competitions with all six Elite titles still up for grabs.