HÖLL AND NORTON ON POLE IN BIELSKO-BIAŁA

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 Golden Ticket system will celebrate standout riders in the UCI Mountain Bike Continental Series, offering emerging talent a fast‑track opportunity to join the world’s elite. Riders who claim a Golden Ticket earn the right to enter any round of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series, marking a major milestone in their competitive journey.Launched in 2025, the UCI Mountain Bike Continental Series which are run in collaboration with the Continental Confederations, bring together high-level competitions across each region of the world.  In 2026, the five UCI Mountain Bike Continental Series comprise of 39 events across 27 countries worldwide in Cross-country Olympic (XCO) and Downhill (DHI). These Series provide a vital steppingstone between regional racing and elite international competition by offering UCI points and now, a direct pathway to the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series.HOW GOLDEN TIKCETS WORKAt every qualifying UCI Mountain Bike Continental Series round, the top three finishers in each eligible category (excluding athletes already registered with a WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series Team) will receive a Golden Ticket during the podium ceremony.A Golden Ticket grants that rider a coveted starting place at one WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series round of their choosing within 52 weeks of receiving it, providing a springboard onto the world stage. The eligible categories are as follows:XCO: Elite Men, Elite Women, Under‑23 Men, and Under‑23 WomenDHI: Elite Men, Elite Women, Junior Men, and Junior WomenThis initiative puts a spotlight on emerging talent from the Continental circuit, rewarding standout performances with the opportunity to race alongside the world’s best and gain international exposure on the road to a long-term professional career.Find out more information on the UCI regulations here.Discover the 2026 UCI Mountain Bike Continental Series calendar here.

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.