A handful of riders head to new WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series Teams off the back of strong early-season form. Although there isn’t any racing until the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series starts up again in Morillon, Haute-Savoie (France) on August 22-24, that didn’t put a halt to the action in the mid-season transfer window. From July 14 - 18, teams had the opportunity to add or remove riders from their line-up, allowing the new signings to represent them for the remainder of the 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series calendar. This is different to the main transfer window, which sees riders move teams in the off-season. When a rider switches or joins a team, their accrued UCI points are transferred with them. This enables their new team to benefit when it comes to UCI Team Rankings, which are calculated by combining the total points of the four highest scoring riders across category and gender. In the Endurance formats, three privateers have been rewarded with team moves after recording impressive results at the first six rounds of the season. South African Luke Moir is the most established name, currently sitting 22nd in the overall with four top 20 UCI Cross-country Olympic (XCO) World Cup finishes, including fifth place in round 2 in Araxá, Minas Gerais (Brazil). The 22-year-old has signed with Mondraker Factory Racing XC after being supported by the Spanish team for the first half of the season. Luke Wiedmann is another to secure a WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series Team contract after signing with BMC Factory Racing, while José Gerardo Ulloa Arévalo has re-signed with regular wildcard team, Massi. In the Gravity format, the transfers have been mainly focused on the continuing development of Downhill’s youngest stars. Rosa Marie Jensen has lit up the two Junior UCI Downhill World Cups she has raced, winning in Bielsko-Biała (Poland) and finishing second in Pal Arinsal (Andorra). The Dane steps up from Specialized’s development squad, Gen-S, to the World Series team, Specialized Gravity. Landon De Vall meanwhile has signed for Frameworks/5Dev’s development team, Future Frameworks. Finally, Pivot Factory Racing have added 2024 Brazilian national champion Roger Vieira to their roster.
Samara Maxwell (Decathlon Ford Racing) and Thomas Pidcock celebrated Elite victories in Pal Arinsal - Andorra for the first time in the UCI Cross-Country Olympic (XCO) World Cup.Olympic Champion Pidcock was making his season debut in the Men Elite UCI XCO World Cup and after making his way through from a fourth-row start rode clear for glory. Luca Martin (Cannondale Factory Racing) won Friday’s UCI Cross-country Short Track (XCC) World Cup and provided tough competition for Pidcock. However, a puncture when 12 seconds behind confined the Frenchman to second position.Meanwhile, a third-place finish for Charlie Aldridge (Cannondale Factory Racing) saw two British riders on the UCI XCC World Cup podium for the first time since 1994.In the Women Elite category, Maxwell provided a determined display and battled back through the field from a puncture and two crashes to take a dramatic win. The New Zealander provided a last lap attack and distanced Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon) into second and Jenny Rissveds (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) third.Meanwhile, Valentina Corvi (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) and Finn Treudler (Cube Factory Racing) provided impressive displays to win the under-23 categories with solo wins.The UCI XCO course was one of the hardest competitors will face all season due to the additional altitude high up in the Pyrenees and energy-sapping climbs. The four-kilometre course included 160 metres of elevation gain each lap and technical descents which resulted in several crashes and punctures.PIDCOCK PROVES TOO STRONG AND FINALLY WINS IN PAL ARINSAL – ANDORRAAfter two podium finishes in as many years, Pidcock finally got the win he desired in his adopted home of Pal Arinsal – Andorra. The Olympic Champion, who lives in Andorra, made his own appearance this season in this year’s UCI XCO World Cup. After finishing third here during the last two years, Pidcock made it third time lucky to win at his adopted home venue.Coming into the race in third position overall Victor Koretzky (Specialized Factory Racing) was looking for redemption following a disappointing 27th place finish at Val di Sole – Trentino (Italy) and a broken chain which ended his hopes in Friday’s UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup.Pidcock was forced to battle his way through the congestion following a fourth row start and was unable to choose his own lines in the first technical section. French National Champion Martin was full of confidence after winning the UCI Cross-country Short Track event on Friday morning and set a blistering pace on the first lap. Olympic Champion Pidcock moved his way up through to 14th on the opening lap and was using the wide course and gruelling climbs to his advantage.The Brit was too strong for those who tried to follow and midway through the second lap bridged across to the leading group of six riders. The relentless pace of Martin resulted in him pulling away with countryman Mathis Azzaro (Origine Racing Division) and they had an advantage of nine seconds. Pidcock was alert to the danger and closed the gap, while fellow Brit Aldridge was also in the podium fight.Martin continued his charge and joined by Pidcock the pair built an advantage of 27 seconds over Azzaro and Aldridge after 30 minutes of racing. At the halfway distance, Pidcock used a short climb to launch an explosive effort to gap his fellow leader.On the sixth of eight laps, Pidcock had a slender 12-second gap over Martin when disaster struck for the Frenchman. A technical, rooted section leading down to the pits caused Martin to suffer a puncture, forcing the Cannondale Factory Racing rider to swap wheels, and he then suffered further mechanical issues. Martin found himself over a minute behind Pidcock when he got back underway and the Brit rider was in full control. Behind, the battle for third continued as Azzaro and Aldridge remained together just seconds ahead of a larger chasing group.Taking the last lap bell Pidcock had an unassailable advantage of 47 seconds ahead of Martin, while Aldridge had gapped Azzaro by 10 seconds in the battle for third. The Olympic Champion was able to enjoy the final lap and pulled off tricks for his home crowd. Dressed in his specially designed golden kit, Pidcock had time to celebrate a 21-second victory over Martin and Aldridge was third 52 seconds behind his fellow Brit.After winning two of the opening three UCI XCO World Cup rounds, Christopher Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing) led overall coming into the event. However, after finishing 17th on a gruelling course in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland (Austria), it was another tough afternoon for the Specialized Factory Racing rider who placed 29th and over four minutes behind the winner. Blevins still has a healthy 313-point leadheading into the seventh round.There were no such problems for Pidcock, who said: “It’s super-nice to finally win here, kind of at home, after a few years. It’s not an easy place to race, that is for sure.“My tyres were a little bit hard in the end, due to a lack of experience in the races this year. It did play into my favour as I didn’t puncture or have any problems. I was nervous about getting a good launch at the start. If I’d have gone backwards from the fourth row, then I would have been really far back. “My start was pretty okay; I went a bit hard midway through the race. It’s hard for everyone racing this high (at altitude), it’s not like you can find more oxygen anywhere.” When asked if he planned to compete any further UCI World Cup rounds? Pidcock added: “I don’t think this year. Next year I want to do a few more races.”MAXWELL OVERCOMES PUNCTURES AND CRASHES TO TAKE GLORYDespite suffering two crashes and a puncture, Maxwell was not to be denied a second Women Elite UCI XCO World Cup of the season. Maxwell fought her way back to a leading group of four riders, who battled out the podium positions and then powered clear. She devoted her victory to injured Decathlon Ford Racing team-mate Greta Seiwald. The New Zealander came into the event with a 335-point lead in the overall standings following a consistent season which has seen her finish on the podium at each UCI XCO event.The tough uphill start saw British rider Isla Short shoot out of the pack as the climbing specialist looked to improve on her seventh position from Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland. Short was quickly consumed into the fragmenting leading group on the single track and left Ronja Blöchlinger (LIV Factory Racing) to set the early pace. The Swiss woman crashed on an off camber right-handed climb and also hindered the momentum of Maxwell.The difficult rock garden of Pal Arinsal - Andorra also took early victims as both Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing - Pirelli) and Loana Lecomte (BMC Factory Racing) had first lap crashes, with the latter pulling out of the event.Maxwell and Blöchlinger grew a slender 10-second gap on the second lap over UCI XCO World Champion Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck). However, their momentum was halted by a rear wheel puncture for Maxwell who required a wheel change and lost 47 seconds as she slid down to eighth position. Sensing her opportunity Pieterse attacked entering the third lap as Maxwell sat in a group battling for fifth position 39 seconds behind.After taking a steadier start on the gruelling course, Martina Berta (Origine Racing Division) and Rissveds drew back to within six seconds of Pieterse after 45 minutes of racing. With the pressure of the chasing group increasing Pieterse crashed on the rock garden resulting in mechanical problems for her bike and sliding back down the pack.Keller was next to close the gap to the leading duo as she powered up the steep climbs in Pal Arinsal – Andorra. Maxwell had also powered her way back through the pack and by the penultimate lap bridged across to make a group of four riders. However, the technical climbs of the course at altitude saw Maxwell crash and being forced to walk up a climb as Rissveds pulled out an advantage. The New Zealander was able to use her power again to bridge back across as the four leaders took the last lap bell together. Maxwell proved strongest and forced the pace on a long climb and was initially being followed by Rissveds.The series leader continued to increase her pressure on the climbs and Rissveds paid for trying to stay with the leader. Maxwell celebrated her second UCI XCO World Cup win of the season, as Keller dug deep and had enough to pass Rissveds late on to grab second.“I genuinely can’t believe that I won today,” said Maxwell afterwards. “Coming into today my biggest quote was ‘just because you have a thought doesn’t make it true’. I had a flat and two crashes all within what felt like five seconds. I thought ‘it’s going to be one of those days’ where I panic and drop down the rankings. “I told myself ‘just because I had the thought doesn’t make it a fact’. I’m a fighter and just re-set and chipped them [her rivals] off one by one.“I don’t know where I flatted, I just came round the corner, and it felt a bit squirely and I looked down and my tyre was flat just as I passed the tech zone. It was a bit of chaos, but I tried to stay calm. It was all out in the last lap. I felt strong but kept making silly mistakes in the downhills. I just realised I needed a bit of room for myself to take my own lines. I waited until the climb, but afterwards my whole body was screaming. It’s hard. People think what I did on the last lap was hard. It’s not. What is hard is having setbacks and feeling out of control.Maxwell devoted the win to team-mate Seiwald who won the Italian National Championships in Short Track last month. “Sport is cruel,” said Maxwell. “She was on a big high after winning the Italian National Championships. She was getting back into her groove. The next day she rode, made a dumb mistake and got her ankle mucked up and now she’s out for the season.”CORVI PROVIDES DOMINANT PERFORMANCE DESPITE LATE CRASHESCorvi produced a dominant performance to win the Women Under-23 UCI XCO World Cup event by over three minutes. The Canyon CLLCTV XCO rider broke her collarbone earlier this season but returned to UCI World Cup action in style by winning at Val di Sole – Trentino last month. Corvi missed two UCI World Cup rounds due to her injury as Ella Macphee (Wilier-Vittoria Factory Team) leads the overall standings.Macphee had a nightmare start in Pal Arinsal – Andorra when a crash on the opening section resulted in the Canadian dropping outside of the top 10 positions. Corvi had no such problems as she opened an advantage of over a minute after the first lap. Fellow Italian Sara Cortinovis (Ghost Factory Racing) is also in overall contention and led the charge behind before fading away in the middle of the race and finishing 17th.The altitude at Pal Arinsal – Andorra took its toll on the competitors and American Vida Lopez De San Roman (Trinity Racing) suffered following a fast start and finished fifth. Corvi was out of sight and over four minutes ahead, before two crashes on the last lap reduced her winning margin to 3:25.Swiss rider Monique Halter held on for silver after distancing Sina Van Thiel (Lexware Mountain Bike Team) at the midway point. Van Thiel came back and finished just eight seconds behind in third after fending off fast-finisher Olivia Onesti (BH Coloma Team) on the final lap.An 11th place finish for overall leader Macphee saw her margin over Corvi reduced to 64 points heading into the seventh round. Meanwhile, Corvi celebrated her second consecutive Women Under-23 UCI XCO World Cup victory.After the race, Corvi said: “I have no words to describe the race. I tried to manage the race from the beginning, and I didn’t make mistakes which was the most important thing. On the last lap I crashed two times. I’m super-happy to win here. The next week I do the nationals in Italy, the European Championships and then a break before preparation before the worlds.”TREUDLER IMPRESSES AGAIN IN SWISS CLEAN SWEEPTreudler extended his overall lead in the Men Under-23 UCI XCO World Cup as Swiss riders took a one-two-three. The Cube Factory Racing rider gapped his opponents on the second lap and built an unassailable lead of over a minute. Swiss riders excelled on the course high at altitude as Nicholas Halter set the fastest lap of the race on the sixth turn. Halter’s late charge was enough to secure his runner-up position, while fellow countryman Maxime Lhomme finished third. Overall contender Rens Teunissen Van Manen (KMC Ridley MTB Racing Team) lost important points in the series with an eighth placed finish.Treudler was celebrating a perfect weekend in Pal Arinsal - Andorra after also winning the UCI XCC World Cup on Friday. “I felt really strong today and I’m super-happy to take the win after a disappointing race in Val di Sole – Trentino,” said Treudler. “I’m super-stoked to get the double here and I’m really proud of this one. I just focus on myself and being the best version of myself, at the moment it is working out super-good. I want to defend my title at the European Championships, so my objective is now on that race after a small break. Then, I’ll be full focus on a home World Championships.” The WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series takes a six-week break before Enduro riders return to action in Haute-Savoie, Morillon on 22-24 August. Meanwhile, endurance and downhill riders are next in action at Les Gets, Haute-Savoie on 28-31 August.
Five-time UCI Downhill World Champion Loic Bruni (Specialized Gravity) took victory on his local course to deny Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) a historic win at Pal Arinsal – Andorra. Meanwhile, Tahnée Seagrave (Orbea/FMD Racing) won a dramatic conclusion to the Women’s Elite event after leader and quickest qualifier Gracey Hemstreet (Norco Race Division) crashed coming into the finish. Goldstone was aiming for a historic fifth consecutive UCI Downhill (DHI) World Cup victory of the season and set the quickest time of the weekend. However, Bruni was seeking revenge after crashing out of the UCI Downhill World Championships on the same course last year. The Frenchman was not to be denied as Bruni found the required speed and lines to better Goldstone’s time to take a second UCI Downhill World Cup win of the season. Meanwhile, British rider Seagrave returned to the podium top step for the first time since the opening round in Bielsko-Biała (Poland). Young Canadian Hemstreet looked to be heading towards a third UCI World Cup win of the season before seeing her two-second advantage disappear in a late crash. UCI Downhill World Champion Valentina Höll (YT Mob) was suffering from sickness and kept her overall hopes alive with a second placed finish and Mille Johnset (Axess Intense Factory Racing) was third. The high-altitude course at Pal Arinsal - Andorra provided a gruelling high-speed challenge for competitors. The Pyrenees venue hosted the 2024 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships and riders were keen to put any mistakes from last year behind them. The fast and furious downhill course was just 2.1-kilometre long leaving no room for errors as riders dropped from Pic del Cubil down to Fontanals. The fast and flowing course allowed riders to build speed in the top section before hitting the rock garden. An open section then let them maintain their flow before entering the technical wooded part and dropping down into the finish. Storm conditions forecasted for the afternoon resulted in an early start for the Women and Men’s Elite categories. Meanwhile, the Junior UCI Downhill World Cup Finals were cancelled, and the qualifying result determined the final ranking. The regulation meant that Max Alran (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) and Aletha Ostgaard (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Racing) took top positions in Pal Arinsal – Andorra. BRUNI OVERCOMES GOLDSTONE TO TAKE TOP SPOT Bruni won his first of five UCI Downhill World Championship titles in Andorra almost 10 years ago and clinched his 12th career UCI World Cup win close to his home. However, the Frenchman has been without a UCI Downhill World Cup win this season since Bielsko-Biała. Young Colombian Fernando Juan Muñoz (Axess Intense Factory Racing) took the biggest result of his young career in qualifying by posting a time of 2:40.275. French National Champion and 2023 Pal Arinsal UCI Downhill World Cup winner Thibaut Daprela (Rogue Racing – SR Suntour) made it through the second qualifying session to finals the previous day. Daprela sent an early warning to the race favourites by posting the quickest time of the weekend in 2:37.401 – eventually enough for sixth position. UCI Downhill World Champion Loris Vergier (Commencal/Muc-Off By Riding Addiction) won his rainbow stripes on the same course last year. The Frenchman kept in contention with the leading time throughout the opening sections and then showed his speed on the bottom half to knock eight tenths off the leading time and a new benchmark of 2:36.534. European Champion Andreas Kolb (YT Mob) used his physical stature to his advantage to gain time on the top half of the course. However, on the technical section the Austrian dropped time and was nine tenths off the leader at the finish, to place seventh. Belgian Martin Maes (Orbea/FMD Racing) was the first of the final 10 starters to challenge the time of Vergier. The former Enduro competitor had a slender margin heading into the final rock garden before seeing the clock turn red by three tenths of a second and placed fourth. Italian national champion Davide Palazzari (Rogue Racing – SR Suntour) was over a second ahead of his opponents and looked set to post the quickest time until a crash in the final rock garden cost him dearly. He was disqualified afterwards. Andorra resident Amaury Pierron (Commencal/Muc-Off By Riding Addiction) was over a second ahead of team-mate Vergier before miss-timing the exit from a corner and going off track. Looking to make history Goldstone had a tough task on his hands to gain speed on the fast and flowing course. Despite his smaller physique, the Canadian had a lead of five tenths at the second split and was carrying incredible speed. Nailing all the lines and exits the UCI Downhill World Cup leader went quickest by eighth tenths to post a new fastest time of 2:35.646. However, penultimate starter Bruni bettered the Canadian’s time by over a second in the opening sector. The five-time UCI World Champion held his advantage and speed into the middle section and broke Goldstone’s heart by going 1.2 seconds faster, clocking a time of 2:34.367. Final starter Muñoz had been fastest all weekend and was looking to make history and become the first UCI Downhill World Cup winner for Colombia. The South American was six tenths behind in the opening sector and then crash while pushing the limits. Goldstone remains overall series leader and has a 137-point advantage over Bruni heading into the seventh round. After taking a 12th career UCI Downhill World Cup win, Bruni said: “It means a lot. Battling with Jackson [Goldstone] this season and having to let him be better pushed me to come here with so much motivation. I had a lot of redemption and big feelings from last year, crashing at the UCI World Championships. “I really wanted this one. The track was difficult and fully flat out, not much to do but open the gas. A lot of guys were incredibly fast today, and I’m so happy I could be a bit looser and crazier than everybody. Jackson was on fire again, so it’s really cool to beat him fair and square. It’s been a cool season, and I’m happy to be back on top. One hell of a day. “I looked at Loris [Vergier]’s time, and it was insane—2:36 was the fastest time of the whole weekend by far. I wasn’t sure I could beat that, but I gave everything I had, and in my head, I thought, ‘It’s time, enough messing around.’ I’m really happy I avoided mistakes and took a risk in one section, which paid off.” SEAGRAVE TRIUMPHS FOLLOWING DRAMATIC FINISH Having experienced what it was like to stand on the podium in Andorra after finishing third in the UCI Downhill World Cup in 2023, Seagrave climbed to the podium top spot and clinched the 11th Women Elite UCI Downhill World Cup win of her career this weekend. Canadian Hemstreet was looking for her third UCI Downhill World Cup triumph of the season and qualified fastest in a time of 3:00.955. However, Seagrave provided pressure for her opponent and was just a tenth slower in qualification. Colombian national champion Valentina Roa Sanchez (MS-Racing) was the second starter and built an aggressive run to set the early benchmark of 3:02.389 - which earnt her sixth place. New Zealander Jess Blewitt (Cube Factory Racing) took over a second off the leading time as she built speed through the bottom section of her run and stopped the clock in 3:01.106 – quick enough for fourth position. Last weekend’s winner – and 2023’s winner at Pal Arinsal in 2023 – Nina Hoffmann (Santa Cruz Syndicate) was the first of the five riders away from the start-gate but crashed on top corner to end her hopes. UCI Downhill World Champion Höll has won twice previously on the new track in Pal Arinsal, Andorra. She had an explosive start and was three tenths ahead in the opening sector. The Austrian carried her speed through the rock garden, built her advantage in the bottom sector, and became the first Women Elite rider to break the three-minute barrier, stopping the clock at 2:58.651. After qualifying third fastest Johnset was challenging the time of Höll before a small mistake resulted in her losing vital time on the second sector. The Norwegian threw everything at the remainder of her run and finished just a tenth behind Höll for third. Experienced rider Seagrave accelerated through the top two sections and was 2.3 seconds ahead of Höll heading into the final rock gardens. The British rider held on to her advantage during a flawless run to set a new best mark of 2:56.835. Quickest qualifier Hemstreet struggled to match the speed of her rival in the top section and had six tenths to find after the top section. Renowned for her technical ability, the young Canadian found incredible speed and reversed the deficit to gain the lead by four tenths. With a two-second advantage coming into the finish, Hemstreet crashed exiting the final section - resulting in a fifth-placed finish over five seconds behind. Despite being ill for the event, a second placed finish for Höll keeps her position as Women Elite UCI Downhill World Cup overall leader heading into the seventh round. Speaking after taking the victory Seagrave said: “I knew Gracey [Hemstreet] was going to win. She was so pinned at the bottom, I’m kind of gutted that she crashed so close to the end. “I’m happy with my performance today. I wasn’t committed as some of the other girls [in the rock garden] so I knew I had to do as much damage as I could where I was good. Gracey [Hemstreet] was a bit further back than me yesterday [on the top section], so when I saw that she was within a second I knew she was going to do something special. “This season has been a bit frustrating, but I feel like during such a long season you have to sacrifice a few races here and there. Hopefully mine are done.” ALRAN AND OSTGAARD CHARGE TO JUNIOR VICTORIES Alran snatch back the overall UCI Downhill World Cup Men Junior lead after winning in Pal Arinsal – Andorra. The French rider crashed in La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta (Italy) last weekend to finish 14th and lost vital points in the overall standings. However, his qualifying time of 2:39.151was enough to scoop the maximum points this weekend. Asa Vermette (Frameworks Racing/5Dev) remains in the overall hunt for a first Men Junior UCI Downhill World Cup win of the season. The American was just five tenths back in qualification for second position and a healthy amount of series points. New Zealander Tyler Waite (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) is also in overall contention and his third place from qualifying picked up some vital points. Till Alran (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) had led the overall standings coming into the sixth round. However, a fifth placed finish in qualifying cost him vital points and the overall lead to his brother Max. After winning at La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta last weekend, Ostgaard showed again that she is the Women Junior to beat. Her qualifying time of 3:04.470 was enough for victory and was 1.909 of a second faster than privateer Marie Rosa Jensen. Overall leader Rosa Zierl (Cube Factory Racing) retains a healthy advantage heading into round seven following a third-place finish. Ostgaard said: “My qualification was really good, what turned out to be our race, It’s such a sick course, I really liked it and had a great time. I didn’t expect such a short course to be so physical, but it was really good and a very clean run which is what I was going for.” Action continues tomorrow in the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series in Pal Arinsal – Andorra with Cross Country Olympic. The series then takes a break with UCI Downhill World Cup riders next taking to the slopes in Les Gets - Haute-Savoie (France) on 28 – 31 August.
Due to the latest weather forecast from the Andorra Government, indicating electrical storms with lightning predicted, the schedule for the UCI Downhill World Cup on Saturday 12 July 2025, will not proceed as planned. The revised race schedule is as follows: • 8:00-9:00 AM CET: Combined downhill training session – Elite only • 10:00 AM CET: UCI Downhill World Cup – Women Elite • 11:00 AM CET: UCI Downhill World Cup – Men Elite The Finals of the Junior UCI Downhill World Cup are cancelled. Following the article 4.11.010 of UCI Regulations, if the final cannot take place due to unforeseen circumstances, the last qualifying round determines the final result. This safety decision has been made by the UCI, WBD Sports, and the local organizers to ensure the welfare of athletes, teams, marshals, volunteers, spectators, and everyone involved in the event. The Elite UCI Downhill World Cup races will be streamed live on digital platforms (HBO Max, discovery+, TNT Sports, Eurosport and MTBWS TV). More information on Where to Watch is available on ucimtbworldseries.com. The cross-country training schedule remains unchanged (9:00 AM – 12:00 PM tomorrow). Further updates will be communicated if there is any deterioration in the weather that affects this revised schedule.
After a quick turnaround from last weekend’s UCI Downhill World Cup in La Thuile – Valle d’Aosta (Italy), riders were back between the race tape in Pal Arinsal - Andorra for the final round before a six-week summer break. With thunderstorms forecast for the afternoon, there was even more incentive for the Downhill athletes to qualify for tomorrow’s Finals in the Pal Arinsal Bike Park at the first time of asking. HEMSTREET BACKS UP BLISTERING FORM Gracey Hemstreet (Norco Race Division) is the only rider to have won twice this year, and the Canadian has put herself in the best position to make that three in Andorra. After a sluggish first sector, the 20-year-old showed why she’s currently second in the standings, getting faster at every split to be the only rider to stop the clock at 3:00 dead. It was only a narrow victory though, with Tahnée Seagrave (Orbea/FMD Racing) just a tenth of a second off the pace. The Brit had recorded fastest splits in all four intermediate splits but a slight loss of speed in the final sector cost the 30-year-old a first Q1 win of the season. Mille Johnset (Axess Intense Factory Racing) was the best of the rest, securing a Finals spot in Q1 for the first time this year, while series leader Valentina Höll (YT Mob) was back down in fourth. The Austrian is without a win since she became the UCI Downhill World Champion in Andorra last year and will have a nervous wait tomorrow if she finds herself in the hotseat with three riders still to go. Elsewhere, Louise-Anna Ferguson (Axess Intense Factory Racing) and Monika Hrastnik (Aon Racing – Tourne Campervans) needed Q2 to make it through to Finals, while Myriam Nicole (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) and Marine Cabirou (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) were both non-starters. MUÑOZ PUTS IN RIDE OF HIS LIFE In the men’s field, Colombian young gun Fernando Juan Muñoz (Axess Intense Factory Racing) outpaced everyone to claim the biggest result of his burgeoning career. It shouldn’t have come as a complete shock though – the 21-year-old making it through to the last two Finals in Val di Sole – Trentino (Italy) and La Thuile – Valle d’Aosta (Italy), where he’s placed 27th and 11th respectively. It was a close call though, with the top nine riders separated by less than a second on Pal Arinsal’s high-altitude downhill track. Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity) came closest to matching Muñoz, going fastest in two of the intermediate splits, and he will fancy his chances of getting back to winning ways in tomorrow’s final. Series leader Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate), meanwhile, recovered from a slow first sector to finish fifth. The Canadian is on course to break the men’s best all-time winning streak by claiming a fifth consecutive victory in Andorra but will need to iron out the early mistakes if he is to beat his and Aaron Gwin’s record. Other notable highlights include Amaury Pierron (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction), who qualified seventh while still recovering from a broken collarbone, and wildcard entry David Palazzari (Rogue Racing-SR Suntour), who made it through to Finals in eighth. Riders forced to take a second bite of the cherry and make it to Finals via Q2 include UCI Downhill World Champion Loris Vergier (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction), Dakotah Norton (Mondraker Factory Racing DH), Matt Walker (Trek Factory Racing DH) and Reece Wilson (AON Racing - Tourne Campervans), while Troy Brosnan (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) misses out on a final spot. ALRAN AND OSTGAARD FASTEST IN JUNIORS Max Alran (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) put in a stunning performance in the men’s Junior Qualifying – the French rider going fastest in every split to record a time that would have won the men’s Elite Qualifications. Second-place Asa Vermette (Frameworks Racing/5Dev) would have also won the senior competition with his 2:39.711, while overall series leader Till Alran (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) could only manage fifth. Aletha Ostgaard (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Racing) meanwhile showed that she hasn’t slowed down since winning in La Thuile, setting the fastest time with a dominant second half in the women’s Junior Qualifying. Series leader Rosa Zierl’s (Cube Factory Racing) kept things consistent to finish third, while privateer Rosa Marie Jensen was sandwiched between the series front runners – the Dane fastest in intermediate splits one and two before fading at the end. Racing gets underway tomorrow (Saturday, July 12) in Pal Arinsal - Andorra from 12:30 CEST with the Women Junior UCI Downhill World Cup Finals. Find out how to watch here.
The UCI Cross-country Short Track (XCC) World Cups have been dominated by two riders this season – Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Christopher Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing) having a 100% win record at every race that they’ve started. But both winning runs came to an end at elevation in Pal Arinsal (Andorra), with Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon) and Luca Martin (Cannondale Factory Racing) demonstrating that the pair aren’t infallible. Keller showed why she’s the reigning UCI XCC World Cup overall winner, biding her time and launching an attack on the last lap that UCI XCC World Champion Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing-Pirelli) could do nothing about. The win was her third XCC victory in Pal Arinsal - Andorra – the Swiss rider winning every UCI XCC World Cup ever at the Andorran venue – and the sixth of her career, taking her level with Pauline Ferrand-Prevot and Pieterse in the all-time standings, and one shy of Richards’ record seven. In the men’s Elite, Martin did to Blevins what the American has done to everyone else all year, throwing the hammer down in the final lap and building enough of a gap to hold off the series leader’s sprint as the pair raced for the line. Martin’s win – a week after he clinched the French national championship in the XCC and Cross-country Olympic (XCO) – was his first UCI XCC World Cup win in the Elite class, but the U23 UCI XCO World Champion has already displayed that he’s comfortable after making the step up. After the Elites, it was the turn of the U23s on Pal Arinsal’s high-altitude course, and it witnessed wins for the series leaders – Katharina Sadnik claiming her first UCI XCC World Cup victory, while Finn Treudler (Cube Factory Racing) made it three in a row. CONSISTENT KELLER RETURNS TO TOP SPOTAlessandra Keller is renowned for her consistency, and the Swiss rider’s ability to churn out top-10 results even when she misses out on the podium saw her clinch both the UCI XCO and XCC overall titles in 2024. Her best result to date in this series’ Short Track has been third at the opening round in Araxá, Minas Gerais (Brazil), and the focus has understandably been on Richards and Pieterse, who have cleaned up at the opening five rounds. But as the season entered its second half, Keller has shown that she’s just getting started with the defence of her title. Initially, it looked like the race would go the way of the last three UCI XCC World Cups – Pieterse appearing imperious as she led the field through the opening two laps, with Richards back at the front after sitting out the last round in Val di Sole - Trentino (Italy). But by lap three of nine, the Dutchwoman looked like she had a fight on her hands to claim a fourth consecutive win, with Richards, Jenny Rissveds (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) and Keller coming to the fore. By lap five, this was our leading quartet, and the podium looked like it would come from this four, although Jennifer Jackson (Orbea Fox Factory Team) had brought back the chasing pack midway through the sixth lap. The following lap, Keller led into the first wooded section’s multiple lines for the first time, while Pieterse was unable to hold the pace of the Swiss rider, Richards and Rissveds. On the penultimate loop, Keller and Richards had created a gap, with Ronja Blöchlinger (Liv Factory Racing) timing her surge to perfection to slot into third. It was Richards who blinked first, launching her attack long at the sound of the final lap’s bell, but Keller had the legs on the course’s long start climb to take the lead into the first wooded section. The Swiss rider started distancing the rainbow jersey, putting in a few bike lengths as they wound their way around Pal Arinsal’s XCC course for the final time, and entering the start/finish straight, Richards knew she wouldn’t have the legs to contest for the win and appeared happy to settle for second. Blöchlinger did enough to hold onto third, with Pieterse fourth. Speaking at the end of the race, Keller said: “Everyone knows how my winter was and coming back from an injury is never easy so I can’t complain about how it worked at the beginning [of the season]. Obviously, Andorra is a very good spot for me so I’m very happy to get the win here again. “Evie is very strong as well. I think I was just missing that peak power after the injury. I’m slowly getting back. Obviously, I felt very strong from the beginning of the race, and I knew that the uphill is mild, so I really love that one. “It’s good for me to be back on the top spot. I’m very proud.” MARTIN TAKES DEBUT WIN TO END BLEVINS’ RECORD RUNChristopher Blevins has been so dominant in the 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series, winning five out of five XCC races, that pre-race it was almost a foregone conclusion that the American would extend his record to six in a row in Andorra. It was Mathias Flückiger (Thömus Maxon) who took the early initiative though, launching off the start of the 11-lap race with Blevins hot on his tail. While the Swiss rider would fade shortly after, it was clear that Blevins wouldn’t have it all his own way in Pal Arinsal, with a competitive six-strong lead group forming, including team-mate Victor Koretzky (Specialized Factory Racing), Nino Schurter (Scott-SRAM MTB Racing Team), Mathis Azzaro (Origine Racing Division), Charlie Aldridge (Cannondale Factory Racing) and Luca Martin. The pack would constantly shuffle, with no one rider taking the race by the scruff of the neck, and at the halfway point, it could have been anyone's. Aldridge was the first to have a dig on lap seven, but his attack was extinguished before it had properly got started – a mechanical forcing the Scotsman to dismount and put his chain back on, spelling the end of his search for a first UCI XCC World Cup win. The following lap, it was Koretzky who showed his hand, with Martin and Blevins hot on his heels. But the Frenchman and reigning UCI XCC World Champion hasn’t looked like his 2024 best, and by lap nine, he’d slipped back to fifth with Blevins back in control. The American’s signature move has been to attack on the last lap, but he went on the penultimate instead, with Martin and Azzaro the only riders not gapped. Koretzky’s day would go from bad to worse – a snapped chain forcing him to fall on a climb and ultimately DNF, while the Frenchman’s spill would also hold up Schurter. Taking the last lap’s bell, Blevins still led, but Martin had other ideas, attacking on the course’s first descent before powering his way up the climb into the first wooded section. The Frenchman – wearing the tricolour jersey after winning last week’s national championships – had done something no one else has managed this year by creating a gap between himself and Blevins, and with time running out, the American would need to win it in a sprint. Martin held out though, consigning Blevins to second for the first time this year, while Azzaro came home third. His win propels him up to third in the rankings, although Blevins still has a 578-point lead over second-place Koretzky. Speaking at the end of the race, Martin said: “It’s amazing to ride with the big guys. It is my first year in the Elite. Last week I won the French championships two times. I’m so happy that the bike works so well on this track. “Last week we had the French championship at altitude, and I tried to work at altitude. It’s hard to do intervals and stay in the right zone. “Honestly, I’m totally dead after the sixth lap. And I say ride off the front now. The last bit I see the front wheel [of Blevins] and I think ‘I’ve got a problem’ but I gave it everything.” SERIES LEADERS SADNIK AND TREUDLER ASSERT DOMINANCE IN U23 Katharina Sadnik recorded her debut win in the U23 UCI XCC World Cup, outsprinting fellow breakaway rider Valetina Corvi (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) at the line. Corvi had led a group of 10 from the start, which was slowly whittled away, and as the race reached its halfway point, the Italian and series leader Sadnik attacked, dropping the likes of Ella Macphee (Wilier-Vittoria Factory Team) and Ella Maclean-Howell (Cube Factory Racing) like stones. The pair would essentially time-trial their way to the line, but it was Sadnik who had energy left in reserve as she outsprinted Corvi. Sina Van Thiel (Lexware Mountainbike Team) completed the podium, crossing the finish line almost 30 seconds in arrears. The men’s U23 race was a tighter affair than the women’s, with Finn Treudler seizing the initiative on the last lap to take his third consecutive win of the season. The Swiss rider found himself down in 12th after the first lap but overcame a disappointing start to get into the seven-strong lead group by the end of lap three. He bided his time, marking other attacks from the likes of Heby Gustav Pedersen (Wilier-Vittoria Factory team), before launching one of his own on the penultimate loop that only Pedersen and Nicolas Halter could follow. He built enough of a gap to be able to ride unopposed to the line, with Pedersen and Halter battling it out for the remaining podium spots – the Dane getting the better of the Swiss rider. Treudler’s third consecutive win solidifies his top spot in the overall, with Pedersen more than 100 points back in second. Speaking at the end of the race, Finn Treudler said: “Racing at altitude is so different for the body. The lungs are burning so bad after the race. I’m happy with my effort today. I didn’t burn too many matches, and I still took the win, so I’m happy. I messed up my start so I was a bit far back, but I knew that the race would be so hard that I could move up in the last part. In two weeks, I have to defend my European championship, which is a big goal, and then I’m off for some rest before the big goal of worlds at home.” The WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series action continues in Pal Arinsal - Andorra tomorrow as the Downhill riders compete in the sixth UCI Downhill World Cup of the season.
After an Italian triple bill in Val di Sole - Trentino, Val di Fassa – Trentino and La Thuile – Valle d’Aosta, the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series returns to the Pyrenees with the UCI Cross-country and Downhill World Cups taking to the trails of Pal Arinsal, Andorra. We look at everything you need to know about the Pal Arinsal – Andorra round of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series races, including when the Cross-county Short Track (XCC), Cross-country Olympic (XCO) and Downhill events are scheduled to take place, who is racing, and how to watch. WHEN? The 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series round in Pal Arinsal, Andorra starts with the Women Elite UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup at 09:45 (UTC+2) on Friday, July 11 and concludes with the Men U23 UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup at 15:30 (UTC+2) on Sunday, July 13. Below are the key timings for race weekend. All times are UTC+2 (EST+6/BST+1/CEST): Friday, July 11 09:45 – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Women Elite 10:25 – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Men Elite 11:20 – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Women U23 12:00 – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Men U23 10:30 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification 1 Women Elite 10:55 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification 1 Men Elite 12:00 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification Women Junior 12:20 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification Men Junior 13:00 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification 2 Women Elite 13:20 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification 2 Men Elite Saturday, July 12 10:00 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Finals Women Elite 11:00 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Finals Men Elite Sunday, July 13 09:00 – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup | Women U23 11:30 – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup | Women Elite 13:30 – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup | Men Elite 15:30 – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup | Men U23 WHERE CAN I WATCH? There will be several ways to watch the action unfold at Andorra’s only UCI Cross-country and Downhill World Cups of the 2025 season. The UCI Downhill World Cup Qualification day can be followed on live timing and across social media. For the sixth UCI Cross-country Olympic, Cross-country Short Track and Downhill World Cups of the season, you can watch the Elite finals live anywhere in the world on one of the below channels or streaming services: North America Canada – Flosports USA – HBO Max South & Central America All Central and South American territories – MTBWS TV Asia Indonesia, Macao, Malaysia, Mongolia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand – Eurosport China - Zhibo.TV (Only Elite Downhill races live) All other Asian territories – MTBWS TV Oceania Australia – Stan Sport New Zealand – MTBWS TV Africa All African territories – MTBWS TV Europe Andorra – HBO Max, Eurosport, ATV Austria – discovery+, Eurosport Belgium – HBO Max, Eurosport Bosnia & Herzegovina – Max, Eurosport Bulgaria – HBO Max, Eurosport Croatia – HBO Max, Eurosport Czechia – HBO Max, Eurosport, CT Sport+ (only Elite XCO and XCC races live) Denmark – HBO Max, Eurosport Faroe Islands – HBO Max, Eurosport France – HBO Max, Eurosport and La Chaine L’Equipe (Only Women Elite XCO race live) Germany – discovery+, Eurosport Hungary – HBO Max, Eurosport Ireland – TNT Sports Italy – discovery+, Eurosport Moldova – HBO Max, Eurosport Montenegro – HBO Max, Eurosport Netherlands – HBO Max, Eurosport North Macedonia – HBO Max, Eurosport Norway – HBO Max, Eurosport Poland – HBO Max, Eurosport Portugal – HBO Max, Eurosport Romania – HBO Max, Eurosport Serbia – HBO Max, Eurosport Slovakia – HBO Max, Eurosport Slovenia – HBO Max, Eurosport Spain – HBO Max, Eurosport Sweden – HBO Max, Eurosport Switzerland – MTBWS TV , SRF/RSI (only Elite XCO and XCC races live online) Türkiye – HBO Max, Eurosport United Kingdom – discovery+, TNT Sports All other European territories – MTBWS TV RIDERS TO WATCH In Downhill, all eyes are on whether Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) can break Aaron Gwin’s (Gwin Racing) 13-year record for most back-to-back wins (four). The Canadian equalled Gwin’s 2012 accomplishment at La Thuile – Valle D’Aosta (Italy), and is dominant form – the 21-year-old also qualifying fastest at the last two rounds. Loris Vergier (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) came closest to keeping Goldstone out of the hot seat in the Italian Alps, and the Frenchman will fancy his chances in his team’s home race – the reigning UCI Downhill World Champion the most successful male rider on the current course, earning his rainbow stripes in the Pal Arinsal Bike Park’s race track last year, as well as winning his last UCI World Cup at the venue back in 2022. Elsewhere, Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity) can never be written off, Amaury Pierron (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) appears to be superhuman after finishing in the top 10 two weeks after breaking his collarbone, and wildcard entrant Thibaut Daprela (Rogue Racing - SR Suntour) was the last victor when the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series visited in 2023. In the women’s competition, Nina Hoffmann (Santa Cruz Syndicate) became the fourth different winner of the series in La Thuile. The German also won in Pal Arinsal – Andorra back in 2023, so will be eyeing first-ever back-to-back wins. One rider to stand on the Andorran topspot more recently than Hoffmann is current series leader Valentina Höll. The Austrian secured her third rainbow jersey in the Pyrenees last August, and is looking to break a winless UCI World Cup record that stretches back to June 2024. Other riders likely to contest for the podium include two-time UCI World Cup winner Gracey Hemstreet (Norco Race Division), a resurgent Tahnée Seagrave (Orbea/FMD Racing) and winner in Val di Sole, Marine Cabirou (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team). The Downhill action is the filling in a Cross-country sandwich, and both the XCC and XCO are nicely poised as each series enters its second half. In Friday’s XCC, it’s hard to look beyond Christopher Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing) and Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck). Both riders have dominated the short track, winning every race that they’ve entered this year, with Blevins in particular out to set a six-in-a-row streak that is unlikely to ever be emulated. The pairs’ most likely challengers are the current UCI XCC World Champions Victor Koretzky (Specialized Factory Racing) and Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing-Pirelli), but both specialists have been unable to handle the pace of the runaway winners. On Sunday, things are likely to be a bit more competitive on Pal Arinsal’s high-altitude XCO course. In the mens’ racing, Olympic Champion Thomas Pidcock (Q36.5 Pro Cycling) will line up for his first UCI World Cup of the season and is an automatic favourite on his de facto home track – the Brit basing himself in Andorra. Expect him to push current series leader Blevins, round one winner Koretzky and Val di Sole victor Martin Vidaurre Kossmann (Specialized Factory Racing), even if he won’t start from the front of the grid. Another rider who can’t be overlooked is Nino Schurter (Scott-SRAM MTB Racing Team). The Swiss veteran has four wins to his name in Pal Arinsal - Andorra, and will be hoping for a fifth (and a record 37th overall) on his 130th start. While there’s no Pidcock equivalent to shake things up in the women’s XCO, another ‘P’ – Pieterse – starts as favourite. As well as dominating the short track, the Dutchwoman has backed up her XCO UCI World Champion status, winning the last two rounds in Saalfelden-Leogang – Salzburgerland (Austria) and Val di Sole. She secured her rainbow jersey on the trails of Pal Arinsal - Andorra, so has shown she’s more than capable on one of the circuit’s most difficult courses. Series leader Samara Maxwell (Decathlon Ford Factory Racing) is the most likely to challenge Pieterse for the podium, while Anne Terpstra(Ghost Factory Racing) is an outside bet – the Dutch rider the most successful women’s rider at the venue with two UCI XCO World Cup wins. Racing gets underway on Friday, July 11 in Pal Arinsal – Andorra. Full schedule and event details are available HERE.
Due to the latest weather forecast from the Andorra Government, indicating electrical storms with lightning predicted, the schedule for the UCI Cross-country Short Track (XCC) World Cup and UCI Downhill World Cup Qualifying on Friday 11 July 2025, will not proceed as planned. The revised race schedule is as follows, based on the latest weather forecast review: · 8:00-9:00 AM CET: Downhill training session - Elite · 9:00-10:00 AM CET: Downhill training session - Junior · 10:30 AM CET: UCI Downhill World Cup Q1– Women Elite · 10:55 AM CET: UCI Downhill World Cup Q1 – Men Elite · 12:00 PM CET: UCI Downhill World Cup Qualifying – Women Junior · 12:20 PM CET: UCI Downhill World Cup Qualifying – Men Junior · 1:00 PM CET: UCI Downhill World Cup Q2 – Women Elite · 1:20 PM CET: UCI Downhill World Cup Q2 – Men Elite · 9:00-9:30 AM CET: Cross-country Short Track training - all riders · 9:45 AM CET: UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup - Women Elite · 10:25 AM CET: UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup - Men Elite · 11:20 AM CET: UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup – Women U23 · 12:00 PM CET: UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup – Men U23 · 1:00 – 2:30 PM CET: Cross-country Olympic training session - all riders This safety decision has been made by the UCI, WBD Sports, and the local organizers to ensure the welfare of athletes, teams, marshals, volunteers, spectators, and everyone involved in the event. The Elite UCI XCC World Cup races will be streamed live on digital platforms (HBO Max, discovery+, TNT Sports, Eurosport and MTBWS TV) and on TNT Sports 1 and Eurosport 1. More information on Where to Watch is available on ucimtbworldseries.com.
After three back-to-back rounds in Italy, the 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series heads west to Pal Arinsal, Andorra and its final UCI World Cups before a six-week summer break. The Pyrenees venue welcomes Cross-country and Downhill athletes again for the first time since it hosted the 2024 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships – where the reigning rainbow jersey wearers were crowned in a high-altitude and adrenaline-fuelled contest last August and September. Located in the heart of the Pyrenees and a short journey from the Andorran border with Spain, both formats take place at the Pal Arinsal (formerly known as Vallnord) Bike Park. The park has more than 60km of trails across 30 different lines and five ski lifts to help riders experience the more than 1,000m of elevation drop on offer. It has been a staple of the UCI Downhill World Cup circuit since 2008, while Cross-country joined the fun in 2013. It has also hosted two editions of the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships (2015 and 2024) during that time. The Downhill takes place on the venue’s third UCI World Cup track. New for the 2021 season, it sees riders drop from Pic del Cubil down to Fontanals on a rowdy 2.1km course. The Cross-country Olympic (XCO) and Cross-country Short Track (XCC) races, meanwhile, take on some of the hardest terrain that the riders will face all season, thanks to the addition of altitude. The XCO course is 4km long (160m elevation gain), while the XCC course is 1km long. CAN ANYONE PREVENT PIETERSE? Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck) has been almost unstoppable since she entered the 2025 series in Nové Město Na Moravě (Czechia) – 13th in the Czech round’s XCO, it was the only time in six race starts this year she hasn’t finished first. The Dutchwoman did the XCO-XCC double in Val di Sole -Trentino (Italy) to go with her double in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland (Austria), and could be the first woman to repeat the feat three times if she manages it again in Pal Arinsal - Andorra. She will have fond memories of the Andorran course too, having won the UCI World Championships for XCO there last year. Despite Pieterse’s dominance, Samara Maxwell (Decathlon Ford Racing Team) still finds herself at the top of the rankings, having raced at all five rounds of the series. The New Zealander has been in incredible form of her own – finishing second four times after winning the opening round in Araxá, Minas Gerais (Brazil) – and her points advantage means she’ll go into the summer break in first place in the overall regardless of results in Andorra. Others likely to contest Pieterse for the win include Mona Mitterwallner (Mondraker Factory Racing XC), who won at the venue in 2023, Val di Sole podium finisher Laura Stigger (Specialized Factory Racing) and round two-winner Jenny Rissveds (Canyon CLLCTV XCO). PIDCOCK TO SHAKE UP PROCEEDINGS Thomas Pidcock (Q36.5 Pro Cycling) is a favourite of whatever race he lines up at – regardless of discipline – so when the two-time Olympic Champion’s name is on the start list, expect a sigh to go out across the rest of the paddocks. The 25-year-old hasn’t raced his Cross-country bike since last year’s UCI Mountain Bike World Championships, where he finished third in the XCO behind Alan Hatherly (Giant Factory Off-Road Team - XC) and Victor Koretzky (Specialized Factory Racing), but won’t be phased by his lack of recent race experience and the Andorran resident will be expected to contest for the win in his de facto home race. Those attempting to stop Pidcock include the current rankings leader Christopher Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing), whose XCO form has stuttered since two wins and a second in the first three rounds of the series. His teammate Martin Vidaurre Kossmann (Specialized Factory Racing) kept the wins coming for the American team in Val di Sole, though, and continued the Chilean’s own strong form. Nino Schurter (Scott-SRAM MTB Racing Team) can’t be written off either – the G.O.A.T winning four times at the venue, including his 2015 rainbow jersey. SAME AGAIN IN THE SHORT TRACK? Pieterse’s and Blevins’ records in the Short Track this year read 100% wins from races entered. Looking beyond the dominant pair is therefore very hard, particularly when the traditional XCC specialists have shown chinks in their armour. For Pieterse, she will be targeting a record-equalling seventh win in the format, which will take her level with the reigning UCI XCC World Champion, Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing-Pirelli). The Brit has been out of sorts since Nové Mesto Na Moravě, skipping Val di Sole through illness, but will be looking to bounce back on the course where she claimed her rainbow jersey. Blevins, meanwhile, could become the first Elite rider (man or woman) to win the first six XCC rounds of the series, and his most realistic challenger is Koretkzy, who, like Richards, won in Pal Arinsal last year. The pair won’t have to contend with Pidcock, though, in the short format – the Brit and two-time UCI XCC World Cup winner is not eligible because he’s not in the top-40 ranked riders based on UCI points. WOMEN’S DOWNHILL CONTEST IMPOSSIBLE TO PREDICT The women’s downhill series has never been more competitive, with four different winners from the opening five rounds, and seven riders standing on the podium so far this season. The biggest surprise has been Valentina Höll’s (YT Mob) form – the Austrian without a UCI World Cup win for more than a year – but with Pal Arinsal the scene of her last downhill victory at the 2024 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships, that winless streak could get reset this Saturday. Despite not standing on the top spot yet this year, the reigning overall winner remains the most consistent performer – her second place in La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta (Italy) her third of the season. Gracey Hemstreet (Norco Race Division) meanwhile has tasted success twice this year, and was back on the podium last weekend in La Thuile with third, while Nina Hoffmann (Santa Cruz Syndicate) took her first win since Pal Arinsal in 2023 at the new Italian UCI World Cup venue – the German aiming for her first-ever back-to-back victories. Others in contention include Tahnée Seagrave (Orbea/FMD Racing) and Marine Cabirou (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team). One rider who won’t be is Anna Newkirk (Frameworks Racing/5Dev), who is out following surgery to her hand – the American ruled out until after the summer break. GOLDSTONE EYES WIN RECORD Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) has been in dominant form, adding a fourth consecutive win to his run in La Thuile and equalling Aaron Gwin’s (Gwin Racing) record from 2012. The Canadian looks unstoppable, converting fastest qualifying times into victories at the last two rounds, and will be eyeing a fifth straight ‘W’ in Andorra. Although he finished 57th in his only Elite finals run on the Pal Arinsal course back in 2023, difficult conditions on the day mean he’s going into this weekend with a relatively clean slate. The man currently looking most likely to break Goldstone’s run is Loris Vergier (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction). The Frenchman finished second in La Thuile and has won twice on the Pyrenees course, including at last year’s UCI Mountain Bike World Championships – although his last UCI World Cup win, which was in Andorra, came more than 1,000 days ago. Others to look out for include Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity), Amaury Pierron (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction), who amazingly recovered from a broken collarbone to finish 10th in La Thuile, and Thibaut Daprela (Rogue Racing - SR Suntour) – the wild card qualifier clinching his first and only UCI World Cup win at Pal Arinsal back in 2023. Racing gets underway in Pal Arinsal – Andorra on Friday with the UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup. Full schedule and events details are available here.
The two-time Olympic champion returns to Cross-country mountain biking for the first time since last year’s UCI World Championships in Andorra. Tom Pidcock (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team) has confirmed that he will be competing at this weekend’s UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup in Pal Arinsal, Andorra. The 25-year-old last completed a mountain bike race in 2024 at the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships at the same venue, while his last UCI World Cup was in Crans-Montana, Valais (Switzerland) last June – where he did the XCO-XCC double. The Brit, who lives in Andorra, spent last season building towards the Olympic Games Paris 2024 where he clinched his second gold in the Cross-country Mountain Bike event to go with his medal from Tokyo 2020. En route to gold, he competed in two UCI World Cups last season, securing his second UCI Cross-country Short Track (XCC) World Cup and seventh UCI Cross-country Olympic (XCO) World Cup wins in his most recent race in Switzerland. This year has had a different focus for Pidcock, who switched teams in the off-season, leaving Ineos Grenadiers for UCI ProTeam Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team. He lines up in Pal Arinsal - Andorra having had a mixed 2025 on the road – winning the general and points classification at the season-opening AlUla Tour in Saudi Arabia, before a winless Spring Classics campaign and top-20 finish at the Giro d’Italia. He has stated that his remaining schedule includes La Vuelta (ruling him out of this year’s UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Valais, Switzerland, the UCI Road World Championships in Rwanda, and the UCI Gravel World Championships in Maastricht, Netherlands). Regardless of his form, he’s always a favourite and won’t be deterred from having to start towards the back of the grid this weekend – his UCI ranking meaning he won’t be eligible to race in Friday’s XCC and de facto qualifier for Sunday’s XCO.
Teammates Jackson Goldstone and Nina Hoffmann completed a perfect day for Santa Cruz Syndicate by holding their nerve and taking impressive wins in the UCI Downhill World Cup at La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta, Italy. Men’s Elite overall leader Goldstone, aged 21, equaled the record of four consecutive wins set by Aaron Gwin in 2012 and will have the opportunity to go one better next week in Pal Arinsal – Andorra. UCI Downhill World Champion Loris Vergier (Commencal/Muc-Off By Riding Addiction) continues his wait for a UCI World Cup win, stretching to over 1,000 days, after finishing second just 0.6 of a second behind, while Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity) was third. Meanwhile, Hoffman took her first Women Elite UCI Downhill World Cup win since 2023, despite still recovering from the injuries from a crash in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland (Austria) last month. The 28-year-old showed a combination of power and experience to win the fourth UCI World Cup round of her career. Women’s UCI Downhill World Champion Valentina Höll (YT Mob) was 2.9 seconds back in second and quickest qualifier Gracey Hemstreet (Norco Race Division) was third. There was a first career Women Junior UCI Downhill World Cup victory for Aletha Ostgaard (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team). Meanwhile, Till Alran (Commencal/Muc-Off By Riding Addiction) clinched his second Men Junior UCI Downhill World Cup win in as many rounds. The alpine ski town of La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta hosted the UCI Downhill World Cup for the first time and the specially designed track provided some exciting racing. The steepest ever UCI Downhill World Cup course faced riders with the 2.3-kilometre course having an average gradient of 28% as the course dropped 641 metres in elevation. The steep course mixed with rain for the men’s Elite competition made for changeable conditions and an intense afternoon of racing. GOLDSTONE CONTINUES DOMINATION OF MEN’S ELITE CATEGORY Canadian rider Goldstone came into the event full of confidence following three consecutive Men Elite UCI Downhill World Cup victories. Final starter Goldstone had to keep calm as rain resulted in several crashes and delays on the steep track. However, he once again flawless skills on the steep and technical descent to overcome his rivals. Amaury Pierron (Commencal/Muc-Off By Riding Addiction) came into the event placed fourth overall in the Men Elite UCI Downhill World Cup standings but had surgery on a broken collarbone just a week earlier. After making mistakes during qualifications, the Frenchman sneaked through to the finals by taking the final qualification spot in the second session. Starting first in the finals Pierron struggled to find the required pace but took a credible 10th placed finish. Youngster Lachlan Stevens-McNab (Trek Factory Racing) was the fastest of the early starters with a benchmark of 3:30.2. The steep sections of the La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta man-made course resulted in several riders being forced into mistake as Max Hartenstern (Cube Factory Racing) crashed out and Aaron Gwin (Gwin Racing) also made mistakes as he failed to trouble the leaders. Rain and rising wind hitting the slopes for the quicker qualifiers increasing the tension and resulted in many competitors having problems. UCI World Champion Vergier had been an ambassador in the Downhill event coming to La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta and sent down the perfect run to set the new quickest time. The seven-time UCI World Cup winner went fastest on each split and increased his margin at the demanding bottom section to set a new best time of 3:27.7. Light rain made way for sunshine as the final five riders entered the course following a short delay. Former Enduro rider Martin Maes (Orbea/FMD Racing) entered the steepest section just one second behind Vergier. In his first season of downhill action slight hesitation cost Maes but his clean run was enough to finish seventh. Bruni was the closest to the leader on the top sections, despite missing his footing early in the run. The Frenchman showed speed and composure as he went ahead in the second sector before a few mistakes on the tight corners was enough to fall 0.4 seconds behind Vergier’s time. Quickest qualifier Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) remained in touch on the opening power section and was just 0.7 of a second back. The Canadian was battling with his bike as he pushed the limits and pulled almost level in sector two. Coming into the final sector Goldstone had a slender advantage before stopping the clock in 3:27.1 – beating Vergier into second by 0.6 of a second. “I’m on a roll, it’s such a crazy feeling to be able to do four in a row,” said Goldstone. “I can’t believe that just happened, it felt right during the whole run and I was stoked with everything. “I had a few moments, the dust is so soft and powdery here that it’s really hard not to get sunk in and have those mistakes. I pushed through, gave it everything to the bottom and it was good enough. I would have been eight years old when that happened [Aaron Gwin won four in a row], it’s a pretty cool statistic. “I was struggling on Thursday in practice a little bit, but I kept building from there. Qualification was a lot better and I wasn’t expecting that. I’m really happy to be able to bring it home. I try to keep myself as focused and in the moment as possible, I don’t look at the times or watch the live stream. “What a day for Santa Cruz Syndicate, I’m so proud of Nina [Hoffmann] who won her first race of the year. I can’t believe I have the chance [to go five in a row], saying that is a dream come true, we’ll give it our best shot.” HOFMANN OVERCOMES INJURIES TO CLINCH ELITE WOMEN’S HONOURS The controlled aggression of Hofmann resulted in her setting a winning time of a formidable 3:57.9 – the only woman to beat the four-minute mark over the weekend. After going quickest through the second qualifying round yesterday British rider Phoebe Gale (Orbea/FMD Racing) was fastest of the early starters. Her time of 4:05.05 was an incredible nine seconds faster than the previous day and put her into the hot seat for the final riders, eventually enough for sixth position. French woman Marine Cabirou (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) won the previous round in Val di Sole – Trentino (Italy) but lost time on the technical section and finished eighth. After qualifying fifth quickest the previous day Hofmann started quickly and was 0.7 quicker than Gale after the opening split. Hofmann showed her strength to carry speed into the demanding wooded section and kept increasing her pace during a smooth run to set an unassailable time. UCI World Champion Höll tried her upmost to use different lines in an attempt to better Hofmann. Despite pulling some time back on the second section the Austrian rider lost slender amounts on the bottom section as she battled to control her bike. Höll had to settle for second 2.99 seconds behind as she continues to search for a first Women Elite UCI Downhill World Cup win of the campaign. British rider Tahnee Seagrave (Orbea/FMD Racing) was looking to rekindle her overall ambitions after crashing in Val di Sole – Trentino. Seagrave went faster than Hofmann through the first split and then held a 0.47-second advantage heading into the steepest section. The British rider made a small mistake which killed her speed and lost important time to her rivals to finish fourth 3.97 seconds behind. Quickest qualifier Hemstreet had watched her fastest time from the previous day demolished by Hofmann. The Canadian struggled to match the raw power and speed of the leader on the top section and had a gap of 1.9 seconds to find on the top section. Despite matching the speed of Hofmann on the steep descent Hemstreet lost further time on the flatter bottom section and placed third 3.19 seconds behind. “I’m such an emotional person, I can’t believe it,” said Hofmann. “I came down to the finish and turned around to see my time was under four minutes. I had in my head that the winning time was going to be under four minutes. “I thought whatever the other girls did that was a really good run and I’m stoked about that already. I don’t know how I ended up in P1. “I was really nervous when Valentina [Höll] came down because she’s a benchmark, she was slower and then Tahnee (Seagrave) also lost time at the bottom and you could see she was tired at the bottom. “I was pretty sure either Tahnee or Gracey was going to get me. I know Gracey (Hemstreet) was not the best at the first split, but she was almost two seconds behind. I thought ‘oh my god that’s a lot already’. “This is why it means so much to me, where I came from in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland sending it over the wall ride. “Holding it all back in Val di Sole – Trentino and being so happy just to ride and just trying to build confidence. This weekend I could feel it clicked a bit again, I feel myself again but I still don’t want to push too much and have another crash. It worked out somehow.” ALRAN RECORDS BACK-TO-BACK WINS IN MEN’S JUNIOR EVENT Frenchman Till Alran won his debut Men Junior UCI Downhill World Cup victory in Val di Sole – Trentino last month and repeated the feat in La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta. While his twin brother Max Alran (Commencal/Muc-Off By Riding Addiction) crashed out Till had no such problems as he posted the quickest time of the day. Omri Danon has committed to racing in the UCI World Cup series this season and was rewarded for his fearless run with a time which was good enough for fifth overall. Danon was only briefly in the hot seat as American Luke Mallen took the lead at the first split and managed to hold his bike on the bumpy terrain to set a fastest time of 3:35.2. Mallen’s time stood the test of time and the American remained the quickest finisher as the top four qualifiers prepared for their runs. New Zealander Tyler Waite (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) had spent time analysing the lines through practice over the weekend. The Kiwi rider battled back from the fast top section and then used his expertise of the course to pick the right lines and overturned the deficit and set a time of 3:33.05 to post the fastest time. Boosted by his maiden win two weeks earlier Till Alran was faster than Waite through the opening split and carried his speed with some aggressive riding over the ruts to increase his margin. Alran maintained his composure as he effortlessly increased his advantage to post a winning time of 3:28.2 – the fastest run of the weekend at that point. Coming into the event as overall leader Max Alran was next down the track and despite going quickest through the opening split the Frenchman was struggling to maintain the same speed and then crashed out. Men’s Junior UCI Downhill World Champion Asa Vermette (Frameworks Racing/5DEV) was quickest qualifier and showed his speed in the opening sector. Vermett remained in contention in the second sector before being beaten into second by just 1.56 seconds. Along with the win Till Alran also took the overall series lead from his brother heading into the next round. “It was pretty cool, amazing and I’m really happy,” said Alran. “The track was good, an amazing new track. “It’s pretty cool to lead the overall, my brother crashed. I’m pretty stoked, it’s amazing.” OSTGAARD RECORDS FIRST WOMEN JUNIOR UCI WORLD CUP WIN AFTER IMPRESSIVE DISPLAY Ostgaard was beaten into second place at both Val di Sole - Trentino and Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland. However, the Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team rider was not to be denied in La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta and used her strength on the constructed course to take a first UCI Downhill World Cup win of her young career. American national champion Matilda Melton (Commencal Schwalbe By Les Orres) came into the event in third place overall following a consistent campaign which has also seen her finish on the podium at Loudenvielle-Peyragudes (France). Melton set an early benchmark time of 4:10.98 after posting the quickest time through every sector and 13.5 seconds faster than those before her. French national champion Cassandre Peizerat had qualified well and looked to challenge before crashing on a sweeping corner ending her challenge. After qualifying second Ostgaard was determined not to be denied again and carried her speed well on the exposed top section into the woods. The American showed fearlessness as she carried big air off the steep jumps and the loose terrain. Ostgaard used her strength to carry her speed onto the bottom section to stop the clock in 4:08.15 - bettering the time of countrywoman Melton by 2.83 seconds. Overall leader Rosa Zierl (Cube Factory Racing) was the final starter and was targeting her third consecutive Women’s Junior UCI World Cup victory. The Austrian rider matched her opponent in the top section but carried less speed into the woods and found herself 2.6 seconds back on the second sector. Zierl was unable to close the gap on the bottom sections and had to settle for runner-up position 2.445 seconds behind - but keeps a healthy lead in the overall standings. After taking her first Women Junior UCI Downhill World Cup victory Ostgaard said: “It was gnarly. I was telling myself the whole time, ‘clean run and don’t go fast’. It was so physical and when you add in how long the course is, you were really working by the end. “I struggled pretty hard in the beginning of the World Cup season, but in the end it made it better. I think if I came out swinging it wouldn’t have been as good and I would have struggled later. “I’m excited to experience it like this. I liked how physical the course was, it took everything on this course not just skills. I really liked it.” The WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series continues in Pal Arinsal – Andorra next weekend (9-13 July) when Gravity and Endurance riders will be in action. The weekend starts with the UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup and UCI Downhill World Cup qualifying on Friday. The Downhill finals are on Saturday, followed by the UCI Cross Country World Cup on Sunday.
Following a day of action-packed racing, Sławomir Łukasik (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) and Simona Kuchyňková (Cube Action Team) took victories at the UCI Enduro World Cup in La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta (Italy), whilst both the men’s and women’s Elite overall titles were decided on the final 600-metre long floodlight nighttime stage. Lukasik overcame Charles Murray (Specialized Gravity) on the final stage to win by just five hundredths of a second. With this victory, Łukasik was also crowned the overall Men Elite UCI Enduro World Cup winner with the final round remaining. The women’s Elite event was equally as close and despite Kuchyňková crashing on the final stage she held a two-second overall margin over British privateer Ella Conolly. With her runner-up placing, Conolly also sealed the women’s Elite crown ahead of the final round in Morillon, Haute-Savoie (France) next month. Meanwhile, Noé Forlin and Nežka Libnik took the respective men’s and women’s wins with convincing displays. La Thuile – Valle d’Aosta marked its return to top-tier Enduro racing by hosting the penultimate round of the 2025 UCI Enduro World Cup. The venue, a familiar name in the sport, previously featured five times in the Enduro World Series between 2014 and 2021. The final one-day event of this year’s calendar contained a 46.77-kilometre route with over 2,700 metres of descending. Three demanding stages faced competitors during the daytime including a high-altitude start above 2,500 metres for the first 3.4-kilometre Kappa Trail stage. Riders then faced a lengthy transfer up the mountainside to Col Croce which was 3.9 kilometres in length with an elevation of -941 metres. Back across to the other side of the valley the final daytime test with Chaz Dura Express providing a test of 5.9 kilometres with an elevation of -988 metres. Big mountain descents challenged the Enduro competitors with technical terrain and raw, natural. The day was wrapped up with a short 600-metre night stage, lit by floodlights with an elevation drop of 151 metres. FEARLESS ŁUKASIK SNATCHES VICTORY BY SMALLEST OF MARGINS Sławomir Łukasik (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) did just enough to seal victory in La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta and with it the Men Elite UCI Enduro World Cup overall crown. Despite being pushed in the latter stages at last weekend’s round in Val Di Fassa – Trentino (Italy), the Polish rider found his rhythm when it mattered to take the honours. Last weekend’s runner-up Richard Rude Jr (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) returned back to Downhill action in La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta, resulting in one less podium challenger. Łukasik started the day where he left off last weekend and posted the quickest time on the opening stage of 7:06.7 along the 3.4-kilometre course. Privateer Daniel Booker saw a rock damage his wheel and end his overall hopes last weekend in Val Di Fassa. The Australian was back in the mix at La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta, finishing second just +3.8 seconds behind in the opening stage and Canadian Lief Rodgers was third +5.2 seconds back. The 3.9-kilometre long Col Croce stage saw a complete change in the faces leading the charge as Canadian Elliot Jamieson took the spotlight and posted the quickest time of 8:26.04. New Zealander Murray led the charge for second just 0.9 of a second behind and Jesse Melamed (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) was third. Łukasik kept the overall lead heading into the third stage after losing six seconds to the stage winner but finishing faster than challenger opponent Booker. Fellow New Zealander Matthew Walker (Pivot Factory Racing) took the honours on the Chaz Dura Express stage, while an enthralling overall battle developed behind. After 5.9 kilometres of racing only two tenths of a second separated second place on the stage Murray and Łukasik in third. Heading into the final Nightfall stage Murray had a slender over lead of just 0.216 of a second ahead of Łukasik. Brooker took the final stage in a show of fearlessness and technical ability under the floodlights. French rider Adrien Dailly was just six tenths of a second behind and Melamed finished third. The overall battle saw Łukasik finish fourth on the stage and an important 0.266 of a second ahead of Murray to snatch the overall honours by five hundreds of a second. Murray was regretting some small mistakes on the nighttime stage which ultimately proved the difference. Meanwhile, a crash for Walker on the final stage resulted in him dropping down the overall standings as Melamed finished third overall. “It was a really good day on the bike,” said 2025 UCI Enduro World Cup overall series winner Łukasik. “It was so much fun riding here and every stage was amazing, with a bit of everything on it. "It was a really good battle with Charles (Murray) today, it was really great day. I can’t believe I’ve won the overall, it’s an amazing feeling and I’m so stoked about that. I’ve never been to Haute-Savoie so I’m excited about that race, but more relaxed because I took the overall win. It will be fun to ride and more focus for the World Championships.” KUCHYNKOVÁ HOLDS ON FOR VICTORY DESPITE LATE SCARE Kuchyňková took an emotional first Women Elite UCI Enduro World Cup victory. The Slovakian rider had taken two podium positions this season but was yet to stand on the top step heading to La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta. British privateer Conolly was pushed all the way for victory last weekend in in Val Di Fassa – Trentino and once again faced a tough ask in Italy. With the course placed on the border with France, Mélanie Pugin gave the travelling supporters a gift by winning the opening stage in a time of 8:25.1. Conolly had the opportunity to seal the overall series with a round to spare and the British rider remained in touch by finishing second on the stage just 0.5 of a second behind. New Zealander Winnifred Goldsbury led a pack of riders battling for third on the stage (2.4 seconds behind the winner), meanwhile Kuchyňková finished five seconds back on the opening stage. Kuchyňková reversed that deficit on the Col Croce stage after posting an impressive time which was nine seconds quicker than second placed Conolly. Despite being the longest stage of the day at 5.9 kilometres long there was little to separate the Elite women on Chaz Dura Express. Conolly went quickest but was just 3.3 seconds quicker than Canadian Elly Hoskins and Kuchyňková was three tenths of a second further back. Coming into the final stage Kuchyňková had no room for error with an advantage of just 2.6 seconds ahead of Conolly. The Nightfall test saw Delia Da Mocogno go quickest, just two tenths of a second ahead of Nadine Ellecosta (Abetone Ancillotti Vittoria Factory Racing) in second and Raphaela Richter in third. After a long day of racing Kuchyňková crashed on the final stage and finished 10th. Overall rival Conolly was also challenged by the lighting, finishing seventh and less than a second ahead. That result meant that Kuchyňková clinched her first UCI World Cup win and Conolly’s second was enough to secure the Women Elite UCI Enduro World Cup for the season. An emotional Kuchyňková said: “It feels so good to win my first ever Elite, it was such a long day. “I had so many moments in this race, it means the world to me and I just need to process it right now. I’m so thankful and really grateful for everyone who stood behind me in really hard times. It feels so good. “I was really looking forward to the nighttime stage as I was on a really good run. Then I came into the rock garden and I crashed. I thought it was over for me, I kept going and crossed the line. I saw everyone was so happy so I knew that I had done it.” 2025 UCI Enduro World Cup overall series winner Conolly added: “I knew I could wrap up the title today, so I’m happy with how I rode and Simona was just incredible today, she’s an insane rider so I’m really stoked for her. “It’s been my best season so far and I’m really happy. It was my goal at the start of the season to win the overall. We’ll celebrate tonight, we’ve got a small break until the next World Cup and then the World Championships is the next goal.” FORLIN AND LIBNIK PRODUCE COMMANDING DISPLAYS IN JUNIOR CATEGORIES Forlin was taking part in his first Men Junior UCI Enduro World Cup outing of the season at La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta. The Swiss rider was able to use his power on the bottom section of the opening stage to grow an early advantage of eight seconds on his rivals. Behind, Belgian rider Gabriel Sainthuile and New Zealander Cooper Millwood were locked in a close battle for second with little to separate them on the opening stage. UCI World Cup leader Melvin Almueis had a nightmare opening stage when a crash resulted in him breaking his rear brakes and losing 46 seconds to the leader. Almueis was able to find a replacement brake and was back and looking for revenge in the second stage. However, Forlin took the honours finishing three seconds ahead of the Frenchman, while Sainthuile cemented his podium position in third on the stage. Forlin was full of confidence and in command of the overall and his time on the third stage was again fastest - 14 seconds ahead of Almueis, while Sainthuile again placed third. Completing his clean sweep of stages for the day Forlin narrowly beat Sainthuile in the short and exhilarating Nightfall final stage, with the pair comfortably finishing first and second overall. Coming into the final stage Cooper was holding third place overall but only sat two seconds ahead of Canadian Rhys Blair. Cooper lost 12 seconds on the final stage to slip down the standings as Blair took the final podium position. “My day was pretty good,” said Forlin. “I had a pretty good stage one and had some good space afterwards. Stage two was pretty hard because the top was pretty sketchy and I had to control by bike pretty hard. “In the bottom section I was pretty fast I think and I could open more. Stage three the top section was pretty sketchy with the off-camber but at the bottom I could open a big gap in the end.” Slovenian rider Nežka Libnik was also unstoppable and took her second Women Junior UCI Enduro World Cup win of the season. In her only other outing in the series this season Libnik also took victory in Bielsko-Biała (Poland) back in May. Libnik showed her technical ability and power to win the opening KAPPA Trail stage by an impressive 15.4 seconds ahead of Lacey Adams (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team). Col Croce saw the leader’s gap grow out further but behind was a tight battle as French woman Lucile Metge finished runner-up and American Chloe Bear (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) was third. Overall series leader Adams was fourth on the stage and lost vital time to her title challengers. Libnik also won the longest stage of the day and was 10 seconds ahead of Adams, with Metge in third. The short final stage saw Libnik go quickest again and took the overall race honours. Despite finishing second on the final stage Adams had to settle for third overall, as earlier time gained by Metge sealed her runner-up position. “I’m really happy to take the win, my second World Cup this year,” said Libnik. “It’s quite good and the stages were also very good.” Meanwhile, Adams sits with a comfortable margin of 150 points ahead of Metge heading into the final round. "Today was really good,” said Adams. “I started off a little bit slow, on stages one and two I struggled to find a bit speed, a bit of confidence and pace. “I knew I had to bring back some time on stage three. I had a really good stage three, I kept it smooth and pedaled my hardest. “It was a good stage. We had a few hours break and then into the night stage. It was really sick in the lights, that was really good into the night. It was super-good day.” Racing continues in La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta (Italy) on Sunday with the UCI Downhill World Cup – full schedule and events details are available here.
Canadians Gracey Hemstreet (Norco Race Division) and Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) continue to make waves in the Downhill scene, clocking the fastest qualifying times for tomorrow’s UCI Downhill World Cup Finals in La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta, Italy. Hemstreet, aged 20, has won two UCI Downhill World Cup rounds already this season, but this was the first time she has qualified fastest. Meanwhile, 21-year-old Goldstone leads the Men Elite UCI Downhill World Cup overall standings and qualified quickest for the second time this season. The alpine ski town of La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta is hosting the UCI Downhill World Cup for the first time and the specially designed track is set to provide some exciting racing. The technical, steep and fast 2.3-kilometre downhill course has an average gradient of -27% as it drops 641 metres in elevation. Both Hemstreet and Goldstone took advantage of the fast, flowing white-knuckle ride down towards the finish line as they set fastest times in the final sector to go quickest. Meanwhile, the new qualifying format for this season made for intense racing. Fourth placed overall rider in the Men Elite UCI Downhill World Cup standings, Amaury Pierron (Commencal/Muc-Off By Riding Addiction), suffered difficulties in Q1 and narrowly booked his finals place in Q2, along with Jordan Williams (Specialized Gravity). In the women’s and men’s Junior UCI Downhill World Cup categories Rosa Zierl (Cube Factory Racing) and Asa Vermette (Frameworks Racing/5DEV) impressed by posting the quickest time in their respective events. HEMSTREET FINISHES QUICKLY TO POST QUICKEST TIME A blistering final section was enough for Hemstreet to overcome her rivals to finish quickest qualifier. The Canadian was also the fastest qualifier in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland (Austria) before placing fourth in the finals the following day. On this occasion, she was just 11th quickest in the opening split and was over a second behind her rivals before battling back to post the fastest time. One of the non-starters at the new downhill venue was fourth placed rider overall Anna Newkirk (Frameworks Racing/5DEV) after having surgery on her hand. Also choosing not to start in La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta was Harriet Harnden (AON Racing- Tourne Campervans) following a crash in practice. Experienced British rider Tahnee Seagrave (Orbea/FMD Racing) won the opening round of the series in Bielsko-Biała (Poland) but had a tough ride two weeks ago in Val di Sole – Trentino (Italy) when a crash resulted in a 15th place finish, damaging her overall hopes. Seagrave was determined for revenge and set the quickest time through the opening three sectors and was over two seconds quicker than Hemstreet. However, Hemstreet hit back with a blistering fourth sector to overturn the deficit and then stretched her advantage out to stop the clock in 4:04.9 - beating Seagrave into second by +1.13 seconds. Swiss rider Camille Balanche will be looking for her first podium finish of the season in tomorrow’s final. The Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team rider was in the mix for quickest qualifier and held the fastest time after the fourth split, before struggling through to final section, to qualify third fastest and 1.549 seconds behind Hemstreet. UCI Downhill World Cup overall leader and UCI World Champion, Valentina Höll (YT Mob) is looking for her first win of this year’s series. The Austrian rider, who finished runner-up in Val di Sole, had a consistent qualifying run to finish fourth and just +2.4 seconds behind. Quickest in Q2 to book their place in tomorrow’s final was Phoebe Gale (Orbea/FMD Racing) who stopped the clock in 4:14.5. GOLDSTONE OVERCOMES CHALLENGE TO GO FASTEST Goldstone recorded a perfect weekend two weeks ago in Val di Sole – Trentino by qualifying quickest and winning the event. The Santa Cruz Syndicate rider has a healthy lead in the UCI Downhill World Cup overall standings following three wins from the opening five events. The lightweight rider has been forced to battle back against his more powerful rivals already this season and it was a similar scenario in La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta. UCI World Champion and overall challenger Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity) had the perfect start to the weekend going quickest through the first half of the course and had a 1.1-second advantage over Goldstone. The fourth sector was costly for Bruni who slipped from leading down to fourth position. Meanwhile, Luca Shaw (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) will be bidding for his first podium place of the season after setting a competitive qualifying time. The American was competing for the quickest time throughout and led after the fourth sector. However, Goldstone went quickest through the final section to overturn a 0.8-second deficit to win in 3:33.7 – just 0.4 of a second faster than Shaw. Oisin O’Callaghan (YT Mob), a third 0.5 of a second behind Goldstone and Bruni, was fourth. The depth of competition in the men’s Elite field meant that Amaury Pierron and Williams were punished for their mistakes in Q1 and had to battle through Q2 in a bid for a Finals spot. With just 10 men qualifying from Q2, their place in tomorrow’s final was far from certain and Pierron risked losing vital points on his overall challengers. After a disastrous Q1 in which he finished 70th, Pierron was an early starter in the second round. Despite starting well, the Frenchman posted a time of 3:38.7 which made for a nervous wait. Columbian rider Juan Fernando Muñoz (Axess Intense Factory Racing) was quickest in Q2 after posting a time of 3:35.7, while Williams was eight +2.5 seconds behind and Pierron claimed the final qualification spot in 10th. ZIERL AND VERMETTE IMPRESS IN JUNIOR QUALIFYING Men’s Junior UCI World Champion Vermette posted the quickest time in the Junior Downhill Qualifying. The Frameworks Racing/5DEV rider has yet to win a round of this season’s UCI World Cup with podium finishes in the last two rounds. With the men’s Junior Qualifying being closely fought, Vermette took the lead after a quick second sector and held on to a slender advantage – stopping the clock in 3:36.3. Max Alran (Commencal/Muc-Off By Riding Addiction) leads the overall standings and finished quickly to finish second fastest 0.205 of a second behind. His twin brother Till Alran (Commencal/Muc-Off By Riding Addiction) won the previous round at Val di Sole – Trentino and qualified third quickest just +0.278 of a second slower then Vermette. Meanwhile, Zierl came into the weekend with a healthy overall lead in the Women Junior UCI Downhill World Cup standings after taking wins in the previous two rounds. Aletha Ostgaard (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) finished runner-up in both of the previous events and brought the challenge to the Austrian once again. Ostgaard had a slender lead through the opening two sectors before Zierl came fighting back to go quickest by 1.66 seconds in a time of 4:18.7. Bellah Birchall (Team High Country) will be looking for her first podium finish of the season in tomorrow’s Finals after finishing third in qualifying +4.4 seconds behind the leading rider. The WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series continues in La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta tomorrow with the UCI Downhill World Cup Finals.
For the third and final consecutive weekend of racing in Italy, the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series’ Gravity contingent heads to a brand-new UCI World Cup venue with the UCI Downhill and UCI Enduro World Cups taking to the trails of La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta. We look at everything you need to know about the La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta round of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series, including when the Enduro and Downhill events are scheduled to take place, who is racing, and how to watch. WHEN? The 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series round in La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta, Italy starts with the UCI Enduro World Cup at 11:00 (UTC+2) on Saturday, July 5 and concludes with the Men Elite UCI Downhill World Cup at 14:00 (UTC+2) on Sunday, July 6. Below are the key timings for race weekend. All times are UTC+2 (EST+6/BST+1/CEST): Saturday, July 5 11:00 – UCI Enduro World Cup 12:30 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification 1 Women Elite 13:00 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification 1 Men Elite 14:15 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification Women Junior 14:40 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification Men Junior 15:30 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification 2 Women Elite 15:50 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification 2 Men Elite Sunday, July 6 11:30 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Finals Women Junior 12:00 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Finals Men Junior 13:00 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Finals Women Elite 14:00 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Finals Men Elite WHERE CAN I WATCH? There will be several ways to watch the Gravity-packed action unfold at Italy’s final UCI World Cup rounds of the 2025 season. For the penultimate UCI Enduro World Cup round of 2025, there will be a course preview 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. The UCI Downhill World Cup Qualification day can also be followed on live timing and across social media. For the fifth UCI Downhill World Cup round of the season, you can watch the finals live anywhere in the world. Both the Men Junior and Women Junior UCI Downhill World Cup races will be broadcast live on Max, discovery+* and MTBWS TV, while the Elite finals will be shown on one of the below channels or streaming services: North America Canada – Flosports USA – Max South & Central America All Central and South American territories – MTBWS TV Asia Indonesia, Macao, Malaysia, Mongolia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand – Eurosport China - Zhibo.TV All other Asian territories – MTBWS TV Oceania Australia – Stan Sport New Zealand – MTBWS TV Africa All African territories – MTBWS TV Europe Andorra – MAX, Eurosport Austria – discovery+, Eurosport Belgium – HBO Max, Eurosport Bosnia & Herzegovina – Max, Eurosport Bulgaria – Max, Eurosport Croatia – Max, Eurosport Czechia – Max, Eurosport Denmark – Max, Eurosport Faroe Islands – Max, Eurosport France – Max, Eurosport and La Chaine L’Equipe Germany – discovery+, Eurosport Hungary – Max, Eurosport Ireland – TNT Sports Italy – discovery+, Eurosport Moldova – Max, Eurosport Montenegro – Max, Eurosport Netherlands – HBO Max, Eurosport North Macedonia – Max, Eurosport Norway – Max, Eurosport Poland – Max, Eurosport Portugal – Max, Eurosport Romania – Max, Eurosport Serbia – Max, Eurosport Slovakia – Max, Eurosport Slovenia – Max, Eurosport Spain – Max, Eurosport Sweden – Max, Eurosport Switzerland – MTBWS TV Türkiye – Max, Eurosport United Kingdom – discovery+, TNT Sports All other European territories – MTBWS TV RIDERS TO WATCH While La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta might be a new addition to the UCI World Cup calendar, the venue has previously featured in the UCI Enduro World Cup’s precursor, the Enduro World Series – hosting five rounds between 2014 and 2021. For Enduro, it’s therefore a return to a fan favourite, while the UCI Downhill World Cup riders are being treated to a brand new race track – as tested by Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity) and UCI Downhill World Champion Loris Vergier (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) in the off-season. To mark its return to the Enduro series, La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta has prepared a challenging and spectacular course, featuring three demanding stages, including a high-altitude start above 2500 metres. Riders will face technical terrain, big mountain descents and the raw, natural trails that have made La Thuile a favourite among enduro fans. As a final touch, the day will wrap up with a short night stage, lit by floodlights – a unique addition to an already epic race day. Less than a week after the dust has settled on Val di Fassa’s Dolomite two-dayer, the Enduro athletes are going again 530km west on the trails of La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta. In the Men’s Enduro competition, Slawomir Lukasik (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) has built a commanding lead in the overall series – his second win of the season in Val di Fassa – Trentino continuing an impressive run that has seen him stand on the podium at all five rounds to date in 2025. He leads the next closest Jesse Melamed (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) by 550 points and could claim the overall title with a win in La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta. Melamed is one of only three riders to take a UCI Enduro World Cup win all year, so is in contention in La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta, while the other rider to stand on the top step in 2025 – privateer Daniel Booker – will be targeting a return to form after a disappointing 90th position last time out. One rider who won’t be contesting the win is the last rider to win at the venue, Jack Moir (YT Mob) – the Australian injuring his ankle prior to racing in Val di Fassa – Trentino. Privateer Ella Conolly meanwhile, made it a hat-trick of wins last weekend, and needs to do even less than Lukasik to confirm her first overall series. Her lead of 580 points over Simona Kuchynkova (Cube Action Team) means a win in La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta will also be enough. With three wins and two second places to her name this series, expect her to clinch her crown in style. The Brit won’t have it all her own way though, with Kuchynkova, Nadine Ellecosta (Abetone Ancillotti Vittoria Factory Team), Morgane Charre (Pivot Factory Racing) and Bielsko-Biala winner Elly Hoskin ensuring it’s not a procession for Conolly. While there are two runaway leaders in the UCI Enduro World Cup overall standings, things are finally balanced in the UCI Downhill World Cup as it approaches its halfway point. Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) has won three rounds back-to-back, but with the La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta a completely new addition, it will be down to who can get to grips with the track the fastest – something Aaron Gwin (Gwin Racing), Danny Hart (Norco Race Division), Loris Vergier (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction), Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity) and Ronan Dunne (Mondraker Factory Racing DH) have managed in the past. If the Canadian can make it four in a row, he’ll equal Aaron Gwin’s record for consecutive wins, set in 2012. Despite Goldstone’s dominance, he only has a 100-point lead in the overall on Bruni, who again failed to tame the Black Snake in Val di Sole. The Frenchman is one of the most consistent riders on the circuit though, so he’ll be in contention in the Alps. It looked like there might be a three-way battle for the overall, but with Amaury Pierron (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) fracturing his collarbone in practice in Val di Sole, rainbow jersey wearer Vergier has some catching up to do to be in with a shot. Valentina Höll (YT Mob) meanwhile finds herself at the top of the women’s overall with a slender, 49-point lead over Gracey Hemstreet (Norco Race Division). The reigning overall series winner and three-time UCI Downhill World Champion’s winless streak continues, but her consistency – the Austrian recording another second place in Val di Sole – means she’s still the woman to beat. Hemstreet failed to make it three wins in a row in Trentino, but the Canadian has proven herself to be a serious contender in 2025, while Tahnée Seagrave (Orbea / FMD Racing) will be looking to bounce back after her form was dented with a 15th place finish two weeks ago. Racing gets underway on Saturday, July 5 in La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta. Full schedule and event details are available HERE.
After two fast and furious weekends of racing in Val di Sole -Trentino and Val di Fassa - Trentino, the Italian WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series triple header comes to a conclusion in the Alps and a new UCI World Cup venue – La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta. The Gravity-only affair will be familiar to fans of Enduro – the location featuring in the UCI Enduro World Cup’s predecessor (Enduro World Series) five times between 2014 and 2021 – but the Valle d’Aosta spot is making its Downhill debut courtesy of a brand new race track. THE BIRTH OF AN ITALIAN ICON La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta is a high alpine ski town in the northwest of Italy that’s nestled in the Alps on the Italy-France border. A stone’s throw from Chamonix, France, and Mont Blanc, the town’s 1,450m elevation guarantees amazing views of the surrounding mountain range and down into the valley below. La Thuile Bike Park is home to 170km of routes, featuring some challenging, black-diamond trails packed with long, steep descents. Above the treeline, riders are treated to mellow, meadow fields, but on dropping into the woods the lines become rocky, rooty, and natural, creating a demanding test for both rider and bike. Its latest addition for the UCI Downhill World Cup has been created especially for this weekend by track manager Enrico Martello and Swiss specialists, Trailworks (whose work includes Bike Kingdom, Lenzerheide, Switzerland) and numerous local trailbuilders. The technical, steep and fast 2.3km course has an average gradient of -27% as it drops 641m in elevation. A mix of 40% machined and 60% natural terrain, it represents La Thuile’s character as it passes through dense alpine forests before opening up into a fast, flowing white-knuckle ride down towards the finish line. Standout section Shanghai is bound to become a fan favourite courtesy of a series of banked berms, while a 13.5m road gap will test even the most committed riders. The venue’s Enduro stages meanwhile take in the best trails of the Aosta Valley. Known globally as a natural trail area, La Thuile has become a reference point in the enduro world thanks to its raw character and deep connection to the mountain landscape. The UCI Enduro World Cup will see athletes take on four stages as part of a 48.21km course featuring 2,732m of descent during the race stages and 1,330m of pedal ascent during liaisons. The first three stages are drawn out affairs – the 6km with 988m descent Chaz Dura Express the longest of the lot – while the venue is pulling out all the stops for the final stage, Nightfall. For the UCI World Cup’s first-ever night stage, riders won’t start dropping in until 8:30pm, and will navigate the 600m-long stage lit by 23 floodlights that utilise the same technology as those used in Formula 1’s night races to ensure there are no shadows. GOLDSTONE ON FIRE AND CONSISTENT HÖLL IN CONTROL Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) and Valentina Höll (YT Mob) are the riders leading the downhill charge as we approach the season’s halfway point, but both have got to the top of their respective standings in different fashions. Goldstone is in a red-hot streak with three back-to-back wins that have rocketed him above Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity) in the overall. The Canadian seems to be making up for lost time having missed last season due to injury, and is a win away from equaling Aaron Gwin’s (Gwin Racing) record for wins in a row (four) from 2012. To do so, the 21-year-old will have to do something he’s never done before – win on a brand-new UCI Downhill World Cup track. Second in the standings Bruni is one rider who has done this, plus with experience testing La Thuile – Valle d’Aosta’s course in the off-season, the reigning overall Series champion has the upper hand on his competitors. Third-placed Loris Vergier (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) was the other rider present that day, and the UCI Downhill World Champion is edging closer to a podium finish – fifth place in Val di Sole – Trentino (Italy) his best result of the season. Others to look out for include wild card entrant Thibaut Daprela (Rogue Racing - SR Suntour) and second place in Val di Sole Troy Brosnan (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team), while one rider who won’t be competing is Amaury Pierron (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) – the Frenchman injuring his collarbone in practice last time out. For Höll, she finds herself in first despite not winning all year – the reigning UCI Downhill World Champion and overall series winner in the top spot through consistency. Her second place in Val di Sole was her third podium of the season, but her UCI Downhill World Cup winless streak goes back to Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland (Austria) in June 2024. If the Austrian fails to win this weekend, it will be her first Elite season where she hasn’t won one of the opening five rounds – a record that highlights her dominance since 2021. Gracey Hemstreet (Norco Race Division) is breathing down Höll’s neck, 49-points in arrears, and will be looking to secure her third win of the season in La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta. Tahnée Seagrave (Orbea/FMD Racing) is another rider looking to bounce back after a disappointing time in Trentino – the Brit and round one winner finishing down in 15th place. Marine Cabirou (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) meanwhile became the third different rider to win in 2025 in Val di Sole, highlighting the competitiveness in this year’s competition, and with six rounds to go, she won’t have written off her chances in the overall just yet. LUKASIK AND CONOLLY COULD BE CROWNED THIS WEEKEND While the downhill series is only approaching its halfway point, the Enduro contest is nearing its conclusion with La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta hosting the penultimate round. And with Slawomir Lukasik (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) and Ella Conolly continuing their dominant form in Val di Fassa, the pair could wrap up the overall before August’s finale in Morillon, Haute-Savoie (France). Lukasik secured his second UCI Enduro World Cup in the Dolomites, winning two stages over the two-day race to outgun all others including teammate Richard Rude Jr (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team). With Rude Jr back to Downhill racing this weekend, he’ll have one less rival to contend with in the Alps. The Pole only needs to finish fourth or better to clinch his first overall series win and given he hasn’t finished outside the top three all year, has a good chance of doing so. Jesse Melamed (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) is the only rider who can realistically stop Lukasik from winning the overall – the Canadian needing to add a second UCI Enduro World Cup win to take this season’s Series to the final round. Privateer Dan Booker meanwhile will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing 90th place in Val di Fassa – the two-time UCI Enduro World Cup winner’s David vs Golliath bid ultimately undone by his low-scoring results in Trentino and Enduro Trails - Bielsko-Biała (Poland). One privateer who hasn’t had this issue is Ella Conolly. The Brit has finished within the top two all year and made it a hattrick of wins in Val di Fassa. She only needs to come seventh or better in La Thuile – Valle d’Aosta to ensure her first overall series win. The women’s competition may therefore become a battle for second, and with Simona Kuchynkova (Cube Action Team) and Nadine Ellecosta (Abetone Ancillotti Vittoria Factory Team) tied on 1320 points and Morgane Charre (Pivot Factory Racing) not far behind on 1250, things are nicely poised with two rounds remaining. Racing gets underway in La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta (Italy) on Saturday with the UCI Enduro World Cup – full schedule and events details are available here.
UCI Enduro World Cup leaders Ella Conolly and Sławomir Łukasik (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) increased their overall margins by taking victories in Val di Fassa – Trentino. Both riders overcame searing temperatures and intense battles with their rivals to take honours after two days of racing in Italy Meanwhile, overnight leaders Lacey Adams (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) and Melvin Almueis overcame pressure from their opponents to clinch honours in the junior events. The gruelling setting of the Dolomites – UNESCO World Heritage site resulted in thrills, spills and mechanicals for enduro competitors across the weekend.Riders took on seven stages over two days – consisting of a 60.1-kilometres course featuring 3,057m of descent and 3,316m of ascent. The first three stages on day one resulted in close racing, with little to separate the riders heading into a long second day.While the opening day posed some unknown and new stages the second day included four firm favourites on the enduro circuit - Titans, Glühwein, Tutti Frutti and Ciasates. The 36.7-kilometre course, also longer than the previous day, started with the three-kilometre Titans stage. With line selection difficult a technical test faced riders on the stage, which included a steep descent in the Dolomites. Stage five (Gluewhwin) provided a more physical test with just 150 metres of descending in the 1.2-kilometre stage. nother firm favourite came in the form of Tutti Frutti with riders facing a sandy descent and slated rocks before a steep climb to the finish. Finally, the day finished with the deciding 1.4-kilometre stage of Ciasates, which saw riders throwing caution to the wind and carrying speed over the roots. CONOLLY FINDS RYTHM TO WIN ELITE WOMEN’S CATEGORY The Women’s Elite UCI Enduro World Cup was finely poised following the opening day as Nadine Ellecosta (Abetone Ancillotti Vittoria Factory Racing) had a slender lead over Simona Kuchyňková (CUBE Action Team) and Conolly – as all three riders were separated by a second. After struggling to find her rhythm the previous day, Conolly hit back on the opening stage of the day - winning Titans by 7.7 seconds and taking the overall lead. Overnight leader Ellecosta crashed twice and lost 19 seconds on the stage to Conolly and also lost precious seconds to Kuchyňková. Frustrated by her mishaps in the opening stage, Ellecosta hit back going quickest on the short Gluhwein stage but only pulling back a second on rivals Kuchyňková and Conolly. The notorious Tutti Frutti stage proved pivotal to the weekend of racing as an impressive ride by Conolly saw her go 11 seconds faster than runner-up Ellecosta. Meanwhile, a slow puncture for Kuchyňková saw the Slovak rider place fourth on the stage and lose 25 seconds on the leader. Ellecosta also suffered a dent to her wheel at beginning of Tutti Frutti, but was able to keep the air in her tyre for the remaining stage. British rider Conolly wrapped up the overall victory by winning the final stage, while home rider Ellecosta was second and Kuchyňková third on the weekend standings. “I’m really happy to win here,” said Conolly. “It’s really cool to win in a place where I’ve not been on the podium before. It’s nice to finally have a good race here. On day one I was struggling. There’s not a lot of flow on the trails, so you have to generate speed all the time. I was trying to be patient and carry speed, but obviously it wasn’t attacking enough. “I wasn’t that happy with my riding after day one. I watched some videos last night and saw how riders were attacking and sprinting out of every corner.” “Every stage today I feel like I found that intensity which has been really nice. It has been super-hot and we’re at altitude so the sun feels really intense as well. Between every stage I was trying to stay on top of eating and drinking.” ŁUKASIK MAINTAINS PRESSURE AS RIVALS FAULTER Overall Men’s Elite UCI World Cup series leader Łukasik had a healthy five-second lead following the previous day’s shorter stages over Richard Rude Jr (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team). Daniel Booker saw his hopes of overall ended the previous day when a rock punctured his tyre and damaged the rim during a demanding third stage. However, the Australian bounced back with a slender victory in the second day’s opening stage - Titans. Rude Jr finished second and clawed back over a second on leader Łukasik. The American increased the pressure on the series leader by winning the Gluhwein stage and reducing his overall deficit to Łukasik to 1.6 seconds heading into the final two stages. Charles Murray (Specialized Gravity) held third overall and had an 11-second buffer over Jesse Melamed (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team). The notorious Tutti Frutti high up in the Dolomites had a big impact in the weekend’s final standings. Third place overall Murray suffered a puncture at the top of the stage resulting in a long ride on a flat tyre resulting in him losing 33 seconds on the stage and a frantic ride back to the pits. Canadian rider Melamed took full advantage winning the stage and pulling himself into the final podium position. Rude suffered a similar fate on Tutti Frutti puncturing and losing 12.9 seconds on the stage and finishing six seconds behind Łukasik. Honours in the final stage went to Dutch rider Tristan Botteram (Simplon Trailblazers) who mastered the gruelling Ciasates stage. A third-place finish on the stage for Łukasik secured him the overall victory. Despite crashing on the final stage Rude finished second overall 13.8 seconds back and Melamed completed the podium positions. “I was super-happy after the first day,” said Łukasik. “I felt that I could push really hard and it was a smooth day. I then struggled to sleep and I was really tired in the morning. I tried to push as hard as the day before, but it was really hard with the heat and also the track was sketchy at times.” “I had fun riding so I tried to stay smooth and had good momentum through the whole day. The altitude wasn’t the big issue, the bigger issue was the heat and it was a really hard day. ALMUEIS AND ADAMS SURVIVE SCARES IN JUNIOR CATEGORIES Men’s Junior UCI World Cup overall leader Almueis held a slender overnight lead after an intense first day of riding. Slovenian rider Maks Struna sat just 3.6 seconds back from the leader overall after the first day and looked to overturn his deficit on the longer stages. Struna turned the tables on his rival gaining 3.3 seconds on his way to winning the opening stage of the day (Titans). Gluhwein provided a close contest between the top riders but Struna again took victory to take the overall lead. However, disaster struck for the leader on the notorious Tutti Frutti stage with Struna losing almost two minutes on his rivals and his overall challenge was over. Frenchman Almueis regained the overall lead by winning the stage by 9.7 seconds ahead of Hungarian Áron Babó. Almueis had a commanding 21-second lead over Babó heading into the final stage of the weekend and Canadian Rhys Blair held third. Overall leader Almueis also triumphed in the final stage to secure victory. A strong second day for Babó secured his second position overall and Blair took third. “It was a really hot conditions, today with the weather,” said Almueis. “I’m really happy to win in Val di Fassa – Trentino, the guys behind me were really fast. I kept pushing on these two days and I’m really happy because it’s really hard.” In the Women’s Junior UCI Enduro World Cup overnight leader Adams had a healthy lead of 14 seconds heading into Sunday. French rider Lucile Metge was her closest challenger and increased the pressure by winning her first stage of the weekend at Titans. As Adams struggled to find her form from the previous day, American Chloe Bear (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) took a slender win on the subsequent Gluhwein stage and Metge pulled back to eight seconds behind overall leader Adams. Tutti Frutti turned the race on its head as Metge triumphed by 7.6 seconds and was just 0.4 of a second behind Adams overall going into the final stage. On the final stage Adams did enough to win the stage by a second and the overall from a valiant Metge. “I’m super stoked,” said Adams.“It was definitely a hard day on the bike. I had a bit of a slow start on stage four and five, but got the flow on the last two stages, so I was pretty happy with that.” “It was a bit of a slow start, but I brought it back which was nice. The trails were in an awesome condition. There was a couple of loose sections on Tutti Frutti, it was pretty dry out there. The last stage was really fun, rough on my hands but fun.” The WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series gravity events continue next weekend at the alpine ski town of La Thuile – Valle d’Aosta (Italy) when enduro and downhill riders will take to the slopes in search of glory.
Home favourite Nadine Ellecosta (Abetone Ancillotti Vittoria Factory Racing) and Sławomir Łukasik (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) hold the overnight leads in the UCI Enduro World Cup after a gruelling day of action in Val di Fassa – Trentino (Italy). Ellecosta leads a three-way fight in the Women’s Elite UCI Enduro World Cup - with a single second separating the Italian from Simona Kuchyňková (CUBE Action Team) and Ella Conolly. Łukasik was also put under pressure in the Men’s Elite UCI Enduro World Cup and the overall series leader has a five-second lead heading into a daunting second day. Meanwhile, series challenger Daniel Booker saw his hopes of glory in Val di Fassa – Trentino ended when a rock punctured his tyre and damaged the rim during a demanding third stage of the day. Lacey Adams (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) has a healthy lead in the Women Junior UCI World Cup after a dominant day which saw the Australian win every stage. Meanwhile, Men’s Junior UCI World Cup overall leader Melvin Almueis battled to take a slender overnight lead in that category. Val di Fassa – Trentino has become a home for enduro events and held the first ever UCI Mountain Bike Enduro and E-Enduro World Championships last year. The beautiful setting of the Dolomites – UNESCO World Heritage site are hosting seven stages over two days – consisting of a 60.1-kilometres course featuring 3,057m of descent and 3,316m of pedal ascent. The opening day’s course consisted of 23.4 kilometres with three testing stages. The Pecedac and Fassa and Furious set the scene at 1-kilometre and 1.4-kilometre long respectively. Concluding the day was the 9.90 stage (3.5km with 37m ascent and 621m descent). A tough climb at altitude started the day’s final stage which was followed by a steep and physically demanding descent. ELLECOSTA DELIGHTS HOME FANS TO TAKE LEAD INTO DAY TWO The Dolomites was the scene of an enthralling day of action in the Women’s Elite UCI Enduro World Cup action. German rider Raphaela Richter got her weekend off to a perfect start by winning the opening stage in the women’s category. Richter finished fourth in the opening round at Pietra Ligure, Finale Outdoor Region (Italy) before missing the subsequent rounds. However, Richter returned to the series with a bang as her time of 2:30.3 was an impressive 1.9 seconds faster than home rider Ellecosta. The second stage contained a short but technical wooded section which prevented riders finding their flow and including a section requiring pedalling at the bottom. Overall series leader Conolly won the previous two rounds and was looking to extend her overall lead further.The British rider showed her power in the second stage to win the sector by 2.9 seconds ahead of Ellecosta and Kuchyňková (was a close third). The longest stage of the day saw an intense battle for the overnight lead with Kuchyňková winning the sector - finishing just 0.47 of a second faster than Ellecosta and Conolly was third. Italian home favourite Ellecosta has the overnight lead but is just 0.8 ahead of Kuchyňková and Conolly is also poised just one second behind the leader. “It was so awesome,” said Ellecosta. “I had a really good day out there. I had so much fun in this race. The love all the trails. “I know that tomorrow is going to be a bigger day. I’m already keen for it. I’ll go home for some rest, eating and sleeping and then hopefully I can recharge the batteries for tomorrow. “Tomorrow is going to be really hard, really physical, there are some really long stages, but I’m looking forward to it.” ŁUKASIK REMAINS CONSISTENT TO TOP OVERNIGHT STANDINGS After four UCI Enduro World Cup rounds the Men Elite riders descended on Val di Fassa – Trentino looking to show their strength in the Dolomites terrain. Australian Jack Moir (YT Mob) sat fifth overall after a consistent start to the season but missed the round due to injury. After testing himself in downhill action in recent weeks Richard Rude Jr (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) returned to Enduro bike action.The American was pushing at the top of a close leaderboard during an intense opening stage but had to settle for second as Australian Booker went three seconds faster. Meanwhile, Men’s Elite UCI Enduro World Cup series leader Łukasik was fourth on the opening stage. However, the Polish rider cut his deficit to win the second stage by 0.7 of a second from Rude Jr as Booker placed third. Łukasik then stamped his authority on the longest stage of the day to win the sector by 2.7 seconds ahead of Charles Murray (Specialized Gravity) and Rude Jr in third (5.02 seconds back). A flat tyre and broken wheel for Booker after hitting a rock on the third stage ended his overall chances going into the second day. Consistent riding throughout the day by Łukasik gives him a 5.2-second overall lead ahead of Rude Jr and Murray is 9.9 seconds back. “It was pretty fun,” said Łukasik. “It was really good conditions and I felt like I could push way faster and harder on each stage. “I tried to keep the flow, it was a really good day. I’m looking forward to tomorrow when I expect it to be harder with two big stages.” ADAMS AND ALMUEIS TAKE JUNIOR LEADS INTO SECOND DAY Adams dominated the Women’s Junior category at both Loudenvielle – Peyragudes (France) and Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland (Austria) The Australian was in a determined mood once again as she took an early lead on the opening stage. However, she was pushed all the way on the one-kilometre stage by French rider Lucile Metge who was just 0.4 seconds behind and American Chloe Bear (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) was also in close contention. Adams then blew her rivals away in the second stage to continue her winning run and extend her overall lead over Metge to 2.5 seconds, while Bear had cemented her third place. The Australian also triumphed on the toughest stage of the day with her time over the 3.5-kilometre stage 12 seconds quicker than Metge. Coming into tomorrow’s stages Adams has a healthy 14-second lead over Metge, while Bear sits 33 seconds back. “It was a short first stage to start off and it was perfect conditions out there,” said Adams. “The second stage was a bit longer, but the conditions were amazing and it was super fun.“The third stage was pretty long, I was pretty fatigued halfway through but I just kept pushing through. I’m stoked to be leading.” Meanwhile, Almueis has work to do in the Men’s Junior UCI World Cup category to extend his overnight advantage tomorrow. Swiss rider Noé Forlin was a surprise early leader after posting an impressive time of 2:14 on the short opening stage. However, series leader Almueis was in close pursuit and sat just 0.4 of a second back. Forlin then dominated his opposition in the second stage with his time five seconds faster than his opposition. Almueis finished fourth on the stage following a close competition for the top three positions. However, mistakes on the final stage for Forlin saw him finish 14th on the sector and drop down the overall. Almueis took advantage winning the 3.5-kilometre stage by just 0.7 of a second from Maks Struna and Canadian Rhys Blair was third (6.9 seconds back). Competition is tight going into the second day as Almueis has a 3.6-second overall lead ahead of Slovenian rider Struna and the pair of Blair and Áron Babó are nicely placed 10 seconds back on overall. “Today was a really good day for me in dry conditions,” said Almueis. “Yesterday during practice I didn’t like the first stage, but today was a very good result. The second stage was quite difficult for me with many pedalling at the bottom of the stage. “The third stage I tried to do my best and managed to finish second. Tomorrow, let’s see what we can do.” The WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series continues on Sunday when the UCI Enduro World Cup competitors will take to the hills surrounding Val di Fassa – Trentino once again. With four stages and a course length of 36.7 kilometres all could change and everything is still up for grabs.
The penultimate round of the UCI Enduro World Cup 2025 is nearly upon us, and the course has been released! Back-to-back race weekends in Italy will take us from Val di Fassa, Trentino, to the much anticipated La Thuile, Valle d’Aosta next week. La Thuile, a previous Enduro World Series venue, will host both the UCI Downhill and Enduro World Cups - a full gravity weekend of racing - for the first time. This is the final one-day race of the UCI EDR World Cup season (concluding in Morillon, Haute Savioe with a 2-day epic), and will feature four incredible stages - including the race series' first ever night stage! The full course is 46.77km, with over 2700m of descending. You can check out the stages on the interactive map, or take a fly through the animated version.
After four fiercely contested UCI Enduro World Cup rounds, the 2025 series enters its second half with three weekenders of racing and the outcome of both men’s and women’s overall titles still up for grabs. Val di Fassa, Trentino (Italy), is the setting of this weekend’s action, and with only Enduro on the cards, riders and fans will see a return to a two-day UCI Enduro World Cup round. A staple of the UCI Enduro World Cup and its precursor – the Enduro World Series – since 2019, the Dolomite-based location is regarded as one of the best venues in the world. With a racing history dating back to 2015, it was fitting that it hosted the inaugural UCI Mountain Bike Enduro and E-Enduro World Championships last year. NEW TESTS AND OLD FAVOURITES UCI World Cup locations don’t get much better than the Dolomites. The mountain range will provide a jaw-dropping backdrop to the all-out, Gravity-fuelled action, but its terrain will also make for some amazing racing. The charming town of Canazei will play host to the race headquarters, while the riding will stretch across three sectors of the Val di Fassa - Passo Pordoi, Passo Sella and the Ciampac area. For the UCI Enduro World Cup, athletes will take on seven stages during a 60.1km course featuring 3,057m of descent and 3,316m of pedal ascent. The first three stages take place on day one, which can be seen as something of a warm-up for the following day’s action – as it will feature 13km less pedalling and roughly half the ascent and descent. All three stages will be making their UCI Enduro World Cup debut, so could produce some surprises – particularly the day’s last stage, 9.90 (3.5km with 37m ascent and 621m descent). The second day, meanwhile, includes four firm favourites from the region – Titans, Glühwein, Tutti Frutti and Ciasates – and would be a tough enough day’s riding without the Enduro exploits 24 hours previously. RUDE RETURNS TO GIVE ŁUKASIK A TOUGH TEST WHILE CONOLLY TARGETS HATTRICK OF WINS With a week-long break in the UCI Downhill World Cup, reigning UCI Enduro World Cup overall title holder Richard Rude Jr (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) is set to return to his Enduro roots in Trentino. The American has had mixed results since turning his focus to Gravity’s other format this season, but showed he’s still at home on an Enduro bike at the opening round in Pietra Ligure - Finale Outdoor Region (Italy) when he finished sixth. His presence has the potential to shake things up in the Val di Fassa - Trentino standings, even if it won’t dramatically alter the overall, with there being only one more round after this weekend that doesn’t clash with a UCI Downhill World Cup. Rude is a firm favourite in Trentino, having won three times at the venue (2019, 2021 and 2022) and taken bronze at last year’s UCI Enduro World Championships. Rude’s teammate, Sławomir Łukasik (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team), leads the men’s overall series, and hasn’t finished off the podium all year. Although the Pole is yet to back up his debut UCI Enduro World Cup win in Bielsko-Biała (Poland), expect him to contest for a top spot in Italy. Privateer Daniel Booker’s two wins mean he’s closest to Łukasik in the standings, while others to look out for are in-form riders Charles Murray(Specialized Gravity) and winner in Saalfelden Leogang-Salzburgerland (Austria), Jesse Melamed (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team). One rider who won’t be in Val di Fassa - Trentino is last year’s winner at the venue, UCI Enduro World Champion Alex Rudeau. In the Women Elite, Ella Conolly appears unstoppable in her pursuit of a debut title. The Brit has dominated the last two UCI Enduro World Cup rounds, hasn’t finished outside the top two all year, and only seems to be growing in confidence. One rider who has got the better of Conolly this year is Elly Hoskin, winner of the UCI Enduro World Cup round in Bielsko-Biała. The Canadian returns to racing having sat out rounds three and four, so will be the toughest challenge Conolly has faced since May. The only other UCI Enduro World Cup winner in the field, Morgane Charre (Pivot Factory Racing), is also back on the startlist again having sat out Saalfelden Leogang-Salzburgerland after a crash in practice. Conolly’s series lead currently stands at 490 points, with Simona Kuchynková (Cube Action Team), Morgane Charre and Nadine Ellecosta(Abetone Ancillotti Vittoria Factory Team) the only riders within 600 points of the in-form privateer. HOW TO WATCH Race content will be available across the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series’ official platforms, including the YouTube channel, website, and social media profiles. Fans can catch up with the action from Val di Fassa - Trentino with: · A course preview featuring the route and its key sections · Practice day and race day video highlights · Key race moments on social media · Real-time race updates via live timing on the official website Racing gets underway in Val di Fassa - Trentino on Saturday – full schedule and event details are available here.
The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) Sports can confirm that 16 wildcard teams – eight cross-country and eight downhill – have been selected for round 11 of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series in Pal Arinsal (Andorra) on July 10-13. While all eight teams that applied for a downhill spot secured a wildcard, it was a lot more competitive in the cross-country, with only half of the 16 applicants selected. The majority of qualifying teams have already featured in the 2025 series, but there will be a first appearance for Swiss Endurance outfit Bike Team Solothurn. The nine-strong Cross-country team has a strong UCI World Cup history and blends a mixture of experience and youth. Some of its riders have already lit up this year’s WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series too, having qualified based on their UCI ranking points. Fabio Püntener is Bike Team Solothurn’s highest profile rider, recording a podium in the UCI Cross-country Olympic (XCO) World Cup round in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland (Austria) after finishing fifth in the previous round, while Fiona Schibler has been the in-form U23 XCO rider of rounds three and four, following up second place in Nové Mesto Na Moravě (Czechia) with the win in Austria. Elsewhere, Lexware Mountainbike Team is the only Endurance team to continue its 100% wildcard qualification record, while Goodman Santacruz, Rogue Racing - SR Suntour, Team High Country and Kenda NS Bikes UR Team do the same in downhill. The podiums keep coming for wildcard entrants too, with top three spots in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland for BIXS Performance Race Team’s Ramona Forchini (3rd in Women Elite XCO), Lexware Mountainbike Team’s Elina Benoit (1st in Women U23 Cross-country Short Track (XCC) ; 3rd in Women U23 XCO) and Paul Schehl (3rd in Men U23 XCC; 2nd in Men Under 23 XCO), and Trinity Racing’s Vida Lopez de San Roman (2nd in Women U23 XCC). The 16 wildcard teams for round 11 of the 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series in Pal Arinsal, Andorra are: UCI Cross-country World Cup: 1. BIXS Performance Race Team 2. Lexware Mountainbike Team 3. Bike Team Solothurn 4. Massi 5. Cabtech Racing Team 6. Scott Creuse Oxygene Gueret 7. Trek Future Racing 8. Trinity Racing UCI Downhill World Cup: 1. Gwin Racing 2. Rogue Racing - SR Suntour 3. Goodman Santacruz 4. Team High Country 5. Kenda NS Bike UR Team 6. YT Racing Development 7. The Alliance 8. Future Frameworks
Martin Vidaurre Kossman (Specialized Factory Racing) took an historic win for Chile in becoming the first athlete from the country to win a UCI World Cup. The Specialized Factory Racing rider has often watched team-mates Christopher Blevins and Victor Koretzky stand on the top step of the podium. However, on this occasion the 25-year-old took victory passing Mathis Azzaro (Origine Racing Divison) on the penultimate lap and riding clear, while privateer Fabio Püntener finished third. Meanwhile, Pieterse became the first woman to win back-to-back rounds in both XCO and UCI Cross-country Short Track (XCC) World Cup disciplines. The 23-year-old Women’s UCI XCO World Champion powered clear on the second lap and held on to win, despite suffering a crash halfway through the event. She was pushed all the way for victory by Samara Maxwell (Decathlon Ford Racing Team) who was closing on the lone leader during the second half of the race and finished just 26 seconds behind. Meanwhile, Laura Stigger (Specialized Factory Racing) took third following a close battle with Jenny Rissveds (Canyon CLLCTV XCO). In the Women’s U23 UCI XCO World Cup Valentina Corvi (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) returned from injury to seal a home victory for the Italian fans. The home rider finished 30 seconds ahead of fast finishing Fiona Schibler, while fellow Italian Sara Cortinovis (Ghost Factory Racing) completed the podium after leading early on. Meanwhile, Rens Teunissen Van Manen (KMC Ridley MTB Racing Team) took his first World Cup victory in the Mens’ U23 UCI XCO World Cup. The Dutch rider attacked at the midway point and grew his advantage each lap to the finish. Finn Treudler (Cube Factory Racing) backed up his XCC win on Friday night with a determined second placed finish after coming back from a mechanical issue.Meanwhile Benjamin Krüger finished third after fending off the challenge of a chasing group behind. VIDAURRE BATTLES THROUGH FIELD TO TAKE HISTORIC WIN Vidaurre timed his effort to perfection to win the Men’s Elite category with a penultimate lap attack and then grew his winning margin in the final stages. The Chilean won the 2021 Mens’ U23 UCI XCO World Champion in Val Di Sole – Trentino and celebrated his first Elite World Cup win in front of the same Italian fans. Vidaurre had to work his way forward from the fourth row and became stronger as the race reached its conclusion. A frantic start saw Luca Martin (Cannondale Factory Racing) take the front position as overall XCO and XCC UCI World Cup leader Christopher Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing) was in close attendance. Behind traffic on the short climbs into the wooded section delayed some of those riders outside the top 15 positions. Blevins was joined by team-mate Victor Koretzky (Specialized Factory Racing) in setting a scintillating early pace which caused gaps in the field further back. After withstanding the early pace Swiss rider Filippo Colombo (Scott-SRAM MTB Racing Team) attacked on the second lap with a powerful move up a steep climb and was joined at the front by Martin. The move put Koretzky onto the back-foot and he would fall back down the field and out of contention. Italian Luca Braidot (Wilier-Vittoria Factory Team) slowly worked his way across the seven-second gap to Colombo, but the pace was too high for Blevins who started to drop away. Cannondale Factory Racing team-mates Charlie Aldridge and Martin worked together and after half-an-hour of racing were just a handful of seconds behind the leading duo. Entering the fourth of eight laps the two pairs came together resulting in the pace easing, as chasers Mathis Azzaro and Julian Schelb (KMC Ridley MTB Racing Team) also pulled themselves back into contention. Also back to the leading group on the fifth lap was Swiss rider Püntener and Vidaurre to make a front group of eight riders on lap five. Colombo suffered heartbreak when a flat tyre resulted in the end of his podium ambitions. The pressure from Frenchman Azzaro saw him form a gap initially with Italian Braidot, before riding clear at the front. After riding himself back into contention earlier in the race Vidaurre reached across to second placed Braidot and the pair continued their pursuit of Azzaro, who had a lead of 17 seconds with two laps remaining. Vidaurre was not content with the pace being set and distanced Braidot on a wooded climb and could see the lone leader as the gap came down. Vidaurre came across to the leader and then immediately took the front of the race to set the pace on the descent. The Chilean rider perfected the descent and had a four-second gap over the fading Azzaro when taking the last lap bell. Behind Braidot narrowly avoided crashing on the descent but lost time as Püntener took third place. Vidaurre controlled his pace on the final lap and celebrated victory with his team, finishing 23 seconds ahead of Azzaro in second and Püntener in third (39 seconds back). Meanwhile, an eighth position for Blevins was enough for him to keep the XCO overall lead, ahead of Specialized Factory Racing team-mate Vidaurre. “It’s amazing, I love Italy, I love the people here, they gave me all the strength today,” said Vidaurre following his victory. “I have such good memories from 2021 when I became U23 World Champion. The whole race I said to myself ‘you can do it’. I just pushed through the bike, the Specialized was amazing over the roots, it’s incredible how fast I can go. “I found my flow, kept it easy at the beginning and then just took energy from the crowd. I needed this win, I’m more than happy. “It has been a long way to be here, it’s my third year as an elite, and to win a World Cup is all that I wanted. This is for my people and for my country. “I’ve watch Christopher (Blevins) win seven World Cups and Victor (Koretzky) win a bunch. Finally it is my turn. It’s the team spirit to push and support each other.” PIETERSE HOLDS FIRM TO ADD ANOTHER WIN TO HER COLLECTION Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck) overcame a small crash and pressure from her rivals to record a second Women’s Elite UCI XCO World Cup win of the season. The Dutch National Champion won in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland in convincing style two weeks’ ago on a muddy and gruelling course. Despite a repeat of the race result in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland, it was a closer contest in Val Di Sole – Trentino as Maxwell was closing on the leader in the latter stages. Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing – Pirelli) missed the weekend of racing at Val di Sole – Trentino, while Haley Batten (Specialized Factory Racing) was a non-starter after breaking her finger during the XCC event on Friday evening. Maxwell started from the second row after finishing 12th in the XCC and found herself in 19th and 30 seconds behind after the first lap. After finishing runner-up in the XCC it was Rissveds who powered clear on the opening lap, but had Pieterse and Stigger in close attendance. Pieterse responded from the early pressure and took the front with only Rissveds able to follow the Dutch woman. The persistent attacks of Pieterse eventually told on the second lap and she gapped her Swedish opponent. The UCI XCO World Champion grew her advantage in the following laps as Rissveds fell back to the duo of Nicole Koller (Ghost Factory Racing) and Stigger, while Maxwell was chasing with Jennifer Jackson (Orbea Fox Factory Racing) 54 seconds behind the leader. Pieterse looked in control before crashing in the rock garden on the fourth of seven laps and had to regain her rhythm. The chasers came together to form a group of five riders, who following the crash of Pieterse, were 36 seconds behind the leader. Pieterse regained time before the fight for medals saw Stigger and Maxwell pull clear of the chasing pack on the fifth lap. On the penultimate lap Maxwell used her strength in the steep climb and gapped Stigger, while Koller and Rissveds remained in the podium fight. Maxwell then went in pursuit of Pieterse and pulled the leader back to 32 seconds in a tense finish. On the final lap Pieterse rallied and had enough of an advantage to beat Maxwell into second, while a three-rider chasing group battled for third. Rissveds launched her attack in a bid to secure the final podium position, only for Stigger to pull her opponent back on the descent. Pieterse had time to celebrate her win, while Maxwell finished 26 seconds back in second and Stigger powered away from Rissveds in the closing moments to secure third. A fifth XCO podium of the season for Maxwell cemented her place as the overall leader, ahead of Koller and Pieterse. “It’s quite cool,” said Pieterse about her new record of back-to-back XCO and XCC wins. “I already knew from the XCC that she (Jenny Rissveds) was strong, she went out hard and I decided to follow a bit and not go as long (attack so early) as in Leogang. “I noticed a few spots where I was a bit quicker and I tried to make the best of it. I got a gap and had to go for it. “It took a lot today, especially when I heard that they were coming closer and closer. I heard that Samara (Maxwell) attacked and went all in, especially the climb on the back (of the course), it was almost undoable.” Speaking about her crash on the rock garden section, Pieterse added: “Halfway through I lost a bit of my focus, with all the noise around from people cheering. Italy is always crazy and it is hard to focus sometimes. “I made a little mistake and it took me half-a-lap to get into it, and then it was good again. I knew the seconds back because every time in the tech zone they told me. Maybe it looks a lot, but in my mind 30 seconds is nothing.” CORVI DELIGHTS HOME FANS WITH COMMANDING WIN Corvi delighted the home Italian fans as she clinched a solo victory in the Women’s UCI U23 XCO World Cup. The 20-year-old Italian fractured her collarbone in a crash earlier this season and had a winning return to the UCI XCO World Cup. After finishing eighth in the XCC event on Friday night, Corvi took control in front of her home fans in the XCO on Sunday morning. She was joined at the head of proceedings by fellow Italian Cortinovis and the home riders had a healthy lead after the opening lap. The pair worked together to grow their lead until the third of five laps when Corvi took the lead alone. Cortinovis suffered from her early efforts and fell back to the chasing riders competing for the medals. After finishing 25th in Friday night’s XCC event, Schibler had to battle through the field and lost 30 seconds on the leaders on the opening lap. However, the Swiss rider worked her way into the leading group before passing Cortinovis into second position and went in pursuit of the lone leader. Corvi limited her loses on the last lap and held on to take victory by 30 seconds ahead of Schibler. Meanwhile, Cortinovis was rewarded for her early efforts with a second position finish. A sixth placed finish for Ella Macphee (Wilier-Vittoria Factory Team) was enough to maintain her position as overall XCO series leader. “I tried to push super-strong from the beginning,” said Corvi. “I had super-good feelings, it’s amazing here with my crowd and my people. Winning my first UCI World Cup is amazing “Sara (Cortinovis) pushed super-strong from the first lap and I tried to keep the speed high. I’m super-happy that we finished all together on the podium in Italy, it’s a big day for us.” TEUNISSEN VAN MANEN TAKES MAIDEN WORLD CUP WIN Teunissen Van Manen sensed his opportunity and powered away to win his first UCI World Cup. The 20-year-old has finished on the podium twice this year and capitalised on a mechanical for rival Treudler to form a winning gap. Swiss riders Nicholas Halter and Treudler were at the front from the outset and pulled out a small five-second gap on chasers Paul Schehl (Lexware MountainBike Team) and Teunissen Van Manen. The fast pace of the opening lap took its toll on the Under 23 riders as the field started to spread out on the Val di Sole – Trentino course. Dutch rider Tom Schellekens (KMC Ridley MTC Racing Team) was also amongst the riders within 10 seconds of the early Swiss leaders. Treudler won the XCC World Cup on Friday night but suffered some mechanical issues and lost time, dropping down to seventh position. German pairing Krüger and Schehl were joined at the front by Heby Gustav Pedersen (Wilier-Vittoria Factory Racing) and Teunissen Van Manen. On the fourth lap Teunissen Van Manen made his bid for glory and distanced his rivals by 14 seconds. The Dutch rider continued to grow his leading advantage, while Treudler pulled back the chasers to battle out the medal positions. On the penultimate lap Treudler showed his power and distanced his podium opponents but sat 40 seconds behind lone leader Teunissen Van Manen. A last lap crash for Teunissen Van Manen saw his winning margin reduced to 34 seconds on the final lap ahead of Treudler. Meanwhile Krüger gapped his podium opponents for third but had to fend off a late charge from Swiss rider Khalid Sidahmed. “It is everything that I’ve ever dreamed of,” said Teunissen Van Manen. “To win here on this course couldn’t have been any better. “In the last lap on the first downhill I got stuck in between some roots, in the dust, and went down. “Luckily it wasn’t anything bad and I could continue.” The WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series continues next weekend when the UCI Enduro World Cup hits the slopes of Val di Fassa – Trentino. Meanwhile, the endurance riders are next in the XCO and XCC UCI World Cups in Pal Arinsal - Andorra on 9-13 July.
Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) and Marine Cabirou (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) showed fearless technique as they took victories in the UCI Downhill World Cup Finals at Val di Sole – Trentino (Italy). Canadian youngster Goldstone has fired his way back from an injury-hit 2024 and won the previous two rounds heading to Italy – at Saalfelden Leogang - Salzburgerland (Austria) and Loudenvielle-Peyragudes (France). Goldstone dominated the Men’s Elite weekend Qualifying quickest and then finishing quickest in the Finals by 2.42 seconds ahead of Troy Brosnan (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) in second and Thibaut Daprela (Rogue Racing-SR Suntour) took third – despite riding most of his run with no chain. Meanwhile, French woman Cabirou took her ninth Women Elite UCI Downhill World Cup victory. She fended off a determined run from UCI World Champion Valentina Höll (YT Mob) in second and quickest qualifier experienced Monika Hrastnik (AON Racing – Tourne Campervans) finished third. The 2.1-kilometre course provided a tough test, with an average gradient of 24% and total drop of 550 metres, with the dry conditions making for a dusty course. Meanwhile, there was a first UCI World Cup victory in the Men’s Junior category for Till Alran (Commencal-Muc-off by Riding Addiction) and Rosa Zierl (Cube Factory Racing) made it back-to-back round wins in the Women’s Junior event. GOLDSTONE TAKES OVERALL LEAD WITH THIRD CONSECUTIVE WIN Goldstone felt no pressure as he claimed a third consecutive Men Elite UCI Downhill World Cup victory.With victory the 21-year-old also took the overall series lead from the shoulders of rival Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity). Amaury Pierron (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) also lost ground in the overall standings after breaking his collarbone in practice earlier in the weekend. The quickest time kept falling in the Men’s Elite category Finals as Oliver Zwar (Orbea/FMD Racing) posted a time of 3:44.29 which pushed out Jordan Williams (Specialized Gravity). British riders Matt Walker (Trek Factory Racing DH) and Joe Breeden (Axess Intense Factory Racing) crashed out, along with home favourites Christian Hauser (Trek Factory Racing DH) and Davide Palazzari (Rogue Racing – SR Suntour). Quickest qualifier in the second session the previous day Antoine Pierron (Commencal Schwalbe by Les Orres) held his nerve on the difficult course and clocked speeds of over 60 kilometres an hour. However, when leading Pierron suffered a flat tyre on the final section, which cost him a podium challenge. French National Champion Thibaut Daprela (Rogue Racing-SR Suntour) lost his chain on the opening section but still went the quickest by three seconds by the midway point. Despite making a few mistakes and having no chain to pedal the final moments the Frenchman went quickest in 3:42.22 - a time which finally held third place overall. American Dylan Maples (Commencal/Muc-Off By Riding Addiction) provided a challenge for the leading time and built speed throughout his run to finish fourth. UCI Downhill Cup World Champion Loris Vergier (Commencal/Muc-Off By Riding Addiction) was the next to test the dusty course and was in contention in the top section. However, the Frenchman lost time throughout the woods and despite finishing strongly his time was eventually enough for fifth. Overall series leader Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity) also lost time on the middle section and found himself off the podium and losing vital points with a sixth placed finish. Penultimate starter Troy Brosnan (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) was second quickest on the top section and was carrying his speed down the steep slopes. Brosnan found himself a second behind before throwing everything at the lower slopes and went quickest in 3:41.28. That was until Goldstone hit the slopes and carried his speed through the top section to keep in contention. The Canadian was in full control and took his third win in as many rounds finishing in 3:38.86 – 2.42 seconds clear of Brosnan in second and Daprela took an impressive third. “That was a really good run today,” said Goldstone. “I felt that I was hitting all my lines good, there was moments where I had to dab my foot three times. “That came from a lot of motivation from my last two wins and the confidence built in practice. It felt like it was going to happen. “I was confident in my run the whole way down. I felt that I didn’t leave anything out there. It was a good one.” Goldstone is the first rider to win three consecutive Men Elite UCI Downhill World Cup rounds since Danny Hart in 2016. He added: “It’s a crazy stat to be a part of. I felt like everyone was talking about the wins. I’m just so proud to be able to do it. “The goals is to do the best I can in every single race, no matter where I end up. As long as I’m happy with my run and I’ve been happy with these last three runs and they’ve been winning runs. “I need to keep up that momentum and keep pushing. I’ve got a good training block next week.” CABIROU SHOWS EXPERIENCE TO TAKE WOMEN’S ELITE VICTORY Marine Cabirou (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) took her ninth Women Elite UCI Downhill World Cup victory of her career. The 28-year-old was without a UCI World Cup win this season coming into the event, after winning two series events in 2024. Anna Newkirk (Frameworks Racing/5Dev) was another victim of the technical Black Snake course and failed to start qualification after breaking her hand during practice. Former winner at Val di Sole – Trentino and overall hopeful, Tahnée Seagrave (Orbea/FMD Racing), had a weekend to forget and mistimed a wooded turn which saw the end of her challenge. Fast finisher Cabirou was the first rider to beat the long-standing time of Jess Blewitt (Cube Factory Racing) and took first position. After taking two consecutive UCI World Cup victories Gracey Hemstreet (Norco Race Division) lost time on the upper sections of the course and despite pushing the technical sections the Canadian had to settle for fourth position - two seconds behind. UCI Downhill World Champion Valentina Höll (YT Mob) rode a commanding top section and was matching Cabirou time in the woods. There was little to separate the two riders, but the strong final section from Cabirou was the difference as Höll finished 1.27 seconds back. Quickest qualifier Monika Hrastnik (AON Racing – Tourne Campervans) put down a consistent run but struggled to find the pace of the previous day to finish third. “My beginning of the season was not super-good,” said Cabirou. “I was fighting a bit to be on the podium and at the top again. “I’m really happy to win today. It was a really challenging weekend. The track was really destroyed, I gave my best and finally that paid off. Adding about the changes she made after placing fifth in qualifying, she added: “I just tried to push even more and find a better flow. “I did too many mistakes yesterday [in qualifying] and just didn’t feel good on my run. I just tried to relax, enjoy and take some good momentum on my bike. “I really liked the last part of the track so I tried to push even more on that section because I lost a lot of time on a big mistake at the top. I didn’t think that would be the run for the win, but finally it is.” A second placed finish for Höll was enough for her to leapfrog Hemstreet into the overall series lead after five rounds. ALRAN BROTHERS FINISH ONE-TWO AFTER DOMINATE PERFORMANCES Till Alran (Commencal-Muc-off by Riding Addiction) took his first Men Junior UCI World Cup victory after beating twin brother and team-mate Max Alran by five hundredth of a second. Estonian rider Riko Mäeuibo was the quickest of the early Men’s Junior starters with his time eventually good enough for a top-10 finish. Even the top section of the Black Snake course was causing problems and Kasper Hickman (Cube Factory Racing) crashed to end his challenge. Oli Clark (MS-Racing), won at Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland two weeks’ ago, but made a mistake in the woods and despite going quickest at the time he finished fifth. The raw speed of Tyler Waite (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) set a new benchmark for the later starters and was five seconds faster than those who finished before him - to eventually take fourth. UCI World Champion Asa Vermette (Frameworks Racing/5DEV) is still looking for his first win of 2025 and went quickest through the technical section for third. His time held until Till Alran went quickest in every sector despite unclipping at the top of the course. Undeterred the French rider beat the best qualifying time from the previous day, in what would turn out to a winning run of 3:42.09. Final starter, Max Alran, went close to his brother's time but had to settle for runner-up 0.50 of a second behind. “I’m very happy to take my first World Cup and first podium of this year,” said Till Alran. “It was pretty dusty, gnarly and really destroyed. I’m happy to have my brother on the podium one and two, I’m very happy.” ZIERL RECORDS BACK-TO-BACK WOMEN JUNIOR WINS AFTER CLOSE BATTLE Women’s Junior UCI Downhill World Cup series leader Rosa Zierl (Cube Factory Racing) completed a perfect weekend in Val di Sole – Trentino. Following her win in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland two weeks’ earlier Zierl was firm favourite after qualifying quickest. Early starter Matilda Melton (Commencal Schwalbe by Les Orres) held the lead, with her time eventually good enough for fourth. Fellow American Aletha Ostgaard (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) provided a standout performance to post a time which was the second fastest of the day. The notorious Black Snake course provided a tough test on the competitor’s upper body strength the bike suspension. Both Lina Frener (Norco Race Division) and Marlena Rieger crashed on the technical course which ended their chances. Riding just her second UCI Downhill World Cup event Kate Hastings pushed the leading time before some final mistakes proved crucial as she eventually finished third. Austrian favourite Ziegler found herself behind the time of Ostgaard on the opening open section. However, the series leader came fighting back in the most technical sections and took victory by six tenths of a second. Ostgaard was rewarded for her efforts with a second placed finish and Hastings placed third. “It was definitely a hard run, my hands are done” said Ziegler. “It was pretty good and I just wanted to repeat what I did yesterday [in qualifying]. It worked out well. “I had good runs and I was just happy on the bike.” The UCI Mountain Bike World Series returns next weekend (27-29 June) for gravity riders with the UCI Enduro World Cup round in Val Di Fassa – Trentino (Italy). However, the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series is not over for this weekend as Sunday sees endurance action return when the UCI Cross-county Olympic World Cup races take to the Italian tracks.
Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) and Monika Hrastnik (AON Racing-Tourne Cambervans) mastered the difficult terrain in Val di Sole - Trentino to qualify quickest for tomorrow’s UCI Downhill World Cup Finals. Goldstone has won the last two UCI Downhill World Cups and looks like the rider to beat during a consistent run, which was six hundredths of a second quicker than his nearest challenger. Meanwhile, Hrastnik used her experience and knowledge of the Black Snake course to qualify fastest woman. The Slovenian was clearly the quickest and stopped the clock nine hundredths of a second faster than her rivals. The 2.1-kilometre course will provide a tough test all weekend, with an average gradient of 24% and total drop of 550 metres, several riders have already crashed heavily in practice and qualification. GOLDSTONE CONTINUES DOMINANT RUN The Black Snake run in Val di Sole-Trentino, is notorious for providing a challenging course for downhill competitors. The tree roots which litter the steep tracks again caused problems during qualification. Five riders failed to finish the first men's Qualifying session and several more also had issues on the Italian slopes. Full of confidence following his last two UCI World Cup wins Goldstone had few issues as he flew down the course in 3:42.21. Australian Troy Brosnan (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) finished seventh in the previous round at Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland (Austria). The winner of last year’s UCI World Cup round in Mont-Sainte-Anne went second fastest, less than a second back in 3:42.82. Overall leader Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity) will be looking to defend his position tomorrow and qualified third quickest just +1.766 behind Goldstone. Amaury Pierron (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) lost ground in the overall standings with an 18th position in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland. The Frenchman will lose further ground overall this weekend after breaking his collarbone during his final practice run in Val di Sole-Trentino. Antoine Pierron (Commencal Schwalbe by Les Orres) could be in contention tomorrow after dominating the second qualifying session with a time of 3:42.99 – over two seconds faster than his nearest challenger. HRASTNIK RETURNS TO STOMPING GROUND Multi-time European UCI Downhill Champion, Hrastnik, has had previous success on the notorious Black Snake course and will be one to beat again tomorrow.The Slovenian, who finished third last season, has yet to clinch a podium this campaign. However, the 31-year-old used all her experience to post the quickest qualification time of 4:15.13. Valentina Höll (YT Mob) will be looking for her first UCI World Cup win in a year and posted the second quickest time of 4:16.05. Following two wins in as many rounds, Gracey Hemstreet (Norco Race Division), continued her good form to qualify third quickest (4:16.44). Fellow overall challenger and last year’s winner in Val di Sole -Trentino, Tahnée Seagrave (Orbea/FMD Racing) will be hoping for a better final run after qualifying eighth fastest over six seconds off the pace in 4:21.53. Anna Newkirk (Frameworks Racing/5Dev) was another victim of the Black Snake and failed to start qualification after breaking her hand during practice. SERIES LEADERS ALRAN AND ZIERL QUICKEST JUNIORS Junior UCI Downhill World Cup overall leaders Max Alran (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) and Rosa Zierl (Cube Factory Racing) sent a message to their rivals by qualifying quickest in Val di Sole – Trentino. Frenchman Alran won the opening round at Bielsko-Biała before being beaten into second position two weeks’ ago. The youngster posted the quickest time on each section to stop the clock in 3.42.37 – nearly two seconds clear of his nearest competitor. Teammate Till Alran (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) finished fourth in Saalfelden-Leogang and will be looking for a first podium tomorrow after going second quickest in 3:44.36. Asa Vermette (Frameworks Racing/5DEV) was third fastest qualifier in 3:46. After winning in Saalfelden Leogang two weeks’ ago Oli Clark (MS-Racing) will need an improved time tomorrow to challenge for the podium after qualifying 10th quickest. Meanwhile, in the women’s Junior event, Austrian rider Zierl mastered the difficult course to qualify five seconds faster than her rivals. The Cube Factory Racing rider stopped the clock in a formidable time of 4:23.30. New Zealanders Kate Hastings and Bellah Birchall (Team High Country) finished in second and third places respectively and will be in the podium fight tomorrow. After winning in Loudenvielle-Peyragudes (France) earlier this month Lina Frener (Norco Race Division) had to battle for qualification and was eighth quickest 13 seconds off the pace. The UCI Downhill World Cup continues tomorrow (Saturday) with the final runs for elite and junior competitors.
History making Blevins became the first person to win the opening five UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup rounds of the season. Meanwhile, after missing the opening two rounds Pieterse won her third consecutive UCI XCC event with another blistering finish. The hot conditions and dry 940-metre track in Trentino resulted in close bunch racing and jostling for positions throughout. Both Blevins and Pieterse kept inside the top 10 positions throughout and then launched blistering attacks on the last lap before holding on to the finish. Meanwhile, Finn Treudler (Cube Factory Racing) extended his lead in the Men U23 UCI XCC World Cup after taking back-to-back series wins. Canadian Nicole Bradbury overcame a first lap crash to clinch her first Women U23 UCI XCC World Cup victory. BLEVINS CONTINUES PERFECT XCC SEASON IN VAL DI SOLE Blevins returned to the course where he was crowned UCI XCC World Champion in 2021 to continue his winning streak in this year’s UCI XCC World Cup. Another former UCI XCC World Champion, Samuel Gaze (Alpecin-Deceuninck) won at Val Di Sole last season, but was absent in Italy after recently becoming a father. Blevins has dominated XCC this campaign and was leaving nothing to chance on the fast course in Trentino. Meanwhile, Charlie Aldridge (Cannondale Factory Racing) finished third two weeks’ ago but struggled in a tight opening and was shuffled back outside the top-20 positions. Luca Schwarzbauer (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) upped the pace in a bid to break the large leading group which was tightly packed together. With riders using every inch of the track to position themselves Ondřej Cink (Cube Factory Racing) tangled with the course marking tape and lost his position at the midway point. Blevins and Specialized Factory Racing team-mate Victor Koretzky were amongst those who were battling for position as Schwarzbauer controlled the front.Heading into the final two laps all-but-one of the 39 starters were separated by less than seven seconds. Schwarzbauer continued to hold the front position and was powering up the small climb to maintain his position to take the last lap bell. However, Blevins took the front and launched a blistering attack up the final climb and pulled out a winning advantage. Koretzky had to tighten his shoe coming into the last lap, but powered through to finish runner-up behind his team-mate for the fourth XCC event this season. Meanwhile, Schwarzbauer was rewarded for controlling the front positions throughout the race with a third place finish. “I really try to start from zero every race, it’s easy to let the ideas of what you’ve done or the fear of losing it accumulate,” said Blevins after recording a record fifth consecutive XCC win of the season. “That’s what is working for me, coming back to ground zero, every race is a new race. I executed it really well today and had the kick on the last lap that I needed. It was always the plan. That’s how you win these short tracks that stay together. I’ve got a lot of confidence in that, as long as I can get there recovered enough. “Thankfully I was in a good position, it was super dusty and loose so. It was a course where you were prone to mistakes. I did it as well as I could. (Being at the front) was super important. It’s the switch that I’ve made with short tracks this year. “It was an interesting race in terms of equipment, we raced the gravel tyres on half of the short tracks this year. This time we were on super wide and fast tyres, which on these bumps were really good. “It was super cagey, you probably bump at last a dozen times out there. The skill level is so high with everyone, that everyone is comfortable even when bumping around these loose corners. That’s the coolest thing about short track titles.” PIETERSE MAINTAINS UNBEATEN RUN WITH LATE ATTACK Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck) took her sixth career UCI XCC World Cup victory with another attacking display. UCI XCC World Cup series leader Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing – Pirelli) had a commanding overall lead after winning two of the opening four rounds. However, after finishing sixth in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland two weeks’ ago the British rider decided not to travel to Val di Sole. It was Samara Maxwell (Decathlon Ford Racing Team) who led away from the start and up the climb, before being swamped by the early pace and slipping back in the tight course. After starting on the second row Pieterse had to battle her way to the front following the opening lap. Canadian Jennifer Jackson (Orbea Fox Factory Team) took the front and was holding a commanding position in the front row in the opening laps. On the fourth of 11 laps Pieterse launched a blistering attack up the course’s short climb but failed to break a compact front group. The Dutch National Champion attempted to break the close bunch again on lap seven, but saw her effort matched by the large front group. With four laps remaining the top 26 riders were separated by a handful of seconds as Pieterse continued to control the front. The close racing resulted in several crashes and Loanna Lecomte (BMC Factory Racing) came down on the hard surface and was a non-finisher. Heading into the final lap a long string of 16 riders remaining in contention for the podium positions, led by Jackson. A close battle into the final corners saw Pieterse lead and then attack into the final climb. Jenny Rissveds (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) was the only rider to respond as they descended down to the finishing straight.Pieterse launched her winning sprint finish and gave it everything to hold off a quickly finishing Rissveds. Meanwhile, Jackson was rewarded for her efforts during the race with a third placed finish. “It was quite cagey, the whole race actually,” said Pieterse. “After a few laps you could see where people could overtake and where it wasn’t possible.’’ “In the last lap I knew that I would have to go early, because the sprint finish is a bit shorter than the last few years.’’ “I thought that I needed to try it from the front, luckily it worked out. It was really important to be in the second or third wheel, my start wasn’t too good, you could feel how tight everything was and how crashes are there. I knew just to stay in the front." Pieterse continues to mix her mountain bike and road racing ambitions and added: “I’ve been with my road team doing some recons of the Tour de France stages, so I had some big days on my bike. I hope to be fresh this weekend. I think I’m quite fresh.” After missing the round Richards has seen her overall lead reduced to 40 points. BRADBURY TIMES EFFORT PERFECTLY FOR FIRST WIN Canadian Nicole Bradbury was the day’s surprise winner after coming back from a first lap crash to win the women’s Under 23 event. A first lap collision with fellow Canadian Ella Macphee (Wilier-Vittoria Factory Team) saw both women have to battle back through the field. Gaps started to open after 10 minutes of racing after the efforts of Valentina Corvi (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) and Anina Hutter started to tell However, the fast course resulted in the field remaining in one line separated by seconds on the Italian course. Home rider Sara Cortinovis (Ghost Factory Racing) and British youngster Ella Maclean-Howell (Cube Factory Racing) were also amongst the leading charge, with the leader changing each lap. As the race reached its conclusion the Austrian duo of Katherina Sadnik (KTM Factory MTB Team) and Katrin Embacher (Trek Future Racing) came to the front, along with Bradbury. It was Bradbury who was the fastest to surprise herself with victory, beating series leader Sadnik into second and Embacher third in a tight finish. “I definitely didn’t expect that at all,” said Bradbury. “I was worried this morning as I just didn’t feel too good. It was super-hot, so I was a bit nervous about all the different factors. It’s my fourth short track, I was really nervous and aiming for a top-20. “I crashed on the first lap with Ella Macphee. I thought both of our races were probably over. In the last three laps I found myself at the front and made the moves that I need to do to get into the top four and five with two laps to go “It seemed that everything opened up and I could do what I need to do. I can’t believe it.” TREUDLER RECORDS BACK-TO-BACK WINS Finn Treudler (Cube Factory Racing) followed his win in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland two weeks ago with another success in Val Di Sole. The men’s Under 23 race was equally as fast and furious as the women’s event before it, with German Paul Schehl (Lexware Mountain Bike Team) and overall UCI XCC World Cup leader Treudler pushing the early pace. Rens Teunissen Van Manen (KMC Ridley MTB Racing Team) and Norwegian pairing Sondre Rokke and William Handley were also in the mix as the fast race reached its conclusion. Treudler was the most powerful rider at the finish to take a two-second victory ahead of challenger Van Manen. Meanwhile, Schehl completed the podium after riding from the front on the fast terrain. “I knew that this short race was going to be really hard for me to make a good result,” said Treudler. “It’s super-flat and I’m a rider who needs some climbs to make a difference.’ “I felt super-strong and tried to be at the front in the whole race to keep it easier with positioning. I’m super-happy to take the win.” The WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series continues in Val Di Sole-Trentino this weekend with the UCI Downhill World Cup Finals on Saturday, followed by the UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup on Sunday.
After a well-earned one-week break, the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series goes again this weekend with the UCI Cross-country and UCI Downhill World Cups taking to the trails of Val di Sole - Trentino (Italy). We look at everything you need to know about the Val di Sole - Trentino round of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series races, including when the Cross-country Olympic (XCO), Cross-county Short Track (XCC) and Downhill (DHI) events are scheduled to take place, who is racing, and how to watch. WHEN? The 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series round in Val di Sole - Trentino (Italy) starts with the Women Elite UCI Downhill World Cup Qualification 1 at 12:30 (UTC+2) on Friday, June 20 and concludes with the Men Under 23 UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup at 15:30 (UTC+2) on Sunday, June 22. Below are the key timings for race weekend. All times are UTC+2 (EST+6/BST+1/CEST): Friday, June 20 12:30 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification 1 Women Elite 13:00 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification 1 Men Elite 14:15 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification Women Junior 14:40 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification Men Junior 15:30 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification 2 Women Elite 15:50 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification 2 Men Elite 15:45 – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Women U23 16:25 – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Men U23 17:30 – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Women Elite 18:10 – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Men Elite Saturday, June 21 10:50 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Finals Women Junior 11:20 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Finals Men Junior 12:15 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Finals Women Elite 13:10 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Finals Men Elite Sunday, June 22 09:00 – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup | Women U23 11:00 – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup | Women Elite 13:30 – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup | Men Elite 15:30 – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup | Men U23 WHERE CAN I WATCH? There will be several ways to watch the action unfold at Italy’s only UCI Cross-country and first UCI Downhill World Cups of the 2025 season. Follow the UCI Downhill World Cup Qualification day on live timing and across social media. For the fourth UCI Downhill World Cup, fifth UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup and fifth UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup of the season, you can watch the finals live anywhere in the world. The men’s and women's Junior UCI Downhill World Cup races will be broadcast live on the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series YouTube channel, while the Elite finals will be shown on one of the below channels or streaming services: North America Canada – Flosports USA – Max South & Central America All Central and South American territories – MTBWS TV Asia Indonesia, Macao, Malaysia, Mongolia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand – Eurosport China - Zhibo.TV (only Elite Downhill races live) All other Asian territories – MTBWS TV Oceania Australia – Stan Sport New Zealand – MTBWS TV Africa Angola, Burundi, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Cape Verde, Cote d'lvoire, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial, Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mayotte, Mozambique, Mali, Mauritania, Namibia, Nigeria, Niger, Reunion, Rwanda, South Africa, Eswatini, São Tome and Principe, St Helena and Ascension, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Seychelles, Socotra, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zimbabwe, and Zambia – Supersport All other African territories – MTBWS TV Europe Andorra – MAX, Eurosport Austria – discovery+, Eurosport Belgium – HBO Max, Eurosport and LN24 (only Elite XCO races live) Bosnia & Herzegovina – Max, Eurosport Bulgaria – Max, Eurosport Croatia – Max, Eurosport Czechia – Max, Eurosport and CT Sport+ (only Elite XCO and XCC races live) Denmark – Max, Eurosport Faroe Islands – Max, Eurosport France – Max, Eurosport and La Chaine L’Equipe (only Elite Downhill races live) Germany – discovery+, Eurosport Hungary – Max, Eurosport Ireland – TNT Sports Italy – discovery+, Eurosport and Rai Sport (Women’s XCC, XCO and DHI races live on RaiPlay, Men’s XCO and DHI races live on Rai Sport, Men’s XCC live on RaiPlay) Moldova – Max, Eurosport Montenegro – Max, Eurosport Netherlands – HBO Max, Eurosport North Macedonia – Max, Eurosport Norway – Max, Eurosport Poland – Max, Eurosport Portugal – Max, Eurosport Romania – Max, Eurosport Serbia – Max, Eurosport Slovakia – Max, Eurosport Slovenia – Max, Eurosport Spain – Max, Eurosport Sweden – Max, Eurosport Switzerland – MTBWS TV and SRF/RSI (only Elite XCO and XCC races live) Türkiye – Max, Eurosport United Kingdom – discovery+, TNT Sports All other European territories – MTBWS TV RIDERS TO WATCH The Canadian invasion continues at pace in Downhill, with riders from Canada recording back-to-back wins in the two most recent rounds to propel themselves up the rankings in both the men’s and women’s competitions. Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) edged Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity) by less than a 10th of a second in Saalfelden Leogang - Salzburgerland to back up his win in Loudenvielle-Peyragudes. The 21-year-old appears to be fully recovered from the injury that ruled him out of the whole of last season and has fond memories in Val di Sole - Trentino too – winning the 2021 Junior UCI Downhill World Championships and his first Elite UCI Downhill World Cup at the venue in 2023. Bruni still narrowly leads in the overall and is a favourite for every race he enters, but has never done it at the Italian venue in the Elite class. One rider who has (twice), is Bruni’s career rival, Amaury Pierron (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction). The Frenchman had a disappointing Saalfelden Leogang - Salzburgerland, finishing down in 18th, but expect him to raise his game just north of Lake Garda. Another to keep an eye on is Pierron’s teammate UCI Downhill World Champion Loris Vergier (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction), who has shown solid recent form in qualifying and recorded a win in Val di Sole - Trentino back in 2022. Anything Goldstone can do, compatriot Gracey Hemstreet (Norco Race Division) seems to be matching – the Canadian following up her first-ever win in Loudenvielle-Peyragudes with the win a week later. She won’t have it easy though. Tahnée Seagrave (Orbea/FMD Racing) is breathing down her neck in the overall, and the resurgent Brit is a three-time winner already at the venue, including last year. Reigning overall series winner Valentina Höll (YT Mob) meanwhile has now gone a full calendar year without a win at a UCI Downhill World Cup, but the rainbow jersey holder is always a threat. Anna Newkirk (Frameworks Racing/5Dev) is a rider on the up worth keeping tabs on, while Myriam Nicole (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) is another with three wins in Val di Sole - Trentino, including the 2021 UCI Downhill World Championships. While the Cross-country contests aren’t as tight on paper, the results in varying conditions in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland have shown that the current XCO series leaders – Christopher Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing) and Samara Maxwell (Decathlon Ford Racing Team) – aren’t infallible. Blevins will be looking to bounce back after his winning run that stretched back to Araxá, Minas Gerais (Brazil) in April ended with 17th in Austria. The American has never placed higher than 26th in the Elites at the Italian venue, but his early season form suggests that he’ll be competing for the honours this Sunday. His teammate Victor Koretzky (Specialized Factory Racing) is another who had a disappointing time last time out, DNFing after two laps. Despite this, the round one winner still sits second in the overall, and will be targeting a response in Italy. One man likely to stop them is Nino Schurter (Scott-SRAM MTB Racing Team). The G.O.A.T’s 2025 has got off to a mixed start by his high standards, but the Swiss legend is the king of Val di Sole, having won one XCO UCI World Championships and six UCI XCO World Cup rounds (including in 2024) at the venue. In the women’s field, Maxwell still has a healthy lead in the overall and made it a hattrick of consecutive second-place finishes to go with her UCI XCO World Cup win at round one. Her consistency suggests that the New Zealander will be there or thereabouts, but it’s hard to look beyond one rider for the top spot on the podium – Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck). The reigning XCO UCI World Champion was in electric form regardless of the conditions in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland, winning the XCO-XCC double to propel herself to 12th in the overall, despite not competing in the opening two rounds in Brazil. She has previous successes in Trentino, winning the UCI XCO World Cup in 2023 and finishing second last year behind Pauline Ferrand-Prévot. The Flying Dutchwoman won’t necessarily have it all her own way though, and with four different winners in the XCO so far this series, the field is more competitive than ever. It’s a similar story in the XCC, although here Blevins’ record remains unblemished – his winning streak currently sat at a record-breaking four. His teammates Koretzky and Martin Vidaurre Kossmann (Specialized Factory Racing) have been the next-best riders all series, but don’t expect them to stand in the way of the number one red jersey if it’s a straight sprint for the line. Charlie Aldridge (Cannondale Factory Racing) came closest to breaking up the Specialized dominance in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland and the Brit appears to be on an upward trajectory. Like Blevins, Pieterse is unbeaten in the XCC races she’s entered this year, and won Val di Sole’s Short Track race in 2024. Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing-Pirelli) remains in the overall leader’s red jersey and will hope to be back to full fitness after battling through illness to finish sixth in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland. Racing gets underway on Friday, June 20 in Val di Sole – Trentino. Full schedule and event details are available HERE.
Next week, enduro athletes will head to Val di Fassa, Trentino for the fifth round of the UCI Enduro World Cup and the second 2-day race of the season. They'll be joined by hundreds of aspiring racers, who'll tackle the Shimano Enduro Open race, in one of the most iconic venues on the planet. The 2-day UCI EDR World Cup course covers over 60km, with 3316m of pedal ascending and 3057m of descending on the regions most famous trails, including Titans and TuttiFrutti. For a more detailed look at the courses, you can check out the interactive map, or take a fly through the animated version.
After seven fast and furious rounds, the 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series sets up camp in Italy for three back-to-back race weekends, starting in Val di Sole - Trentino (Italy). Two weekends ago, Saalfelden Leogang - Salzburgerland (Austria) gave us a four-day festival of off-road racing, with Cross-country, Downhill and Enduro stars digging deep in changeable conditions in Austria. While the Enduro riders have a well-earned break, the Cross-country and Downhill athletes are gearing up to go again and tackle the legendary Val di Sole – Trentino trails. Located in the heart of the Italian Alps, Val di Sole is known globally as a mountain biking paradise. When it comes to top-level competition its pedigree is no less long and illustrious. Since the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships were first held there in 2008, it has never failed to thrill and it has been a regular UCI World Cup venue since 2010. The UCI Downhill World Cup takes place on The Black Snake – one of the series’ most notorious tracks named after the tree roots that litter the trail and throw up sizeable challenges for the riders, especially if the conditions are wet. At 2.1km long with an average gradient of 24% and total drop of 550m, taming this course requires more technical skills than most. The UCI Cross-country Olympic and UCI Short Track races meanwhile take on some of Val di Sole Bike Park’s most testing terrain – both on the ups and downs. The 3.54km Olympic course underwent a refresh last year, but remained just as tough with its 224m of ascent, while the 940m Short Track circuit sees a return to flatter, faster racing after the climb-heavy loop of Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland. PIETERSE IN RED-HOT FORM Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck) might have missed the first two rounds of the 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series to focus on the road, but the Cross-country Olympic (XCO) UCI World Champion is making up for lost time. She did the XCO- XCC (Cross country Short Track) double in dominant form last time out to go with her XCC win in Nové Mĕsto Na Moravĕ (Czechia) and has fond memories of Val di Sole - Trentino, having finished on the podium (2nd in 2024, 1st in 2023) in both starts as an Elite. Samara Maxwell (Decathlon Ford Racing Team) is likely to be Pieterse’s closest rival – the New Zealander recording three consecutive second places after her round one win – while Mona Mitterwallner (Mondraker Factory Racing XC) and Jenny Rissveds (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) have both shown they’ve got what it takes to stand on the podium’s top spot this season. BLEVINS LOOKING TO GET BACK TO WINNING WAYS AFTER BLIP Christopher Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing) had an XCO race to forget in Saalfelden Leogang - Salzburgerland – the series leader struggling in difficult conditions to finish down in 17th and outside the top two for the first time in 2025. The American will be hoping to return to winning ways in Val di Sole - Trentino, but there will be a number of riders looking to take advantage of any signs of weakness. Nino Schurter (Scott-SRAM MTB Racing Team) will be leading the charge. The Swiss rider has an amazing record in Trentino, winning seven XCO races from nine starts (the other two results second and third). He always raises his game for Val di Sole – Trentino, so expect him to be taking Blevins to task. Victor Koretzky (Specialized Factory Racing) and Ondrej Cink (Cube Factory Racing) meanwhile are the only riders other than Blevins to have won in 2025. The former pulled out in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland and will be looking for a statement result as we approach the season’s halfway point, while the latter recorded his first UCI XCO World Cup win in 12 years in Austria. Now that he’s secured his first, could the Czech rider make it two from two? SAME AGAIN IN THE SHORT TRACK? Pieterse and Blevins both have a 100% win record from race starts in this year’s XCC series, and it’s hard to look beyond the pair for Friday’s Short Track shakedown. XCC UCI World Champion Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing-Pirelli) can beat anyone on her day, but the British rider looked off the pace in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland. Charlie Aldridge (Cannondale Factory Racing) meanwhile is the rider who has come closest to breaking up the Specialized Factory Racing monopoly and will be hoping he can hold out long enough to take a first UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup win in Trentino. HEMSTREET ON A ROLL Gracey Hemstreet (Norco Race Division) is having a flyer of a series – the Canadian racking up her first two UCI Downhill World Cup wins to find herself top of the standings. She will be looking to make it a hat trick on The Black Snake track and given her form you wouldn’t bet against her. Tahnée Seagrave (Orbea/FMD Racing) meanwhile is looking back to her best. The Brit missed out on a podium finish for the first time this series in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland but has three wins to her name in Val di Sole - Trentino, including last year. Anna Newkirk (Frameworks Racing/5Dev) is another rider likely to be in contention, while you can’t rule out Valentina Höll (YT Mob), even if the Austrian has now gone a full calendar year without a UCI Downhill World Cup win. CAN BRUNI FINALLY TAME THE BLACK SNAKE Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity) narrowly leads the men’s overall after bouncing back from disappointment in Loudenvielle-Peyragudes (France) with second place in Austria, but to definitely hold on to his status he’ll have to do something he’s never managed – win in Trentino. He’ll be extra keen to break his winless record in north Italy because the man breathing down his neck in second place – Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) – has won the last two UCI Downhill World Cups, and knows what it takes to tame the Black Snake having claimed his debut Elite win on the course in 2023. Elsewhere, Amaury Pierron (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) will be targetting a return to the podium after he could only manage 18th in Austria, while his teammate Loris Vergier (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) and Laurie Greenland (Santa Cruz Syndicate) are just some of those racing who have recorded UCI Downhill World Cup wins on the circuit’s most notorious course. Racing gets underway in Val di Sole - Trentino on Friday with the Downhill Qualifications followed by the UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup. Full schedule and events details are available here.
The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) Sports can confirm that eight wildcard teams have been selected for the fifth Downhill round of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series that will take place in La Thuile, Valle d’Aosta (Italy) on July 3-6. Four of the teams will be making their fifth appearance in this year’s Series, while there are returns for several other squads. All eight outfits are crammed full of up-and-coming talent, while there are also established names such as five-time UCI Downhill World Cup overall champion Aaron Gwin (Gwin Racing) and UCI Downhill World Cup winner Thibaut Daprela (Rogue Racing – SR Suntour). After three rounds, Daprela is the best-performing wildcard rider – the 24-year-old Frenchman recording two top-10 finishes to find himself 9th in the overall standings. He will be aiming to continue his strong form in Italy, while his team will also consider La Thuile – Valle d’Aosta as something of a home race – the Italian squad also featuring a strong line-up of local riders, including Davide Palazzari, Lorenzo Mascherini and Davide Cappello. With a partizan Italian crowd lining the venue’s brand-new downhill course, there will be extra motivation for the Rogue Racing – SR Suntour athletes as they take to the trail. And with the track continuing to evolve through training and qualifying, don’t be surprised if a wildcard rider makes it onto the podium for the first time this season. The eight wildcard teams for round 10 of the 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series in La Thuile – Valle d’Aosta are: Gwin Racing Rogue Racing – SR Suntour Goodman Santacruz Team High Country Kenda NS Bikes UR Team YT Racing Development The Alliance Future Frameworks
The Italian venue will put on a WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series debut to remember with the UCI Enduro World Cup concluding with a first-ever golden hour final stage. The WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series will be heading to La Thuile (Italy) for the first time this July, and the Valle d’Aosta venue is guaranteeing it will be a race weekend for the ages by putting on Gravity’s first-ever night stage. The golden hour action will be part of the UCI Enduro World Cup, with La Thuile – Valle D’Aosta the setting for the penultimate round of the series. The area’s Bike Park isn’t new to the world of enduro – having hosted five rounds of the Enduro World Series between 2014 and 2021 – but this year marks its return to the top of the sport since it became part of the UCI in 2023. While the race’s first three stages will kick off in the morning and be held in the daytime, the final stage – named “The Nightfall” - will be scheduled to commence at 8:30pm – the sun setting as the final riders drop in. The stage itself will be lit by 23 floodlights, utilising the same technology as those used in Formula 1’s night race to ensure that there are no shadows on course. Tested for feasibility in 2016, the project is finally coming to fruition nine years on and is an exciting new concept to relaunch the pinnacle of enduro racing in the Italian Alps. The Official Sponsor of this exciting night race will be CVA SpA, the Valle d’Aosta-based company and leader in the renewable energy sector, always committed to promoting sport and supporting initiatives that enhance the local area. Although the details of the trail are being kept under wraps until the release of the full course, the local organising committee have confirmed it will finish in the same finish area as the following day’s UCI Downhill World Cup, and the night stage will form part of a major three-day-long show. The finish area, known as the Stadium, will be set up at the base of the lifts. Easily accessible, it will feature a large screen, an expo zone, food and drinks, a VIP lounge, and an awards stage. Three types of tickets are available, sold online: Grandstand: raised seats in front of the finish line Grass area: access to the festive green zone next to the track Lift access: to reach scenic points along the trails and watch the riders up close All information and tickets are available at www.lathuileworldcupmtb.com
The toughest test of the UCI Enduro World Cup so far produced two intense battles for Elite victory as Jesse Melamed (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) and Ella Conolly proved worthy winners in Austria’s largest Bike Region Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn Trails. A contender for the most challenging course of the year was made even more troublesome by heavy rain after riders had made their one-and-only practice runs in the dry on Friday, with a winter cycle having swept away a lot of dirt from last season leaving more exposed roots and rocks to give riders an extra challenge. And that was reflected in the closer Elite leaderboards as neither Melamed nor Conolly could open up a comfortable gap to the chasing pack while Lacey Adams (Yeti / FOX Factory Race Team) and Melvin Almueis took their second and third victories of the season in the Juniors. MELAMED EDGES COMPETITIVE MEN’S RACE Jesse Melamed overcame an inauspicious start to triumph in the men’s Elite race, finishing fourth on a long stage one that had looked capable of immediately separating the pack but only produced minor time gaps in the end. The dangerous Bergstadl Trail was followed by the equally daunting (and even longer) X Trail featuring some perilous rutted turns at the bottom and while Melamed claimed the stage, it was only by a tenth of a second meaning Charles Murray remained in the overall lead for Specialized Gravity. The Canadian made a bigger difference on a diverse stage three that finally establish a running order as Murray dropped five seconds and Sławomir Łukasik (Yeti / FOX Factory Race Team) and Jack Moir (YT MOB) slipped further back in a race where one mistake could mark a rider out of the running. William Brodie took a surprise stage four win as all of the favourites came unstuck, but Melamed lost the least time to cement his advantage - now into double figures. The Canadian was fastest again on the Knappen Trail so staying on his bike was the priority on a stage six that ran along a bonafide downhill trail, and he did just that finishing sixth but only a second behind Daniel Booker. That capped the end of a disappointing overall day for the Australian who ceded more ground to Łukasik in the overall race, the Men Elite UCI Enduro World Cup leader was third in Austria and now enjoys a 290-point advantage while Melamed jumps into the top five, level on points with Moir but ahead courtesy of winning a round. “Honestly it was quite smooth and steady which is saying a lot for how tricky this course is,” Melamed said.“It obviously poured down rain on race day but I was kind of wanting it because these trails are fast and tech at speed so I wanted to be slower. “It just went smooth, I made one mistake, one crash on stage four but other than that it was really clean, so I was hoping for a good overall result just for that so to win is amazing because I just felt like I was riding my bike well.” CONOLLY REMAINS WOMAN TO BEAT BUT KUCHYŇKOVÁ IS COMING Simona Kuchyňková (CUBE Factory Racing) has lived up to the billing so far in 2025 after stepping up to Elite racing and mounted her closest challenge yet to Ella Conolly, though couldn’t prevent the Brit taking her second round of the season. It all seemed to be plain sailing for Conolly when she opened up a 38-second gap on Kuchyňková in the opening three stages, with Nadine Ellacosta (Abetone Ancillotti Vittoria Factory Team) and Winni Goldsbury the only other riders within a minute. However, an uncharacteristic off-stage on the arguably less challenging Hangman 1 brought Kuchyňková and the rest of the field right back into contention, as Conolly fell and lost 20 seconds to her closest rival although Goldsbury and Ellacosta couldn’t capitalise as well. That advantage was whittled down still further when Kuchyňková claimed her second successive stage on a Knappen Trail that made sticking to the right line almost impossible. So Conolly entered the final stage with an advantage of 16 seconds knowing she likely couldn’t be overhauled with a clean run, but any mistakes could hand the round to the Slovakian. But the Brit produced a champion’s response by refusing to lessen her commitment and claiming the stage and the round, while opening up an almost 500-point lead over Kuchyňková in the overall standings at the halfway point of the season. “It was a really really eventful race, I had a good few crashes, made a bit of a lead then lost time on stage four, a couple more crashes, said Conolly. “Even if I slide out, something happened I was just trying to move on all the time and thankfully held onto the win, but it got tight. "The mud was crazy on the last three stages, big roots that came out that were super slippery and just kept catch you off guard.” JUNIOR RACES PRODUCE CONTRASTING RESULTS The men’s Junior race was the closest-fought of all in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland as Melvin Almueis clinched his third victory from four rounds in 2025 by seven seconds from Cooper Millwood. Almueis made up over half his eventual margin of victory on stage one, but he’d only win one of the five remaining stages and suffered a scare on the decider as he lost three seconds. Millwood led by four seconds after stage three but hit trouble on Hangman 1 and hemorrhaged 12 decisive seconds to Almueis, who showed consistency is key in enduro and now has a three-figure overall lead. "Today was really hard for me because I don’t really like to ride in rainy conditions but I kept my flow, and don’t crash,” Almueis said afterwards. And Lacey Adams made it two wins on the bounce with the most dominant performance of the day, taking victory by 25 seconds from Lucile Metge. Adams claimed the opening two stages but ironically it was the first one she failed to win that proved most decisive, with Chloe Bear (Yeti / FOX Factory Race Team) fastest on the Matzalm Trail while Adams trailed by seven seconds, yet put almost double that margin into Metge. The Frenchwoman took time back on stage four but another heavy loss on the Knappen Trail proved the final nail in her coffin as Adams extends her advantage at the top of the overall standings to 150 points. “Last week was super dry and fast, this race was muddy and very crazy, I just tried to keep it upright on every stage, keep it smooth so really stoked,” Adams said. “The course changed a lot, practice was relatively dry then today was just a mudfest, it was very wet and slippery.” The enduro field get two weekends off before returning to action at Val di Fassa – Trentino (Italy) but that doesn’t mean the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series action lets up elsewhere. After starring in a thrilling weekend of all-round drama in Saalfelden Leogang - Salzburgerland, cross-country and downhill riders will once again take centre stage in Val di Sole – Trentino (Italy) from June 20-22.
Ondřej Cink stunned the cross-country Olympic (XCO) world by taking his first UCI World Cup victory at 34 years young for CUBE Factory Racing while Puck Pieterse (Alpecin - Deceuninck) underlined her supremacy by claiming her second women’s Elite win of the weekend. In sharp contrast to the dry conditions that produced two gripping downhill races yesterday, rain turned The Epic Bikepark into a mudbowl and Pieterse and Cink were the proverbial pigs who took advantage. Those treacherous conditions meant the slipstream benefit of staying in the pack was outweighed by a solo rider’s advantage of being able to choose their line while the packed slate with Gravity riders also in attendance in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland meant the cross-country field enjoyed a rare day off between the cross-country short track (XCC) and XCO races. That helped Pieterse do the double for the first time in her career having attacked very early on, never to be seen again by the chasing pack and Cink seemingly ghosted away also with six laps to go but never enjoyed the same margin, instead triumphing in a nail-biting pursuit. The U23 races saw Finn Treudler make it two wins today for CUBE Factory Racing while Fiona Schibler dominated the women’s field. PIETERSE CAPS PERFECT SAALFELDEN LEOGANG WEEKEND Pieterse missed the opening Araxá, Minas Gerais (Brazil) double-header but has appeared keen to make up for lost time ever since, as only a puncture in last week’s XCO race preventing her from winning all four races since her return to the series. After Samara Maxwell had a poor start for Decathlon Ford Racing Team and slipped back towards 20th wheel immediately, Pieterse dropped the hammer as only Loana Lecomte (BMC Factory Racing) could follow the initial acceleration. But even the French National Champion couldn’t follow those rainbow bands as she was forced to watch her rival’s back wheel escape up the road - something that would become a theme of Lecomte’s afternoon. Pieterse’s attack strung out the field as Maxwell produced a carbon copy kick on the lap two climb, the Kiwi distancing her rivals for the overall World Cup even if the gap to the leaders continued to grow. The torrid weather continued to hamper the pack as Jenny Rissveds (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) slid out on the cyclo-cross section at the end of the circuit - Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing - Pirelli) would suffer the same fate on the final lap - and Candice Lill opted to dismount and toboggan down the steep rooty section that had earlier caught out Jennifer Jackson (Orbea FOX Factory Team). At the front, Lecomte watched a third rider disappear up the trail on as many laps when Ramona Forchini (BIXS Performance Race Team) jumped clear though she couldn’t make major inroads to Maxwell even after the red jersey slid into an airbag after losing control on a tricky descent. Maxwell was holding her own and even gaining time downhill against Pieterse but she just couldn’t match the Dutchwoman on the climbs, even as she showed signs of slowing down on lap six. At times on the final circuit the entire field appeared to be running in slow motion while Lecomte continued to slide, overtaken by Tamara Wiedmann (Mondraker Factory Racing XC) and mud specialist Jolanda Neff (Cannondale Factory Racing Team). And that pair would provide the best action at the finish line as Neff won an all-out sprint to claim fourth behind a runaway podium. Pieterse enjoyed a victory margin of 50 seconds with Forchini over half a minute further back en route to claiming her maiden podium, while in seventh place privateer Isla Short finished in the top 10 of a UCI World Cup round for the first time. “It’s been a goal of mine to have the perfect weekend and until now it didn’t work out, but I’m super happy today in this track. I maybe was a bit too eager to get to the front directly, I’m not good at waiting so I decided to go for it, said Pieterse. “Nobody had a perfect race without unclipping or a small tumble or anything so me too, I had some troubles on the upper part of the track but I knew others would make mistakes as well as well so as long as it only happened once it’s not a big problem. “It’s just nice to take my own lines, I couldn’t see what the others were doing but sometimes that’s also good you don’t know if they’re super fast in the descents or catching up on the climb but the only time I really looked back was on the steep climb.” Though outclassed in Saalfelden Leogang - Salzburgerland, there were still plenty of reasons to be cheerful for Maxwell who overcame that crash and a dropped chain to finish second - saying “no words” as she crossed the line - and further inflate her overall lead to 290 points as Nicole Koller (Ghost Factory Racing) could only manage eighth. TIMELESS CINK HOLDS OFF HIGH-CALIBRE PURSUIT FOR HISTORY The men’s elites didn’t see the same race-breaking moves as the women’s but produced an even more gripping final few laps as Ondrej Cink looked set to be reeled in before finding a second wind to take a historic victory. Martin Vidaurre Kossman led initially for Specialized Factory Racing but the day turned into a nightmare for team that had won every single 2025 Men Elite UCI Cross-country World Cup race until Sunday morning. Vidaurre couldn’t hold the pace and would trail home in 24th while Victor Koretzky stepped off his bike at the end of lap two having plummeted through the order suffering from illness and the effects of a training crash. Christopher Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing) was also off-colour though without the same mitigating circumstances and did well to limit the damage to a 17th-place finish. Vidaurre was part of a leading quartet that featured Julian Schelb (KMC Ridley MTB Racing Team), Mathias Flückiger (Thömus Maxon) and Cink though only the latter pair could stay ahead as carnage reigned at the beginning of the race. Gioele Bertolini and Loan Cheneval were lucky to escape injury when the Italian fell on the same section as Maxwell (and later Giant Factory Off-Road Team - XC’s Alan Hatherly) and then got straight back up into the path of the Frenchman, with Norwegian National Champion Knut Rhøme (Origine Racing Division) and Vito Albin (Thömus Maxon) also delayed. But Albin showed his powers of recovery when he, Hatherly and surprise package privateer Fabio Püntener bridged across to Vidaurre, then passed the Chilean to join Flückiger as Cink’s main pursuers. Cink never held an advantage of more than 24 seconds, and the gap fell to as low as 11 seconds at one stage Czech’s energy seemed to be fading. But he dug deep to summon more horsepower with the carrot of a maiden victory at this level in sight, crossing the finish line 18 seconds of Flückiger, who had decisively dropped Püntener on the final climb. Cink is the second-oldest male XCO rider to take his maiden UCI World Cup victory behind Ned Overend in 1994 and the first Czech rider to win in the category for 10 years - it’s just the 11th Elite cross-country or downhill victory for Czechia in UCI World Cup history and Cink was unable to explain the miracle afterwards: “I’m super happy, I was waiting for a long time for this, I was second many times and I really like this place, I was U23 world champion here in Saalfeden [in 2012]. I was thinking once that my career is already over because I’m one of the oldest here so I don’t have words for that. “This course suits me very well but the conditions not really, I don’t like the muddy conditions, slippery but I don’t know what happened today, I just did it. With two laps I started to feel really bad but when I saw I opened the gap a little bit I got some power again and I pushed the limit in the last climb.” Meanwhile Specialized still lead the overall standings with a 1-2-3 despite their Sunday no-show with Blevins expanding his lead over Koretzky to 341 points. TREUDLER AND SCHIBLER STAMP AUTHORITY ON U23s Finn Treudler kicked clear on lap 2 and disappeared like Pieterse to win the men’s U23 race by almost the same margin - 47 seconds - to re-establish himself as the undisputed force in the category. Treudler was bested in Nové Město Na Moravě (Czechia) by Paul Schehl (Lexware Mountainbike Team) but hit back in style after his cat-and-mouse XCC victory on Friday in Saalfelden Leogang - Salzburgerland, a perfect weekend that clearly meant a lot to the Swiss rider. "It’s amazing to finally pull the double with short track and XCO, I’m super happy especially with these tough conditions,” Treudler said. “The track changed lap-by-lap because it got drier so it was a really difficult race today but I’m super happy with my win.” Only Elina Benoit could live with Fiona Schibler’s punishing pace in the opening laps of the women’s U23, and it didn’t take long for the leader to distance her compatriot either. On a day of solo triumphs, Schibler was the most dominant victor of them all as only Monique Halter could get within two minutes of the Swiss rider, who took her first WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series win in fine style. Overall leader Ella MacPhee had her worst XCO race of the season in seventh, but Isabella Holmgren’s absence means she retains an almost 100-point advantage at the top of the standings, while Schibler moves into sixth and said afterwards: “It was amazing, I had a good start, I was in the front with Elina then in the third lap I went and was alone in front. We changed wheels before the race and I just took some lines that were safe”, said Schibler.MacPhee, Blevins, Koretzky and the rest of those leaving Saaldelden Leogang – Salzburgerland disappointed don’t have to wait long for a chance to put things right though as the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series returns in just two weeks. Cross-country and downhill riders will once again take centre stage in Val di Sole - Trentino, Italy, for the halfway point of the XCO and XCC UCI World Cups.
For the second weekend running, Gracey Hemstreet (Norco Race Division) and Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) ruled the UCI Downhill World Cup for Canada in a scintillating Saalfelden Leogang - Salzburgerland (Austria) round that saw the overall lead of both competitions also change hands. Both Elite races rewarded absolute commitment from lighter riders on a fan-favourite stop of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series, featuring the famous motorway section that would prove decisive for Goldstone. Goldstone clinched his win by less than a tenth of a second from Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity) while Hemstreet enjoyed a wider margin of victory but was made to wait on the edge of her seat until the very end with Valentina Höll (YT MOB) last off the ramp and looking set to snatch the win until the final metres of her run. Meanwhile Rosa Zierl (Cube Factory Racing) gave the packed Austrian grandstands something to cheer about by winning the women’s Junior Finals and Oli Clark (MS-Racing) made inroads on the overall Men Junior title with his triumph. A STAR IS BORN AS HEMSTREET BACKS UP MAIDEN WIN A slow-burn women’s Elite competition exploded into life in the final few runs as Nina Hoffmann (Santa Cruz Syndicate) was absent following a crash in morning practice on the wall run. Marine Cabirou (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) required Q2 to reach the final but showed she was keen to make up for lost time at The Epic Bikepark. Nailing the exit from a tricky root section into the iconic flat-out motorway section is the key to The Speedster trail and Cabirou flew through the first two time checks, smashing Harriet Harnden’s previous best run for AON Racing - Tourne Campervans by four cavernous seconds. As rider after rider crossed the line without even getting in touching distance of Cabirou, a first Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland victory and ninth career UCI World Cup seemed more and more likely… until Hemstreet went down the ramp. Immediately ahead, Hemstreet lost some time in time check three but piled it all back on and more at the next one as she hammered the steep forested section that was the last opportunity to make up serious time. She crossed the line three seconds ahead of Cabirou and the podium soon became Canada followed by America as Anna Newkirk (Frameworks Racing / 5DEV) missed out on a first UCI World Cup win since 2019 by less than a second. That meant it was all down to star-crossed fastest qualifier, home favourite and reigning UCI World Champion and World Cup overall winner Höll, who looked destined to complete a rampant hat-trick on local trails when she went a second up at the penultimate time check for YT MOB. But the Hollywood script was rejected as Höll likewise fell victim to Hemstreet’s scintillating finish and slipped to third to audible groans from the crowd, handing Hemstreet a dream second win in the space of two weekends. She becomes the sixth rider to back up a maiden win with another consecutive win following in the footsteps of a certain Höll and Cabirou in 2021 and 2019. “I definitely didn’t [expect that], I hadn’t really been feeling too confident this week and it just clicked. There actually felt a lot more pressure than I expected, I struggling at the motorway all week but I just pedalled as hard as I could. I felt it at the bottom so I was happy,” Hemstreet said. And Hemstreet’s supremacy means she’s also the new overall UCI World Cup leader after Tahnée Seagrave (Orbea / FMD Racing) started strongly but appeared bothered by an old injury in the more technical second half as she hemorrhaged time and wound up sixth while winless Höll is still waiting for her title defence to truly ignite. GOLDSTONE FLOATS TO MAPLE DOUBLE The jumbled men’s Elite qualifying meant stars were littered across the startlist and there was action throughout, beginning with the second run of the finals as Ronan Dunne (Mondraker Factory Racing DH) unclipped but still became the first rider of the weekend to break the three-minute barrier after disappointment in Loudenvielle-Peragudes (France) - he’d finish fifth overall. ‘Double O’ Oisin O’Callaghan (YT MOB) was in touch with his compatriot until he was spat off a tough triple-apex corner and hit the deck hard, before his teammate and home hero Andreas Kolb almost sent the crowd into rapture as he exited the woods in the green but his slender 0.066s advantage was dashed on the run to the line. However, Dunne’s reign ended four minutes later when Lachlan Stevens-McNab (Trek Factory Racing DH) put together the scorching run he’s been threatening all season - he was ahead at the opening round in Bielsko-Biała (Poland) when he crashed but nothing could stop the Kiwi this time as he went into the hot seat. Despite winning the opening round, Bruni needed a big run to re-establish himself in the overall fight after a poor showing last time out and he produced it, resetting the otherwise tight men’s field by putting 1.4 seconds into Stevens-McNab. It didn’t last long though as Jackson Goldstone played to his strengths - floating like a butterfly over the stump section and motorway before launching an unbelievable pull into the wall run showing commitment which paid off when he crossed the line ahead of Bruni by the blink of an eye - 0.059s. With plenty of household names still to go including fastest qualifier Loris Vergier in the rainbow bands and UCI World Cup leader Amaury Pierron (both Commencal Muc-Off by Riding Addiction), Goldstone was far from home and hosed and he was visibly shaking as he watched the remaining riders. However, the strongest challenge came from unheralded Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team rider Henri Kiefer. The German was the only rider apart from Bruni and Goldstone to lead a sector as Pierron always looked unsettled and nearly came a cropper on several occasions with the green jersey appearing heavy on the Frenchman’s back on the way to 17th place, and Vergier couldn’t replicate his rapid Friday pace as his 1,000-day wait for another UCI World Cup win continues. Goldstone’s win was even more emotional in the wake of fellow Santa Cruz Syndicate rider Hoffman’s crash earlier, while teammate Laurie Greenland finished fifth and was the first to congratulate the Canadian after Vergier crossed the line. “That last split and the stump section going into the motorway, those were the two crucial sections for me that I needed to work on and I definitely felt like I couldn’t have got those better in my run,” Goldstone said. “It’s just crazy, you go through all the emotions of the riders getting close to beating your time and it’s so many ups and downs, you feel for the guys that went down or had mistakes in the run, it’s just a rush of emotions.” Pierron’s slump means Bruni takes over the UCI World Cup lead with an advantage of 45 points over Goldstone, who said in his winner’s interview that Bruni had joked he won’t speak to the Canadian for a week after such a close-fought race. HOME FANS REVEL IN JUNIOR TRIUMPH Rosa Zierl kicked off Downhill finals day in the best way possible for the partisan home crowd, the Austrian national champion was the final rider off the ramp and duly saved the best until last to oust Aletha Ostgaard (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team). Ostgaard had been the class of the field, over four seconds quicker than the next best rider, but Zierl traded fastest sector times with the American early on. She never decisively pulled away on the course but overturned a deficit of a second at the penultimate intermediate time check to lead ahead of the final section and went clear in the final few hundred metres. “It’s incredible, I’m super happy, tight battle with the girls. I knew this track so I was just keen to ride it and have fun,” Zierl said afterwards. Oli Clark denied overall leader Max Alran (Commencal Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) a second successive Leogang triumph in the men’s junior final, by less than a second. Asa Vermette (Frameworks Racing / 5DEV) had set the time to beat before the two fastest qualifiers were unleashed onto the mountain, but they showed it was a two-horse race as Alran led through the first two sections before letting victory slip through his fingers. “It’s pretty surreal, I’ve been working hard to get here so I’m just happy to be here, I’m glad it’s paying off,” Clark said. “I don’t feel pressure, the only pressure I put on is myself.” Alran and the rest of the UCI Downhill World Cup don’t have long to wait to return to action with just two weeks until the next round at Val di Sole-Trentino in Italy, with qualifying on June 20 and Hemstreet and Goldstone looking for a rare hat-trick on Saturday, June 21. However, the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series thrills and spills are still far from over in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland this weekend as Sunday sees the cross-country Olympic and enduro races take centre stage.
UCI Cross-country Short Track (XCC) World Cups are renowned for producing tight, technical races that tend to conclude with a sprint finish, but the rollercoaster nature of the Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland (Austria) course showed that there’s more than one way to win a race, as Christopher Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing) and Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck) proved. Pieterse demonstrated that she’s the in-form rider of the series, launching a move that caught her competitors off guard at the race’s halfway point. Despite the best efforts of Samara Maxwell (Decathlon Ford Factory Racing), it would be the race-winning attack, with Pieterse increasing her advantage on every loop to cross the finish line with a statement 16-second win. The victory was the reigning UCI Cross-country Olympic (XCO) World Champion’s second in the shorter format this series and the fifth of her career. In the men’s Elite, Blevins timed his attack to perfection, throwing the hammer down on the final ascent to put himself in the best position on track as he led entering the descent. Teammate Martin Vidaurre Kossmann (Specialized Factory Racing) wasn’t going to contest the American for a sprint finish, while the earlier exertions of third-place Charlie Aldridge (Cannondale Factory Racing) saw the British rider settle for the final podium spot. Blevins’ win makes him the first rider ever to win the first four UCI XCC World Cups of the season and sets him up to do the XCO-XCC double for the third consecutive time on Sunday – which would be another first. Before the Elites, it was the turn of the U23s on the up-and-down Saalfelden-Leogang – Salzburgerland course, and it witnessed first-time UCI XCC World Cup wins for the Swiss pair Finn Treudler (Cube Factory Racing) and Elina Benoit (Lexware Mountainbike Team). PIETERSE GOES BACK-TO-BACK Puck Pieterse might have missed the first two rounds of the series to focus on the road, but the reigning UCI XCO World Champion is making up for lost time in the cross-country short track, clinching her second victory from as many starts in 2025. While the Dutch rider showed she had the edge in a sprint finish in Nové Město Na Moravě (Czechia), she employed different race tactics in Austria, going long and building an unassailable lead. Initially, it looked like Jolanda Neff (Cannondale Factory Racing) was attempting the same race plan, rolling back the years and building a gap of six seconds by the end of the first lap. The Swiss rider was soon swallowed up by the chasing pack and would ultimately pay for her early efforts. South Africa’s Candice Lill took charge, but Pieterse was part of the seven-strong group as the lead exchanged hands for the next few laps. Lill would turn the screw on lap four, reducing the group to five riders – Pieterse, Richards, Maxwell and Jenny Rissveds (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) – but Pieterse was about to take things up a notch. As then-leader Maxwell took on some fluids crossing the start/finish straight, the Dutch rider launched a searing attack that left her competition floundering. While the in-form New Zealander responded and was back on her wheel as they inched up the course’s mammoth climb, it was too much for UCI XCC World Champion and current series leader Richards, and Rissveds who had been gapped. As the track levelled out, Pieterse went again, and this time Maxwell couldn’t respond – the Dutch national champion riding off into the distance. First and second sorted, it became a battle for the final podium space, with a resurgent Mona Mitterwallner (Mondraker Factory Racing) and Nicole Koller (Ghost Factory Racing) working together to pick off Richards and Lill. Koller would ultimately break local fans’ hearts though, attacking Mitterwallner on the crest of the climb and holding on to take third. Speaking at the end of the race, Puck Pieterse said: “It’s been good. It was a completely different short track to two weeks ago. Then it was way more cagey and ended in a sprint finish, and today it was like an XCO course so I went for it early. Normally after 10 minutes, riders start to get tired, so I tried to make use of that. “I’ve some good memories from Leogang. I won my first U23 World Cup here, so it carries good memories.” BLEVINS TIMES ATTACK TO PERFECTION TO CLAIM RECORD-BREAKING WIN Before the start of the 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series, Christopher Blevins hadn’t won a UCI XCC World Cup since 2022. Since the first race weekend in Araxá, Minas Gerais (Brazil) though, the American has been in a different league to everyone else, claiming all four rounds of the series (as well as two UCI XCO World Cups). The number one plate launched off the start line but was soon absorbed into the lead pack with Simon Andreassen (Orbea Fox Factory Team) and Nino Schurter (Scott-SRAM MTB Racing Team) taking charge. The pair wouldn’t stay there for long though – Schurter ultimately retiring and Andreassen finishing 33rd – as a 10-strong lead group formed, led by Luca Schwarzbauer (Canyon CLLCTV XCO). By lap three, Charlie Aldridge (Cannondale Factory Racing) came to the fore – a position the Brit would hold deep into proceedings – while Victor Koretzky (Specialized Factory Racing), Schwarzbauer and two-time Saalfelden Leogang - Salzburgerland XCO-XCC double winner Mathias Flückiger also showed some interest at the front. Each lap would experience a concertina effect – the rider leading over the start-finish straight seemingly having clear air behind them before the mass reassembled at the foot of the climb – and there became a slight lull in the racing, despite the fast and ferocious pace. Flückiger attempted to take the bull by the horns, attacking from distance on lap eight, but couldn’t shake Aldridge – the Brit back in front at the start of the penultimate lap. But he also had Blevins for company, with the American biding his time in the now four-strong lead group. Starting the final lap, Aldridge still held the lead and even appeared to have held off a Blevins surge on the last ascent of the lactic acid-inducing climb. But as it ramped up to its apex, the American showed why he hasn’t been beaten in the format this year, attacking again and taking teammate Vidaurre with him. The Specialized pair led into the final descent, and with the finish line in sight, there could only be one winner – Blevins maintaining his 100% record in 2025 and breaking records with it. Speaking at the end of the race, Blevins said:“ I’m just taking it race by race and focusing on my process. Right now, the process is working. That was the hardest one yet. Just look at that climb. Sometimes you’ve got to surf it and find the little pockets to shoot through. Sometimes the guys at the back are working harder than the guys at the front. But on a course like this, it’s max effort for 20 minutes and everyone is so strong. “Tactics here are more like how you’re pushing your body and how you’ll find that edge and go just to the tip of it every time, and then last lap it’s all out. I saved that final match and definitely burned it for the win. “The pressure is outside of you. It’s other people’s projections. I’ve been winning by just focusing on my process, the mental side of it, the emotional side of it, bringing the mind and body to the closest I could get to doing my best at every single race. You’re just focusing on the processes, you don’t really think about pressure.” DEBUT XCC WINNERS BENOIT AND TREUDLER PUT ON A SWISS SHOW IN U23 Elina Benoit (Lexware Mountainbike Team) recorded her debut win in the U23 UCI XCC World Cup in an attritional race. Bailey Cioppa had led proceedings for the opening two laps before Swiss privateer Monique Halter took up the mantle as the riders crossed the start/finish line at the end of lap three. Her compatriot Benoit was never far behind though, and as the pace started to ramp up, a group of seven formed led by Ella MacPhee (Wilier-Vittoria Factory Team). The Canadian finished third in Nové Město Na Moravě and would have considered herself the favourite with Isabella and Ava Holmgren absent – the twin siblings and winners of the first three U23 UCI XCC rounds not starting in Saalfelden-Leogang – Salzburgerland - but Benoit had other ideas. On lap six, Vida Lopez de San Roman (Trinity Racing) launched an attack that only Benoit could follow, and the pair had built a six-second buffer at the start of the final lap. The Swiss rider had kept something in reserve though, attacking again and soloing to the line. Lopez de San Roman would settle for second, while MacPhee recorded her second third-place finish in a row. Elina Benoit said: “I don’t understand how I did this. I just felt so good. I think it really was a track for me because I’m really good when it’s steep like this. I thought I’d try and it worked. “I’m more confident [going into Val di Sole]. The first races I did wasn’t so good – in Brazil it wasn’t good at all. In Nové Město it was much better and now I see my form has just got better so I’m really confident for the rest of the season” The men’s U23 race wasn’t as cagey as the women’s with Finn Treudler taking control in the third lap before launching an attack in the fourth that would put some serious space between him and the remaining riders. The Swiss rider’s advantage was never really in doubt, although Oleksandr Hudyma (KMC Ridley MTB Racing Team) might have caught him if he didn’t run out of time. The Ukrainian had a 21-second deficit on Treudler with three laps to go, but clawed back to within five seconds by the line. Paul Schehl (Lexware Mountainbike Team) completed the podium on a day to forget for previous overall leader Heby Gustav Pedersen (Wilier-Vittoria Factory Team), who could only manage 14th. Speaking at the end of the race, Treudler said: “It was a really nice track for me. I knew I had a good chance today. I felt really good at the beginning and suddenly I had a gap in the third lap I think, and from then on it was just keep going until the finish line and I could extend my lead a bit during the race. At the end it got a bit smaller again and I really had to fight, but I’m super happy with the win. "I’m looking forward to Sunday now, and then Lenzerheide is one of my favourite tracks so it’s definitely a good confidence boost.” The WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series action continues at The Epic Bikepark tomorrow as the downhill riders take to the Speedster trail for the third UCI Downhill World Cup of the season.
The UCI Downhill World Cup rounds are coming thick and fast with riders taking to the start huts in Saalfelden Leogang - Salzburgerland (Austria) only five days after Loudenvielle-Peyragudes’ (France) Finals runs. Conditions were perfect in The Epic Bikepark with the sunbaked Speedster trail running fast and smooth throughout Qualifying, leaving the world’s best downhill athletes to focus on laying down rapid runs to make it through to tomorrow’s finals. The new qualifying format, where there are no longer protected rider spots, meant that there was still some jeopardy on course though, highlighting how competitive it is at the pinnacle of the sport. HÖLL FASTEST ON HOME SOIL Valentina Höll (YT Mob) hasn’t won yet this season – the first time the three-time UCI Downhill World Champion hasn’t clinched victory in the opening two rounds since 2022. But the 23-year-old is looking to right that wrong at her home UCI World Cup in Saalfelden Leogang - Salzburgerland, throwing down a blistering run in the first Qualifying round that no one could get within a second of. The winner of the last two UCI Downhill World Cups on the course, she has put herself in the best position to make it a hattrick tomorrow. It could have all been so different though, with Myriam Nicole (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) the fastest in the first split and marginally off of Höll’s pace in splits two and three before a big crash sent the Frenchwoman over the handlebars and resulted in a DNF. She was fortunate to walk away with only bruises but decided to sit out the rest of the weekend. Back on track, Anna Newkirk (Frameworks Racing/5Dev) was the only rider to get close to the rainbow jersey, stopping the clock 1.096 seconds behind Höll. The American pinner has started the season strongly and will be targeting another podium finish to go with her second in Bielsko-Biała (Poland). Current series leader Tahnée Seagrave (Orbea/FMD Racing) meanwhile came third in the first Qualifying round, and, along with fifth-place qualifier Camille Balanche (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team), is one of only two riders other than Höll who knows what it takes to win in Austria – the Brit clinching the top spot at the venue back in 2017. Sandwiched between Seagrave and Balanche was last week’s winner in Loudenvielle-Peyragudes, Gracey Hemstreet (Norco Race Division) – the Canadian youngster recovering from a slower start with a barnstorming bottom section to put herself in contention. Elsewhere, Marine Cabirou (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) and Harriet Harnden (Aon Racing – Tourne Campervans) needed the second qualifying round to make it through to finals. VERGIER SHOWS WORLD CHAMPION FORM WITH FASTEST QUALIFYING RUN In the men’s field, UCI Downhill World Champion Loris Vergier (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) recorded the fastest first qualifying round time, and the rainbow jersey will be the last man down the hill in tomorrow’s finals. The Frenchman is yet to win since he clinched the title in Andorra last August, but two seventh-placed finishes so far this season show he’s not far off piloting his new Commencal to a podium spot. The top five all came in within a second of Vergier’s run, with Jordan Williams (Specialized Gravity) recovering from 29th in the first sector to finish closest on course. The Brit recorded his first podium of the season by finishing third in Loudenvielle-Peyragudes and has clearly carried that form with him from the Pyrenees to the Alps. Series leader Amaury Pierron (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) meanwhile finished third, while his main rival in the overall standings, Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity), had a poor run by his high standards that was only good enough for 16th. Other notable highlights include last week’s winner Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) qualifying 14th, while the Canadian’s teammate Laurie Greenland (Santa Cruz Syndicate) made it through to his first finals of the year in 10th. Riders forced to take a second bite of the cherry and make it to finals via the second qualifying round include local favourite and 2023 winner Andreas Kolb (YT Mob), Oisin O’Callaghan (YT Mob), Finn Iles (Specialized Gravity) and Ronan Dunne (Mondraker Factory Racing DH). Aaron Gwin (Gwin Racing) will also have a chance to claim a record-extending fifth win at the venue – Saalfelden-Leogang - Salzburgerland the site of the American’s most famous victory in 2015, where he was somehow the fastest on course despite riding without a chain for the whole run. CLARK AND ZIERL FASTEST IN JUNIORS Oli Clark (MS-Racing) put in a storming performance in the men's Junior Qualifying – the New Zealander going fastest in every split to record a time that would have been good enough for fourth place in the men's Elite first Qualifying round. Overall leader Max Alran (Commencal/Muc-off by Riding Addiction) was second fastest on the hill, while last week's winner Bode Burke (Commencal Schwalbe by Les Orres) missed out on a Finals run by finishing 33rd. Rosa Zierl (Cube Factory Racing) meanwhile put on a show for the home fans – the Austrian rider emulating her compatriot Höll by qualifying fastest. With Lina Frener (Norco Race Division) not racing in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland, Zierl will fancy her chances especially with third-place ranked rider Matilda Melton (Commencal Schwalbe by Les Orres) not doing enough to qualify for tomorrow's Finals. The UCI Downhill World Cup Finals get underway tomorrow (Saturday, June 7) in Saalfelden-Leogang - Salzburgerland from 12:30 CEST with the women’s Junior finals. Find out how to watch here.
The iconic Austrian venue hosts a four-day festival of off-road racing this weekend, featuring all WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series formats. Located within Austria’s largest bike region, Saalfelden Leogang in Salzburgerland (Austria) has been a mainstay of the UCI Downhill World Cup series since 2010, and the scene of some of the sport’s most jaw-dropping moments – from Aaron Gwin’s chainless win in 2015 to Loïc Bruni and Valentina Höll’s wins last year. It has hosted the UCI Enduro World Cup since 2023, while three UCI Cross-country World Cups were contested on its trails between 2021-2023. THE KING OF COURSES Saalfelden Leogang - Salzburgerland is located in the state of Salzburg, near the border with Germany in the heart of the Austrian Alps. The UCI World Cup takes place at The Epic Bikepark – one of Europe’s most renowned bike parks, which has trails suitable for anyone from first timers to professionals. The ‘Speedster’ trail is the home of the UCI Downhill World Cup. At 2.6km with 468m of descent, it is seriously steep, and combines fast, motorway jumps with tight, technical tree sections where line choice is key to coming out on top. The venue’s enduro stages meanwhile take in place Austria’s largest Bike Region Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn trails, to give riders a truly energy-sapping test. The UCI Enduro World Cup will see athletes take on six stages during a gruelling 66.79km course featuring 5,030m of descent during the race stages. The first four stages are the same as last year, but the race will conclude with two short, sharp stages that are new to the UCI Enduro World Cup – Knappen (0.65km with 140m descent) and Lower Speedstar (0.65km with 160m descent). Finally, the cross-country Olympic (XCO) and cross-country short track (XCC) races will be contested on courses that blend wide, open slopes and tight, twisting forest trails packed with plenty of manmade features. ALL TO PLAY FOR AFTER EARLY ROUNDS The UCI Downhill World Cup is embarking on its longest season yet in 2025, with 10 rounds for riders to tackle between Bielsko-Biała (Poland) and Mont-Sainte-Anne (Canada). After a fifth of the series, both the men’s and women’s competitions are perfectly poised with no one rider running away with proceedings. In the men’s, Amaury Pierron (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) and Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity) are setting up a title battle to rival that of 2019, with only 40 points separating the pair – Pierron leading the charge having recorded back-to-back podiums and Bruni close behind after following up his dominant performance in Bielsko-Biała with a disappointing 15th in Loudenvielle-Peyragudes (France). But unlike 2019, it’s unlikely to be a two-horse race thanks to the triumphant return of Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate). The Canadian had to sit out the 2024 season with an injury but blew away the competition with his third UCI Downhill World Cup win last Sunday. Bruni knows what it takes to win in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland having won at the venue in 2024, but first place isn’t a guarantee for the Frenchman with plenty of riders vying for his overall crown. The women’s contest meanwhile has a 2018 feel with Tahnée Seagrave (Orbea/FMD Racing) topping the standings – adding a third place in Loudenvielle-Peyragudes to her win at the season opener in Poland. The Brit’s main challenge will come from Valentina Höll (YT Mob), who will look to pull out the stops in front of her home fans. But the pair will also face stiff competition from a duo of young North American pinners – Gracey Hemstreet (Norco Race Division) and Anna Newkirk (Frameworks Racing/5Dev) – who have both made their strongest start to a season yet – the former claiming Her’s and Canada’s first Women Elite UCI Downhill World Cup win in Loudenvielle-Peyragudes. BOOKER AND LUKASIK BATTLE IT OUT WHILE CONOLLY’S IN CRUISE CONTROL Daniel Booker is living evidence that you don’t need the backing of a big team to win on the world stage. The Australian clinched his first UCI Enduro World Cup win at the season opener in Pietra Ligure, Finale Outdoor Region (Italy) but appeared to have let the occasion get the better of him when he followed it up with 95th in Bielsko-Biała (Poland). But the 25-year-old showed that his debut win was no fluke, besting the factory team riders once again in Loudenvielle-Peyragudes to make it two wins from three. Only Slawomir Lukasik (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) can better the privateer’s points tally in the overall – the Pole adding a third podium finish of the year last Saturday – and the pair’s contest for the overall is shaping up as a David vs Goliath battle. Lukasik finished third in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland last year, with the two riders who stood above him on the podium that day – Richard Rude Jr (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) and Alex Rudeau – not on the start list in Austria. But Booker has also shown form on The Epic Bikepark trails, finishing fifth in 2023. Other contenders for the top spot include Jesse Melamed (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team), Charlie Murray (Specialized Gravity) and Jack Moir (YT Mob) – if the Australian can recover from a race-ending crash in Loudenvielle-Peyragudes. The women’s field meanwhile is turning into the Ella Conolly show. The Brit won her first UCI Enduro World Cup in Loudenvielle-Peyragudes and is in the form of her life having already secured two second-place finishes. Morgane Charre (Pivot Factory Racing) is her only likely challenger for the overall as we approach the series’ halfway point, with this year’s two other winners, Harriet Harnden (Aon Racing - Tourne Campervans) and Elly Hoskin not on the start list. BLEVINS APPEARS UNBEATABLE WHILE MAXWELL CONTINUES EARLY SEASON FORM Christopher Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing) last lost a race on April 6, when the American had to settle for second behind teammate Victor Koretzky. In four race starts (two XCO, two XCC) since, he has a 100% winning record and has only finished off the top spot once this series. If he wins the XCC this Friday, he will become the first rider – man or woman – to win the opening four rounds of the XCC. Do another XCO/XCC double, and that will be three for the season and joint most-ever with Mathias Flückiger (Thömus Maxon) and Mathieu Van Der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck). Given his form, you wouldn’t bet against him achieving either feats – although he has never finished inside the top 20 in Saalfelden Leogang - Salzburgerland in the Elite class. In the XCO, Koretzky is likely to be Blevins’ biggest threat, but given how Specialized Factory Racing have used team tactics in previous rounds, if the American starts to build up a head of steam, expect the Frenchman to try and frustrate the chasing pack. Others in line to contest for the podium include Mathis Azzaro (Origine Racing Division) and 2023 winner Lars Forster (Thömus Maxon), while Forster’s compatriot and teammate Mathias Flückiger is a fan of Saalfelden Leogang - Salzburgerland, having done the double at the venue in 2021 and 2022. While the women’s contest isn’t as clear cut, Samara Maxwell (Decathlon Ford Racing Team) has shown she’s the rider to beat in 2025 with an XCO results card of 1st, 2nd and 2nd in the opening three rounds. The New Zealander has previous in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland too, having finished runner-up in the women’s U23 XCO race in 2023. Although Nicole Koller (Ghost Factory Racing) currently sits second in the standings, the Swiss rider hasn’t featured on the XCO podium since the opening round. Instead, it’s her national teammate Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon) whose form is on an upward trajectory. Nové Město Na Moravě (Czechia) winner Mona Mitterwallner (Mondraker Factory Racing XC) meanwhile has home advantage – as she showed with her second place at the venue in 2023 – and like Flückiger, Loana Lecomte (BMC Factory Racing) has also done the Austrian XCO/XCC double twice. In the XCC, Blevins and Koretzky have gone 1-2 all season, although it’s worth keeping an eye on Luca Schwarzbauer (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) – the German improving his results at every round and sitting fifth in the overall standings. Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing - Pirelli) meanwhile has only been beaten once all year by Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck). The Dutch rider will be lining up once again in Austria, so expect the pair to duke it out once more. Racing gets underway in Saalfelden Leogang - Salzburgerland on Friday with UCI Downhill World Cup qualifying followed by the UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup – full schedule and events details are available here.
After four back-to-back weekends of racing, the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series returns this weekend for the fifth consecutive time with Endurance and Gravity action as the UCI Cross-country Olympic, Cross-country Short Track, Downhill and Enduro World Cups all take to The Epic Bikepark parkours of Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland, Austria. We look at everything you need to know about the Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland round of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series races, including when the cross-country, enduro, and downhill events are scheduled to take place, who is racing and how to watch. WHEN? The 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series round in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland, Austria starts with the UCI Downhill World Cup Qualifications at 12:30 (UTC+2) on Friday, June 6 and concludes with the Men Elite UCI Cross-country Olympic (XCO) World Cup at 15:00 (UTC+2) on Sunday, June 8. Below are the key timings for race weekend. All times are UTC+2 (EST+6/BST+1/CEST): Friday, June 7 12:30 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification 1 Women Elite 13:00 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification 1 Men Elite 14:15 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification Women Junior 14:40 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification Men Junior 15:30 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification 2 Women Elite 15:50 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification 2 Men Elite 15:45 – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Women U23 16:25 – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Men U23 17:30 – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Women Elite 18:10 – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Men Elite Saturday, June 8 12:30 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Finals Women Junior 13:00 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Finals Men Junior 14:00 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Finals Women Elite 15:00 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Finals Men Elite Sunday, June 9 08:00 – UCI Enduro World Cup 09:00 – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup – Women U23 11:00 – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup – Men U23 13:00 – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup – Women Elite 15:00 – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup – Men Elite WHERE CAN I WATCH? There will be several ways to watch the off-road action unfold at Austria’s only WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series venue of the 2025 season. For the UCI Enduro World Cup, there will be a course preview 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. Follow the UCI Downhill World Cup Qualification day on live timing and across social media. For the third UCI Downhill World Cup, fourth UCI Cross-country Short Track (XCC) World Cup and fourth UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup of the season, you can watch the finals live anywhere in the world. Both the men’s and women's Junior UCI Downhill World Cup races will be broadcast live on the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series YouTube channel, while the Elite finals will be shown on one of the below channels or streaming services: North America Canada – Flobikes USA – Max South & Central America: MTBWS TV Asia Indonesia, Macao, Malaysia, Mongolia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand – Eurosport China – Zhibo.tv (only Elite Downhill races live) Other Asian territories – MTBWS TV Oceania Australia – Stan Sport New Zealand – MTBWS TV Africa Angola, Burundi, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Cape Verde, Cote d'lvoire, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial, Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mayotte, Mozambique, Mali, Mauritania, Namibia, Nigeria, Niger, Reunion, Rwanda, South Africa, Eswatini, São Tome and Principe, St Helena and Ascension, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Seychelles, Socotra, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zimbabwe, and Zambia - Supersport All African territories – MTBWS TV Europe Andorra – MAX, Eurosport Austria – discovery+, Eurosport and ServusTV ON (only Elite Downhill races live) Belgium – HBO Max, Eurosport and LN24 (only Men’s Elite XCO race live) Bosnia & Herzegovina – Max, Eurosport Bulgaria – Max, Eurosport Croatia – Max, Eurosport Czechia – Max, Eurosport and CT Sport Denmark – Max, Eurosport Faroe Islands – Max, Eurosport France – Max, Eurosport and La Chaine l’Equipe (only Women’s Elite XCO race live) Germany – discovery+, Eurosport Hungary – Max, Eurosport Ireland – TNT Sports Italy – discovery+, Eurosport Moldova – Max, Eurosport Montenegro – Max, Eurosport Netherlands – HBO Max, Eurosport North Macedonia – Max, Eurosport Norway – Max, Eurosport Poland – Max, Eurosport Portugal – Max, Eurosport Romania – Max, Eurosport Serbia – Max, Eurosport Slovakia – Max, Eurosport Slovenia – Max, Eurosport Spain – Max, Eurosport Sweden – Max, Eurosport Switzerland – MTBWS TV and SRF/RSI (only Elite XCO and XCC races live) Türkiye – Max, Eurosport United Kingdom – discovery+, TNT Sports All other European territories – MTBWS TV RIDERS TO WATCH The Epic Bikepark is home to some well-trodden paths for most Endurance and Gravity competitors – the Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland venue has been a mainstay on the UCI Downhill World Cup circuit since 2010, featured on the UCI Cross-country World Cup calendar between 2021-2023 and hosted the UCI Downhill and Cross-country World Championships in 2012 and 2020. Although it only made its enduro debut in 2023, the UCI Bike Region of Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland is sure to put on a show once more, with riders pushed to their limits on the testing, handcrafted trails. In downhill, Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity) and Valentina Höll (YT Mob) won at the venue in 2024, but neither of the reigning overall title holders have had it their own way so far this season. Although Bruni won the series opener in Poland, a poor showing in Loudenvielle-Peyragudes (where he finished 15th) means he enters this weekend on the back foot and sits behind friend and career rival Amaury Pierron (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) in the UCI World Cup Standings. Pierron appears back to his 2019 best, but the French pair will also have to contend with Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) – the Canadian clinching his third UCI Downhill World Cup on Sunday and the first since a season-ruining injury that ruled him out for the whole of 2024. Höll meanwhile is yet to win this season – the first time she hasn’t tasted victory in the opening two rounds since 2022. Her second in Loudenvielle-Peyragudes still makes her a favourite in Saalfelden Leogang - Salzburgerland, where she has won the last two editions, but the Austrian has a resurgent Tahnée Seagrave (Orbea/FMD Racing) as a clear title challenger – the Brit following up her win in the opening round with third place in France. Gracey Hemstreet (Norco Factory Racing) meanwhile got the win in the Pyrenees and will be looking to keep pushing her more established rivals this weekend. The men’s enduro competition is also hotting up nicely – Daniel Booker and Sławomir Łukasik (Yeti/Fox Factory Racing) have shared the spoils at the first three rounds of the series. While Łukasik leads the overall, Booker’s two UCI Enduro World Cup wins prove that the privateer means business, and it will be interesting to see the David vs Goliath battle play out on Austria’s largest Bike-Region Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn trails. Ella Conolly meanwhile has seized the initiative in the women’s enduro field. The Brit had finished second in the opening two rounds and it was no surprise that she took her debut UCI Enduro World Cup win in Loudenvielle in dominant style. Morgane Charre (Pivot Factory Racing) is her closest challenger and will be looking to use her superior experience to try and halt Conolly’s dominance. Finally, three riders are in red-hot form in the Endurance formats – Christopher Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing) leading both the men’s Elite XCO and XCC UCI World Cup Standings, while Samara Maxwell (Decathlon Ford Racing Team) and Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing - Pirelli) lead the women’s Elite XCO and XCC UCI World Cup Standings respectively. Blevins’ teammate Victor Koretzky (Specialized Factory Racing) sits in second in both UCI World Cup Standings and is the only rider to get the better of the American this year, while Mathis Azzaro (Origine Racing Division) and 2023 Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland winner Lars Forster (Thömus Maxon) should put up some resistance in the Olympic-distance race. Maxwell’s main competition meanwhile is likely to come from local favourite and last race winner Mona Mitterwallner (Mondraker Factory Racing XC), reigning overall series winner Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon) and UCI XCO World Champion Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck) – the Dutch rider also the only person to get the better of Richards in the XCC in 2025. Racing gets underway on Friday, June 6 in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland. Full schedule and event details are available HERE.
The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) Sports can confirm that 16 wildcard teams – eight cross-country and eight downhill – have been selected for round eight of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series in Val di Sole, Trentino (Italy) on June 20-22. While all eight teams who applied for a downhill spot secured a wildcard, it was a lot more competitive in the cross-country, with eight selected from 23 applicants – a record number for the new system. The majority of qualifying teams have already featured in the 2025 series, but there will be first appearances for two local outfits – one Gravity and the other Endurance. Abetone Ancillotti Vittoria Factory Team is a six-strong Enduro-focused team that blends the experience of Tommaso Francardo with the youth of Clarissa Carzolio – both of whom recorded top-20 finishes at the 2025 UCI Enduro World Cup in Pietra Ligure - Finale Outdoor Region (Italy). For Val di Sole, the completely Italian squad will be switching formats and attempting to beat the downhill specialists at their own game. CS Carabinieri – Cicli Olympia meanwhile is another all-Italian team making its 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series debut in the Endurance formats. A mainstay of previous series, it is led by UCI Cross-country Olympic (XCO) World Cup podium finishers Filippo Fontana and Daniele Braidot. Elsewhere, KTM Factory MTB Team and Lexware Mountainbike Team continue their 100% wildcard qualification record, while Goodman Santacruz, Rogue Racing – SR Suntour, Team High Country and Kenda NS Bikes UR Team do the same in downhill. The wildcard system has already shown its worth in downhill, with Thibaut Daprela (Rogue Racing – SR Suntour) securing fifth in the Men’s Elite UCI Downhill World Cup in the Enduro Trails of Bielsko-Biała (Poland). The flying Frenchman will be looking to seize any more opportunities he gets via his team’s wildcard spots. The 16 wildcard teams for round 8 of the 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series in Val di Sole, Trentino are: UCI Cross-country World Cup BIXS Performance Race Team Carabinieri – Cicli Olympia KTM Factory MTB Team Massi Cabtech Racing Team Lexware Mountainbike Team Scott Creuse Oxygene Gueret Trek Future Racing UCI Downhill World Cup: Goodman Santacruz Rogue Racing – SR Suntour Team High Country Kenda NS Bikes UR Team YT Racing Development The Alliance Future Frameworks Abetone Ancillotti Vittoria Factory Team
Canadian riders Gracey Hemstreet (Norco Race Division) and Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) proved their technical skills as they won the women’s and men’s Elite titles at round two of the UCI Downhill World Cup in Loudenvielle – Peyragudes (France), presented by FACOM. Hemstreet recorded her first UCI Downhill World Cup victory, while Goldston marked his return from injury to take a third Elite career UCI World Cup race win. It was also the first time two North Americans have won both the Men Elite and Women Elite UCI Downhill World Cup races respectively on the same day since 1999. There was more history made for Hemstreet who became the first Canadian women to win a Women Elite UCI Downhill World Cup. The cold and wet conditions experienced at the opening round in the Enduro Trails of Bielsko-Biała, Poland made way for warm, fast and dusty conditions in the French Pyrenees. While several of her competitors crashed out Hemstreet completed a fearless run to take her maiden victory. Goldstone won two Men Elite UCI Downhill World Cups during his maiden senior season in 2023. However, last season the young Canadian crashed into a tree and tore his ACL and MCL – ruling him out for the whole 2024 UCI Downhill World Cup series. Goldstone showed a masterful technique as he flew down the wooded slopes in the French Pyrenees. The men’s Junior events saw another North American winner in the form of Bode Burke (Commencal Schwalbe by Les Orres) who carried the most speed into the finish to snatch victory. Meanwhile, Austrian Lina Frener (Norco Race Division) provided the most commanding win of the day in the women’s Junior category. GOLDSTONE COMPLETES ROAD BACK FROM INJURY WITH SKILLFUL DISPLAY Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) pushed the course limits to take his first UCI Downhill World Cup win since 2023. The 21-year-old, former Junior UCI Downhill World Champion survived a blustery top section and then used his technical ability to set a blistering time in the wood section. The UCI ‘DH World Cup’ trail was created especially for the 2023 UCI Downhill World Cup and dry and dusty conditions resulted in exciting racing. Former UCI Downhill World Cup winner Jordan Williams (Specialized Gravity) set the quickest time of the weekend of 3:16.1 to put pressure on those waiting in the starting house. The technical course took a host of early victims as Tuhoto-Ariki Pene (MS-Racing), Davide Palazzari (Rogue Racing – SR Suntour) and Luke Meier-Smith (Giant Factory Off-Road Team – DH) were amongst those who saw their hopes ended by mistakes. After missing last season through injury Goldstone survived the blustery top section and then found new lines through the woods to set the quickest time through the final two sectors to post a quickest time of 3:13.1 – almost three seconds faster than Williams. Four French riders were amongst the final five starters and provided hope of victory for the home fans. Nathan Pontvianne (Goodman Santacruz) pushed the bottom section to the limits and his time of 3:16.3 was good enough for fourth. UCI Downhill World Champion, Loris Vergier (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) struggled for speed throughout the course and he finished nearly four seconds back in seventh. Last year’s overall UCI Downhill World Cup victor, Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity), was quicker than Goldstone through the first sector before misjudging a ramp resulting in going 1.3 seconds behind. With time to find, Bruni was forced into mistakes and consistently lost time in the lower section to finish 15th. Final starter Amaury Pierron (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) went close to the leading time, but some small mistakes on the lower section resulting in him finishing runner-up a second behind and Williams was third. "It feels good to be back, I can’t believe that I won,” said Goldstone. “I really liked it and gave it everything in the bottom two splits. “I got into a really good zone, I wasn’t nervous for some reason. I had so much fun out of there. Amaury [Pierron] had me on my toes there, he had such a good run going but the last two splits really helped me there. I’m stoked to pull it off.” Talking about Canadian riders winning both the Elite events he added: “It’s huge for Gracey. I’m so stoked.” After two rounds a second-place finish for Pierron gives him the series lead just 40 points ahead of French countryman Bruni. HEMSTREET TAKES MAIDEN WORLD CUP WIN WITH FEARLESS RUN British rider Harriet Harnden (Aon Racing - Tourne Campervans) was the biggest-name who failed to qualify for the finals, but many more left the French course disappointed after crashes. Opting for full mud tyres on the slippery terrain, Swiss rider Camille Balanche (Yeti/Fox Factory Racing Team) sent a message to her rivals by setting an early leading time of 3:48.7. The dusty and rutted terrain caught a host of riders out, with Eleonora Farina (MS-Racing) one of those who came down heavily on the track. UCI Downhill World Champion Valentina Höll (YT Mob) showed formidable form as she mastered the slopes taking 1.8 seconds out of her rivals on the opening sector and increasing her advantage through each sector. Höll reached the bottom of the hill in a quickest time of 3:42.3 – over six seconds quicker than her nearest rival. Marine Cabirou (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) and Nina Hoffmann (Santa Cruz Syndicate) were amongst those who saw their hopes ended by mistakes on the technical course. Meanwhile, 2024 UCI Downhill European Champion Lisa Baumann (Commencal Schwalbe by Les Orres) looked to be heading towards a podium place before also being flung off her bike after getting her tyre stuck in a rut. It was Gracey Hemstreet who would provide the ride of the day. Despite losing three seconds to Höll on the top section the Canadian came fighting back on the technical wooded part and took a three second lead at the finish - posting a quickest time of 3:39.1. Opening round winner Tahnee Seagrave (Orbea/FMD Racing) was the penultimate rider to challenge the time and recorded the fastest opening split of the day. However, the fearless middle and bottom section of Hemstreet was too formidable, with Höll finishing second and Seagrave third. After two rounds Seagrave has a healthy lead of 116 points in the overall standings. “I can’t believe it,” said Hemstreet. “This has been a dream come true forever, and it has finally happened. "I just tried the death grip and went as fast as I could. I was a bit scared of the loose stuff but was fully pinned everywhere else. I was just cautious in those sketchy areas and then let it go on the rest. The triple at the top, I couldn’t hit it, I rolled it, it was hard.” FRENER AND BURKE SHOWCASE TALENTS TO WIN JUNIOR EVENTS Lina Frener (Norco Race Division) and Bode Burke (Commencal Schwalbe by Les Orres) provided masterful performances in the Women Junior and Men Junior UCI Downhill World Cups. Burke recorded the quickest time in the final sector to win the men’s competition in 3:16.6. The American qualified in the middle of the pack and had to watch his rivals come close to his benchmark. New Zealand’s Tyler Waite (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) was quick starting on the open sections but lost vital time on the bottom half as he finished five hundreds of a second behind in second. Meanwhile, quickest qualifier Till Alran (Commencal-Muc-off by Riding Addiction) also suffered in the wooded latter stages and placed fourth, one place behind team-mate Max Alran. Heading into the third round of the series Max Alran has a slender five-point overall lead over Waite. “I’m so happy, I didn’t expect that,” said Burke. “I had a huge crash this morning. I’m so happy to get down. To do that was amazing for me. I took it easy in qualifying. Eleven seconds was going to be a stretch, but somehow it happened.” In the women’s Junior event, Frener was a convincing winner and posted the quickest time on three of the four course splits. Frener went seven seconds quicker than her qualifying time to post a winning mark of 3:50.2. Quickest qualifier Eliana Hulsebosch (Santa Cruz Syndicate) felt the pressure and needed to better her time from the previous day to take victory. The Kiwi went fastest at the first split before crashing out on a dusty left-hand corner to end her race challenge – eventually finishing fifth. It was an Austrian one-two as Rosa Zierl (Cube Factory Racing) joined Frener on the podium, while USA’s Matilda Melton (Commencal Schwalbe by Les Orres) placed third. “It’s an incredible feeling,” said Frener. “I just get down and have fun on my bike. I changed some of my lines from qualifying.” Gravity and endurance riders will meet next weekend when the Whoop UCI Mountain Bike World Series heads to Saalfelden Leogang in Salzburgerland (Austria) from 6-8 June. Competition starts on Friday with the UCI Downhill World Cup qualifying followed by the UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup. The UCI Downhill World Cup final runs will take centre stage on Saturday, before the UCI Enduro World Cup and UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup concludes the action on Sunday.
Daniel Booker triumphed in a nail-biting back-and-forth with Sławomir Łukasik (Yeti / Fox Factory Race Team) at the UCI Enduro World Cup round in Loudenvielle - Peyragudes (France), presented by FACOM, as Ella Conolly underlined that she’s the woman to beat in a dominant showing at the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series. Conolly took her first victory of the season by 40 crushing seconds over Morgane Charre (Pivot Factory Racing), taking four stages out of five to put the rest of the women’s Elite field firmly in the category of also-rans. Things were tighter in the men’s Elite race though, as Booker led by only a couple of seconds with two stages to go before responding in fine style to take his second round of the season. Meanwhile both Lacey Adams (Yeti / Fox Factory Race Team) and Melvin Almueis extended their lead in the Junior standings with victory in Loudenvielle. The area’s popularity with both local and tourist mountain bikers meant the trail dirt was hard-packed, on a course where line choice was less important than riding the main line well. And in sharp contrast to last year’s mudfest, the hot and dry conditions ramped up descent speeds making particularly the tree sections even more intense. BOOKER BESTS ŁUKASIK AFTER FIVE-ROUND SLUGFEST Booker prevailed in an arduous men’s race that was the tightest of all four Elite and Junior enduro events in Loudenvielle, taking his second ever UCI World Cup round just a few weeks after winning his first in Pietra Ligure, Finale Outdoor Region (Italy). Booker laid down a marker on Nabias, as riders started with arguably the toughest stage of the day - a 3.6km descent of 730 vertical metres that got steeper as the trail went on, sapping arm strength all the way. Booker edged out Alex Rudeau by two seconds, with round two victor Sławomir Łukasik a similar margin back in fourth, though the Pole would roar back on Privilege to take the overall lead by the narrowest of margins: 0.006 seconds. Booker was fifth on the stage as Matthew Walker (Pivot Factory Racing) pushed Łukasik closest with the top seven separated by 5.2 seconds on the stage, and miniscule time gaps on Six Pack left things as they were. So, it was all to play for on a super-steep 1,100m stage four that threatened either no time gaps or massive ones with plenty of incident potential, and it proved the decisive separation between the two favourites with Łukasik down in 11th and Booker claiming back all the time he’d lost on Privilege. That meant heading into stage five - the most technical of them all - Booker had seven seconds in hand over the rest of the field and he produced a champion’s ride to seal his triumph. Meanwhile Łukasik somewhat crumbled, losing 10 seconds (his biggest margin of the day on a single stage) and allowing Alex Rudeau to vault up into second place after he’d been pretty quiet since stage one. Even the flying Canadian Jesse Melamed (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) couldn’t stop Booker from taking his third stage of the day, while Łukasik at least has the consolation of retaining the overall leader’s jersey by 310 points from today’s winner. "Very exciting to get the win here, I never had a super standout result here but I’ve loved the trails every year,” Booker said. “Today even if I made mistakes I was still carrying speed, I was happy and the trails were running good so it was a great day, I was loving riding. "Nice to climb back up a bit, had a bit of drama in Poland so hopefully we can keep going with the first places.” CONOLLY CROWNED QUEEN OF LOUDENVIELLE-PEYRAGUDES Ella Conolly extended her lead at the top of the Women Elite UCI Enduro World Cup in comfortable fashion - or as comfortable as she could be pelting down five stages featuring an average downhill gradient of 20%. And she now has a victory to go with her overall superiority having been the bridesmaid to Harriet Harnden (Aon Racing - Tourne Campervans) and Elly Hoskin in Pietra Ligure and the Enduro Trails of Bielsko-Biała (Poland). Conolly stamped her authority on proceedings right from the opening stage, beating Morgane Charre by 4.27 seconds on Nabias and the rest of the field by over 20. And with the opening two stages being the longest of the day, Conolly had an opportunity to virtually kill off the round by the end of Privilege. She took it, surging down the exposed hillside to finish another five seconds ahead of Charre while Nadina Ellecosta (Abetone Ancillotti Vittoria Factory Team) was third on the stage and overall in a tight battle for ‘best of the rest’. Stage three was a marked change to the start of the day, a short sharp dive through the trees that gave Charre the chance to fight back, she bested Conolly by a second while behind, less than four seconds separated third-placed Ellecosta and Estelle Charles in tenth. Conolly was back in business on Pourticou though, putting everyone except Charre and Ellecosta at over a minute behind as Winnifred Goldsbury took third on the stage. And neither Goldsbury nor anyone else could stop her on the final stage as Charre finished fifth but still claimed second overall while Conolly further extends her lead at the top of the standings. “The race was amazing, it was really cool to race here in Loudenvielle in the dry,” Conolly said afterwards. “It was a big contrast to last year and a big contrast to our previous world cup round in Poland. “My race day went pretty smoothly, I started really fast and had a bit of a slide, a little crash so decided to be a bit more calculated, a bit smoother through the race and pushed everywhere I could. Leading the world cup still, so happy with that.” ALMUEIS AND ADAMS EXTEND JUNIOR LEADS Melvin Almueis copied Conolly’s homework for the opening two stages of the men’s Junior race, building a commanding lead that he held to the finish line of Kern without being fastest on any of the three remaining legs. Almueis put 8.22 seconds into compatriot Hugo Marti Montessinos and almost 13 into Cooper Millwood who would ultimately be his closest challenger again, as in Pietra Ligure. The Kiwi pulled time back on Six Pack, gaining a couple of seconds on the top two, before Nacho Ballester Ferrer claimed a surprise win on stage four, beating Gabriel Sainthuile by only six tenths. Millwood returned to the top of the timesheets on Kern but Almueis knew he just needed to keep within range of the Kiwi and duly finished two seconds back to claim his second round of the season. Almueis said: “Loudenvielle was pretty good with the sun, it was better than Poland with the snow and I’m very happy to win here.” Lacey Adams led the women’s Junior standings before today without winning a round, but that spell ended as she scorched to victory in France, claiming four stages out of five and beating Lucile Metge by an eye-watering 54 seconds overall despite crashing into a tree. Only Metge’s Six Pack win by 1.7 seconds interrupted Adams’ dominance, as the Australian also claimed the majority of her victory margin (43 seconds) in the opening two stages to pad her overall lead. “The race was awesome, I enjoyed every stage,” Adams said. “The track’s running amazing and super-stoked with coming first, such a sick venue. I did have a little off on stage five, I just hit a tree and hit my knuckle but it was sweet, just kept riding.” They were following in the tyre tracks of another successful round of Enduro Open races on Friday in Loudenvielle - Peyragudes featuring 124 participants across various categories, including both enduro and e-enduro. Adams, Almueis, Conolly and Booker will return next weekend on a packed slate at Saalfelden Leogang-Salzburgerland (Austria) featuring all disciplines of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series for only the second time ever, as cross-country and downhill riders will also be in attendance.
French riders will be last off the ramp in both the Men and Women Elite UCI Downhill World Cup races in Loudenvielle - Peyragudes (France), presented by FACOM, as Amaury Pierron and Myriam Nicole were fastest in qualifying for Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction. After declaring she was ready to fight for the overall after winning round one at the Enduro Trails of Bielsko-Biała (Poland), Tahnée Seagrave (Orbea FMD) was three-quarters of a second up on Nicole’s time at the second of four intermediate splits, but her rival’s storming finish prevailed as the pair were separated by 0.208 seconds at the line. Pierron pipped Bielsko-Biała winner Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity) by 0.154 seconds in Q1 while Loris Vergier (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) made it a home 1-2-3, crossing the line less than a tenth behind the reigning UCI Downhill World Cup champion. NEW FACES CONTINUE TO TOP UCI DOWNHILL WORLD CUP Only Bruni has topped multiple sessions so far in the UCI Downhill World Cup, as both the men’s and women’s Elite qualifying produced new leaders for the season. Pierron had a qualifying to forget in round one but made up for it with an inspired performance in the final and led until the closing stages when first Oisin O’Callaghan (YT MOB) and then Bruni overhauled him. He was made to fight hard again today but, on this occasion, beat his compatriot and the rest of the field with a time of 3:17.142, as Bruni was ahead by less than a tenth at the penultimate split. However, Pierron produced a scintillating final two sectors to claim top spot while many of the other standouts from round one failed to impress in France - O’Callaghan had a tough start and qualified tenth while Richard Rude Jr hit trouble in the middle of his Q1 run and then missed out in the repechage as New Zealand’s Tuhoto-Ariki (MS-Racing) won Q2. Valentina Höll continued her supringly slow start to the season - the reigning UCI World Champion and UCI Downhill World Cup overall winner was five seconds off Nicole’s pace and qualified seventh as there was a definite ‘best and the rest’ split in women’s qualifying. Sixth-place Marine Cabirou (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) was just over two seconds back from Nicole, as Grace Hemstreet (Norco Race Division) and Lisa Baumann (Commencal Schwalbe by Les Orres) both produced rapid improvements from the final split to the finish to get within a second of Nicole’s pacesetting time of 3:42.771. Phoebe Gale (Orbea / FMD Racing) topped Q2 as Camille Balanche also survived the last-chance saloon, with Harriet Harnden (Aon Racing - Tourne Campervans) the biggest-name casualty. Nicole triumphed overall here 12 months ago so is looking to be the first rider to win back-to-back UCI Downhill World Cup rounds in Loudenvielle - Peyragudes while Bruni will equal Pierron’s 12 career wins in the series as his compatriot is only one away from drawing level with the legendary Sam Hill’s all-time tally, so there will be plenty at stake at the top of the ramp. ALL CHANGE AT THE TOP OF JUNIOR STANDINGS? Elina Hulsebosch (Santa Cruz Syndicate) has the chance to become the new rider to beat in the women’s Junior standings after she topped qualifying by 1.8 seconds from Rosa Zierl (CUBE Factory Racing) and overall leader Rosa Marie Jensen (Specialized Gravity) did not start. Jensen’s closest rival Lina Frener (Norco Race Division) will be sixth off the ramp after qualifying seven seconds back as only Aletha Ostgaard (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) prevented Hulsebosch getting a clean swap of fastest split times. And Til Alran (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) overcame a lighting start by New Zealand’s Oli Clark (MS Racing) to top the men's junior timesheets by less than a second, with his brother, teammate and overall leader Max Alran in third. Alran, Hulsebosch, Nicole, Pierron and the rest of the top qualifiers will return for the UCI Downhill World Cup finals in Loudenvielle - Peyragudes on Sunday, June 1, with Junior races kicking off at 10:50 CEST, followed by the Elite finals. Fans around the world can tune in live: the Junior UCI Downhill World Cup races will be streamed on the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series YouTube channel. To find out where to watch the Elite finals in your region, click here.
Next week, UCI Enduro World Cup athletes will head to Saalfelden Leogang in Salzburgerland to join forces with the pros across Downhill and XC, for the biggest weekend on the WHOOP UCI MTB World Series calendar. During race day, they will tackle a 66.79km long course across 6 stages, including 2540m of climbing and descents of a whopping 5030m! For a more detailed look at the courses, you can check out the athlete interactive map. More information & tickets for the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series Saalfelden Leogang.
The dust hasn’t even settled from the Endurance excitement in Nové Mesto Na Morave (Czechia) and the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series is back with the return of the UCI Downhill and Enduro World Cups in Loudenvielle – Peyragudes. presented by FACOM, the fourth of five back-to-back race weekends. France’s Loudenvielle - Peyragudes is the location, and riders will be hoping its revised early summer spot in the calendar means better conditions than 2024’s wet and wild trails. The Louron Valley spot made its UCI World Cup debut in 2023, having hosted events of the former Enduro World Series in 2021 and 2022. It’s easy to see why it’s become a staple of the season. Located within the French Pyrenees’ top riding spot, Loudenvielle - Peyragudes is a year-round riding heaven, offering more than 500km of trails and a fast and furious pro-line downhill track that descends 540m in 2.4km. PEARL OF THE FRENCH PYRENEES Loudenvielle - Peyragudes is the premier location for mountain biking in the whole of the French Pyrenees. Located near the border with Spain and a stone’s throw from Andorra, its tight and tree-lined trails have become a favourite of the world’s Gravity-leaning riders. The UCI ‘DH World Cup’ trail was created especially for the 2023 UCI Downhill World Cup by the local Lourdon Bike and Trail Park team and French downhill icon Romain Paulhan. Melding man-made features with the hillside’s natural contours, the result is one of the most exciting courses on the whole UCI Downhill World Cup circuit. The venue’s Enduro stages meanwhile take in the best trails of the Louron Valley. The UCI Enduro World Cup will see athletes take on five stages as part of a 43km course featuring 2,410m of descent during the race stages and 1,470m of ascent during liaisons. Only two stages remain from last year’s edition (although Privilege – 4.28km with 640m descent – was cancelled due to high winds), with Porticou and Kern returning from the 2023 edition, and a UCI Enduro World Cup debut for Six Pack. BRUNI AND SEAGRAVE IN CONTROL Reigning UCI Downhill World Cup overall champion Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity) and 10-time UCI Downhill World Cup winner Tahnée Seagrave (Orbea/FMD Racing) are the riders leading the downhill charge but have points to prove this weekend with both failing to convert their fastest qualifying times into winning runs at Loudenvielle - Peyragudes in 2024. Benoît Coulanges (Scott Downhill Factory) and Myriam Nicole (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) assured it was a red, white and blue celebration in front of a partisan home crowd last September, although the pair also have work to do if they are to secure repeat results, with both finishing 10th in the Enduro Trails of Bielsko-Biała (Poland) two weeks ago. In the Men Elite racing, Amaury Pierron (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction), Oisin O’Callaghan (YT Mob) and wild card qualifier Thibaut Daprela (Rogue Racing - SR Suntour) started the season strongly in Poland, while Richard Rude (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) showed that he’s fast regardless of the format – the reigning UCI Enduro World Cup overall winner sat fourth in the Downhill standings. For Seagrave, Valentina Höll (YT Mob) is sure to want to make amends for her fifth-place last time out, while Anna Newkirk (Frameworks Racing/5Dev) and Nina Hoffmann (Santa Cruz Syndicate) are the two other in-form riders. Harriet Harnden (Aon Racing - Tourne Campervans) shouldn’t be written off, either – last year’s UCI Enduro World Cup overall winner qualified third fastest in Bielsko-Biała before an incident-packed final’s run saw her slump to 14th. The Brit will also have fond memories of the venue, as it was where she clinched her 2024 title on the very last stage. LUKASIK TARGETS BACK-TO-BACK VICTORIES WHILE CONOLLY SEARCHING FOR FIRST WIN Loudenvielle - Peyragudes delivered plenty of drama as host of the 2024 UCI Enduro World Cup’s final round. While the stakes aren’t as high this weekend, results and points scored this Saturday will still prove pivotal come the series’ end in August. In the men’s field, Richard Rude’s absence hasn’t dampened proceedings so far this season, and the American’s winning ways appear to have rubbed off on team-mate Slawomir Lukasik (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) – the Polish rider finally winning his first UCI Enduro World Cup in front of an adoring home crowd in Bielsko-Biala. The 31-year-old also finished second in the Pietra Ligure - Finale Outdoor Region (Italy) season opener and leads Jack Moir (YT Mob) in the rankings by 120 points. Lukasik will be hoping that his debut victory opens the floodgates in the Pyrenees, although he has never finished higher than seventh in the south of France. Moir meanwhile won both Enduro World Series rounds at the venue in 2021, so knows what it takes to pull together a winning ride in Loudenvielle - Peyragudes. Privateer Ella Conolly meanwhile currently leads the women’s field after securing back-to-back second places at this season’s opening two rounds. The Brit is still seeking her debut UCI Enduro World Cup win, and only Harnden and Elly Hoskin have stood between her and the top spot in 2025. Her closest rival in the overall, Morgane Charre (Pivot Factory Racing), won at the venue in 2024 and is the most likely to push Conolly all the way on Saturday. Estelle Charles is another rider worth keeping an eye on – the Frenchwoman finished 10th in Bielsko-Biala and knows what it takes to tame Loudenvielle - Peyragudes’ trails having won the venue’s UCI E-enduro World Cup in 2024. Racing gets underway in Loudenvielle - Peyragudes on Saturday with the UCI Enduro World Cup Full schedule and events details are available here
After three consecutive weekends of racing, the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series goes again this Saturday and Sunday with a Gravity feast as the UCI Downhill and Enduro World Cups take to the trails of Loudenvielle - Peyragudes, France. We look at everything you need to know about the Loudenvielle - Peyragudes round of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Serie, presented by FACOM, including when the Enduro and Downhill events are scheduled to take place, who is racing, and how to watch. WHEN? The 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series round in Loudenvielle - Peyragudes, France starts with the UCI Enduro World Cup at 8:00 (UTC+2) on Saturday, May 31 and concludes with the Men Elite UCI Downhill World Cup at 13:10 (UTC+2) on Sunday, June 1. Below are the key timings for race weekend. All times are UTC+2 (EST+6/BST+1/CEST): Saturday, May 31 08:00 – UCI Enduro World Cup 12:30 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification 1 Women Elite 13:00 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification 1 Men Elite 14:15 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification Women Junior 14:40 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification Men Junior 15:30 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification 2 Women Elite 15:50 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification 2 Men Elite Sunday, June 1 10:50 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Finals Women Junior 11:20 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Finals Men Junior 12:15 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Finals Women Elite 13:10 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Finals Men Elite WHERE CAN I WATCH? There will be several ways to watch the Gravity-packed action unfold at France’s first WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series round of the 2025 season. For the UCI Enduro World Cup, there will be a course preview 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. For the second UCI Downhill World Cup of the season, you can watch the finals live anywhere in the world. Both the men’s and women's UCI Downhill World Cup Junior races will be broadcast live on the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series YouTube channel, while the Elite finals will be shown on one of the below channels or streaming services. Pre-show starts at 11:55 UTC+2, so set a reminder to join Ric McLaughlin live from the Pyrenees: North America Canada – Flosports USA – Max South & Central America All Central and South American territories – MTBWS TV Caribbean – Rushsports Asia Indonesia, Macao, Malaysia, Mongolia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand – Eurosport China - Zhibo.TV All other Asian territories – MTBWS TV Oceania Australia – Stan Sport New Zealand – MTBWS TV Africa All African territories – MTBWS TV Europe Andorra – Max Austria – discovery+ Belgium – HBO Max, Eurosport Bosnia & Herzegovina – Max Bulgaria – Max Croatia – Max Czechia – Max Denmark – Max Faroe Islands – Max Portugal – Max, Eurosport, La chaine L’Équipe Germany – discovery+ Hungary – Max Ireland – TNT Sports Italy – discovery+ Moldova – Max Montenegro – Max Netherlands – HBO Max North Macedonia – Max Norway – Max Poland – Max Portugal – Max Romania – Max Serbia – Max Slovakia – Max Slovenia – Max Spain – Max Sweden – Max Switzerland – MTBWS TV Türkiye – Max United Kingdom – discovery+, TNT Sports All other European territories – MTBWS TV RIDERS TO WATCH The Lourdon Bike and Trail Park is a relatively new addition to the competition calendar for Gravity riders – the Loudenvielle - Peyragudes venue making its UCI World Cup debut in 2023, although it had hosted events in the former Enduro World Series in 2021 and 2022. The venue has already shown it can deliver on the biggest stage, and if last year’s racing is anything to go by, we’re in for another epic weekend of racing. In the Men’s Enduro competition, Slawomir Lukasik (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) finally got off the mark by claiming his first UCI Enduro World Cup win in the Enduro Trails of Bielsko-Biała (Poland). The 31-year-old had come agonisingly close in Pietra Ligure - Finale Outdoor Region (Italy), and will hope his debut victory two weeks ago is a sign of things to come this season. The Polish rider leads the overall from Jack Moir (YT Mob), who won twice at Loudenvielle - Peyragudes in the Enduro World Series days. Third-placed Gregory Callaghan has made his best start to a season since 2017, when he went on to win the third round, while UCI Enduro World Champion and 2022 Enduro World Series round winner Alex Rudeau returns having skipped racing in Poland. Privateer Ella Conolly meanwhile leads the charge in the women’s rankings, putting together back-to-back second-place finishes. She’s still targeting her first UCI Enduro World Cup win, but it seems to be only a matter of time now for the Brit. Morgane Charre (Pivot Factory Racing) has also recorded two podium positions in 2025 with consecutive third places, and the Frenchwoman has previous victories in the Pyrenees – winning at the venue in 2024 and 2022. Bielsko-Biała winner Elly Hoskins meanwhile has raced twice in Loudenvielle - Peyragudes in the U21 category and already showed promise – claiming fourth (2023) and third (2024). In Downhill, Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity) and Tahnée Seagrave (Orbea/FMD Racing) used all their experience to battle through difficult conditions in Poland and take their respective top spots in the rankings. While we’ve come to expect it from reigning overall winner Bruni, Seagrave looks back to her best and already appears at home on her new Orbea downhill rig. Both will be in contention in France, but there are a number of other riders trying to prevent them from making it two from two. Benoît Coulanges (Scott Downhill Factory) is the only other rider to have won at the venue since its UCI World Cup debut in 2023 – the Frenchman going fastest last year. He finished 10th in Bielsko-Biała and will be looking at ways to squeeze more time out of his new Scott race bike. Amaury Pierron (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) and wild card Thibaut Daprela (Rogue Racing - SR Suntour) are some other local favourites looking to do it on home soil, while Richard Rude (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) and Oisin O’Callaghan (YT Mob) will be attempting to spoil the partisan crowd’s party. Seagrave’s biggest threat is Valentina Höll (YT Mob). The most dominant force in women’s downhill over the last four years, the Austrian is a favourite of every race she enters and it’s a surprise when she doesn’t make the podium – like her fifth-place finish in Bielsko-Biała. Anna Newkirk (Frameworks Racing/5Dev) and Nina Hoffmann (Santa Cruz Syndicate) are others worth keeping tabs on, as is Harriet Harnden (Aon Racing - Tourne Campervans) – the reigning UCI Enduro World Cup overall winner qualifying third fastest in her debut UCI Downhill World Cup only to finish 14th after an incident-packed finals run. Racing gets underway tomorrow, Saturday, May 31 in Loudenvielle - Peyragudes. Full schedule and event details are available HERE
The betting company will support the series not only at this weekend’s Loudenvielle-Peyragudes stop but also at the upcoming rounds in Morillon and Les Gets, in the Haute-Savoie region. Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) Sports and OlyBet are proud to confirm a three-round agreement for the 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series. OlyBet, which launched in France in 2024, will support all three French rounds of the 2025 series. The partnership kicks off this weekend (May 30–June 1) at the Gravity double-header in Loudenville-Peyragudes and will continue in August with back-to-back race weekends in Haute-Savoie: the UCI Enduro World Cup in Morillon (August 22-24), followed by the UCI Downhill and Cross-country World Cups in Les Gets (August 28-31). OlyBet, which is part of the Olympic Entertainment Group, is a leading gaming and sports entertainment brand. The group partners with high-profile organisations and clubs across Europe, including Stade Toulousain, Paris Basketball, the World Snooker Tour and teams in both LaLiga and Serie A. Olympic Entertainment Group delivers unique fan experiences through a wide network of 135 casinos, over 100 sports bars, 5-star hotels, and several online platforms. The brand’s sponsorship activities also contribute to the development of local sports communities and emerging talent. OlyBet is a member of the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) – the world’s leading operator-run integrity monitoring body – and collaborates with LaLiga to help protect the integrity of Spanish football. Chris Ball, Vice President of Cycling Events at WBD Sports, said: “OlyBet is the market leader in sports gaming in the Baltics. Their partnership with the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series puts mountain biking on par with mainstream sports and marks what we hope will be the beginning of a long and fruitful collaboration. Their investment is a clear signal that this sport resonates beyond its traditional audience and continues to attract a broader, more diverse, public”. Corey Plummer, CEO & Chairman, OlyBet Group, said: "OlyBet is known for sponsoring engaging sports entertainment, iconic events, and legendary artists. We are excited to partner with the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike Series to highlight the tremendous athletes and competitors in this sport and its sporting lifestyle. Passion for sports brings people together and we are looking forward to supporting that belief." The 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series kicked off in Araxá, Minas Gerais (Brazil) in April, with a high-intensity Brazilian double-header to open the season for the endurance teams. This month, the action continued with the opening rounds of the UCI Enduro World Cup in Pietra Ligure, Finale Outdoor Region (Italy) and the UCI Downhill World Cup in the Enduro Trails of Bielsko-Biała (Poland), as well as round three of the UCI Cross-country Olympic and Cross-country Short Track World Cups in Nové Město Na Moravě (Czechia). Next up: A full weekend of gravity-fuelled action in Loudenvielle-Peyragudes (France) from May 30 to June 1. Live and on-demand coverage of every race is available through WBD’s channels and platforms including Eurosport (Europe) and TNT Sports (UK & Ireland) with streaming on Max, HBO Max and discovery+, as well as around the world through WBD’s broadcast partners.
Helmet-Mounted GoPro Cameras will showcase WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series action from the rider’s perspective. Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) Sports Europe is proud to confirm the continuation of its WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series partnership with GoPro. The American technology company continues as the Official Wearable Camera Supplier of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series for a third year. GoPro’s cutting-edge camera technology will deliver immersive live rider POVs from the world’s most intense mountain bike courses to fans across the globe. Top riders, such as Rónán Dunne, Jackson Goldstone and Valentina Höll and others, will give viewers an inside look with course previews, thrilling downhill runs, and exclusive content shared across WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series and GoPro’s social channels, including GoPro Bike, throughout the season. GoPro is the ultimate POV camera for mountain biking with the mounting versatility and ruggedness to capture unique perspectives and impossible angles. GoPro's Emmy® Award-winning HyperSmooth video stabilization and durable, waterproof design deliver immersive footage, in any trail conditions. Learn more about GoPro’s mountain bike camera setups, including specialized mounts and accessories, here. “We are excited to continue our partnership with the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series,” said Rick Loughery, GoPro’s Senior Vice President of Global Marketing and Communication. “GoPro is deeply committed to the mountain bike community and empowering riders to capture their incredible feats and the exhilarating essence of the sport in a way only GoPro can.” Chris Ball, Vice President of Cycling Events at WBD Sports, said: “We’re excited to welcome GoPro back for a third consecutive year as the Official Wearable Camera Supplier of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series. Fans can look forward to another season of immersive POV footage during our live broadcasts and on our social media channels.” The 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series kicked off in Araxá, Minas Gerais (Brazil) in April, with a high-intensity Brazilian double-header to open the season for the endurance teams. This month, the action continued with the opening rounds of the UCI Enduro World Cup in Pietra Ligure, Finale Outdoor Region (Italy) and the UCI Downhill World Cup in the Enduro Trails of Bielsko-Biała (Poland), as well as round three of the UCI Cross-country World Cup in Nové Město Na Moravě (Czechia). Next up: a full weekend of gravity-fuelled action in Loudenvielle-Peyragudes (France) from May 30 to June 1. Live and on-demand coverage of every race is available through WBD’s channels and platforms including Eurosport (Europe) and TNT Sports (UK & Ireland) with streaming on Max/HBO Max and discovery+, as well as around the world through WBD’s broadcast partners. Main image credit: Keno Derleyn - COMMENCAL/MUC-OFF
Mona Mitterwallner (Mondraker Factory Racing XC) benefited from a mechanical issue for Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck) to win the UCI Cross-country Olympic (XCO) World Cup at Nové Mĕsto Na Moravĕ (Czechia), as Christopher Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing) took glory in the elite men’s race. Across the weekend, the event welcomed 24,000 spectators, adding to the electric atmosphere on site. Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck) made a brilliant return from her road campaign to win the UCI Cross-country Short-Track (XCC) World Cup on Saturday. The UCI XCO World Champion looked determined to double up on the weekend when taking an early lead and pressing the pace. But she suffered a puncture on lap three to drop back down the field. She made a charge back through the pack but could not sustain the effort and came home in 13th, 1:59 behind Mona Mitterwallner (Mondraker Factory Racing XC). In the Elite Men’s race, all eyes were on Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin–Deceuninck) on his return to mountain bike action, but the Dutch star crashed twice on the start loop before pulling out. With no Van der Poel to worry about, Christopher Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing) showed his class as he kept himself towards the front of the race before stepping on the gas on the penultimate lap. The American celebrated with low fives with the crowd on the home straight, such was his dominance, as he doubled up after taking UCI XCC World Cup glory on Saturday. In the U23 action, Ella MacPhee (Wilier-Vittoria Factory Team) emerged victorious in the Women’s UCI XCO World Cup, as Isabella Holmgren suffered a crash and there was a dramatic finish to the Men's race, as Paul Schehl (Lexware Mountainbike Team) beat Rens Teunissen van Manen (KMC MTB Racing Team) in a sprint finish. MITTERWALLNER RETURNS TO FORM AS PIETERSE’S DREAM OF WEEKEND DOUBLE DASHED Puck Pieterse’s dream return to the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series action on Saturday turned to a nightmare 24 hours later, as a puncture ruined her chances of a weekend double. The Dutch star produced a blistering finish to win the elite women’s UCI XCC World Cup on Saturday, and looked good when taking an early lead in the XCO race, but things went wrong for her on the third lap of the Vysočina Arena, as a rear puncture sent her back through the pack. She was unable to make up the lost ground and came home in 13th behind Mona Mitterwallner (Mondraker Factory Racing XC). Pieterse blasted off the line to secure a prominent position going into the first corner. Nina Graf (Lapierre Racing Unity) led her into the tech zone for the first time and held that position down the Visit Czechia Steps. 12 months ago, the roots were wet and treacherous, but the women’s race took place under a cloudless sky in 2025, and it was a smoother passage for the riders. Jenny Rissveds (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) led a group of seven at the end of the start loop, as she stopped the clock at 6:24. Pieterse lifted the pace heading into the first lap and went to the front, followed by Rissveds and Graf. Reigning UCI XCO World champion found the ideal line through the Rock Garden section for the first time to put daylight between herself and the chasers entering the WHOOP Wall, but the gradient was so steep that even her was forced sideways on occasions during the ascent. Pieterse’s early attack caused time gaps further back, and the advantage afforded her the luxury of being able to pick the best lines through the technical sections. At the end of the opening lap, Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon) and Candice Lill were the only riders in touch with Pieterse. The pattern of the race quickly developed, as Pieterse laid down the power on the climbs to gap her rivals. She got out of shape on the Rock Garden for the second time, but her strength rescued the situation, and it did not check her momentum. At the end of the second lap, Pieterse, Keller and Lill stopped the clock at 30:03, with over 10 seconds back to Rebecca Henderson (Orbea Fox Factory Team) and Samara Maxwell (Decathlon Ford Racing Team). Rissveds, who was sick and missed Saturday’s XCC race, dropped through the field and stepped off her bike at the end of the second lap as the winner of the second race in Araxá failed to pick up any points. There was drama on the third lap, as Pieterse suffered a rear puncture in the Rock Garden shortly before the WHOOP Wall and she shipped 1:33 and 23 places after limping to the tech zone. At the end of the third lap, Keller, Lill and Maxwell formed a three-rider group at the head of the race, as Pieterse cut the gap to 1:16. Henderson and Mitterwallner joined the front three at the head of the race on the climb up the WHOOP Wall on the fourth lap. Pieterse made up ground and places rapidly after her tyre change, but her momentum stalled on the fourth lap and she stopped the clock one minute behind Maxwell’s leading time of 54:11. Mitterwallner pushed the pace towards the end of the fifth lap and crossed the line at 1:05.55, five seconds ahead of Maxwell, Lill and Keller. Pieterse missed a couple of bottles in the feed zone after her tyre change, and went backwards in the later stages to finish in 13th. Series leader Maxwell made her move on the final lap and gapped Mitterwallner but an error on a climb saw her bike get tangled in a piece of meshing marking the edge of the course. She had to unclip and lost the lead to Mitterwallner. Maxwell made a big effort to get back to the wheel of Mitterwallner on the WHOOP Wall, but was gapped again as the latter produced a brilliant final descent. Mitterwallner hit the home straight with a two-second lead and although Maxwell was closing all the way to the line, Mitterwallner held on in a time of 1:29.32 for her first win since 2023. Lill completed the podium, 25 seconds adrift of the top two. "I can’t really describe it," Mitterwallner said of her win, the first for Mondraker. "It has been a long time to be on the top of the UCI World Cup podium, and to do it in Nové Mĕsto Na Moravě, the most original place of cross-country. I have always dreamed of it, and I really can’t believe it. "The team worked super hard. It is never easy to start a new project, but everyone was super motivated. We are having a good time too." Maxwell came through from 25th for second and was delighted with her effort but rued the error on the final lap: "We got up to the climb and my pedal got wrapped in the meshing barrier, so I came off," she said. "It would have been alright, but I could not mount my bike quickly, so that was a bit of a shame”. “I am just super proud with the way I’ve been racing this year, super composed and knowing when to burn matches and when to sit back. I am really proud." BLEVINS ASSERTS DOMINANCE AS VAN DER POEL FAILS TO FINISH Christopher Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing) continued his sizzling start to the season with his second UCI XCO World Cup win of the year. After a win and a second place in Araxá, Minas Gerais (Brazil), the American extended his lead in the overall standings with a powerful display in Czechia. While it was a day in which Blevins celebrated up the home straight to highlight his dominance, Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin–Deceuninck) had an afternoon to forget. The Dutch star returned to mountain bike action following a stunning spring campaign on the road that yielded wins at Milan-San Remo and Paris-Roubaix. Arriving at Nové Mĕsto Na Moravĕ, Van der Poel’s stated aim was to work his way into top shape for a crack at the UCI World Championships. But his first dip in the water in 2025 did not go to plan as he crashed twice on the start loop before abandoning on the third lap. Starting in 32nd, Van Der Poel clipped handlebars when trying to pick his way through traffic and went into the netting. Things got worse for the Dutchman a short time later, as he hit the lip of a jump and went over the front of his handlebars. Luca Schwarzbauer (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) led at the end of the start loop, while Van der Poel’s tumble left him down in 88th position. Aside from Van Der Poel, the favourites got through relatively unscathed as Victor Koretzky (Specialized Factory Racing), Blevins and Alan Hatherly (Giant Factory Off-Road Team-XC) joined Schwarzbauer in a lead group, but Charlie Aldridge (Cannondale Factory Racing) suffered a mechanical shortly after the tech zone and dropped through the field to come home in 40th place. Hatherly pushed on at the end of the first lap and took Schwarzbauer with him, with the duo stopping the clock at 15:26 - eight seconds ahead of a chase group led by Blevins and Koretzky - with Van der Poel down in 72nd, 88 seconds adrift of the leaders. A group of seven - Mathis Azzaro (Origine Racing Division), Koretzky, Blevins, Hatherly, Schwarzbauer, Filippo Colombo (SCOTT-SRAM MTB Racing Team) and Mathias Flückiger (Thömus Maxon) came together at the end of the second lap. Van der Poel was unable to make any inroads on the leaders and elected to pull out of the race on the third lap. The leaders’ pace dipped heading into the fourth lap, and it brought a host of riders into the picture, as Blevins, Koretzky and Martín Vidaurre formed a threatening three-man fighting force for Specialized. But defending overall champion Hatherly, in his first race of the season after a spell on the road, was in no mood to let Specialized control things and upped the pace on the fifth lap. Overall leader Blevins had a serious moment on the fifth lap, as he got out of shape, unclipped and did superbly to stay on his bike. After a spell of riders looking at each other, Vital Albin (Thömus Maxon) lit up the race on the sixth lap - taking Blevins with him, as Hatherly, Koretzky, Azzaro and Fabio Puntener worked hard to get back in touch going into the final couple of laps. Up the WHOOP Wall on the seventh lap, Blevins put down the hammer and the turn of pace opened up the race as no other rider could fashion a response. The American produced a supreme descent and entered the finishing straight for the penultimate time with an eight-second advantage. Taking the bell in a time of 1:16.09, Blevins led a chase group of six by 10 seconds, and there was no unity in those behind. Blevins took a number of looks over his shoulder but had a nine-second lead up the WHOOP Wall for the final time. A huge final effort was enough to sniff out the threat from behind and it enabled him to celebrate on the finishing straight, low fiving with the crowd, as he did the double at Nové Mĕsto Na Moravĕ. A superb three-man sprint for the podium saw Azzaro take second from Lars Forster (Thömus Maxon) - with Koretzky the man to miss out. "I have to say Nové Mĕsto means so much to me, means so much to the sport," Blevins said. "I’ve been here 11 years now, cried in the woods after bad races at Junior, cried after bad races at U23. I felt all the emotions after winning my first European World Cup in this iconic stadium. It is a beautiful day and I am really grateful." On his issue on lap five when he unclipped and almost came down, Blevins said: "That hurt in a spot you don’t want to hurt. I looked at Victor and he kind of shook his head at me as he saw the sketchy moment. These roots are pretty slick even when they are dry, and when I am on the limit I sometimes make mistakes. I am working on that. Thankfully I kept it up today, but had to just regroup and be as perfect as I can be every lap." MACPHEE SECURES BREAKTHROUGH WIN AFTER HOLMGREN CRASH Ella MacPhee (Wilier-Vittoria Factory Team) won the Women’s U23 UCI XCO World Cup race, after series leader Isabella Holmgren suffered a crash in the Rock Garden. The Canadian rider took some time to get to her feet but was seen walking away - albeit holding her arm. With Holmgren out of the race, the door was open for a new name in top spot - and it was MacPhee who secured her maiden win. MacPhee and Fiona Schibler were towards the front throughout, and the former pushed the pace on the fourth lap. There was drama on the final lap as MacPhee unclipped on a climb after losing momentum. But she was ahead at the time and her error impacted Schibler who also had to get off and run up the remainder of the climb. MacPhee regrouped, pushed on up the WHOOP Wall for the final time, and got to the top with a three-second advantage. From there, MacPhee stormed away and stopped the clock 17 seconds ahead of Schibler, with Sara Cortinovis (Ghost Factory Racing) completing the podium. Victory coupled with Holmgren's failure to finish enabled MacPhee to move to the top of the standings. "I don’t have any words, it’s just crazy," MacPhee said. Asked for her thoughts on Holmgren’s crash, she explained: "I did not know Bella was out until I came through the feed. I don’t know what happened. I am really sorry and it is too bad to see her out and I hope she is okay." SCHEHL BEATS TEUNISSEN VAN MANEN IN SPRINT FOR FIRST UCI WORLD CUP WIN Finn Treudler (Cube Factory Racing) went into the race as the rider to beat after taking both legs in Araxá. He led over the line after the start loop, albeit at a relatively sedate pace. It was a similar scenario to how his race played out in Brazil, and he adopted a similar gameplan by pushing the pace on the second lap. Rens Teunissen van Manen (KMC Ridley MTB Racing Team) went with Treudler, with a chunky gap to the chasers. While in Araxá, Treudler was able to ride away for wide-margin wins, he never looked comfortable and had no answer when Teunissen van Manen pushed the power. Blue sky from earlier in the day gave way to clouds and rain, which made the conditions far more difficult than during the earlier races. With conditions deteriorating, there were a series of tumbles - Alexander Woodford suffered a spectacular fall over his handlebars in the Rock Garden. Owen Clark had a tough day, as he dropped a chain when coming down near the feed zone and later suffered a crash through the rocks, while there was the sight of Alexandre Martins running to the tech zone with his tyre separated from his wheel. Treudler appeared to have an issue with his gears and was forced to get off and run on a series of occasions. He was unable to recover the ground lost to Teunissen van Manen and Schehl. Taking the bell, there was nothing to separate Teunissen van Manen and Schehl. Schehl was in front going up the WHOOP Wall for the final time, but Teunissen van Manen slipped past. The elastic did not snap and it boiled down to a sprint, with Schehl edging ahead in the final 50 metres and Treudler defying mechanical issues to take third and cement his position at the top of the overall standings. "I did not expect it," Schehl said. "I had a huge crash in the first round of the UCI World Cup, and had a big bruise and could not go on my bike for three weeks. The last three to four weeks getting back to training was like a rollercoaster. I really did not expect to win. I felt technically super strong but could not recover the whole time. The race felt amazing." After an incredible weekend of cross-country racing in Nové Město Na Moravě, which saw 24,000 spectators turn out to witness the action, the 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series rolls on next weekend as the Gravity disciplines take centre stage in Loudenvielle-Peyragudes, France, with round 2 of the UCI Downhill World Cup and round 3 of the UCI Enduro World Cup.
UCI Enduro World Cup athletes will join their downhill comrades in Loudenvielle - Peyragudes for the second all-gravity weekend of the season. They'll tackle some familiar trails across 5 stages, with a race totaling 43km, incuding 1470m of ascending and 2410m of decent. For a more detailed look at the courses, you can check out the athlete interactive map. More information & tickets for the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series Loudenvielle - Peyragudes, presented by Facom
Christopher Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing) overcame a last lap dropped chain to make history in the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series at Nové Mĕsto Na Moravĕ (Czechia). Meanwhile, Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck) returned to mountain bike action in style to win the elite women’s UCI Cross-country Short-Track (XCC) World Cup. Cross-country action returned following a six-week break and the iconic Vysočina Arena course and provided XCC drama with a strong headwind on the finish straight resulting in close finishes. Thin gravel tyres were selected by a host of elite riders as the fast course resulted in close criterium style racing packed full of incidents. Blevins left it late to snatch a victory from team-mate Victor Koretzky to become the first rider to ever win the opening three UCI XCC World Cup rounds. Like the men’s race which followed the elite women’s event was an equally cagey affair with a large leading group coming into the last lap together. Fresh from her road racing exploits in the Spring Classics it was Pieterse who was quickest to take victory. Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing - Pirelli) had a perfect UCI XCC World Cup record coming into the event but could not come past Pieterse at the line and had to settle for runner-up. Meanwhile, Canadian Ava Holmgren took her first ever XCC victory in the Under-23 category and ended the perfect record of her sister Isabella Holmgren. Ava paid tribute to the work of her sister who patrolled the chasing group before finishing second to keep her overall lead. Heby Gustav Pedersen (Wilier-Vittoria Factory Team) sprinted to victory following a tactical battle in the Under-23 men’s category. BLEVINS CONTINUES 100% RECORD WITH LATE CHARGE Christopher Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing) produced a blistering finish to take his third win from as many UCI XCC World Cup events this season. The American had to overcome team-mate Victor Koretzky who launched his sprint early into a headwind finish. Blevins had to come back from last lap drama himself after suffering a dropped chain which shuffled him down the pack. Blasting away from the starting line, Luca Schwarzbauer (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) showed his form. Not content with allowing the early pace to slow into the headwind Schwarzbauer regained control and took the wind at the front of the early leading group. French national champion Mathis Azzaro (Origine Racing Division) was also amongst a tightly packed leading group before crashing heavily on a small set of jumps. UCI XCC World Champion Victor Koretzky (Specialized Factory Racing) looked calm and composed as he monitored the front placings past the half-way mark. The pace eventually rose on the penultimate lap as Swiss rider Filippo Colombo (Scott-SRAM MTB Racing Team) powered up the climb, but a large group of 28 riders came into the final lap together. Coming into the berm on the final lap a large crash midway inside the leading group ended the hopes of many. Meanwhile at the front Koretzky launched an explosive attack up a grassy climb but was followed by Colombo and Schwarzbauer. Koretzky continued his momentum on the finishing straight only for Blevins to come charging back through the leading group to take victory. “This one was definitely harder than the others,” said Blevins following his third UCI XCC World Cup win of the season. “I felt great, but I dropped my chain with a lap to go, right before the last climb, and the mindset just changes. “It was all out, the strategy out the window and I just gave it everything. I was really surprised as it was such a long finish into a headwind which really helped me, it was crazy. Talking about his tactics Blevins added: “It was just to stay safe, to not get into any dangerous situations even if it meant spending a little more energy. “I felt that I did that, rode defensively and waited for the last lap. Everything went to plan except I dropped my chain. It was my mistake; I had a bad shift over the logs.” Adding about having aerodynamic socks, helmet and riding gravel tyre, he added: “Gravel is getting a lot more like mountain bike and you get a lot of two-edge tyres. It is pretty funny to have gravel tyres in a mountain bike race, but they are so fast and work so well.” PIETERSE POWERS TO DOMINANT SPRINT VICTORY ON RETURN Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck) showed her turn of speed as she powered away from her opponents to win in Nové Mĕsto Na Moravĕ. In a cagey race, a strong second position for Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing - Pirelli) extended her overall lead. After finishing on the podium in the opening UCI XCC World Cup of the season, Jenny Rissveds (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) was missing on the start-line due to illness. Other pre-race favourites had difficult races as a tangle on a sweeping berm corner resulted in American Kate Courtney coming down and shuffled outside the top 20, while Samara Maxwell (Decathlon Ford Racing Team) was also caught further back after crashing. On her return to mountain bike racing Pieterse used the bunching into the headwind finish to her advantage to take the front. Jolanda Neff (Cannondale Factory Racing) also showed her form with a quick descent at the front but was quickly caught by the large leading group. UCI XCC World champion Richards won the opening two UCI XCC World Cup rounds in Araxá, Minas-Gerais (Brazil) and battled throughout the opening half to maintain her position at the front. Heading into the final lap riders battled for position with 26 riders within five seconds of the lead. Pieterse also joined the fight for the lead and sprinted alongside Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon). However, it was Neff who took charged through to lead on the descent down to the finish. A headwind up the finishing straight resulted in a group of five riders coming together, before Pieterse launched her winning effort to win by a bike-length. Richards did enough to take second in a blanket finish and Linda Indergand (LIV Factory Racing) came through for third. Despite missing out on her third consecutive XCC win of the season Richards extended her overall lead of 220 points with a hard-fought second position. “It was a blast,” said Pieterse. “My start was not so good, so the first two laps it took me a while to move up. Luckily on the road section because of the headwind the peloton came to a standstill. I could move up and not leave the top three. “It was a bit different [to road racing] with the wide bars because now you are touching literally everybody if you want to move up. Apart from that I used my race-smart a bit by staying in the wheels on the parts where it was necessary.” HOLMGREN SISTERS DOMINATE AS AVA TAKES HER MAIDEN UCI XCC WORLD CUP TRIUMPH Ava Holmgren marked her return to the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series by taking her first ever UCI XCC World Cup victory after fending off a late charge. Isabella Holmgren had a 100% record from the opening two rounds in Araxá, Minas-Gerais (Brazil) but allowed her sister to break clear in Czechia and she narrowly held on for victory. Away from the line it was Marta Cano (Trek Future Racing) who got the quickest start. However, it did not take long before the Canadian trio of Isabella and Ava Holmgren took the head of proceedings along with Ella Macphee (Wilier-Vittoria Factory Team). Following her sister’s dominance in the opening two rounds it was Ava Holmgren who looked to stamp her authority and pulled out a slight margin over her rivals. Despite dominating the front of the race in the opening three laps with the top 10 positions separated by nine seconds, Ava Holmgren was persistent in her pressure and made her move on the fourth lap to pull clear once again, with her sister Isabella and fellow Canadian Macphee monitoring the chasing group. After 19 minutes of racing Ava Holmgren was keeping her lap times and had a slender lead of 11 seconds, before sister Isabella made her move to bridge across. The gap quickly disappeared and the Holmgren duo were once again joined by Macphee and Swiss competitor Anina Hutter. After missing the opening two rounds of the 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series Ava Holmgren also had to overcome sickness leading into the event. She said: “It was my very first UCI World Cup in Short Track. I had my sister racing with me and I owe a lot of credit to her, we played the tactic so well. I’ve been sick the whole week and wasn’t sure how I would feel, but it was good enough to stay away. Thanks to Isabella, she played it super-well and I owe this victory to her.” PEDERSEN BLASTS TO VICTORY AND OVERALL LEAD FOLLOWING CLOSE FINALE Heby Gustav Pedersen (Wilier-Vittoria Factory Team) sprinted to his first UCI XCC World Cup victory of this year’s World Series following a tactical battle in the under-23 men’s event. Pedersen thanked team-mate Elian Paccagnella for the victory as the pair worked together to catch lone attacker Rens Teunissen Van Manen (KMC Ridley MTB Racing Team) late in the event. With the top 34 riders separated by eight seconds it was all to play for following the opening three laps as Norwegian duo Sondre Rokke and William Handley patrolled the front positions. Manen and Pedersen were also present at the front, after finishing well in the opening two rounds. With 15 minutes of racing gone, the leading pack remained a large one with 26 riders within 10 seconds of the lead. After biding his time, Manen attacked for glory with two laps remaining and pulled out a three-second lead over Rokke, Pedersen, Paccagnella and Edvin Elofsson as the race behind fragmented. In the closing stages Manen was pulled back and Pedersen sprinted to glory, ahead of overall rivals Rokke in second and series leader coming into the event Paccagnella in third. With the race victory Pederson also took the overall U23 UCI XCC World Cup lead and is 10 points ahead of Rokke. “It was super-hard today,” said Pedersen. “Every time passing the finish line there were a lot of tactics and people coming from behind and coming to the front. It was like a washing machine all over. Rens [Manen] went with two laps to go and from then on it was a big chase. With my team-mate Elian [Paccagnella] we worked together and helped each other a lot, each pulling, and we caught up and it was a sprint. Short Track is 20 minutes all out, it’s just go, go, go.” Racing continues in Nové Mĕsto Na Moravĕ (Czechia) tomorrow with the UCI Cross-country Olympic (XCO) World Cup. Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) is set to make his return to elite men's mountain bike racing after a strong campaign on the road during the Spring Classics. However, Jordan Sarrou (BMC Factory Racing) will be absent after suffering a broken collarbone during course recon on Friday morning. Sarrou also missed today’s XCC action. Sunday’s racing kicks off at 10:00 AM CET with the Women Elite UCI XCO World Cup, followed by the Men Elite at 12:00, then the U23 Women’s race at 14:00 and the U23 Men’s at 16:00. Live and on-demand coverage of every race is available through WBD’s channels and platforms including Eurosport (Europe) and TNT Sports (UK & Ireland) with streaming on Max, HBO Max and discovery+, as well as around the world through WBD’s broadcast partners. Both the Men and Women U23 UCI XCO World Cup races will be streamed live on the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series YouTube channel. Find full details on where to watch the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series in Nové Město na Moravě here.
Jordan Sarrou (BMC Factory Racing) will miss this weekend’s WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series round in Nové Město Na Moravě (Czechia) after breaking his collarbone. The Frenchman was on course recon when the incident happened on Friday morning. Sarrou had finished inside the top eight positions in both the previous two rounds in the UCI Cross-Country Olympic World Cup in Araxá, Minas Gerais (Brazil) resulting in a fifth placed position overall in the discipline coming into this weekend’s event. The weekend action starts in Nové Město Na Moravě with the cross-country short track action on Saturday followed by the UCI Cross-Country Olympic World Cup on Sunday.
The WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series is in full flow following back-to-back UCI World Cup rounds in May that saw the world’s best Gravity athletes take to the trails of Pietra Ligure - Finale Outdoor Region in Italy and Poland’s Enduro Trials of Bielsko-Biała. The action isn’t letting up yet either as we reach the halfway point of five consecutive race weekends and the return of the Endurance formats at Czechia’s Nové Mĕsto Na Moravĕ venue. We look at everything you need to know about the Nové Mĕsto Na Moravĕ round of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series races, including when the cross-country short track (XCC) and cross-country Olympic (XCO) events are scheduled to take place, who is racing and how to watch. WHEN? The 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series round in Nové Mĕsto Na Moravĕ, Czechia, starts with the Women U23 XCC at 9:50 (UTC+2) on Saturday, May 24 and concludes with the MenU23 XCO at 16:00 (UTC+2) on Sunday, May 25. Below are the key timings for race weekend. All times are UTC+2 (EST+6/BST+1/CEST): Saturday, May 24 9:50 – UCI XCC World Cup | Women U23 10:30 – UCI XCC World Cup | Men U23 11:30 – UCI XCC World Cup | Women Elite 12:10 – UCI XCC World Cup | Men Elite Sunday, May 25 10:00 – UCI XCO World Cup | Women Elite 12:00 – UCI XCO World Cup | Men Elite 14:00 – UCI XCO World Cup | Women U23 16:00 – UCI XCO World Cup | Men U23 WHERE CAN I WATCH? You can watch all the action from the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series round in Nové Mĕsto Na Moravĕ, Czechia, wherever you are in the world. Both the Men and Women U23 UCI XCO World Cup races will be broadcast live on the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series YouTube channel, but for all other races, tune in to one of the below channels or streaming services: North America Canada – Flobikes USA – Max South & Central America: MTBWS TV Asia Indonesia, Macao, Malaysia, Mongolia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand – Eurosport Other Asian territories – MTBWS TV Oceania Australia – Stan Sport New Zealand – MTBWS TV Africa Angola, Burundi, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Cape Verde, Cote d'lvoire, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial, Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mayotte, Mozambique, Mali, Mauritania, Namibia, Nigeria, Niger, Reunion, Rwanda, South Africa, Eswatini, São Tome and Principe, St Helena and Ascension, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Seychelles, Socotra, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zimbabwe, and Zambia – Supersport All African territories – MTBWS TV Europe Andorra – MAX, Eurosport Austria – discovery+, Eurosport Belgium – HBO Max, Eurosport and LN24 (only Men’s Elite XCO race live) Bosnia & Herzegovina – Max, Eurosport Bulgaria – Max, Eurosport Croatia – Max, Eurosport Czechia – Max, Eurosport and CT Sport Denmark – Max, Eurosport Faroe Islands – Max, Eurosport France – Max, Eurosport and La Chaine L’Equipe (Live Men’s XCO only) Germany – discovery+, Eurosport Hungary – Max, Eurosport Ireland – TNT Sports Italy – discovery+, Eurosport Moldova – Max, Eurosport Montenegro – Max, Eurosport Netherlands – HBO Max, Eurosport North Macedonia – Max, Eurosport Norway – Max, Eurosport Poland – Max, Eurosport Portugal – Max, Eurosport Romania – Max, Eurosport Serbia – Max, Eurosport Slovakia – Max, Eurosport Slovenia – Max, Eurosport Spain – Max, Eurosport Sweden – Max, Eurosport Switzerland – SRF/RSI and MTBWS TV Türkiye – Max, Eurosport United Kingdom – discovery+, TNT Sports All other European territories – MTBWS TV RIDERS TO WATCH After April’s first two UCI XCO and XCC World Cup rounds of the 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series, a handful of riders have already made strong cases in their pursuit of the overall titles. In the women’s field, Samara Maxwell (Decathlon Ford Racing Team) has been the surprise package, claiming her and New Zealand’s first Women Elite UCI XCO World Cup win in round one and following it up with second place six days later. The Kiwi already has a 100-point series lead over Jenny Rissveds (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) – the 2016 Olympics gold medalist leading a chasing pack featuring Nicole Koller (Ghost Factory Racing) and Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing - Pirelli). The standings could get shaken up this Sunday though with XCO UCI World Champion Puck Pietrse (Alpecin-Deceuninck) making her 2025 series bow and reigning UCI XCO and XCC World Cup overall series winner Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon) plotting a return to form after a disappointing round two in Araxá. For the men, Christopher Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing) tops both championships having finished first and second in the two UCI XCO World Cup rounds in Brazil, where he also took the two UCI XCC World Cup victories. The American is in the form of his life, and similar results in Nové Mĕsto Na Moravĕ would see him build a significant lead after just three rounds. XCC UCI World Champion Victor Koretzky (Specialized Factory Racing) isn’t used to playing second fiddle but has only been able to get the better of Blevins once this year, while their team-mates Martin Vidaurre Kossmann and Adrien Boichis (Specialized Factory Racing) make it a four-rider shut out for the American manufacturer at the top of the standings. Jordan Sarrou (BMC Factory Racing), Alan Hatherly (Giant Factory Off-Road Team-XC) and Nino Schurter (Scott-SRAM MTB Racing Team) are the best of the rest, with the Swiss G.O.A.T targeting a record-extending seventh win in the UCI XCO World Cup at the Czech venue. To do so though, he’ll have to get the better of Mathieu Van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) – the Dutchman starting his first UCI World Cup since 2021 this weekend. The 2023 UCI World Champion in the road race, 2024 Gravel UCI World Champion and seven-time Cyclo-cross UCI World Champion is targetting an elusive XCO rainbow jersey this summer and gets his off-road campaign underway in Czechia. While road cycling commitments mean he’s unlikely to compete for the overall, expect the multi-discipline master to be a favourite of any UCI World Cup event he enters, including both races this weekend. Racing gets underway on Saturday, May 24 in Nové Mĕsto Na Moravĕ. Full schedule and event details are available HERE.
