TITLES ON THE LINE IN LOUDENVIELLE - PEYRAGUDES

Four weeks after an explosive round in Aletsch Arena-Bellwald, Switzerland, the 2026 UCI Enduro World Cup is set for a fitting finale in Morillon, Haute-Savoie (France). While two of the five overall titles have already been decided, there is still plenty at stake as the UCI World Cup reaches its climax.Hugo Marti Montessinos secured the Men Junior crown and Speed Project wrapped up the Teams title in Switzerland, but three overall titles remain up for grabs heading into two days of demanding, all-mountain racing.At the top of the standings, Ella Conolly and Lief Rodgers lead the way in the Elite categories. Yet, if the last round proved anything, it is that nothing can be taken for granted until the final rider crosses the finish line of the final stage. With the titles still hanging in the balance, Morillon is set to provide a dramatic conclusion to the UCI Enduro World Cup season.THE FINAL SHOWDOWNNestled in the heart of France’s Haute-Savoie region, Morillon returns as the venue for the UCI Enduro World Cup finale following its standout debut as the overall title decider in 2025.Set among the pine-covered slopes of the Grand Massif’s renowned Enduro Bike Park, this year’s showdown combines the return of several fan-favourite stages with a few brand-new challenges designed to test the world’s best enduro riders.As an Enduro-only round, competitors will tackle eight stages across two days of racing, covering a total of 84.4km and 4,110m of descent.Day one opens with two stages making their UCI Enduro World Cup debut. Among them is Montagnes du Giffre, a demanding 3.08km test featuring 669m of descent, the biggest drop of the opening day. Riders will then take on Dre dan l’pentu, the longest stage of the day, before wrapping up with Paddock Express, last year’s dramatic final stage and a fitting end to the first day of competition.Day two blends familiar territory with fresh challenges. The returning Reverse River and Morillon Village stages are sandwiched between two new additions. Red Line gets the action underway with an adrenaline-filled 2.93km descent dropping 456m, while the finale, Haute-Savoie, could prove decisive in the fight for the title. Stretching over 5.03km and plunging more than 912m downhill, its relentless mix of technical and twisting terrain may ultimately determine who leaves Morillon as the overall winner of the 2026 UCI Enduro World Cup.TITLES ON THE LINE Ella Conolly and Lief Rodgers arrive in Morillon at the top of their respective standings, but while one has a firm hand on the trophy, the other still has work to do before he can celebrate.In the Women Elite category, Conolly has delivered a commanding defence of her 2025 overall crown. The British privateer secured her third victory of the season in Switzerland and heads into the finale with a 170-point advantage over Mélanie Pugin (Speed Project). Barring an extraordinary turn of events, a second consecutive overall title looks all but assured. Conolly needs only a sixth-place finish in Morillon to seal it, and given that she has not finished outside the top three in more than two years, it would likely take a DNF to deny her the title.Pugin, meanwhile, has already guaranteed second place overall regardless of the outcome in France. The battle for the final podium position remains very much alive, with Elly Hoskin, Raphaela Richter and Winnifred Goldsbury all still in contention for third.The Men Elite title race is considerably tighter. Lief Rodgers holds an 82-point lead over Adrien Dailly (Speed Project), half the advantage enjoyed by Conolly in the women’s standings, and the Canadian privateer still needs a podium finish to guarantee his maiden overall title.Adding further intrigue, Rodgers is also chasing his first-ever UCI Enduro World Cup victory. A breakthrough win on the trails of Morillon would provide the perfect conclusion to what has already been an outstanding second season in the Elite ranks.Unlike the women’s competition, where Conolly has established clear control, the Men Elite overall title race remains remarkably open. Mathematically, each of the top six riders can still claim the overall title. Alongside Rodgers and Dailly, the contenders include Raphäel Gambi (Speed Project), Alex Rudeau, Ryan Gilchrist (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) and defending overall winner Sławomir Łukasik (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team), ensuring that the fight for the title will go down to the wire.In the junior categories, Montessinos has already wrapped up the Men Junior overall title. The Women Junior category, however, is still finely balanced, with just 25 points separating leader Nežka Libnik and Romy Williams (Speed Project) heading into the final round of the season.HOW TO FOLLOW THE ACTIONRace content will be available across the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series’ official platforms, including:A detailed course preview highlighting the route and its key sections and video highlights from both practice and race days on the official YouTube channel.Key moments shared on social media (@uci_mtbworldseries)Live timing on the official WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series website and via the official app, which will also feature live blogging with key updates throughout the event.A highlights programme will be broadcast on Eurosport and TNT Sports next week and available on streaming platform HBO Max on demand.ENDURO OPEN RETURNSShimano Enduro Open riders will also take on the trails of the Grand Massif, experiencing first-hand what it takes to compete on a UCI Enduro World Cup course.The Enduro Open gives amateur riders the unique opportunity to race the very same stages, on the very same weekend, as the sport’s elite athletes, setting off just hours before the professionals. After crossing the finish line, participants can stay on to watch the world’s best in action and see how their own times compare against those at the very top of the sport.Racing gets underway in Morillon, Haute Savoie on Saturday – full schedule and event details are available here.

The final round of the UCI Enduro World Cup season will take place over two days on the pine-lined trails of Morillon, Haute-Savoie.Added to the UCI Enduro World Cup calendar last year, Morillon returns for 2026 with a course set against the mountains of the Grand Massif. Riders will take on challenging trails packed with natural features, fast-flowing sections and plenty of roots.Last season, Alex Rudeau came from behind to win the Elite Men's race while Elly Hoskin underlined her superiority with a crushing 23-second triumph. Ella Conolly and Sławomir Łukasik (Yeti / Fox Factory Race Team) were also crowned overall UCI Enduro World Cup champions.This year, across the two days, riders will cover at total of 84.4km featuring 4110m of descending across eight stages. Following training on Thursday and Friday, Elite and Shimano Enduro Open riders will tackle the opening four stages on Saturday, before completing the final four stages on Sunday.STAGESStage 1: Abadee RedLength: 2.07kmElevation: +31m / -355mStage 2: Montagnes du GiffreLength: 3.08kmElevation: +52m / -669mStage 3: Dre dan /’pentuLength: 3.53kmElevation: +9m / -605mStage 4: Paddock ExpressLength:  2.63kmElevation: +26m / -444mStage 5: Red LineLength:  2.93kmElevation: +17m / -456mStage 6: Reverse RiverLength: 2.02kmElevation: +48m / -490mStage 7: Morillon VillageLength: 1.34kmElevation: +17m / -209mStage 8: Haute SavoieLength: 5.03kmElevation: +15m / -912m

The 2026 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series has been one for the ages with the first nine rounds serving up brand new venues, the return of fan favourites and adrenaline-packed racing across cross-country, downhill and enduro.While the dust settles on the first half of the series, riders and fans alike get a chance to take a break and reset over the northern hemisphere’s summer before ramping things up again as they build towards the final rounds.With all four formats’ overall titles in the balance, it’s all still to play for in the race to become a 2026 UCI World Cup overall winner. From tight tussles to seemingly foregone conclusions, here’s the state of play as the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series pauses for its summer break.UCI XCO WORLD CUP: MARTIN AND RISSVEDS ON THE MARCHLuca Martin (Cannondale Factory Racing) and Jenny Rissveds (Canyon XC Racing) have been two of the most consistent riders in the Cross-country Olympic (XCO) format of the last 12 months, and both carried their strong form from the tail end of the 2025 season into this series.Rainbow jersey-wearing Rissveds hasn’t finished outside the top three all year and her XCO-XCC double at the last round in Pal Arinsal (Andorra) demonstrated the Swede’s dominance. Her lead in the overall over second-placed Sina Frei (Specialized Factory Racing) stands at 347 points, so could afford to skip a round and remain in top spot.If results go her way, Rissveds could wrap up a first UCI XCO World Cup title as soon at the next round in Les Gets, Haute-Savoie (France), but the reality is that she will have to wait until the penultimate round at new UCI World Cup venue Soldier Hollow, Midway, Utah (USA).Martin had been showing a similar level of consistency to Rissveds, but the Frenchman finished outside of the top two for the first time this year in Andorra, rolling home in 22nd. Although it didn’t affect his place at the top of the standings, the winner in Pal Arinsal, Adrien Boichis (Specialized Factory Racing), managed to shave more than 200 points off of Martin’s lead. Only 130 points separate the duo, and with both often found duelling it out at the front of proceedings, expect the title to go to the wire in Lake Placid Olympic Sites, New York (USA).In the Under 23, Valentina Corvi (Canyon XC Racing) is the runaway leader in the women’s standings and is unlikely to be caught, while despite his dominance, Paul Schehl (Lexware Mountainbike Team) only holds a 103-point lead over Thibaut François Baudry (Canyon XC Racing) in the men’s U23.UCI XCC WORLD CUP: FREI AND BOICHIS HOLD SLENDER SHORT TRACK LEADSThings are a bit tighter in the UCI Cross-country Short Track (XCC) World Cup standings, where Specialized’s Frei and Boichis hold slender leads.Although Frei started the series strongly with two wins in the first third rounds, the momentum appears to have shifted in the direction of second-place Rissveds who has won back-to-back rounds and sits only 30 points behind the Swiss rider in the standings. The summer break could have come at a good time for Frei though, with it providing a chance to reset and go again in defence of her lead.Teammate Boichis meanwhile is in the ascendancy. Despite skipping the opening round of the series, the Frenchman has amassed 960 points in five rounds, leapfrogging early season leader Mathis Azzaro (Origine Racing Division) who’s yet to finish higher than eighth after starting the year so strongly with back-to-back wins in MONA YongPyong (South Korea) and Nové Mĕsto Na Moravé (Czechia).Boichis’ 116-point lead in the series and form should stand him in good stead, but with Martin lurking only four points behind Azzaro in third and Pal Arinsal winner Bjorn Riley (Scott-SRAM MTB Race Team) only 222 points off of first, there’s still time for things to be shuffled before the season end.The story in the U23 is the same as in the XCO standings, with Corvi and Schehl both leading their respective categories. Corvi’s advantage over Bloeme Kalis (KMC Nukeproof MTB Racing Team) isn’t as commanding as in the Olympic distance, but back-to-back XCC wins show that the Italian is the clear favourite, while Schehl’s five consecutive wins should be enough to hold off François Baudry.In the UCI Cross-country World Cup team standings, Specialized Factory Racing lead the way thanks to strong performances from Boichis, Frei and Laura Stigger, and with Christopher Blevins close to his best and Victor Koretzky still to return from an injury that has ruled him out of the series so far, it’s unlikely that second-place Canyon XC Racing will be able to close the 547-point gap, even with Rissveds’ red-hot form.UCI DOWNHILL WORLD CUP: HÖLL IN CONTROL, WILLIAMS AND ILES FILLING BRUNI’S SHOESThe UCI Downhill World Cup are complete contrasts. In the women’s field, Valentina Höll (Commencal Schwalbe by Les Orres) is on course for another coronation, while Jordan Williams and Finn Iles are keeping Specialized Gravity on top despite team-mate Loïc Bruni’s long layoff.Höll can complete her fifth UCI Downhill World Cup title as early as Les Gets, with the Austrian holding a 553-point advantage over team-mate Lisa Baumann. Her five wins from six rounds this series mean she can even afford to not finish on the top spot and still win before setting foot in North America for the final two rounds, but knowing Höll, she will be challenging for maximum points from now until the end of the series.The Specialized Gravity team-mates Williams and Iles lead the way in the men’s field, but with just 63 points separating them, it’s a much tighter affair. Both have two wins to their names this series and are stepping out of the shadow of Loïc Bruni. With three rounds to go, there are still plenty of other riders within mathematical contention, but Asa Vermette (Frameworks Racing/TRP), Amaury Pierron (COMMENCAL/MUC-OFF by Riding Addiction) and reigning overall winner Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) are the most likely to challenge.In the Junior class, it’s a reversed situation to the Elites. In the Men Junior, Jonty Williamson (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) has built a seemingly unassailable 111-point lead over Sacha Gabriel Brizin (Commencal Schwalbe by Les Orres), while only 25 points separate Alehta Ostagaard (Canyon DH Racing) and Lina Frener (Norco X Adidas Race Division) in the Women Junior standings.COMMENCAL/MUC-OFF by Riding Addiction lead the UCI Downhill World Cup team standings, although Canyon DH Racing reduced the Andorran team’s advantage to 48 points in Pal Arinsal. Vali Höll’s Commencal Schwalbe by Les Orres sit a further three points back in third, while fourth-placed Specialized Gravity will still fancy their chances despite being 119 points in arrears – particularly if Bruni returns to action as soon as Les Gets, Haute Savoie.UCI ENDURO WORLD CUP: CONOLLY AND RODGERS WITHIN REACH WITH ONE ROUND TO GOBefore the Cross-country and Downhill double header in Les Gets, there’s the small matter of the UCI Enduro World Cup series finale in Morillon, Haute-Savoie. And after the last round in Aletsch Arena-Bellwald (Switzerland), both titles remain on the line in the French Alps.Ella Conolly continued her dominance of the women’s field in Switzerland, adding a third win of the series to put her within reach of defending her overall title. Her 170-point lead over Mélanie Pugin (Speed Project) means the privateer needs to just finish sixth in Morillon to make it back-to-back series. Pugin is nailed on for second place whatever happens, while Raphaela Richter and Winnifred Goldsbury can still challenge Elly Hoskin for third.Lief Rodgers meanwhile is having a memorable second season in the Elite men’s class, and the Canadian privateer finds himself in first with an 82-point advantage over Adrien Dailly (Speed Project). Rodgers’ fortunes were boosted after then-series leader Alex Rudeau was disqualified in Aletsch Arena-Bellwald but with 250 points still up for grabs, it’s mathematically possible for anyone in the top six (including fourth-placed Rudeau) to overhaul Rodgers, who needs to finish on the podium to guarantee the title.In the Junior class, Hugo Marti Montessinos clinched the Men Junior class last time out in Aletsch Arena-Bellwald, while 25 points separate Nežka Libnik and Romy Williams (Speed Project) in the Women Junior.While privateers might lead the individual standings, in the UCI Enduro World Cup team standings, Speed Project capped off its dominant season by mathematically securing the overall team title with one round to spare. Yeti / Fox Factory Race Team remain second overall, while Abetone Vittoria Nencini Sport Factory Team completes the top three.