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Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) Sports and Monster Energy are proud to announce a new long-term partnership for the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series.Monster Energy becomes a main partner of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series, taking on the role of Official Energy Drink partner. As part of the agreement, the global energy drink giant will join WBD Sports onsite at all 14 events, bringing fresh energy and engagement to fan activations, enhancing the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series experience both trackside and on broadcast.The partnership builds on Monster Energy’s longstanding commitment to mountain bike, having supported some of the sport’s most iconic athletes since the brand’s inception, including Sam Hill, Steve Peat and Brendan Fairclough. During the 2025 season, several UCI Downhill World Cup podium finishers were Monster Energy athletes, including Amaury Pierron, Marine Cabirou, Loris Vergier, Luca Shaw, Thibaut Dapréla and Troy Brosnan. This agreement will further amplify Monster Energy’s presence at mountain bike events and support WBD Sports’ mission to grow the sport globally.Beyond mountain bike, Monster Energy has firmly established itself within the wider cycling world, driven by its investment in athlete development programs, including Freestyle BMX.Chris Ball, Vice President of Cycling Events at WBD Sports, said: “We are absolutely delighted to welcome Monster Energy as a main partner for the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series. Securing a brand of Monster Energy’s reputation is a testament to the passion and dedication our teams have demonstrated since assuming the organisational and promotional aspects of the series. The team at Monster Energy has exciting plans for the forthcoming season and beyond, and we look forward to working closely with them to bring this new partnership to life.Daniel McHugh, Chief Marketing Officer at Monster Energy, said: “Mountain bike is one of the most progressive and exciting disciplines in global sport, and the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series represents the very pinnacle of competition. Monster Energy has a long history of supporting athletes and events that push limits and inspire fans, and we’re proud to partner with Warner Bros. Discovery Sports to elevate the experience for riders and audiences worldwide. We’re excited to bring our energy, creativity, and passion for the sport to every stop on the series.” Cody Dresser, Vice President of Action Sports at Monster Energy, said: “Mountain bike has always been part of Monster Energy’s DNA. The riders, the culture, and the fans share the same spirit that drives everything we do, pushing limits, taking risks, and elevating what’s possible. Partnering with the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series gives us an incredible platform to support the sport at every level. Fans can expect an elevated presence from Monster Energy throughout the 2026 season, with dynamic on-site activations that celebrate the athletes and bring the passion of the sport directly to fans around the world.”In 2025, WBD Sports drove the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series to new records across broadcast, digital and social platforms, and on-site fan attendance. Building on these strong foundations, the 2026 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series aims to deliver another record-breaking season across all four formats.The 2026 season kicks off on May 1 with the Race of South Korea – marking the return of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup to the Asian continent for the first time in 25 years.

Today, Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) Sports, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), and the French region of Haute-Savoie are pleased to confirm the two venues that will host the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series rounds from August 14 to 23.The first weekend of action in Haute-Savoie will see the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series return to Morillon on August 14-16 after the venue’s successful debut in 2025. The Grand Massif commune hosted the UCI Enduro World Cup season finale last year and will conclude the six-round series once more, with overall placings on the line at the Enduro Bike Park.Just five days after the dust has settled in Morillon, it will be the turn of Les Gets, which is hosting the final European rounds of the UCI Cross-country Olympic, Cross-country Short Track and Downhill World Cups between August 21-23.A staple of the UCI World Cup circuit since the 90s, when Nicolas Vouilloz, Steve Peat and Anne-Caroline Chausson dominated the Downhill course, Les Gets has been an annual fixture for the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series’ Endurance and Gravity athletes since 2019. Last year, Luca Martin (Cannondale Factory Racing) and Max Alran (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) gave the partisan French crowd something to cheer about in both formats, and the passionate local fan base will be hoping for more red, white and blue victories in 2026.The two back-to-back weekends of off-road riding will see the world of mountain bike converge on Haute-Savoie, with live music, entertainment, an expo, and fan activations at the event villages throughout. Last year’s event attracted more than 100,000 fans across the four formats, and big crowds are expected once again.Located in the heart of the French Alps and serving as a gateway between France, Switzerland and Italy, the Haute-Savoie region is a major partner for these two rounds of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series. Deeply committed to mountain bike and to sport more broadly, Haute-Savoie has consistently championed sport as a driver of regional vitality and as a way to showcase its remarkable natural assets on the global stage.The 2026 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series double-header in Haute-Savoie also provides a great preview of what the region has in store for when it hosts the 2027 UCI Cycling World Championships. First held in Glasgow in 2023, the event brings together multiple UCI World Championships across cycling’s different disciplines in a two-week celebration of bike-based brilliance.

The start of the 2026 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series might still be five months away, but there’s plenty of action for fans to sink their teeth into during the off-season transfer window.Although the number of moves has been a bit less than last year – where rider’s UCI points could help determine a team’s WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series Team status – there has still been plenty to digest and analyse, with new announcements coming almost every day.Here are the transfer headlines ahead of the 2026 series.DOWNHILLThe most anticipated transfer of the 2025-26 off-season has been the destination of Vali Höll. After YT Mob disbanded at the end of the 2025 season following YT Industries’ insolvency, the reigning overall series champion found herself without a team. However, after months of speculation, it was finally confirmed that she will join the French-based Commencal Schwalbe by Les Orres squad for 2026.In the same context, her compatriot Andreas Kolb has secured a new home as well, joining 2025 men’s Elite overall winner Jackson Goldstone at Santa Cruz Syndicate, with Brit Laurie Greenland appearing to make way for the Austrian pinner; Oisin O’Callaghan move to Trek Unbroken DH and enduro-turned-downhill rider Kasper Woolley head to MS-Racing.Another team making moves during the off-season are Mondraker Factory Racing DH. The Spanish factory team resigned Ryan Pinkerton on a three-year deal, while Oli Clark has been rewarded with a move from MS-Racing after a solid season in the Junior ranks, which included a UCI World Cup win at Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland (Austria).Clark will be filling Dakotah Norton’s shoes with the American joining season-long wildcard team Scott Downhill Factory for 2026 and looking to revive the Swiss manufacturer’s fortunes on the world stage. New Zealander Jess Blewitt has also made the switch from Cube Factory Racing.Finally, one of the biggest transfers is Aaron Gwin’s move to Frameworks Racing / TRP. The icon and five-time overall champion has led his own Gwin Racing team for the last two years but moves to the US-based team alongside Anna Newkirk and Asa Vermette, where it is hoped he will contribute competitive results while also acting as a mentor for the rest of the young team.ENDUROImpact of the YT Mob closure wasn’t limited to Downhill, with Jack Moir and Christian Textor both competing for the outfit in the UCI Enduro World Cup. While Textor had announced his retirement at the end of the 2025 season, Australian Moir has only just announced his own – calling time on a successful career that spanned both Downhill and Enduro.They aren’t the only two riders who won’t be present in the new series with 2026’s second-place finisher Jesse Melamed (Canyon CLLCTV) also partially stepping back from racing – the Canadian announcing that he won’t be at every round of the new season.CROSS-COUNTRYThe biggest headline of the Cross-country off-season has been the news from Samara Maxwell. The 2025 UCI XCO World Cup overall champion announced a contract extension with Decathlon Ford Racing until 2028 before confirming that she will take a season-long sabbatical in 2026 instead of defending her title.The other main story is the closure of Ghost Factory Racing after 15 years in the sport. The German team was the home of Anne Terpstra, Nicole Koller and Caroline Bohé, but all can be expected to be snapped up by other teams with announcements forthcoming.Elsewhere, Nina Graf has moved from Lapierre Unity Racing to Trek - Unbroken XC after some impressive top 10 performances in 2025, while Madigan Munro and Gunner Holmgren will leave the American factory team. Tyler Orschel has joined KMC Nukeproof MTB Racing Team – the Canadian privateer joining Bart Brentjens’ team after almost stepping away from the sport at the end of the 2025 series.Looking to the Under-23 ranks, Men U23 UCI XCO and Cross-country Short Track (XCC) World Cup champion Finn Treudler has had his contract extended with Cube Factory Racing to 2028 as he makes the step up to the Elites.

WBD Sports and the UCI are pleased to announce the 40 teams to have earned WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series Team status for the 2026 season.The WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series status guarantees their participation in every round of the series within their respective formats, placing them at the forefront of the sport’s elite competition.For the first time, the top 10 teams in the UCI Ranking (across Endurance and Gravity) have secured a two-year licence, underscoring their position among the sport’s elite.SECOND SEASON UNDER THE NEW QUALIFICATION FRAMEWORK After three years under WBD Sports’ guidance, the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series is set to embark on its second season since redefining the teams’ qualification criteria for the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup.The overhaul, introduced ahead of the 2025 season, established WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series Teams (previously known as UCI MTB Elite Teams) for the first time. This protected status guarantees participation in every round of their respective formats.The goal was to help teams build greater value, offering more benefits to athletes and the sport, creating a clear group for fans to rally behind, delivering more thrilling races, and establishing a clear pathway to the pinnacle of mountain bike. Early results speak for themselves – the 2025 series ranked among the most competitive in recent memory.For the 2026 season, a total of 83 teams from 20 nations registered as UCI MTB Teams across all formats. Of those, 40 teams across both Endurance and Gravity have secured WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series Team status:REFINED SELECTION CRITERIAEach format’s 20 selected teams feature the top 15 from the UCI Team Rankings plus five full-season wildcard spots awarded through a scoring matrix.A team’s UCI points are calculated by combining the points of the team’s four highest-ranked riders, regardless of category (Men Elite, Men Junior/U23; Women Elite, Women Junior/U23). These points are earned at Finals across all UCI-registered events (not just WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series rounds). The ranking cut-off was 28 October 2025.Ahead of the 2026 series, the selection criteria for WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series Team status were refined. The key change: unlike in 2025, riders no longer carry their points when transferring teams during the off-season. This means a team secures its World Series Team status based on its 2025 performance—even if the riders who delivered that success have since moved on.Also for the first time, the top 10 ranked teams in both the Endurance and Gravity formats have secured a two-year licence, while teams ranked 11-15 receive a one-year licence:ENDURANCE2-year licenceSpecialized Factory RacingDecathlon Ford Racing TeamCanyon XC RacingCannondale Factory RacingThömus MaxonWilier-Vittoria Factory TeamOrbea Fox Factory TeamCube Factory RacingScott-SRAM MTB Racing TeamBIXS Race Team1-year licenceTrek - Unbroken XCOrigine Racing DivisionKMC Nukeproof MTB Racing TeamGiant Factory Off-Road Team - XCLapierre PXR RacingWildcards (1-year licence)BH Coloma TeamLiv Factory RacingMondraker Factory Racing XCBMC Factory RacingAlpecin-Premier TechGRAVITY2-year licenceCanyon DH RacingSanta Cruz SyndicateCommencal/Muc-Off by Riding AddictionOrbea FMD RacingMondraker Factory Racing DHYeti / Fox Factory Race TeamCube Factory RacingSpecialized GravityTrek - Unbroken DHCommencal Schwalbe by Les Orres1-year licenceNorco X adidas Race DivisionMS-RacingNukeproof Axess RacingUnno Factory Racing DHGiant Factory Off-Road Team – DHWildcards (1-year licence)Santa Cruz Burgtec by GoodmanScott Downhill FactoryFrameworks Racing / TRPAON RacingContinental AthertonHOW ELSE CAN TEAMS TAKE PART IN THE WHOOP UCI MOUNTAIN BIKE WORLD SERIES?For teams that haven't secured WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series Team status, up to eight Wildcard spots per format are available at each UCI Mountain Bike World Cup. These Wildcard teams are announced ahead of each WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series round and are selected based on factors such as UCI Continental Series results, UCI team rankings and individual athlete profiles.HOW ABOUT PRIVATEERS AND INDIVIDUALS?Individual riders are still eligible to enter a WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series round based on the following criteria:Champions: Any current Olympic Champion, UCI World Champion, UCI Continental Champion or National Champion.Cross-country: any Elite athlete ranked in the top 100 or any U23 athlete ranked in the top 200 based on the last UCI Cross-country Olympic (XCO) Individual Ranking dated before the event entry closing date of the round.Downhill: any Elite athlete ranked in the top 50 or any Junior athlete ranked in the top 100 based on the last UCI Downhill Individual Ranking dated before the event entry closing date of the round.There are also additional spots up for grabs for the top Elite, Under 23 and Junior riders in any round or in the final standings of the UCI Continental Series, provided the rider is not registered with a WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series Team. More information is available in the UCI Regulations (art. 4.10.001 and 4.11.001).The 2026 season of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series kicks off on May 1 with the Race of South Korea – marking the return of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup to the Asian continent for the first time in 25 years.

The 22‑year‑old has spent much of the past year racing and training in Europe, a period marked by intense physical effort, travel, and time spent far from home. Following the close of the season, Maxwell has made the decision to step away temporarily from elite competition to prioritise her long‑term well‑being.In 2026, Maxwell will focus on rest, recovery, and personal reconnection, stepping back not only from racing but also from media duties, social media, and public appearances. The break will allow her to reset physically, recharge mentally, and spend valuable time with family and the communities that shaped her.Sammie Maxwell said: “This is the perfect time for me to take a break, breathe, and reconnect with my roots. I want to spend time with my family, recharge, and prepare for the challenges ahead,”Despite pausing her racing schedule next year, Maxwell’s focus continues to be a return to competition with renewed energy as she works toward her ultimate goal - representing New Zealand at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.We wish Sammie a restorative year ahead and look forward to welcoming her back to the start line when the time is right!

A record‑setting year both on and off the trails, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) Sports used the global platform of the 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series to drive meaningful impact across the sport and its communities through its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program and beyond.COMMITMENT TO CLIMATE ACTIONMountain bike and nature go hand-in-hand, and the importance of protecting the natural environment is critical for the future of the sport. To signify this and its continued commitment to sustainability, WBD Sports signed the UCI Climate Action Charter at the start of the 2025 season.Aligning with the Charter reinforces WBD Sports’ dedication to reducing its environmental footprint while championing the bicycle as a powerful symbol and instrument of climate action and ensures that initiatives such as science-based reduction targets and the biodiversity protection remain top priorities.As the global promoter of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series, WBD Sports plays a key role in encouraging and supporting its partners at each event to develop and implement initiatives aligned with this policy, ensuring that events and their stakeholders are working toward the same goals. This collaboration effort is essential for the successful implementation of most initiatives under the program.This was seen first-hand on the ground in Araxá, Minas Gerais (Brazil), where professional riders and WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series representatives joined a local tree-planting initiative at the venue. It follows a similar program from 2024 where 1,000 trees were planted at the Brazilian location – the number determined through a technical assessment of the event’s emissions, from air travel to local event logistics.These actions, along with its continued focus on sustainable event management, saw WBD Sports renew its ISO 20121 certificate – a prestigious validation of the structured framework that is applied to integrate sustainability into event management practices. In addition to promoting social inclusion and ensuring economic viability for all stakeholders, the framework involves setting long-term goals, implementing sustainable measures, evaluating performance, and continually improving internal and external processes and policies — all with the aim of reducing the environmental and social impact of the large-scale international events that WBD Sports promote.SHAPING THE PRESENT AND THE FUTURE OF THE SPORTWBD Sports’ CSR roadmap also places a strong focus on fostering inclusivity and equality within the sport, while inspiring the next generation of riders.Building on the networking breakfast held in Les Gets in 2024, which brought together women from across the mountain bike community, the brand-new Women in Mountain Bike program marked its first milestone in 2025 with the appointment of a WBD Ambassador.The Ambassador’s role is to connect athletes, staff, industry members and media voices to share ideas, identify challenges and collaborate on solutions to ensure the sport is equally accessible for women.The initiative aims to help build an inclusive and equitable environment and increase female representation across all areas of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series, which will hopefully have a trickle-down effect to the wider mountain bike community.The 2025 season also provided once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for young people, hosting special kids press conferences in partnership with Local Organising Committees at Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland (Austria), Lenzerheide (Switzerland) and Pal Arinsal (Andorra) where children from local schools and bike clubs had the opportunity to interview their heroes.Riders involved in the unique experience included WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series stars Valentina Höll (Commencal Schwalbe By Les Orres), Andreas Kolb (Santa Cruz Syndicate), Mona Mitterwallner (Mondraker Factory Racing XC), Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity), Loris Vergier (Commencal Muc-Off By Riding Addiction), Loana Lecomte (BMC Factory Racing), Camille Balanche, Finn Treudler (Cube Factory Racing), Thomas Litscher and Fiona Schibler (Bike Team Solothurn).This enriching experience connected the present and the future of the sport, inspiring enthusiasm among the next generation and encouraging their active participation in sporting events.Chris Ball, VP Cycling Events at Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe, said: “Our impact on the territories we visit around the world is aimed to continue long after the races are won. From individual actions in one location to wide-reaching strategies that guide how we operate globally, these initiatives are an integral part of our operations and hold significant importance for all stakeholders involved in delivering our events. This is not just words on paper; every decision we make takes into account how it aligns with our CSR roadmap”.Looking ahead to the 2026 season, WBD Sports remains committed to delivering events that are as thrilling on the trails as they are responsible, innovative and pioneering off them. The initiatives and actions launched this season will continue to grow and evolve, ensuring that the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series not only raises the bar in sporting performance but also leads the way in social and environmental impact.

Michelin has a long and storied history in mountain biking, so it made perfect sense when the iconic French manufacturer became a major, long-term partner of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series in 2024.But the world’s premier mountain biking racing contest is much more than an activation and marketing opportunity for the world’s leading tyre manufacturer. In fact, each of the race rounds acts as a test bed, where it ideates, creates, and refines its products over the cut-and-thrust nature of a race weekend.Its partnership with Origine Racing Division is a prime example of this relationship. The newly launched team worked closely with Michelin throughout the season, developing a range of cross-country tyres that were put through their paces by up-and-coming talent, such as Mathis Azzaro.The results speak for themselves too – Azzaro finishing fourth and seventh in the XCO and XCC standings overall in 2025, recording six podium places along the way and a bronze medal at the 2025 UCI Cross-country Short Track World Championships.Here, Michelin’s racing program manager Vincent Ledieu explains how the partnership with a UCI Mountain Bike World Series Team led to the development of new race-focused cross-country prototypes.THE ORIGIN OF THE PARTNERSHIPMichelin has been an ever-present at the pinnacle of mountain biking since the sport’s early days, so it was an obvious choice when Origine Racing Division founder Maxime Marotte was looking for a tyre partner to help elevate his new outfit to the top level.“In 2024, Maxime Marotte decided to create his own team after many successful years competing at the highest level in Olympic Cross-Country,” says Vincent Ledieu. “At Les Gets, we were shown the first outline of this ambitious project, and Maxime confirmed to us at Mont-Sainte-Anne, in the Michelin truck, that the team would be launched.“Maxime told us about an exciting roster of riders full of potential. The Origine team also announced that their goal is to develop top-level equipment (bike, drivetrain) as well as young talent (such as Mathis Azzaro).”A PERFECT FITMarotte’s ambitious project struck a chord with Vincent Ledieu, and it matched Michelin’s own development-focused goals.“Our mission at the highest level of competition is to meet the needs of our teams through continuous development of our tyres,” he says. “Competition is a laboratory for Michelin, and our teams are our partners for developing, thinking outside the box, and testing technologies all year long, across several continents.“Maxime came to know Michelin well when he was racing for the BH team. It was during those years that he experienced this ‘development program’, and that is certainly why he thought of us.”A STRONG STARTMichelin wasted no time and delivered prototypes featuring new designs and casings to the team and its riders during the 2024-25 off-season. There has been constant dialogue ever since, with feedback helping to refine the tyres at every stage of their development.“Three tread patterns have been tested, validated, and used in UCI World Cup races. The team has also tried different casing variants and tread compounds,” says Vincent Ledieu.“After a year of intense riding, we have jointly validated a strong-yet-lightweight casing for the most demanding XCO races. A compound has also been approved that offers a good balance between pedaling efficiency and grip in wet and muddy conditions. In addition, we now have a new portfolio of tread designs to give the team the best possible tools to adapt to the terrain and weather conditions they may encounter throughout the season.”But the process isn’t limited to the current range of cross-country tyres, and it’s a continuous development cycle that will influence designs and trends for years to come.“A year of work and technical feedback not only allows us to validate technologies, it also lets us plan ahead,” he explains. “We have already identified improvement areas in our design to give the team better chances in certain conditions. For example, performing well in Short Track is increasingly important for starting the XCO race on the front row, naturally increasing the chances of fighting for a podium. This is why, in 2026, we will work on tyre solutions that allow even better performance in XCC events and in XCO races with less technical terrain.”FUTURE GOALSOrigine Racing Division is clearly just getting started, with riders like Mathis Azzaro and Martina Berta targeting even greater things in 2026. And Michelin will be with the team every pedal stroke of the way, helping them achieve their ambitious targets.“Michelin wants to continue developing and collaborating with the Origine team to give them an even greater chance of reaching their podium goals in 2026,” says Vincent Ledieu. “The Origine team is one of the pillars of our ambition to provide our customers with top-level cross-country tyres. Follow the team, follow us at the UCI World Cups, and you’ll discover for yourself what we’re working on.“But above all, we are looking forward to seeing our team shine in the races and reach podiums throughout the season. The consistent performance of the Origine team and its steady rise throughout the 2025 season give us hope for great results in 2026 – our shared goal is to win.”

In its third season as broadcaster, promoter and organiser, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) Sports drove the 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series to new records across broadcast, digital and social platforms, and on-site fan attendance*.2025 reached a true turning point with significant updates to UCI Regulations, including major changes to the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup qualification system and the introduction of WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series Teams. These reforms build on a groundbreaking long-term partnership between WBD Sports and the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) launched in 2023, unifying most major mountain bike formats under a single brand for the first time.During 16 race weekends in 10 countries across three continents, 64 UCI World Cup winners were crowned, with new overall champions emerging in all-but-one Elite category, highlighting the heightened competitiveness and excitement driven by the latest reforms. On the industry side, 30 mountain bike manufacturers secured UCI World Cup victories through their trade teams during the season with Canyon leading the table, closely followed by Cube and Specialized.The 2025 season also welcomed an exciting new long-term partner venue in La Thuile – Valle D’Aosta  (Italy), which hosted the first-ever UCI Enduro World Cup night race, alongside the introduction of a thrilling Downhill course at a 2024 newcomer venue Lake Placid Olympic Region (USA) and the return of several iconic venues across South America, North America and Europe.NEW BENCHMARKS SET FOR VIEWERSHIPFor the third consecutive year, the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series saw record-breaking worldwide TV viewership. WBD’s channels and platforms (HBO Max, Eurosport, discovery+ and TNT Sports) accounted for the majority of the audience, generating over 87 million cumulative views across the season. This growth was fuelled bythousands of hours of racing broadcast on over 25 partner TV and streaming channels, extending the series’ reach to fans in over 150 countries and territories worldwide.As part of the reform, the UCI and WBD Sports also worked closely with the teams to deliver greater exposure and enhanced marketing opportunities. Broadcast graphics were upgraded to maximise on-screen visibility and increase the media value for teams, athletes and brands, incorporating elements such as headshots, race bike images, team logos, colours, career numbers and national flags. These enhancements helped raise awareness among millions of fans watching worldwide, while creating a more cohesive and recognisable visual identity across events and media platforms.In parallel, WBD continued to enhance its broadcasts to help viewers better understand the racing and provide deeper context for fans at home, with accessible, data-driven insights such as heart-rate zones and athlete strain metrics during races — all powered by WHOOP.In 2025, WBD also invested in a portfolio of non-live cycling content, with the launch of two new, original documentaries – Grit and Glory: Enduro Mountain Bike Racing, an inside look at the 2025 UCI Enduro World Cup season, and Race Bikes, a deep dive into the sport’s fastest machines.FAN-LED GROWTHWBD takes storytelling beyond live broadcasts, capturing every moment on and off the track through comprehensive digital and social coverage.During the 2025 season, more than 250,000 new users followed the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series official accounts (TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube), bringing the total follower count to 1.25 million. This season, social channels have continued to bring fans closer to the action whilst attracting new audiences to the sport, surpassing one billion impressions since the start of the WBD Sports era in 2023.This interest carried over into the expanded media coverage of the series on owned and earned platforms. The new official WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series website (an essential hub for all news, previews, reports and athlete profiles) saw record-breaking volumes of traffic in 2025, generating 5 million total page views (+233% vs 2024) taking the total to more than 10 million since the series’ inception in 2023.Along with the millions of viewers watching at home and online, a record 440,000 fans attended on-site, with 97% of those surveyed saying they would return to another WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series event in the future. More than 100,000 descended on Haute-Savoie alone over two weekends of racing in Les Gets and Morillon.Chris Ball, VP Cycling Events at Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe, said: “The third year of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series has exceeded all expectations. What began as an ambitious vision a few years ago has now become one of the most thrilling spectacles on the international sporting calendar. With the continued support of the UCI, which has embraced our ambition for change, we have introduced reforms that are genuinely transforming the sport and elevating the experience for both athletes and fans.We are proud to see these results reflect the positive response to the changes we believed in from the outset, and we remain confident that we will continue to drive growth and innovation with every new season.”UCI President David Lappartientsaid: "From the opening rounds in Brazil in April, to four months of racing in European destinations, before returning to the American continent for the final two rounds - in the USA and Canada – the 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series was an enormous success. Thanks to our collaboration with Warner Bros. Discovery Sports we have taken this leading mountain bike series to new heights, both in terms of sporting interest and international popularity. We will continue to work together to build on this success and ensure that both mountain bike athletes and fans can continue to look forward to innovative and exciting season-long competitions.”EYES ON 2026The 2025 season marked the most significant overhaul in mountain bike since the inception of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in 1991, reshaping the sport’s landscape, raising professional standards across the series, and elevating elite teams to new levels and new audiences worldwide. Building on these strong foundations, the 2026 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series aims to deliver another record-breaking season across all four formats.The 2026 season kicks off in May with the Race of South Korea – marking the return of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup to the Asian continent for the first time in 25 years. The series will also make first-time stops at Soldier Hollow, Midway, Utah (USA) and Downhill’s spiritual home of Whistler Mountain Bike Park, British Columbia (Canada), delivering on decades of anticipation from fans, teams and athletes alike. And this is just a taste of things to come, with 14 race weekend across three continents, nine countries, including two quadruple headers and a series finale in the US at the iconic Lake Placid Olympic Region.*Figures from January 1st – November 1st 2025

The WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series experienced a shake-up at the start of the 2025 series.For the first time in UCI Mountain Bike World Cup history, UCI World Series Team status was introduced, which guaranteed spots on the start line at every round for 40 teams – 20 in Endurance and 20 in Gravity. The new regulations were introduced to make UCI World Cups more competitive whilst providing teams and athletes with greater opportunities for growth and visibility.While 30 of the spaces (15 across each format) were decided by UCI ranking points, five Endurance and five Gravity outfits would earn their places via yearlong wildcard spots.Fiercely contested, they were selected based on a scoring matrix that included criteria such as UCI team ranking, UCI Continental Series participation and results, athlete profiles, sponsor profiles and media reach.In Endurance, it saw the likes of multi-discipline stars Mathieu van der Poel and Puck Pieterse’s Alpecin-Deceuninck secure its place despite missing out via UCI rankings, while Reece Wilson’s new outfit AON Racing-Tourne Campervan was guaranteed a spot in the Downhill start hut.The 2026 season will see the same five year-long wildcard spaces on offer across Endurance and Gravity, with 19 teams currently awaiting their fate to see if they’ve been selected for next season.Teams likely to be in contention include Alpecin-Deceuninck, AON Racing-Tourne Campervan, and other year-long wildcard picks from last year such as Continental Atherton, Pivot Factory Racing (Gravity), Liv Factory Racing and Mondraker Factory Racing (Endurance).ADDITIONAL SPOTS AT EACH ROUNDIn addition to the wildcard UCI World Series Team spots, there will be up to eight wildcard spots available to regular UCI Mountain Bike teams in each format at each UCI World Cup round.These follow the same selection criteria as the year-long picks, but also considers the home nation of the team as well as recent results.These round-based picks aren’t just to make up the numbers either, and teams and riders can propel themselves from wildcard entrants to major contenders – Rogue Racing’s Thibault Daprela recording a podium (Val di Sole - Trentino, Italy) and 16th in the Downhill overall in 2025 despite only entering as a wildcard.

The off-season is a time for riders to enjoy some relaxation and recuperation before readying themselves for an intensive training block that will get race ready ahead of the first round of the 2026 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series in May.But this time of year is also an interesting proposition for teams, who are waiting eagerly to find out if they’ve done enough to secure UCI World Series Team status, and a spot at every UCI World Cup of the 2026 season.A new qualifying process was introduced at the start of the 2025 season to enhance the competitiveness and excitement of each UCI Mountain Bike World Cup, while establishing a clear development pathway to the highest level of mountain biking. All teams are required to register with the UCI to be classified as either a UCI Mountain Bike Team or a WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series Team (previously known as UCI MTB Elite teams). UCI World Series Team status is awarded to 20 teams in each of the Endurance and Gravity formats, which guarantees participation at each UCI World Cup.Like in the 2025 series, the 20 teams for each format are made up of the top 15 in the UCI team rankings and five year-long wildcard spots that are awarded based on a scoring matrix.A team’s UCI points are calculated by adding together the points of the four highest scored riders of each team without making a distinction between men Elite, men Junior/U23, women Elite and women Junior/U23. These points are accrued across all UCI-registered events (not just WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series points) and are scored in finals only. The rankings cut off was 28 October 2025.There is a bit of a difference for 2026 though. Unlike in 2025, points aren’t transferred with riders to their new teams, meaning there’s no opportunities for a team to make shrewd off-season signings to increase their chances of bagging UCI World Series Team status. Also, this season will see teams ranked 1-10 offered a two-year licence, and the teams ranked 11-15 offered a one-year licence, unlike last season where the top 15 ranked teams were only offered a one-year licence.Being in the top 15 provides an invitation to become a UCI World Series team, but it doesn’t guarantee participation—teams still need to accept and complete registration.Three-quarters of the UCI World Series teams decided, the remaining 10 spots are awarded to year-long wildcards, while there are a number of other ways that teams and riders can bag their spot on a startline or in the start hut, including round-by-round wildcard entries and a rider’s individual UCI ranking.

Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) and Vali Höll (YT Mob) might have come away with all the spoils from the 2025 season, but the 10-round series was one of the most competitive in recent memory with one nail-biting conclusion that will live long in the memory.Downhill mountain biking is fast, furious, and extremely unpredictable, but two riders had bucked the trend in recent history, showing consistency where others had crumbled and cruising to back-to-back overall series in 2023 and 2024.All eyes were on Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity) and Vali Höll (YT Mob) once more as the longest-ever season got underway in Bielsko-Biała, and whether any other athletes could end their dominance.As it turns out, they could. The men’s contest witnessed the rise of Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) – the 21-year-old Canadian returning to action after a year on the sidelines with injury – and a battle for the top spot with Bruni that wouldn’t be decided until the very last run of the series. While Höll still came out on top, her fourth overall series was the Austrian’s toughest test yet, with five different women standing on the top spot over the year. Goldstone’s record-equaling run and five wins enough to topple BruniWhen Loïc Bruni won qualifying and finals at the opening round in Bielsko-Biała (Poland), his competitors could have been forgiven for thinking that the series was already over. While there were still nine rounds to go, the Frenchman’s signature consistency would mean that his win in Poland probably wouldn’t be his last of the year, while only an uncharacteristic crash or injury would prevent him from winning his fifth overall title and third consecutive crown.Jackson Goldstone had other ideas though. Fresh from a season sat on the sidelines with injury, the Canadian had a point to prove after an impressive debut elite season in 2023 where he won his first two UCI Downhill World Cups and narrowly finished second behind Bruni in the overall. And although he could only manage a top-20 finish at the season opener, it was a warm-up for what was to come.From Loudenvielle-Peyragudes onwards, he was unstoppable, equaling Aaron Gwin’s (Gwin Racing) record for four wins in a row, while he had back-to-back perfect weekends in Val di Sole (Italy) and La Thuile (Italy). His results propelled him to the top of the standings, and at the midway point, he had a healthy 195-point lead over Bruni.His run would end in Pal Arinsal (Andorra), Bruni getting the better of Goldstone for his second win of the series, and the Frenchman would chip away at Goldstone’s lead with each round – the Canadian dropping points in Les Gets, Haute-Savoie (France) and Bike Kingdom Lenzerheide (Switzerland), while Bruni was his metronomic self with two top-five finishes.Neither made the podium in Lake Placid’s (USA) UCI Downhill World Cup debut, and things were poised tantalisingly with just Mont-Sainte-Anne (Canada) – Bruni leading by 72 and able to take the series even if Goldstone won.On finals day, Goldstone did all he could in front of a partisan home crowd, putting in the first 3:30 of the day to sit in the hotseat with only Luca Shaw (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) and Bruni to go. The American could only go second fastest, and then all eyes were on the start hut awaiting Bruni’s drop in. But it never came – the Frenchman injured during training on finals day and knowing that he wouldn’t be able to compete, let alone beat, Goldstone’s time. The Canadian had done it, winning the UCI Downhill World Cup Overall series on home soil, completing a Hollywood ending to a redemption story that also included winning the UCI Downhill World Championship. Höll shows grit to complete hat-trick of overall and world championship doubleWhile the men’s contest was a two-horse race, the women’s was the most open it has been in years. After Vali Höll’s dominance since breaking through to the elite class in 2021, the Austrian had a fight on her hands from the off.It was Tahnée Seagrave (Orbea/FMD Racing) who started strongest – the experienced Brit back to her best to take the opening round in Bielsko-Biała (Poland) – before Gracey Hemstreet (Norco Race Division) took up the mantle, winning her first two UCI Downhill World Cups.Marine Cabirou (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) and Nina Hoffmann (Santa Cruz Syndicate) got in on the action in Val di Sole (Italy) and La Thuile (Italy), but at the halfway point, Höll still led the overall despite not winning a weekend.It was her consistency that had got her there – the 23-year-old using her experience to grind out podium finishes even if she didn’t take the win – but as her winless UCI World Cup streak extended beyond a year, many wondered if it would be enough to see her through to the end of the season.Seagrave and Hemstreet cleaned up at the next three rounds, but their inconsistency couldn’t shake Höll from the overall top spot, and when the Austrian had her first opportunity to mathematically secure her fourth title and third consecutive crown in Lake Placid (USA), she seized it with both hands while her rivals’ challenges wilted.Fresh off the back of winning her fourth consecutive UCI Downhill World Championship, Höll blitzed the field on the venue’s new downhill course, going fastest in each intermediate split to win by almost three seconds. Hemstreet meanwhile could only manage 10th, meaning the title wouldn’t go to the final round.A crash in her Mont-Sainte-Anne (Canada) finals run saw Höll finish down in 14th, but she was still able to extend her lead – neither Hemstreet or Seagrave scoring a point over the weekend, meaning it was as you were for the top three spots in the overall. Alran edges Vermette and Rosa keeps it consistent in JuniorsWhile the Elite contests were the closest they’ve been in years, the Juniors were on another level.In the women’s field, Rosa Zierl (Cube Factory Racing) and Alehta Ostgaard (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) were the dominant forces – the pair claiming four wins each from the 10 rounds. It was Zierl who edged it though, beating Ostgaard by 45 points – the American’s failure to score anything in Loudenvielle-Peyragudes coming back to haunt her at the season’s end.The men’s contest meanwhile was an epic that featured two riders who often put down runs faster than the elites that followed. Max Alran (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) ultimately had the edge over Asa Vermette (Frameworks Racing/5Dev), but just 12 points separated the pair after 10 rounds of fierce and frenetic racing. It was Alran’s four wins to Vermette’s two that were the difference – the Frenchman outscoring his American rival despite the latter’s podium finishes.Next year the season kicks-off in South Korea.

The American and Brit dominated their respective series with consistency and race-winning performances that no-one else could handle.The UCI Cross-country Short Track (XCC) World Cup has become fiercely contested where results are much more than simply sorting the starting order for the race weekend’s UCI Cross-country Olympic (XCO) World Cup. The shorter, high intensity nature of the racing has seen specialists emerge, and when they are in form, they are almost unstoppable.Christopher Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing) and Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing-Pirelli) are two such riders. Explosive, aggressive and able to ride in the red for sustained periods of time, the pair had already shown they could beat the best in XCC races – Richards in particular going into the 2025 season as the reigning UCI XCC World Champion.But both pulled together seriously impressive series that left them head and shoulders above the rest, and worthy winners of the 2025 UCI XCC World Cup overall titles.BLEVINS GOES FIVE-IN-A-ROW BEFORE SIGNING OFF THE SERIES WITH ONE ROUND TO GOLike his UCI XCO World Cup record, Blevins had two UCI XCC World Cup wins to his name prior to the 2025 series, although you’d have to go back to Snowshoe (USA) in 2022 for his most recent short track victory. While he had recorded some podium finishes in 2024, it was his teammate and reigning UCI XCC World Champion Victor Koretzky (Specialized Factory Racing) who was the rider to watch going into the new season.The American had clearly had an impressive off-season though, and started the series in the best way possible – outsprinting Koretzky to take the win in the Araxá, Minas Gerais’ (Brazil) opening race. It was a feat he repeated six days later, again getting the better of Koretzky, and as the series moved from South America to Europe, he already held a healthy lead in the overall.It was the same story in Nové Mesto na Moravě (Czechia), while wins in Saalfelden Leogang - Salzburgerland (Austria) and Val di Sole (Italy) made it an unprecedented five in a row for Blevins. It wasn’t until Pal Arinsal (Andorra) in July when another rider would finally get the better of Blevins – Luca Martin (Cannondale Factory Racing) edging him on the line.While his season appeared to drift in the next two rounds, his early dominance meant that the overall never truly looked to be under threat. And when the opportunity presented itself to claim the overall on home soil in Lake Placid Olympic Region (USA), Blevins didn’t miss – flying round teammate Adrien Boichis (Specialized Factory Racing) on the line for his sixth win of the season, and Specialized’s sixth 1-2 of the year.Martin prevented it being a Specialized Factory Racing whitewash in the overall – the Frenchman adding a second win of the series at the season finale in Mont-Sainte-Anne (Canada) – while his teammate Charlie Aldridge (Cannondale Factory Racing) rounded out the overall podium.RICHARDS PUTS IN HER MOST-CONSISTENT SEASON TO ADD THE OVERALL TITLE TO HER 2024 RAINBOW BANDSWhen Evie Richards won the 2021 UCI XCO World Championship, the Brit appeared to suffer the curse of the rainbow bands during her year in the world champions jersey, only finishing two UCI XCO World Cups and 16th position her best placing.The 28-year-old had another three seasons’ experience on her side entering the 2025 series, and looked determined to not suffer the same fate while wearing the UCI XCC World Champions jersey.She started her season the best possible way, leaving Brazil with a 100% record from the opening two rounds and in control of the overall. A narrow second place to Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck) in Nové Mesto na Moravě was the first time she had been bettered in the XCC all year, while sixth in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland would be her worst result all season.Forced to skip Val di Sole – Trentino (Italy), her overall looked under threat from Pieterse, who had won three back-to-back UCI XCC World Cups. But come Pal Arinsal, Richards answered her critics, returning to the podium with second behind Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon) while the Dutchwoman wilted at altitude.Defending overall champion Keller appeared to be Richards’ main threat and was hitting form just at the right time, while Jenny Rissveds (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) threw her hat into the ring with a win in Les Gets, Haute-Savoie (France) with the series leader only managing fifth. But the Brit showed a new, steely resolve.While Rissveds could go on to win the next three rounds, finishing the season with an almost perfect record and picking up XCO/XCC doubles in Les Gets, Haute-Savoie, Lake Placid Olympic Region and Mont-Sainte-Anne (Canada), Richards was always in the background, finishing next best to the Swede to retain her advantage in the overall.Rissveds ultimately left it too late, and will rue her failure to score points in Nové Mesto with 110 points the difference between the two. Keller meanwhile finished third while also clinching the 2025 UCI XCC World Championship.SADNIK EDGES CORVI WHILE TREUDLER ADDS XCC TITLE TO XCO CROWN IN U23In the U23 field, it was a similar story with a competitive contest in the women’s U23 while one rider ran away with proceedings in the men’s U23.Katharina Sadnik (KTM Factory MTB Team) had the edge in the women’s U23, beating Women U23 UCI XCO World Cup overall winner Valentina Corvi (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) by 26 points. The Austrian collected six podiums all year, including the win in Pal Arinsal, but the series was separated by just six points as racing got underway in Mont-Sainte-Anne. Her third-place finish scored her 20 more points than Corvi, who could only manage seventh – the Italian likely regretting her two missed rounds in Nové Mesto and Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland.In the men’s U23, like in the XCO, Finn Treudler (Cube Factory Racing) dominated. While he wasn’t able to match his eight wins from the Olympic-distance format, the Swiss 22-year-old did win seven rounds in a row from Saalfelden Leogang - Salzburgerland to Mont-Sainte-Anne, and was only beaten by elite-class rider Adrien Boichis at the U23 UCI XCC World Championships.

The WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike Series would witness something of the changing of the guard in the Cross-country formats for 2025. Reigning UCI Cross-country Olympic (XCO) World Champions Alan Hatherly (Giant Factory Off-Road Team - XC) and Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck) would instead focus on the road – both skipping the first two and final two rounds of the year – while one of the G.O.A.Ts Pauline Ferrand-Prevot didn’t set foot on the trails once all season as she targeted (and won) the Tour de France Femmes. Elsewhere, consistent performers of previous seasons – Nino Schurter (Scott-SRAM MTB Racing Team) and Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon) had age and a comeback from injury to contend with.This void at the top of the table opened up the chance for other riders to stake their claim. And it was an opportunity that both Christopher Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing) and Samara Maxwell (Decathlon Ford Racing Team) seized with both hands.The pair were ever present at all 10 rounds of the series. But their debut title wins were down to more than simply showing up – both Blevins and Maxwell displaying the consistency needed be crowned overall champions. From an unprecedented three XCO-XCC doubles to an almost-perfect podium season, here’s how Blevins and Maxwell did it.BLEVINS BLOWS COMPETITORS AWAY BEFORE OVERCOMING MID-SEASON SLUMP IN STYLEPrior to the 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series, Christopher Blevins had only won two XCO races on the biggest stage – a sprint finish in Mairiporã (Brazil) in April 2024 and in Snowshoe (USA) back in September 2021. While the 27-year-old would have to settle for second best to teammate Victor Koretzky (Specialized Factory Racing) at the opening round in Araxá, Minais Gerais (Brazil), when the field returned six days later, the American made sure he didn’t miss again.His victory in South America was his third of the opening two rounds – Blevins also picking up the opening two UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup wins – and started a run of first-places that would last until round four in Saalfelden Leogang - Salzbugerland (Austria). A 17th place on the slopes in the Austrian alps wasn’t enough to dent his overall lead, while by the series’ midpoint in Val di Sole - Trentino (Italy), his advantage was more than 300 points.Blevins’ form appeared to desert him in Pal Arinsal’s (Andorra) high altitude arena – a 29th place his worst result of the year – and things didn’t seem to improve with 12th and 27th in Les Gets, Haute Savoie (France) and Bike Kingdom - Lenzerheide (Switzerland), respectively. But when the chance to mathematically secure the overall arose at home in Lake Placid Olympic Region (USA), the American rose to the occasion – clinching a third UCI XCO World Cup and XCO-XCC double of the season, and with it the title.Blevins could relax as the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series crossed the border into Canada for the final round, where teammate Martin Viduarre Kossmann (Specialized Factory Racing) secured second in the overall, and Luca Martin (Cannondale Factory Racing) third.MAXWELL CLINCHES NEW ZEALAND’S FIRST UCI WORLD CUP OVERALL CROWNSamara Maxwell had an impressive debut elite season in 2024, finishing within the top 20 at every UCI XCO World Cup she entered, but the 23-year-old took things up a gear for 2025 and signaled her intent from the off.At the opening round in Araxá, the New Zealander edged Nicole Koller (Ghost Factory Racing) and teammate Savilia Blunk (Decathlon Ford Racing Team) to record her debut UCI XCO World Cup win and the top spot in the overall, and it was a position she held on to all the way to the season’s end.Although she would only claim one more victory – in Pal Arinsal – the young rider’s consistency made her a runaway force that was impossible to contain. After her win in the season opener, Maxwell would become a feature of each round’s podium until race weekend 8 in Bike Kingdom - Lenzerheide at the end of September – when she finished sixth (her lowest position of the entire year).Other riders looked like they might be able to threaten Maxwell’s dominance. Puck Pieterse (Alpecin Deceuninck) put together a hat-trick of wins in Nové Mesto na Moravě (Czechia), Saalfelden Leogang - Salzburgerland and Val di Sole, but the 2024 UCI XCO World Champion lost her way in the second-half of the season. Jenny Rissveds (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) went one better, winning the final four UCI XCO World Cups of the series and the UCI XCO World Championship, but the Swede had ultimately left it too late to topple Maxwell. The Decathlon Ford Racing Team rider had to wait until the Mont-Sainte-Anne (Canada) season finale to confirm her crown, but signed off her season with a fourth second-place to take her and her country’s first-ever UCI World Cup overall series. Elsewhere, Rissveds would have to settle for second, with 2024 UCI XCO World Cup overall winner Alessandra Keller third.CORVI AND TREUDLER CROWNED U23 WINNERSIn the U23 field, another two riders dominated proceedings with podium-perfect seasons between them.In the women’s Under 23, Valentina Corvi (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) completed her second U23 season in style, picking up podiums at every round she entered and three wins in Val di Sole, Pal Arinsal and Les Gets. The Italian could afford to skip two rounds and still win at a canter to Vida Lopez De San Roman (Trinity Racing).In the men’s U23, it was the Finn Treudler (Cube Factory Racing) show. The Swiss 22-year-old dominated the field, winning eight out of 10 rounds with the only blemishes on his near-perfect record third-place in Nové Mesto na Moravě and second in Val di Sole. His 601-point victory in the overall over Rens Teunissen Van Manen (KMC Ridley MTB Racing Team) is one of the most one-sided performances ever, and it will be interesting to see how he fairs when stepping up to the elites in 2026.

Sławomir Łukasik (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) and Ella Conolly both won three UCI Enduro World Cups each over the seven-round series to wrap up their first overall titles before the final race weekend in Morillon, Haute-Savoie (France). Conolly wasn’t the only privateer to impress in 2025, either, with Daniel Booker almost writing his own underdog story with two UCI Enduro World Cup wins. The 2025 UCI Enduro World Cup was always set to be a year of transition. Both of the 2024 UCI Enduro World Cup overall winners, Richard Rude Jr (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) and Harriet Harnden (Aon Racing - Tourne Campervans) were focusing their attention on Downhill, and would only compete at UCI Enduro World Cups where there was no clash in the Gravity calendar. Isabeau Courdurier’s absence in the women’s field would also make it a more open affair, giving other riders an opportunity to shine. But it wasn’t just the favourites who had a different look for 2025. The courses themselves were a different proposition – four rounds going back to the sport’s roots and splitting the action across two days and UCI World Cup’s first-ever night stage. Coming out on top would require even greater consistency, and the ability to manage races – both mentally and physically – across multiple days. And it was a challenge that appeared to suit Łukasik and Conolly down to a T. ŁUKASIK STEPS OUT FROM RUDE’S SHADOW Sławomir Łukasik was the nearly-man of 2024. The Polish rider came agonisingly close to clinching his first UCI Enduro World Cup in front of his home fans at Bielsko-Biała (Poland), and often had to settle for second place behind teammate Richie Rude. But with the American absent for four out of seven rounds, the 32-year-old sensed his chance. He wasn’t able to get off to a winning start in Pietra Ligure - Finale Outdoor Region (Italy) – Australian privateer Daniel Booker edging him to the top spot by less than a second, but come Bielsko-Biała, Lukasik wasn’t going to let a debut UCI Enduro World Cup win slip through his fingers again. He dominated on home soil, winning by more than six seconds to Jack Moir (YT Mob), and leapfrogged Booker into first in the overall – a position he wouldn’t relinquish again all series. Loudenvielle-Peyragudes (France) and Saalfelden Leogang-Salzburgerland (Austria) would see him off the pace but still able to secure podium finishes with third to further his advantage in the title race, but it was the follow two rounds that would see him ram home his dominance. In Val di Fassa - Trentino’s (Italy) first UCI Enduro World Cup, no one could get close to the Pole over the two days, with Rude the next best almost 14 seconds in arrears. The following week, in La Thuile – Valle D’Aosta (Italy), he clinched his third UCI Enduro World Cup in emphatic fashion – finishing fourth fastest on the floodlit NightFall stage, pipping Charles Murray (Specialized Gravity) by 0.05 seconds to the win. His victory also meant that he had built an unassailable lead with one round still to go, where he could afford to finish 24th. CONOLLY PROVES PRIVATEERS CAN RIVAL FACTORY TEAMS Ella Conolly was another rider who was still looking for a UCI Enduro World Cup win at the start of the 2025 series. The Brit had come close, but the likes of Harnden and Courdurier always had the edge and experience when it mattered most. It was Harnden who started the season in style – the defending UCI Enduro World Cup overall series winner crushing the field in Pietra Ligure - Finale Outdoor Region, winning five out of seven stages and finishing third in the others. But 24 seconds back in second was Conolly, and with Harnden set to be switching to Downhill in Bielsko-Biała, the Brit looked like she had a good shot. It wasn’t to be – Conolly again having to play second fiddle, this time to Elly Hoskin – but her consistency saw her take top spot in the overall, and, like Łukasik, she would never look back. The stars aligned for Conolly in Loudenvielle-Peyragudes as she went fastest in four out of five stages and finished second in the other, crushing the competition by more than 40 seconds to win her first UCI Enduro World Cup. The privateer made it back-to-back in Saalfelden Leogang-Salzburgerland, again posting a health 16-second advantage, while she made it a hattrick of wins in Val di Fassa to make the overall series a seemingly foregone conclusion with two rounds still to go. The 27-year-old narrowly missed out on making it four-in-a-row the following weekend in La Thuile – Simona Kuchynková (Cube Action Team) building enough an advantage on the second stage to hold on to first by 2.08 seconds – but her sixth-consecutive podium of the series was enough to claim the overall series.  Her advantage meant that she could afford not to start the final UCI Enduro World Cup of the series to focus on the UCI Enduro World Championships instead, where she finished second behind Elly Hoskin. ADAMS AND ALMUEIS DOMINATE IN JUNIOR CLASS The UCI Enduro World Cup aligned with the other Gravity formats with an overall Junior class that was restricted to riders aged 18 and under.  In the women's field, Lacey Adams (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) was a dominant force throughout the series, finishing on the podium at all seven rounds and picking up a hattrick of wins in Loudenvielle-Peyragudes (France), Saalfelden Leogang-Salzburgerland (Austria) and Val di Fassa - Trentino (Italy). The Australian finished with a comfortable 200-point lead over teammate Chloe Bear (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) to claim the series, while privateer and Pietra Ligure winner Lucile Metge finished third.    Melvin Almueis went two better in the men's competition, winning five out of the seven rounds, with second-place (Bielsko-Biala) and sixth-place (La Thuile) the only times the Frenchman wasn't stood atop the podium come the end of a race weekend. If that wasn't enough, the privateer also won the Men Junior UCI Enduro World Champion title in Valais (Switzerland), and with the 18-year-old ineligible for the junior class next year, it will be interesting to see how he fares against the elites. 

Jenny Rissveds (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) produced the most dominant display in women’s Elite Cross-country Olympic (XCO) history in Mont-Sainte-Anne (Canada), presented by Events.com, while Charlie Aldridge (Cannondale Factory Racing) took the first Men Elite UCI XCO World Cup win of his career. Samara Maxwell also made history of her own and became the first women’s Elite rider from New Zealand to win the UCI XCO World Cup overall title. The Decathlon Ford Racing Team rider sealed her crown with an emotional runner-up spot, while Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing-Pirelli) overcame a battle of her own for third. The men’s elite race was a much closer affair, with British national champion Aldridge making a decisive last lap attack to narrowly beat Martin Vidaurre (Specialized Factory Racing) into second, while Mathis Azzaro (Origine Racing Division) finished third.  Isabella Holmgren returned to mountain biking for her home UCI World Cup and completed a weekend double in the women’s U23 category, while Valentina Corvi (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) was rewarded for her consistency with the overall title. Despite already wrapping up the Men Under 23 UCI World XCO Cup and Cross-country Short Track (XCC) overall titles, Finn Treudler (Cube Factory Racing) rounded off his season with another perfect weekend. RISSVEDS FINDS RHYTHM TO LEAVE OPPONENTS IN WAKE Jenny Rissveds (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) rounded off a perfect end to her season by winning by a record race margin in Mont-Sainte-Anne. Despite missing out on vital overall points early in the season, the Swedish rider has turned her season around in style with eight wins from her last 10 world class starts, including winning the UCI XCO World Championship title.  Following a consistent season Samara Maxwell (Decathlon Ford Racing Team) came into the final UCI World Cup race of the season knowing that a top eight finish would make history for her country. However, Rissveds still had a chance of stealing the overall honours if her young rival made any mistakes. While there was hesitation on the opening climb from the favourites, Linda Indergand (Liv Factory Racing) marked her retirement by powered through on the opening climb to briefly lead. However, by the top of the opening hill Rissveds regained the lead and pulled out a slender advantage over Maxwell and Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing-Pirelli), as Indergand paid for her effort. Within five minutes of racing Rissveds had already pulled out a 10-second advantage over a resurgent Maxwell as she wound her way up the Mont-Sainte-Anne (Canada) slope. In the battle behind, Martina Berta (Origine Racing Division) had a good start and was leading the chase for the podium positions behind Maxwell. Following the starting loop, Rissveds had pulled out an impressive 31-second advantage, but Maxwell was being chased by an eight-woman chasing group. Following the first complete lap Rissveds’ lead had doubled to over a minute, while the chasing group were 10 seconds behind Maxwell. The group battling for third contained Sina Frei (Specialized Factory Racing), Savilia Blunk (Decathlon Ford Racing Team), Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon), Candice Lill and Richards, as Berta started to lose ground. By the midway point Rissveds had an emphatic margin of 1:51 over a comfortable Maxwell, while Blunk was dropped from the chasing quartet 50 seconds further back. Frei forced the pace on the fourth time up the climb and the subsequent descent to pull away with Richards in the battle for third. Maxwell was given a fright herself after almost crashing after catching a rut, banging her leg but remaining on her bike. Blunk also had trouble in the downhill rock garden and crashed resulting in losing time to the podium battle.  Taking the last lap bell Rissveds had a commanding lead of 2:48 over a consistent Maxwell. Frei and Richards were locked in a battle for third 4:02 behind the leader as they traded blows on the final climb, while Keller remained chasing a handful of seconds further back. Rissveds closed the book on an emphatic end to the season with a record winning margin of 3:30, over an emotional Maxwell who secured the overall series title with second. Meanwhile, Richards overcame a last lap mishap in the wooded area and passed Frei to clinch third. Talking about winning by the biggest margin in XCO history. Rissveds said: “This is the first time I’m speechless. “I was really tired towards the end of the race. I really felt it in my legs. I was just focusing on flow today, I really enjoyed the course, it’s a really cool course. “It’s proper mountain biking and they kept the heart of the course, I really tried to just enjoy it. I had no plan, I just wanted to ride with good flow and my own race. It worked out, it’s really nice. “It has been a big learning season. I feel everything happened this year, I became very dominant towards the end of the season, I won the World Championships and there’s still so much to learn. I’m still hungry and excited for the future.” Meanwhile, 23-year-old Maxwell won the overall series for the first time in her young career, beating Rissveds into second and Keller third.  Maxwell said: “I was thinking about how much stress we go through as athletes. “We had 11 races this year, including the World Championships, and I was on the podium for 10 of them.  “This season has been incredible, there has been so much belief in the team for me.  “To stay consistent was trusting in my own system, my own process, coach, my team and recovery. Just listening to the people around me who supported me were the main thing.” ALDRIDGE POWERS AWAY FROM RIVALS FOR MAIDEN XCO VICTORY Charlie Aldridge (Cannondale Factory Racing) bided his time to launch two blistering attacks and took his first Men Elite UCI XCO World Cup victory. The 24-year-old, who finished third in Pal Arinsal – Andorra and second in Bike Kingdom - Lenzerheide, recovered from a poor start and then attacked from a leading quartet for glory. Victor Koretzky (Specialized Factory Racing) was a noticeable absentee from the final XCO round after deciding to focus on recovery following a crash in the previous round at Lake Placid Olympic Region, New York, the previous weekend.  Aldridge had work to do away from the line after missing his pedal at the start and being shuffled back down the pack. Martin Vidaurre Kossmann (Specialized Factory Racing) capitalised from the mistake and led the early pace, along with Simon Andreassen (Orbea Fox Factory Racing). The Mont-Sainte-Anne course provided early drama as XCC winner from Friday Luca Martin (Cannondale Factory Racing) crashed on a bridge before moments later XCO and XCC series winner Christopher Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing) also slid out on a loose corner. The battle between Specialized Factory Racing and Cannondale Factory Racing was developing again on the opening lap as both teams placed riders highly in the leading group. A blistering place set by Specialized Factory Racing resulted in a seven-man group going clear consisting of Blevins, Vidaurre, Aldridge, Martin, Andreassen, Mathis Azzaro (Origine Racing Division) and Adrien Boichis (Specialized Factory Racing). Vidaurre showed his fearless descending which forced himself clear after 30 minutes of racing with Aldridge and Azzaro. Boichis saw the danger unfolding and attacked the chasing group to draw back up to the leaders. Young British rider Aldridge was bidding for his first XCO and on the penultimate lap attacked to put his rivals under pressure on the climb. The Cannondale Factory Racing rider continued to power up the punchy switch-back climb to pull out five seconds on his opponents. Vidaurre and Azzaro provided a response to the pressure and pulled back the young British rider before taking the last lap bell, while Boichis dropped out of podium contention. Aldridge repeated his move from the previous lap and took the lead from Vidaurre at the top of the lengthy climb and forced the pace into the wooded section. The young British rider again pulled out a six-second gap on the steep switch-backs as Vidaurre desperately chased and Azzaro was distanced in third 10 seconds behind. Aldridge was able to look back at the bottom of the descent and see the margin he had pulled out on his chasing Specialized Factory Racing opponent. The British national champion continued to push the pace home on the final section to win by 11 seconds from Vidaurre and Azzaro completed the podium.  Following his victory Aldridge said: “What a way to finish the year, I’m over the moon with that. “I’ve been working towards an XCO win my whole career. This year I’ve been close a couple of times, so to finish it off like this is unreal. “The last two laps were full gas, I was cramping up, everybody was cramping up. It was just a battle of attrition. “Towards the top of the climb I could see I was getting a bit of a gap, so on the last lap I was just going full gas to get to the finish. I made it.   Blevins had already sealed the overall XCO series coming into the final round, while Vidaurre was second and Martin finished third. Blevins said: “It has been a beautiful year. “I’ve got to let myself catch up with myself a little bit. Right now I feel extremely grateful, proud of myself, proud of the team, it’s been quite a ride. “The process is working, I worked on my own subtle mental game and with the team everything is clicking. “I stuck with the process, believe in it and had some breakthrough moments. Not much has changed, but in a way everything changes.”   HOLMGREN HAS DOMINANT WEEKEND, WHILE CORVI SEALS TITLE Isabella Holmgren produced a perfect weekend with two solo victories as she returned to women’s U23 mountain bike action in style. The Canadian rider has missed half of the UCI World Cup rounds this season due to her multi-discipline calendar, road racing with Lidl-Trek. However, after winning the opening two rounds, Holmgren bookended the season with a weekend double in Mont-Sainte-Anne. Valentina Corvi (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) was looking to seal the overall series title and pulled out a slender lead after the opening loop, with Holmgren 12 seconds behind in fourth. American Vida Lopez De San Roman (Trinity Racing) won the previous XCO round in Lake Placid Olympic Region, New York, and was joined by Holmgren, Corvi and Olivia Onesti (BH Coloma Team) in the leading group after the first full lap. However, on the second lap Holmgren stamped her authority on the race and pulled a 16-second advantage over Lopez De San Roman and Covi. The gap continued to grow to 51 seconds coming into the final lap as the chasing pair battled for second. Holmgren had time to be cautious on the final lap, while Lopez De San Roman was strongest and gapped Corvi for second. After completing a weekend double on home tuft Holmgren said: “I really didn’t want to crash on the same rock as last year. “I made it through, pretty focused the whole race and then in the last lap I really made sure I stayed on the bike.  “I definitely want to continue racing road and mountain bike, I found a really good balance with the team and I’m happy continuing both. Meanwhile, a third placed finish for Corvi was enough for the Italian to clinch the overall title, ahead of Lopez De San Roman in second and Ella Macphee (Wilier-Vittoria Factory Team) in third. After taking the overall victory Corvi said: “It’s just amazing. I wanted to enjoy the race as much as possible. This jersey means a lot after quite a complicated season, I missed two races with injury.  “I’m speechless with the results and let’s enjoy it as much as possible.” TREUDLER COMPLETES PERFECT WEEKEND WITH SUPERIOR WIN Finn Treudler (Cube Factory Racing) completed a dominant men’s U23 campaign with an eighth XCO UCI World Cup win from 10 rounds this season. The Swiss youngster had no pressure coming into Mont-Sainte-Anne having already wrapped up both XCO and XCC overall titles.   After being made to work for his slender victory in Friday’s XCC the Cube Factory Racing rider had a more comfortable outing in the XCO. Treudler was joined on the starting loop by countryman Maxime Lhomme and the pair had an advantage of 11 seconds. Not content with his margin Treudler went alone on the first full lap and would not been seen by his rivals again. By the third lap the UCI World Cup series winner had an unassailable margin of 43 seconds as the podium battle behind started to take shape. Heby Gustav Pedersen (Wilier-Vittoria Factory Team) finished second in the XCC but suffered a slower start and had to battle through from seventh on the starting loop. Pedersen moved up to second on the third lap and his pace resulted in the chasing group slimming down.  Frenchman Naël Rouffiac (Scott Creuse Oxygene Gueret) was another rider who paced his effort well on the testing Mont-Sainte-Anne (Canada) course. Rouffiac battled back from 20th on the starting loop and was lapping quickest during mid-race to join the podium fight on the penultimate lap. However, Pedersen had energy in reserve and responded with the quickest lap of the race. Treudler saw his winning margin shrink to 29 seconds due to the battle behind, while Pederson finished just three seconds ahead of Rouffiac in third. Treudler dominated the overall series finishing ahead of Rens Teunissen Van Manen (KMC Ridley MTB Racing Team) in second and Pedersen in third. Following his victory Treudler said: “It means so much, it has been such a great season. “I’m just super happy to finish it off in this way, it has just been a fantastic season. I really liked the track this year. “The climbs suited me really well and I could push really hard today. It was just a really good day again and so happy about my win. “I’ll try to be as good as possible, I’m following my way and will just try and be the best version on myself. The success will be a result of that.”   The WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series has now concluded for 2025, with the opening round of 2026 happening on May 1-3 with the Race of South Korea.