While the dust has only just settled in Val di Sole - Trentino, the Endurance athletes are gearing up to go again as the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series rolls into Crans-Montana, Valais, Switzerland for the venue’s first-ever UCI Cross-country World Cup.
We look at everything you need to know about the Crans-Montana, Valais round of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series races, including when the Cross-country Short Track (XCC) and Cross-country Olympic (XCO) World Cup events are scheduled to take place, who is racing and how to watch.
WHEN?
The 2024 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series round in Crans-Montana, Valais starts with the Women’s U23 short track at 14:00 (UTC+2) on Friday, June 21, and concludes with the Men’s Elite cross-country Olympic at 14:30 (UTC+2) on Sunday, June 23.
Below are the key timings for race weekend. All times are UTC+2 (EST+6/BST+1/CEST):
Friday, June 21
- 14:00 – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Women U23
- 14:35 – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Men U23
Saturday, June 22
- 13:00 – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Women Elite
- 13:35 – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Men Elite
- 15:30 – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup | Men U23
Sunday, June 23
- 10:00 – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup | Women U23
- 12:00 – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup | Women Elite
- 14:30 – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup | Men Elite
WHERE CAN I WATCH?
You can watch all the action from the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series round in Crans-Montana, Valais, Switzerland wherever you are in the world. Both the men’s and women's U23 cross-country Olympic races will be broadcast live on the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series YouTube channel, and for the elite races, tune in to one of the below channels or streaming services:
EUROPE:
- Austria: discovery+
- Belgium: HBO Max, Eurosport 1
- Czech Republic: Max, Eurosport 1, Czech TV
- Denmark: Max, Eurosport 1
- France: Max, Eurosport 1
- Germany: discovery+, Eurosport 1
- Hungary: Max, Eurosport 1
- Ireland: discovery+, Eurosport 1
- Italy: discovery+, Eurosport 1
- Netherlands: HBO Max, Eurosport 1
- Norway: Max, Eurosport 1
- Poland: Max, Eurosport 1
- Portugal: Max, Eurosport 1
- Romania: Max, Eurosport 1
- Slovenia: Max, Eurosport 1
- Spain: Max, Eurosport 1
- Sweden: Max, Eurosport 1
- Switzerland: Eurosport player, RTS 2, SRF Zwei, RSI la 2, SRF Info
- UK: discovery+, Eurosport
CENTRAL/SOUTH AMERICA :
- Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela: Claro
- Belize, Brasil, Suriname: Staylive
- Puerto Rico: Max
AFRICA: Staylive
NORTH AMERICA:
- USA: Max
- Canada: Flosports
ASIA:
- Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Palau, Philippines, Russia, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan : Staylive
- Indonesia, Macao, Malaysia, Mongolia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand: Eurosport Asia
OCEANIA:
- Australia: Stan Sport
- New Zealand: Staylive
REST OF THE WORLD: Staylive
The full list of official broadcasters is available on our website. Check your local listings for exact details of live coverage, race highlights and special programs.
RIDERS TO WATCH
The Crans-Montana, Valais course will be a new experience for most of the field, with the high alpine venue’s most high-profile race to date the Swiss national championship in June 2023. On that weekend, Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon) did the women’s XCC and XCO double, while Thomas Litscher (Lapierre Mavic Unity) and Mathias Flückiger (Thömus Maxon) were successful in the men’s short track and Olympic formats.
One Swiss star who wasn’t riding that weekend was Nino Schurter (Scott-SRAM MTB Racing Team), and after the 38-year-old’s win last time out at Val di Sole, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the G.O.A.T giving the partisan local fans a win to celebrate.
Tom Pidcock (Ineos-Grenadiers) is likely to be Schurter’s greatest challenger – the Nové Město Na Moravě XCO winner racing his last mountain bike event in Switzerland before a packed summer that will see him ride the Tour de France and attempt to defend his Olympic gold medal at Paris 2024.
In the women’s field, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Ineos-Grenadiers) is in commanding form, winning her second consecutive XCO win in Val di Sole. Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck) will be attempting to prevent the Frenchwoman from making it three from three, while series leader Haley Batten (Specialized Factory Racing) has a return to the podium in her sights after finishing 8th last time out.
In the UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup, expect Sam Gaze (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Victor Koretzky (Specialized Factory Racing) to battle it out once again at the front of the men’s field, while Pieterse could face opposition from a resurgent Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing - Pirelli), who returned to racing last weekend after suffering with concussion since a crash in the second round of the 2024 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series in Araxá, Brasil.
Racing gets underway on Friday, June 21 in Crans-Montana, Valais. Full schedule and event details are available HERE.
