The UCI World Cups for Cross-country Olympic, Short Track, Downhill, Enduro and E-Enduro will come together in a single event for the first time in mountain biking’s history. Kicking off on Thursday, Leogang will host no less than 18 individual UCI World Cup races when all categories are tallied.
It’s the UCI Enduro World Cup that gets racing underway this Thursday, when the fourth round of the series will once more see the fastest enduro and e-enduro riders on the planet take to a huge course that features six and ten stages respectively.
In the women’s competition Morgane Charre (Pivot Factory Racing) and Isabeau Courdurier (Lapierre Zipp Collective) are currently tied on points, so expect a fierce battle between these two. It’s a similar story in the men’s race, with series leader Jesse Melamed (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Enduro Team) leading out second place Richie Rude (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) by just 18 points.
The racing continues on Thursday with the Junior UCI Downhill World Cup qualification and concludes in the evening with the U23 UCI Short Track World Cup.
On Friday it’s another packed day of racing when qualification gets underway for the elite categories in the UCI Downhill World Cup, followed by the elite race in the UCI Mountain Bike Short Track World Cup.
It’s all about the UCI Downhill World Cup on Saturday, when the elites get between the tapes not once but twice for the semi-final and final races. After Rachel Atherton’s (Continental Atherton) incredible return in Lenzerheide last week, there’s an air of anticipation to see if she’ll take the start again and if she does, will she be able to hold off hometown hero Vali Höll (RockShox Trek Race Team)?
In the men’s race Jordan Williams (Specialized Gravity) stunned the field in Lenzerheide when he took the win in his first race as an elite, but he faces stiff competition from team mate and reigning UCI World Champion, Loïc Bruni.
The weekend’s action rounds out with the Elite UCI Cross-Country Olympic World Cup on Sunday. First to take to the start line will be the women, where Loana Lecomte (Canyon CLLCTV) will be looking to capitalise on her victory in Lenzerheide last weekend. And with just nine points separating her and series leader Puck Pieterse (Alepcin-Deceuninck), the stakes could not be higher for this race.
In the men’s competition Nino Schurter (Scott-SRAM MTB Racing Team) will surely start the favourite after his record breaking 34th win in Lenzerheide last week, but looking to stop him making it a 35th will be the likes of Luca Schwarzbauer (Canyon CLLCTV) and Jordan Sarrou (Team BMC).
Alongside the racing, fans will be treated to a Red Bull Air Show with Dario Costa, daily parties, athlete autograph sessions and an expo area. Free shuttles and public transport will also be laid on for spectators and more information can be found here.
For the full schedule and more information on this week’s races click here.
This weekend’s action will be available to view on Eurosport.com, discovery+ and globally on GCN+.
