The WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series resumes after its summer break, with the world's best cross-country and downhill riders heading to Les Gets, Haute-Savoie (France). Here's your complete guide to the race weekend, featuring UCI Cross-country and UCI Downhill World Cup.
WHEN?
The 2026 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series round in Lets Gets, Haute-Savoie starts with the Women’s U23 Cross-country Short Track at 10:35 (UTC+2) on Friday, August 21 and concludes with the Men’s UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup at 15:00 (UTC+2) on Sunday, August 23.
Below are the key timings for race weekend. All times are UTC+2 (EST+6/BST+1/CEST):
Friday, August 21
12:30 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification 1 Women Elite
13:00 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification 1 Men Elite
14:00 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification Women Junior
14:20 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification Men Junior
15:00 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification 2 Women Elite
15:30 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification 2 Men Elite
10:35 – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Women U23
11:25 – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Men U23
17:15 – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Women Elite
18:05 – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Men Elite
Saturday, August 22
11:30 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Finals Women Junior
12:00 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Finals Men Junior
13:00 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Finals Women Elite
14:10 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Finals Men Elite
Sunday, August 23
09:00 – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup | Women U23
11:00 – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup | Men U23
13:00 – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup | Women Elite
15:00 – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup | Men Elite
WHERE CAN I WATCH?
For the 11th stop of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series, featuring the UCI Downhill, UCI Cross-country Short Track (XCC) and UCI Cross-country Olympic (XCO) World Cups, fans will have multiple ways to follow the action as Europe hosts its final rounds of the 2026 season.
The UCI Downhill World Cup Junior finals, for both men and women, will be broadcast live on HBO Max (in all available territories) and MTBWS TV for subscribers. Meanwhile, fans can follow the UCI Downhill World Cup qualification day through live timing and dedicated coverage across the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series social media channels.
All the Elite finals will be available live via the channels and streaming platforms listed below:
Europe:
Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Baltics, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Faroe Islands, Finland, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Tajikistan, Türkiye, Ukraine – HBO Max / Eurosport
Belgium – HBO Max, Eurosport, RTL (only selected races live) and VRT (only selected races live)
Czechia – HBO Max, Eurosport and Czech TV
France – HBO Max, Eurosport and L'Equipe Live (only selected races live on La Chaine l'Equipe)
Ireland – TNT Sports
Switzerland, Liechtenstein – HBO Max, Eurosport and SRF/RSI/RTS (only selected races live)
United Kingdom – HBO Max and TNT Sports
Asia:
Indonesia, Macao, Malaysia, Mongolia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Chinese Taipei, Thailand – Eurosport World
Oceania:
Australia – Stan Sport
New Zealand – MTBWS TV
Samoa – Eurosport World
North America:
Africa: MTBWS TV
All other territories: MTBWS TV
VAN DER POEL RETURNS WHILE WOMEN’S CONTEST ON A KNIFE EDGE IN XCC
In Friday’s XCC, the best-ever Short Track rider Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Premier Tech) returns to the format after a five-year absence. The multi-discipline master has focused his attention on the road in recent times, picking up iconic wins on the asphalt in some of road cycling’s biggest races, but will line-up in Les Gets, Haute-Savoie in preparation for his assault on the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Val di Sole, Trentino (Italy) next week.
If the Dutchman wins, he’ll extend his lead in the history books to 11 UCI XCC World Cup victories, but he will face a fired-up start list who have eyes on the overall series. Another multi-discipline star, Adrien Boichis (Specialized Factory Racing), currently leads the title race and has spent his summer break racing on the road at the Tour of Poland, while Luca Martin (Cannondale Factory Racing), Mathis Azzaro (Origine Racing Division) and Bjorn Riley (Scott-SRAM MTB Race Team) are the other in-form riders who can go tyre-to-tyre with Van der Poel.
The women’s contest meanwhile is on a knife edge – Sina Frei (Specialized Factory Racing) leading Jenny Rissveds (Canyon XC Racing) by just 30 points. Both will be chasing their third wins of the series, and Rissveds’ back-to-back victories gives her the momentum, but the overall title will come down to who can be the most consistent over the three remaining races.
A FRENCH FIGHT ON HOME SOIL, RISSVEDS HAS ONE HAND ON XCO TITLE
On Sunday, Mathieu Van der Poel is likely to ruffle feathers at the front of the race as the Dutchman puts in his final preparations ahead of a tilt at completing the rainbow jersey set in Val di Sole, Trentino – the 31-year-old already having won the UCI Road, Cyclocross and Gravel World Championships during his career.
But while his first appearance in a 2026 UCI XCO World Cup race might draw additional interest, there’s a fierce French battle going on amongst the regulars in the overall title fight.
Luca Martin currently leads the field, but a first finish of the season outside of the top two in Andorra has potentially opened the door for compatriot Adrien Boichis. The Specialized Factory Racing rider capitalised on Martin’s misfortune at the last round by winning in his adopted home – repeat the feat this weekend in front of a passionate home crowd and he could come close to leapfrogging Martin with just two rounds to go.
The women’s field isn’t as tight with Jenny Rissveds running away with proceedings after her XCC-XCO double in Pal Arinsal - Andorra. The Swede could clinch the overall if other results go her way and her closest rival Sina Frei has a low scoring round, but the likelihood is that the overall will rumble on until the next round in Soldier Hollow, Midway, Utah (USA) at least.
Away from the overall, this week’s round sees the return of Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Premier Tech) and Samara Maxwell (Decathlon Ford Factory Team) to the UCI XCO World Cup start list. Pieterse arrives after a successful summer on the road, where she won the Queen of the Mountains polka dot jersey earlier this month at the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, while reigning UCI XCO World Cup overall winner Maxwell starts her first UCI World Cup in 10 months after taking a sabbatical from racing.
WILLIAMS AND HÖLL OUT TO UPSET HOME CROWD
In between the cross-country action sits one of the most iconic scenes in downhill racing.
In the men’s competition, overall leader Jordan Williams (Specialized Gravity) will hope to be the man sat in the hotseat as the Brit chases a third win in a row. With teammate Finn Iles sidelined through injury, Williams’ closest challengers are set to come from a stacked field hungry to make their mark in Les Gets.
Amaury Pierron (COMMENCAL/MUC-OFF by Riding Addiction) is the most successful rider at the venue with two wins (2019 and 2024) and the local fans will be urging the 30-year-old to clinch an historic third to rocket his way up to leaderboard, while fellow French riders Loris Vergier (COMMENCAL/MUC-OFF by Riding Addiction) and Till Alran (COMMENCAL/MUC-OFF by Riding Addiction) will look to step things up on home soil.
In the women’s contest, a sixth win of the series would seal Valentina Höll’s (Commencal Schwalbe by Les Orres) fifth UCI Downhill World Cup overall title with two rounds to go. The Austrian has been in spellbinding form even by her own high standards but will have to do something she has never achieved as an Elite and win in Les Gets to confirm her coronation. There are a number of permutations where she can finish off the top step and still walk away with the title, and all the 24-year-old needs to do is hold a 500-point lead at the end of Saturday. Teammate Lisa Baumann (Commencal Schwalbe by Les Orres) is the most likely to put a dent in Höll’s winning record, while Gracey Hemstreet (Norco x adidas Race Division) and Marine Cabirou (Canyon DH Racing) have all tasted success on this hallowed patch of Haute-Savoie soil.
