After three months without an Endurance-focused UCI World Cup, it’s time for a doubleheader to conclude the 2024 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series.
Before the season finale in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Quebec (Canada) there’s the penultimate round to be settled. And with both of the UCI Cross-country Short Track (XCC) and UCI Cross-country Olympic (XCO) World Cup titles yet to be wrapped up, everything is still to play for as Mt Van Hoevenberg – Lake Placid, New York (USA) makes its WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series debut.
We look at everything you need to know about the Mt Van Hoevenberg – Lake Placid round, including when the Cross-country Short Track (XCC) and Cross-country Olympic (XCO) events are scheduled to take place, who is racing and how to watch.
WHEN?
The 2024 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series round in Mt Van Hoevenberg – Lake Placid starts with the Women’s U23 UCI XCC World Cup at 14:00 (UTC-4) on Friday, September 27, and concludes with the Men’s Elite UCI XCO World Cup at 14:00 (UTC-4) on Sunday, September 29.
Below are the key timings for race weekend. All times are UTC-4 (EDT/BST-5/CEST-6):
Friday, September 27
- 14:00 – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Women U23
- 14:35 – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Men U23
Saturday, September 28
- 11:30 – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Women Elite
- 12:05 – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Men Elite
- 14:30 – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup | Women U23
- 16:00 – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup | Men U23
Sunday, September 29
- UCI Mountain Bike Marathon World Cup
- 11:30 – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup | Women Elite
- 14:00 – 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 Mt Van Hoevenberg – Lake Placid, New York (USA) wherever you are in the world. High Both the men’s and women's UCI XCO World Cup U23 races will be broadcast live on the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series YouTube channel, but for all other races, tune in to one of the below channels or streaming services:
For the UCI Mountain Bike Marathon World Cup, there will be live timings on the official WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series website, with top stories from the race to be published on the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series YouTube channel on Thursday October 3rd.
North America
Canada – Flosports
USA – Max
South & Central America
- Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela – Claro
- Belize, Brazil, Guyana, Suriname,– Staylive
- Puerto Rico – Max
Asia
- Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Palau, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan – Staylive
- Indonesia, Macao, Malaysia, Mongolia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand – Eurosport
Oceania
Australia – Stan
New Zealand – Staylive
Africa – Staylive
Europe
- Austria – discovery+
- Belgium – HBO Max, Eurosport 1
- Czech Republic – Max, Eurosport 1, CT Sport/CT Sport Plus
- Denmark – Max, Eurosport 1
- France – Max, Eurosport 1, L’Équipe TV
- Germany – discovery+, Eurosport 1
- Greece – Eurosport
- Hungary – Max, Eurosport 1
- Ireland – discovery+, Eurosport 1 and TNT Sports 2
- 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 1, Staylive, SRF2 and RSI la Due
- United Kingdom – discovery+, Eurosport 1 and TNT Sports 2
Rest of world – Staylive
RIDERS TO WATCH
The Mt Van Hoevenberg – Lake Placid venue will be a completely new experience for all of the riders with the New York State course built this summer. By the time of Saturday and Sunday’s XCO and XCC races, the field will have had plenty of time to practise and get the lay of the land, but with no past editions, no one comes into the penultimate round of the 2024 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series with past performances on their side.
Going purely off of form, Alan Hatherly (Cannondale Factory Racing) is in a purple patch, recording two wins and a third in his last three races, bagging himself an Olympic bronze medal and the rainbow jersey in the process. Victor Koretzky (Specialized Factory Racing) has joined the South African on the podium in two of those races, while the Frenchman’s teammate Christopher Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing) will be looking to bounce back with a strong performance in front of a partisan home crowd.
In the women’s field, Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon) can wrap up the series win this weekend, but the Swiss rider is still without a UCI XCO World Cup victory this year – expect her to go all out to right this wrong. Others in consideration are the American pair Haley Batten (Specialized Factory Racing) and Savilia Blunk (Decathlon Ford Racing Team), while Candice Lill has been in contention all season.
In the UCI Cross-country Short-Track (XCC) World Cup, expect Sam Gaze (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Koretzky to battle it out once again at the front of the men’s field, while the new UCI XCC World Champion Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing - Pirelli) will be aiming to stand on the top step of the podium in her new rainbow jersey.
