The U23 men rounded out day two of competition in the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series in Mairiporã, Brazil with an unpredictable, combative race, which saw the lead change hands several times in the early stages. Finn Treudler (Cube Factory Racing) and Luca Martin (Orbea Factory Team) forged clear on the start loop, and it was Martin who took control of the race, moving to the front ahead of a group of 8 chasers, before Treudler launched his own attack before the end of lap one. Martin, Amos and Bjorn Riley (Trek Future Racing) were able to reel in the Swiss to form a lead group of four riders, which then became three when Treudler dropped back. The Frenchman Martin led the trio with the two Americans on his wheel for a long period, but Treudler fought his way back on to make it a quartet once more partway through lap three. From there, Amos rode clear and powered away, and slowly extended his advantage, as small gaps began to open between the chasing trio. It was Bjorn Riley who broke free of the chase group to launch an attack on the penultimate lap and he began to claw back the deficit to his senior teammate, but Amos held firm, showing strength and tenacity to seal the win and a perfect weekend of racing. Amos said after the race: I'm so happy. Those boys made me work for everything, I’m just so over the limit. But I had the gap. So we just have to keep pushing all the way to the line. I had blown up so hard and was so empty. But when you have the lead, you can't do anything but keep fighting for it. When I got the gap, I was a bit lucky. I just moved around Luca, and they had a little fumble, just like crossed wheels behind me so I just had a tiny gap. And then it kind of stayed between, five and 15 seconds for the whole rest of the race. When you're in that position, it just hurts so bad because you can see him the whole time and you know he wants it just as bad as you and is digging and digging. But it's always a pleasure to battle with Bjorn [Riley], he works so hard. We've all worked so hard. And we're just best mates, so I’m happy for him and happy to go one-two with him for the USA Today. You can catch the UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup tomorrow, here's the schedule: Sunday, April 14 All times are UTC-3 (EST+1/BST-4/CET-5): 10:00 – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup | Women U23 12:15 – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup | Women Elite 14:30 – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup | Men Elite
The 2024 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series began in scintillating style with two explosive races in Mairiporã, Brazil on Saturday. Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing-Pirelli) and Sam Gaze (Alpecin-Deceuninck) got off the mark with commanding performances, but while Richards was able to stamp her authority on the women’s elite race with a decisive solo strike for the line, Gaze was forced to work all the way the finish in a nail-biting finale in the men’s race. Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing-Pirelli) threw down the gauntlet with an aggressive and fearless performance in the women’s elite UCI Cross-country Short Track (XCC) World Cup in Mairiporã, Brazil. The 2024 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series kicked off amid warm and sticky conditions in Mairiporã, with 29-degree temperatures and 80% humidity. The bunch were clustered together in the early part of the race, led by Martina Berta (Santa Cruz Rockshox Pro Team), who used her front row gridding to her advantage to make a strong start. Berta was pursued by Evie Richards and Jenny Rissveds (Team 31 Ibis Cycles Continental). The bunch remained compressed for the first two laps, with the pump track and the sharp descent drawing out the best bike handlers and stretching out the race before they gathered once again as they headed into the climb. Jolanda Neff (Trek Factory Racing-Pirelli) used the descent to gain a small gap, then led a big bunch as Alessandra Keller (Thömus maxon), moved into the lead on the second time around the pump track. Keller maintained her lead through the lap, but as the bunch compressed again, Rebecca Henderson (Primaflor Mondraker Racing Team) took control. It was on lap 3 that the field finally started to stretch out and gaps opened up, with the primary aggressor the 2018 UCI World Champion Kate Courtney (Scott-SRAM MTB Racing Team). Courtney moved clear, chased by Richards, with Rissveds and Neff next on the track. The winning move came on lap 5 however, as Richards attacked Courtney and moved through on the pump track to take the lead, and immediately opened up a gap to Courtney and Neff, which continued to grow as she attacked the descent and powered on over the flat sections of the course. With Keller trying to make up the deficit, and Courtney tiring, there was not enough momentum in the chase and Richards won with seven seconds over Henderson in second and Keller in third. Richards said: “It started off in quite a big group and then a couple of different girls went on the front and pushed and Kate [Courtney] made an attack, and I happened to be on her second wheel, and I just pushed with the attack. I think she faded a bit at the top of one of the climbs and I came out of the descent with a lead and I just kept going at that speed really, just maintained the gap. I'm really pleased to start the season like that. “I think you always have to improvise. We talked a lot about strategies and what would happen if different people attacked so I was well prepared going into it and was happy with that.” Speaking about the conditions, Richards said: “It’s really hot. Especially when the UK has literally been grey for six months straight it’s definitely a step up from the UK but it's nice as well. It's good to get some sunshine and some vitamin D on the body.” UCI WORLD CHAMPION MAKES A STATEMENT IN MEN’S SHORT-TRACK It was a battle of the short-track powerhouses in the men’s race as UCI World Champion Sam Gaze (Alpecin-Deceuninck) won a last-gasp victory after a thrilling battle with Luca Schwarzbauer (Canyon CLLCTV XCO). As the lights turned green, Schwarzbauer immediately launched into pole position and was already able to open a small gap between himself and the rest, looking calm and in control. In the early part of the race Mathias Flückiger (Thömus Maxon), Jordan Sarrou (Team BMC), and Victor Koretzky (Specialized Factory Racing) were the closest to the German, but with Sam Gaze moving through quickly in the rainbow stripes, Schwarzbauer was relentless, powering into the turns and trying to ensure the pace stayed high. Schwarzbauer continued to hold the front of the race with around nine riders chasing a few seconds behind, and the rest already spread out along the track. Koretzky attacked and took the lead for a short while, but in an aggressive run up the climb towards the pump track Schwarzbauer used his physicality to break through to the front again, followed by Martin Vidaurre (Specialized Factory Racing). The pair took a small gap heading off the descent, and Vidaurre moved into the lead, with Schwarzbauer and Gaze bearing down from behind. Gaze exerted his authority for the first time on lap 5, but Schwarzbauer counter-attacked in the same place heading into the pump track and a stalemate followed heading into lap 7 as the riders collectively caught their breath. It was all business on the final lap though, as the frontrunners came back together again, and though Sarrou cut in to take second position briefly, when Gaze attacked the climb, he took an unassailable lead. In a breathless last few moments of action, Koretzky tried to attack at the expense of his teammate Vidaurre but it was too little too late – Gaze powered over the line to make a clear statement about his form heading into an Olympic season. Schwarzbauer hailed Gaze as he crossed the line in second, with Vidaurre third after a courageous performance. Gaze spoke after the race: “It’s been a really difficult couple of weeks, it was really hard to focus on my job at some points, but I’ve come out here and put together a good performance. The start was super critical for me and a lot of the time I don’t get lucky, but I have to say I got lucky in the start loop, and then from there it was just trying to recover best I could before moving forward. The heat is such a factor here, it feels like I’ve swallowed a glass full of glass. I’m super happy, good signs for the next two weeks, happy to have a good start. “Luca [Schwarzbauer] is a great guy, we found a bit of partnership, just trying to keep the speed how we wanted it. There’s a big advantage racing from the front and as soon as I got there, I realised the advantage they had, so we tried to keep it and then to be honest, I really didn't think it was possible to do the sprint. I was completely on the limit, but obviously everyone else was too. That’s short track racing.” Runner-up Luca Schwarzbauer said: “It was surprisingly nice track. Honestly, during the recon I thought it’s not super nice with the pump track, I thought it's gonna hurt a lot. But in the end it was very nice and controlled, and I had Sam on my side; we are not teammates but at least Canyon teammates and we could help each other a little bit in the end, I also did not attack him 100%. I don't know who was the strongest but in the end, I'm super happy to provide that finish picture for Canyon together with Sam and super happy because I was not 100% sure about my form. I was motivated but I didn't feel the big weight on my shoulders yet. Last year I realised, when the weight is huge, I can perform but it's also a lot of stress, so I'm happy that I could also perform with a little bit less stress but it's only the first race of the season.” Third placed finisher Martin Vidaurre: “Finishing third here in Brazil is just amazing. A lot of Chilean fans are here, so it's different to be here. It took me a while to be on the podium, like a year. So it's good to trust in the process and good to be back on the podium. I'm just so happy. “I'm not in a hurry. I still enjoy my training, I enjoy being a racer, I don’t like to rush it too much so I just trust my work and keep going because I just love the sport.” WINS FOR BÖHM AND AMOS IN U23 CROSS-COUNTRY SHORT TRACK The UCI Cross-country Short Track (XCC) U23 World Cup events took place on Friday, with wins for Germany’s Kira Böhm (Cube Factory Racing) and Riley Amos (Trek Factory Racing-Pirelli). Böhm broke free from the field to power to a decisive solo victory, with Americans Madigan Munro and Sofia Waite battling it out for second position, with Munro victorious in the sprint for the line. The men's race was a much tighter affair, but Riley Amos was able to carve out a small gap between himself and the chasers heading for the line. Swiss Dario Lillo and Norwegian Sondre Rokke finished second and third, two seconds behind the American.
The 2024 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series got underway with the first of two races in Brazil on Friday with the UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup U23 events in Mairiporã, in hot and humid conditions. In the women's event, Germany’s Kira Böhm (Cube Factory Racing) was able to break free from the field to power to a decisive solo victory. Americans Madigan Munro and Sofia Waite battled it out for second position, with Munro (Trek Factory Racing) winning the sprint for the line. The only rider from the home nation to make the podium was Giuliana Salvini Morgen in fourth, and Canada's Emily Johnston rounded out the top 5. Böhm said: I'm really super, super happy. I had a bad start, but in the second lap, I was in the front, and then I just kept going. And then I was alone. I thought I have to keep going hard. The track was really fast and also tough on the pump track. And a short downhill. But it was a fun track. I did heat training at home. I think it was a good thing to do. I also drank a lot of water and cooled down. So, in the race, it was good. The men's race was a much tighter affair, and it was victory for Riley Amos (Trek Factory Racing-Pirelli). Amos was able to carve out a small gap between himself and the chasers heading for the line. Swiss Dario Lillo and Norwegian Sondre Rokke finished second and third, on the same time, two seconds behind the American, while Bjorn Riley and Luca Martin completed the podium spots, a few seconds adrift of the leaders. Amos said: You don't win very often so when you do, you just treasure it every time and just to start this way. I knew last week I had some good form finally after a long winter and to keep proving it today is great and now to put the legs up and rest for tomorrow's big show. It's very rare when you don't need to have some sort of patience and save energy in short track. It's always way more work on the front. And when it's high speed, the wind matters a lot more. So yeah. Always having patience. And when you finally decide to go all in, really just believing in yourself and committing everything to it, that’s how you get it. Thank you, Brazil for bringing us here. It's awesome to see some good crowds and hopefully, even bigger ones tomorrow. The top finishers bolster their grid allocation ahead of the weekend's Cross-Country Olympic U23 World Cup races which take place on Saturday for the men, and on Sunday for the women. You can find where to watch all of the racing action live in Mairiporã HERE.
We look at everything you need to know about the Mairiporã round of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series races, including when the men’s and women’s Cross-country Olympic and Short Track events are scheduled to take place, who is racing and how to watch. WHEN? The 2024 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series kicks off today in Mairiporã, Brazil with the U23 Women’s UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup round at 14:00 (UTC-3) Friday, April 12 and concludes with the Men’s Elite UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup at 14:30 (UTC-3) on Sunday, April 14. Below are the key timings for race weekend. All times are UTC-3 (EST+1/BST-4/CET-5): Friday, April 12 14:00 – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Women U23 14:25 – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Men U23 Saturday, April 13 12:00 – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Women Elite 12:35 – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Men Elite 14:30 – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup | Men U23 Sunday, April 14 10:00 – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup | Women U23 12:15 – 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 season opener in Mairiporã, Brazil wherever you are in the world. Both the men’s and women's UCI Cross-country 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: North America Canada – Flosports USA – Max South America* Argentina – Claro Brazil – TNT Sports YouTube Channel Chile – Claro Colombia – Claro Peru – Claro Oceania/Asia Australia – Stan China – Zhibo.tv New Zealand – Staylive Africa* South Africa – Staylive Europe* Austria – Eurosport, discovery+ Belgium – Eurosport Czech Republic – Eurosport, Czech TV Denmark – Eurosport France – Eurosport, L'Équipe Germany – Eurosport, discovery+ Hungary – Eurosport Ireland – discovery+ Italy – Eurosport, discovery+ Netherlands – discovery+ Norway – Eurosport Poland – Eurosport Portugal – Eurosport Romania – Eurosport Spain – Eurosport Sweden – Eurosport Switzerland – Eurosport, SRF United Kingdom – Eurosport, discovery+ Rest of world – Staylive RIDERS TO WATCH While defending women’s UCI Cross-country overall champion Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and the reigning men’s UCI World and Olympic champion Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) won’t be lining up in Brazil, the field is still stacked with explosive talent. Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon), Loana Lecomte (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) and Savilia Blunk (Decathlon Ford Racing Team) are amongst the favourites in the women’s Cross-country, while Nino Schurter (Scott-SRAM MTB Racing Team) will be looking to repeat his win from the last time the UCI World Cup visited Brazil in 2022. In the UCI Cross-country Short Track, Keller and Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing Pirelli) are the riders to watch in the women’s field. For the men, it’s hard to look beyond Victor Koretzky (Specialized Factory Racing) – the Frenchman the proud owner of a 100%-win record for the last three UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cups. Racing gets underway today in Mairiporã. Full schedule and events details are available HERE. You can find where to watch all of the racing action live in Mairiporã HERE.
Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) Sports Europe partners with OTT platform provider Staylive, a Spring Media Company, to increase the distribution and availability of its flagship cycling and motorcycle owned-promoted events globally. This collaboration will unite and spread the passion for some of the most exhilarating sports events, including the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series, with a highly anticipated 2024 season kicking off this week in Mairiporã, Brazil. Fans will also be treated to a calendar filled with other live events, highlights, and associated shoulder programming, which includes the FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC), FIM Speedway Grand Prix (SGP) and UCI Track Champions League. Founded in 2013, Staylive is a Swedish streaming solutions company that delivers over 1,000 live sports events per week to a global audience. Its streaming platform powers governing bodies, federations, leagues, and sporting clubs worldwide. This agreement builds on the extensive reach of the WBD Sports events’ portfolio focused on cycling and motorcycling action. Matt Parker, CCO of Staylive, said: Partnering with WBD Sports for this historic season of cycling and motorcycling events is a testament to Staylive's technical capabilities and commercial expertise. We are immensely proud to work with and alongside industry powerhouse, WBD Sports, as they secure new and innovative ways to maximise content distribution and reach. This collaboration highlights our ability to meet the high technical demands of streaming world-class sports events, while enhancing the fan experience across the globe. Trojan Paillot, SVP Sports Rights Acquisitions and Syndications at WBD Sports Europe, added: Our partnership with Staylive demonstrates the commitment of WBD Sports in serving sports fans around the world with premium and diverse content from leading sports formats and properties. Through this partnership, we are not just distributing sports content, we are creating a more accessible and immersive experience for fans, no matter where they are. This is a prime example of how we’re increasing our ability to meet the evolving needs of our audience and to bring them closer to the sports they love. Fans can watch the 2024 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series on Max, Eurosport and discovery+ as well as across several local and national broadcasters. With this agreement the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series action and other WBD Sports owned-promoted events are now also accessible on Staylive through pay-per-view and subscription packages in markets independent of exclusive WBD platforms and broadcast partnerships. To find out where you can tune into the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series wherever you are in the world, visit our Where to Watch guide. Experience the excitement of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series and watch it live on Staylive by clicking here!
The WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series will now be available to viewers in Australia with all the action live and exclusive on Stan Sport. Launched in 2015, Stan is an over-the-top streaming service that offers unlimited access to thousands of hours of entertainment. With the two Enduro opening rounds raced on home-soil, Australian Elite athletes had a great introduction to the Series last season. Luke Meier-Smith (GIANT FACTORY OFF-ROAD TEAM – EDR), Daniel Booker (NUKEPROOF SRAM FACTORY RACING) and Connor Fearon (FORBIDDEN SYNTHESIS TEAM) swept the Enduro podium in Maydena. In the endurance rounds, Rebecca Henderson (PRIMAFLOR MONDRAKER GENUINS RACING TEAM) took the third podium spot for Cross-country Olympic in Val di Sole (Italy) as she did in Cross-country Short Track at the last two events of the season in Mont-Sainte-Anne (Canada) and Snowshoe (USA). In the downhill races, Troy Brosnan (Canyon CLLCTV), one of the most well-known Aussie riders, will be back for the 2024 season. Ben Kimber, Stan Director of Sport said: We are thrilled to be partnering with WBD Sports to bring the expanded WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series to fans in Australia for the first time ever. We know viewers will enjoy following the Aussie riders returning for the 2024 Series and will also have a keen eye on the endurance rounds ahead of Paris 2024. Trojan Paillot, SVP Sports Rights Acquisitions and Syndications at WBD Sports Europe, said: We are thrilled to partner with Stan Sport to bring every race of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series to fans in Australia. This season marks the largest expansion of international mountain bike for many years featuring six new venues across three continents, totalling 15 event weekends. With the accessibility and diverse offerings of the Stan Sport streaming platform, we can deliver all these events to Australia's passionate mountain biking community, whilst furthering our mission to expand mountain bike’s global fanbase. The opening round of the 2024 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series takes place in Mairiporã, Brazil this week (12-14 April) for the Endurance rounds. The Gravity competition will get underway in Fort William, Scotland from 3-5 May. To catch all the 2024 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series action, fans in Australia can sign up to Stan Sport HERE.
Today Michelin, the world’s leading tyre manufacturer, is announced as a main partner of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series until, at least, the 2028 season. This collaboration between Michelin and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) Sports, two industry leaders with innovation at their cores, represents a formidable alliance, poised to yield impactful outcomes. As a new main partner of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series, Michelin will receive prominent branding at all 15 race weekends across three continents, including one exclusive on track naming section, amongst other benefits. ESTABLISHED CYCLING PEDIGREE Michelin has a strong heritage in cycling and created the first modern bicycle tyre in 1891*. For over 130 years, the brand has continued to be a mobility pioneer, building an impressive global reputation for quality, innovation, and performance. While achieving great success as a long-time technical partner of motorsport, Michelin is bringing its expertise back to mountain biking, where it already offers a complete range of tyres, developed using the latest technology. During the 2024 season, several previous UCI World Cup podium finishers will be competing with Michelin tyres, including stars such as Camille Balanche (Downhill), Benoît Coulanges (Downhill) and Hugo Pigeon (E-Enduro). Chris Ball, Vice President of Cycling Events at Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe, said: We are excited to welcome Michelin, a universally recognised brand and industry leader, as our new partner for the 2024 season and beyond. By joining forces with a pioneering partner with sustainability and innovation at its core, we are confident that we can take mountain biking to even greater heights and will support Michelin in helping it to reach even greater audiences worldwide. Edouard de Peufeilhoux, President of the Michelin Two-Wheel Business Line, said: Michelin is delighted to be associated with the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series. We can't wait to see the world's top riders fight for supremacy on our tyres in such a wide variety of spectacular, world-class disciplines. The performance of the new MICHELIN DH Racing Line has been boosted thanks to exclusive innovations that will bring a real plus in Downhill events. Michelin is a firm believer that competitive sport is the perfect arena to accelerate innovation, so our involvement in the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series stands out as a great opportunity to work on the development of even higher-performing and longerlasting MTB tyres for tomorrow. The new partnership between Michelin and the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series perfectly aligns with the Union Cycliste Internationale’s (UCI) mission – outlined in its Sustainability Policy and Climate Action Charter – to make cycling one of the world's most sustainable sports. In 2019, Michelin reinforced its ‘all-sustainable’ approach which strives for the best balance between human, environmental, and economic priorities. Cycling plays a key role in achieving this balance by offering an eco-friendly and lowcost mode of transport that also benefits the health and wellbeing of populations. In tandem, event promoter and organiser WBD Sports recently achieved the ISO20121 certification for its commitment to sustainable event management. This certification approves the structured framework that integrates sustainability into their event management practices. Thanks to a ground-breaking long-term partnership between WBD Sports and the UCI in 2023, all mountain bike major formats were unified under a single brand for the first-time, forming the UCI Mountain Bike World Series. Last year was the first season WBD Sports took full control of the global broadcast, promotion and organisation of the Series with its coverage of the sport reaching more fans than ever before. The new season of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series begins with the first round of the UCI Cross-country World Cup in Mairiporã, Brazil on 12 April. *First detachable tyre created by Michelin in 1891 during the Paris-Brest-Paris race.
VIP tickets are now available for the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series Fort William, where guests can enjoy the ultimate weekend of downhill mountain bike racing in style with single day and weekend VIP ticket packages. VIP guests can enjoy the thrill of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series whilst indulging in a premium buffet and open bar from the hospitality suite, with exclusive views of the racing and unrivalled live TV coverage to follow along and immerse yourself in all the action from the world’s best downhill riders. The hospitality suite boasts complimentary WiFi and premium gifts are also included as part of the VIP package on offer. Join us for an unparalleled weekend of luxury and excitement at the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series Fort William from 03-05 May. VIP packages are available for £260 per day or £480 for the entire weekend — book now and experience the ultimate weekend of mountain bike racing in style!
After a long, six-month wait, the 2024 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series is set to get underway in Mairiporã, Brazil for the first race of the season this weekend. And if the last time the UCI World Cup visited Brazil is anything to go by - the 2022 season opener in Petropolis – the riders can expect a carnival atmosphere as passionate local fans line the course and bring some Latin American noise. Although it hasn’t featured in the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series before, Mairiporã won’t be new to some of the field, having hosted high-level cross-country races since 2019, including last week’s UCI Class C1 race at the MTB Festival. An hour north of the centre of São Paulo on the South American country’s south coast, it’s the first of a Brazilian Cross-country double header – the first time a country has hosted back-to-back UCI Mountain Bike Cross-country Olympic World Cup (XCO) races at different venues since Canada (Bromont and Mont-Sainte-Anne) in 2009. Up next is another new venue, with the mountainous Minas Gerais region’s Araxá hosting round two a week after the dust has settled at Mairiporã’s Arena iMTB Bike Park. FIREWORKS GUARANTEED The Mairiporã course is designed to promote overtaking and close racing, making it a fitting location for the opening UCI Cross-country Olympic (XCO) and UCI Cross-country Short Track (XCC) races of the year – if one thing’s for sure, fireworks are guaranteed. The first race after a long off-season can make picking favourites for the race difficult, but in the women’s Cross-country, Austrian Mona Mitterwallner (Cannondale Factory Racing Team) and Frenchwoman Loana Lecomte (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) are likely to resume their battle for supremacy. Meanwhile in the men’s field, Switzerland’s Nino Schurter (Scott-SRAM MTB Racing Team) is still the man to beat. The 37-year-old won the last time the UCI World Cup came to Brazil in 2022 and claimed his ninth title at the final race of the 2023 season in Mont-Sainte-Anne. Despite strong challenges by Jordan Sarrou (Team BMC) and Mathias Flückiger (Thömus Maxon) Schurter appears to defy aging, using his years of experience to overcome riders more than 10 years his junior, as seen in a third-place finish at the 2024 Absa Cape Epic. Two riders who won’t be making the trip to South America include the 2023 women’s UCI Cross-country Olympic overall champion Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck), and reigning men’s UCI World and Olympic Champion Tom Pidcock (Ineos-Grenadiers), who have both decided to focus on the road instead. Local fan favourite Henrique Avancini also won’t be lining up in Mairiporã having retired at the end of last season but will be on site supporting the team that bears his name, Caloi Henrique Avancini, is filled with Brazilians ready to shine on the world stage. In the Cross-country field, reigning overall champ Pieterse’s absence opens the door for the likes of Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon) and Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing Pirelli) to steal an early advantage in the women’s competition. In the men’s, Victor Koretzky (Specialized Factory Racing) finished the 2023 season with a hat-trick of victories, so will be aiming to stretch his hot streak across seasons to make it four wins in a row. Racing gets underway in Mairiporã on Friday. Full schedule and events details. Find where to watch all of the racing action live in Mairiporã.
The final grains of sand are rumbling about the bottom of the hourglass – it’s nearly time to go racing yet again at the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series. And what a year it’s stacking up to be. For the Endurance stars there’s the small matter of Paris 2024 on the horizon and for the Gravity riders there are new venues aplenty. But who are the riders in the pack’s crosshairs? Who are the ones that they all want and need to beat? Here are the most dominant names heading into this brand-new season. Valentina Höll (The YT MOB) DHI (average finishing position last season: 3rd) The pre-season favourite did a number on her rivals and despite the late surge of Marine Cabirou (Scott DH Factory) it more often than not felt like the only rider capable of stopping Vale was Vale herself. An off-season switch to familiar surroundings (she had competed for six seasons on a YT already) will do little to tarnish her starting this season as the favourite in the Elite women’s field. Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity) DHI (average finishing position: 8th) The Elite men’s title race was a frenetic affair in 2023 with only one rider (Jackson Goldstone, Santa Cruz Syndicate) winning more than once and three out of seven races going the way of first year elites. But when you are as experienced and as wily as Loïc Bruni, you can use that diffuse spreading of the points to your advantage. The Frenchman won the overall title, his third, with many fans now salivating the resumption of hostilities between Bruni and his great rival, Amaury Pierron (Commencal MucOff by Riding Addiction), this season. Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck) XCC, XCO The biggest XC breakthrough since the 29in wheel, Pieterse made 2023 her own. She won the first XCO of the year in the Czech Republic. She added to that in Austria and Italy and then refused to drop below seventh place in either XC format anywhere else. A cyclocross femme fatale, Pieterse is one of the big Olympic favourites this season heading into Paris. There’s speculation that she’ll miss the opening rounds in Brazil to compete in the road classics but Puck is one of those athletes that should she be in attendance at any race she’ll be counted amongst the favourites. Nino Schurter (Scott SRAM MTB Racing) XCC, XCO ‘Only’ two UCI World Cup wins for Nino last season in XCO races in Lenzerheide and Val di Sole Trentino, but what a season and what a force. Still. The former was an exhibition display of just how untouchable the 37 year-old still is and sealed him the wins record of 34 UCI XC World Cups. Perhaps more worryingly for his competitors it’s the newly-found relaxed air around Schurter these days – he seems to be a rider content in winning titles over a season and not having to bulldoze every round. Luca Schwarzbauer (Canyon CLLCTV) XCC (average finishing position: 3rd) Three XCC wins and an almost omnipresence at the front of both XCC and XCO races saw Luca Schwarzbauer lay claim to being one of the breakthroughs of last season. He boasts unreal reserves of power couple with a singularity of focus which few can match. Schwarzbauer’s presence at the front of both formats is now well established, once he starts converting them into wins he will be a real danger man. Isabeau Courdurier (Lapierre Zipp Collective) EDR (average finishing position: 2nd) Four wins and then never finished outside of the top four for the rest of the year – that was the story of Isabeau Courdurier’s dominant 2023 campaign. It saw her seal her third Enduro overall title which put her deservedly into the history books. A win this season would put her in a class of one. She has openly talked about targeting the new UCI Enduro World Championships title and then potentially stepping away from the sport to start a family. Courdurier’s clarity of goal could make her even harder to stop than before. Richie Rude (Yeti Fox Racing Shox) EDR (average finishing position: 4th) Rude was never outside of the top 10 all season and grabbed one win in Derby before three further podiums. His previous overall titles came by ways of steamroller-like dominance of the 2015 and 2016 seasons. Last time out may not have featured just as many top steps but the relief having come so close to that third crown so many times since was palpable. A top 20 performance on the downhill bike to round out last year in Mont Sainte Anne may be enough to tempt the big man from Connecticut back into the ring this time out. Flo Espiniera (Orbea Fox Enduro Team) E-enduro (average finishing position: 1st) One of the most dominant performers of last season with no fewer than three out of five wins, Espiniera has been a beacon of success for the Spanish brand, Orbea. E-enduro remains perhaps the toughest place to win a UCI World Cup thanks to the meteoric pace of technical development in the sport. The Chilean who calls Whistler home will be back to take on 2024 and will remain the rider to beat. Fabien Barel (average finishing position: 8th) We’ve all done it. We’ve all got carried away on holiday and ended up taking something further than we meant to. Fabien Barel, two time UCI DHI World Champion, entered the opening round of the last season as ‘something to do’, won it and then, well, one thing lead to another and he ended up winning the UCI E-enduro World Cup overall. Just standard Fab stuff. Just another page in the history books. If he commits to falling down the same rabbit hole this season then he may take some stopping. Lejla Njemčević (Alle Bike) (average finishing position: 2nd) A win and two second places all but guaranteed Lelja the title with run round to go but she still clocked a fourth at the final stop in Snowshoe, WV. Njemčević’s exploits last season were one of the big good news stories of the season as she became the first person from Bosnia and Herzegovina to win a UCI World Cup race and then title. Often pugnacious and searingly open in her post-race interviews, she won a lot of fans last time out and will be hopeful of defending that title this season. Fabian Rabensteiner (Willier-Vittoria Factory) XCM (average finishing position: 5th) Rabensteiner snatched the title by boxing clever throughout the season having secured his one and only victory in Nove Mesto na Morave at round one. Without doubt he did it the hard way with a few titanic fight backs thrown into the mix but to win a UCI XCM World Cup, never mind a title, is far from easy. A fifth place alongside teammate Samuele Porro at the ABSA Cape Epic will not have been the top step he will have coveted but may just be fuel for the fire for the season opener. Don’t forget that we are only a couple of weeks away from the opening round of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series getting underway in Mairiporã, Brazil 12-14 April. Find out more here.
Benoit Coulanges pursues his dream of victory in this second episode of Until the Line. Faced with a dip in results and difficulty with managing the pressure, despite obvious speed, Benoit did not want to miss his chance again. As if by destiny, it was in Les Gets, on a track he loves the most that he achieved that first World Cup win that he wanted so bad! Come ready to ride, and join us in Fort William 03-05 May. Tickets are on sale now. Crédit : @commencalbikesFilm & Edit : @dorian.jouvenal
There isn't a moment to waste on the Cross-country World Cup circuit. Offseason preparation will be pivotal to Trek Factory Racing-Pirelli XC's success in one of the most pressure-filled seasons in the program's history. Go behind the scenes at team camp as the riders get fitted on their bikes, rack up miles on the road, and work their mountain bike skills in rain and shine so that they can accomplish their most ambitious goals this coming summer and fall. Catch the Trek Factory Racing-Pirelli Cross-country team in Mairiporã, Brazil 12-14 April for the start of the 2024 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series! Photos @rossbellphoto Video @wearepeny / @c.u.productions
As we approach the 2024 season, the Orbea FOX Enduro Team once again gears up to face the pinnacle of enduro racing. Following Flo Espiñeira’s nearly flawless season, having won the E-Enduro circuit on their Wild, they return this year wanting more. Martin Maes and Edgar Carballo have prepared this season with the same focus, more excited than ever to give their best in Enduro and E-Enduro. Throughout the winter, the team has been training and testing equipment in various conditions, fine-tuning their bikes to suit their individual needs and objectives. Enduro has evolved in a way where every fraction counts, which is why all the details are important and we must pay attention to them if we really want to fight for victory. This preseason, we have worked a lot on adapting the Orbea Rallon for Martin and Wild for Edgar and Flo, and we believe that we have reached the perfect settings for each rider. Primož Štrancar, Team Manager for the Orbea FOX Enduro Team. THE BEST EQUIPMENT, ANOTHER YEAR In the EDR category, Martin will use the newly updated Rallon, featuring new geometry, with a head angle of 63.5º, down from 64º, and increased travel, with the fork extending from 160mm to 170mm and the rear travel from 160mm to 167mm. These modifications make Rallon an even faster, more capable bike in high-level racing. As usual, Martin will configure his bike with different options within the range depending on the course and conditions, including 29” front and rear wheels or Mullet option, an air or coil shock, and other possible configurations. For E-Enduro, Flo and Edgar will once again rely on Wild, the most winning ebike in the industry to date. Both riders will continue to benefit from features such as the Bosch CX-R motor or Steep N Deep technology, which will complement the bike’s lightweight maneuverability. The team will sport Metallic Spark Silver as Wild’s primary color in 2024, accented with Anthracite Glitter and Pure Red. Rallon will also feature the Speed Heritage Faded Orange graphics. These colors and graphics are available through the MyO personalization platform and in any store. FOX remains a pillar of this project and has equipped the team with a FOX 38 fork on both Wild and Rallon. Oquo wheels also returns as a fundamental team sponsor for 2024, showcasing their performance and reliability even in the most challenging usage conditions. Moreover, the bikes will serve as a global platform to showcase all the available details and personalization options from MyO. Alongside these brands, Race Face, Bosch, Maxxis, FI’zi:k, Bluegrass, Met, Galfer and Crankbrothers are essential for the continued success of the Orbea FOX Enduro Team. Another crucial component to the team’s success is its staff. Primož Štrancar will continue to lead as Team Manager, supported by mechanics Eneko Prado and Gilles Frank, physical therapist Gregg Combes, and filmmaker Sandro Szukat. You can catch the Orbea FOX Enduro Team in the Finale Outdoor Region, for the first UCI Enduro World Cup of the season on the 10 - 12 May.
Come test out the latest Shimano components on a dedicated course at the Nevis Range on site at the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series Fort William event across 03-05 May. The Shimano Test Track will offer insights into the latest technological developments, with a chance to experience more than you're usually able to at your local dealer or in store. It's a great opportunity to give the latest components a try for yourself at the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series event and is completely free once you have accessed the event. Check and reserve a bike before you arrive, so you're ready to ride! New for 2024, visitors will be able to ride E-MTB's with the latest FREE SHIFT and AUTO SHIFT technology at the Shimano test track on site, with a team of experts on hand to answer any questions about the technology. Come ready to ride, and join us in Fort William 03-05 May. Tickets are on sale now.
One of the biggest pre-season WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series news stories has been the injury sustained by the Santa Cruz Syndicate’s Jackson Goldstone to his knee at Red Bull Hardline. For the first time, he has gone public about the extent of the injury admitting at the end of the first episode of his team’s new video series that he has torn both ACL and MCL ligaments on his left knee. The Canadian wrote his way into the history books becoming a two-time Elite winner in his first senior season last time out. Now, with round one of 2024 in Fort William only weeks away, the atmosphere is very different. With a second place to his name as a Junior in 2022 in the Scottish Highlands, Goldstone will have been hoping to get his season off to winning ways given the strength of his performances towards the end of the last campaign. Tickets for the opening round of the UCI Downhill World Cup in Fort William 03-05 May are on sale now.
