When 18 year-old Jordan Williams announced that he was leaving Madison Saracen at the end of the 2022 season rumours quickly swirled around just where he would be plying his trade in 2023. It has now been revealed that it will be from within one of the most talent-heavy pits at the UCI Downhill World Cup - Specialized Gravity Racing. Williams will now be pulling up a pew beside Loïc Bruni and Finn Iles, both of whom will arrive in Lenzerheide at the start of June in stellar form after big 2022’s. Bruni added yet another UCI World Championship title to his tally (his fifth) whilst Iles, the Canadian, would take his long overdue maiden UCI World Cup win at the Mont-Sainte-Anne Round in front of a partisan home crowd. The young Briton ended the year wrapped in the UCI World Championship rainbow stripes alongside five UCI World Cup wins to add to his already bristling domestic palmares of four British national titles. Fast Juniors are of course a fairly familiar occurrence in DHI as swathes of young talent prepare to make the difficult jump into Elites each year. There’s a definite sense however that both Williams and his great rival, Santa Cruz Syndicate’s Jackson Goldstone, are different. Throughout the 2022 season their times were staggering, often scarcely believable. For example, on the most treacherous of UCI World Cup stages, Val di Sole’s infamous Black Snake, Williams set the fastest qualifying time of the day beating every Elite rider in attendance in the process. It was performances like that which no doubt brought Specialized Gravity Racing to his door and all eyes will be on the Englishman to see if he can make good on their investment come Lenzerheide 08-11 June.
BMC are a brand that will be more than familiar to many Cross-country racing fans the world over. Under Julien Absalon and then Pauline Ferrand-Prevot, the Swiss marque became habitual inhabitants of the top step of the UCI World Cup podium. For the 2023 race season they have stepped things up to the next level with a full factory squad poised and ready to take on the amassed pro ranks with nothing short of winning ways being top of the agenda. Steffi Häberlin will compete in the elite women’s category whilst 2020 UCI World Champion, Jordan Sarrou, the winner of the final two UCI World Cups of 2022, Titouan Carod and Juri Zanotti heading up the elite men’s effort. Also in the squad is U23 hopeful Janis Baumann. Baumann has scored silver medals at both European and UCI World Championships level and is tipped by many for the top. They will be managed by ex-professional road rider, Amaël Moinard and will compete on the already extremely successful Fourstroke 01 and Twostroke 01 full-suspension and hardtail platforms. The team will also be working with Öhlins for their suspension needs. All eyes will be on Sarrou and Carod - the former needs to rekindle the kind of form that can see him dance past the world’s best on the toughest climbs whilst the latter will be one of the big form riders heading into the opening race of the season. Carod will arrive in Nové Město na Moravě knowing that he can beat the very fastest. Will 2023 be the year we see him make a run for the overall UCI World Cup title?!
After months of rumours, the Canyon CLLCTV Enduro Team are proud to announce reigning Enduro World Series Winner, Jesse Melamed, will be joining their Enduro roster in 2023. Racing alongside Dimitri Tordo and Jose Borges, Jesse will complete one of the most competitive teams on the Enduro circuit. Jesse took home the overall title from last year’s Enduro World Series, after a hotly contested season. Jesse has the full quiver of Canyon MTB's at his disposal, but will race the Spectral in Tasmania, before hopping on the Strive for the rest of the season. Picture: Sterling Lorence However, this isn’t the first time the Whistler local has finished as the highest ranked rider in the series. Jesse also came out on top at the conclusion of the 2020 race calendar, although on this occasion no title was awarded due to the shortened season. Technicalities aside, there is no doubt that in recent years Melamed has become one of the fastest Enduro racers on the planet. Jesse has shown incredible speed in the past seasons, and already his input and approaches to racing and finding speed on track have been super valuable. Without a doubt Jesse will add a vital dimension to the team. His great performances will help us get to the next level as one of the most inspiring teams on the UCI World Cup Enduro circuit. Team mentor, Fabien Barel. An all new setup for 2023 for the Enduro World Series champ. Picture: Sterling Lorence With a long list of victories and podium results since the very early days of the sport, the Canyon CLLCTV Enduro outfit is stoked to have another huge talent in the line-up. Joining the Canyon CLLCTV Team will hopefully give Jesse everything he needs to continue to battle for titles. Just 3 months to go until the season kicks off in Tasmania. Picture: Sterling Lorence I am stoked to be a part of the Canyon CLLCTV! Canyon is a brand that is passionate about racing and one that will always push the limits of what is possible, and that's an exciting journey to be a part of. I can't wait to see what we can achieve together. Jesse Melamed Ready to rip. Picture: Sterling Lorence Canyon CLLCTV Factory Enduro Team is lucky enough to work with some of the best partners in the biz on their hunt for glory. SRAM, RockShox, Troy Lee Designs, DT Swiss, Maxxis, Crankbrothers, Ergon, E-13, Chris King, Dynamic Bike Care and Maurten will support the team in 2023. The new season starts on the 25th of March, in Tasmania, Australia. Follow all the action from the team at https://www.instagram.co/canyon_cllctv/
Amateur entries for Maydena and Derby are now open! These two classic venues will play host to the first ever UCI Enduro World Cups - and you can be part of it! Each of these incredible venues will be offering amateur racing the day before the World Cup races - so you can hit the trails then watch the world’s fastest on the same stages the next day. Hit the links below to reserve your spot now! Click here to enter Maydena Click here to enter Derby ---------------------------------------------------------The race season is just around the corner - and you can be part of it. The 2023 race calendar kicks off with enduro, with not one, but two races in Tasmania, Australia. The first race of the year gets underway in Maydena, when this brand new venue will make quite the debut as it hosts the first ever UCI Enduro World Cup this March 25-26. Amateur racing is available at both Maydena and Derby to kick off the 2023 season. From here the series rolls straight into Derby the following weekend (March 31 - April 1). This iconic venue has featured on the Enduro World Series calendar in both 2017 and 2019 and became an instant classic, thanks to its incredible trail network and some of the rowdiest spectators in the sport’s history. And just like years gone by, it’s not only the pros who can get between the tapes at enduro races - amateur racing is available at both Maydena and Derby. Taking place the day before the World Cup races, these races are open to everyone with absolutely no pre-qualification requirements. These open races offer everyone the chance to test themselves on some of the exact same stages as the pros - who they can watch hit them the very next day. Australian native and three time Enduro World Champion, Sam Hill. And what’s more, the very fastest riders will be rewarded with UCI Enduro World Cup Qualifying points - the first step on the path to lining up alongside the pros at the highest level of the sport. Both the Maydena and Derby races will also offer e-bike categories in their amateur races. In order to enter either (or both!) race there’s some key information you need to know to make sure you secure your spot on the start line. Read the following carefully to ensure you know exactly how to get between the tapes in March. Blue Derby Mountain Bike Trails, Tasmania. In order to enter any of the amateur racing this year it’s mandatory to create an account on the UCI Mountain Bike World Series website. You can register an account from Wednesday, February 1st at 17:00 GMT onwards. If you’ve raced an Enduro World Series (EWS) event in the past and have an existing EWS account, this has been transferred to the new UCI Mountain Bike World Series website and can be claimed at login. If you’ve not raced before, simply create a new account. EWS membership and UCI licences are not required to take part in these races - but only riders with a UCI licence would be eligible to collect EDR World Cup qualifying points. As these races are likely to sell out fast, having your account set up in advance of entries going live means that when it’s time to enter you can just hit the button and secure your race space at the Enduro of Tasmania in Maydena and/or Derby. More information about Maydena is available here and Derby here. Good luck and see you on the start line!
French brand Lapierre have launched their new Lapierre Mavic Unity Team to mark a headline return to Cross-country racing after an 11 year absence from the top tier of Endurance racing. Partnered with the iconic French wheel manufacturer, Mavic, the squad's clear mission statement is to produce riders capable of shining at the Paris Olympics in 2024. The new team are proud of their 50/50 gender split headed up by Annie Last and Thomas Litscher. Joining them are Malene Degn, Isaure Medde, Sebastian Fini Carstensen and Erik Haegstad. The team has sprung from what was the KMC Orbea Ekoï outfit so already has established roots in the UCI World Cup pits. It’s a change in continuity! Both for the athletes and for the team: we are changing frame brands but we are continuing with the same values around a unifying project full of ambitions. We are proud to represent the Lapierre brand for its return to XCO competition, and we can continue with our historical partners such as Mavic, which is becoming a title sponsor. Céline Hutsebaut, Lapierre Mavic Unity Team Manager Last and Litscher are the two senior pros on the team, the Brit having won a UCI World Cup in Lenzerheide in 2017 and having claimed second in the UCI Cross-country Marathon World Cup last season. The Swiss rider claimed a bronze medal in Cross-country Short Track at the 2022 UCI World Championships in Les Gets. The Lapierre Mavic Unity Team will compete on either the Lapierre XR full-suspension machine or the lightweight Prorace hardtail.
The reigning British National DH Champion, Greg Williamson, has signed a deal to race with Madison Saracen for two years. The Inverness native has three top flight UCI World Cup podiums to his name and will be pitting alongside a former British Champ, Matt Walker under the guidance of experienced team manager, Will Longden. Williamson’s best result of 2022 came at the Fort William round of the UCI World Cup with a 14th place finish, something he will certainly be hoping to better when the iconic Highland venue hosts the UCI World Championships again this season. It will be Williamson’s first opportunity to race for the rainbow stripes on home soil as the last time the fabled track hosted cycling’s showcase event was back in 2007. I’m absolutely delighted to have signed with Madison Saracen. It has been a breath of fresh air having spent a decent amount of time away testing and training with the team already. Can’t thank them enough for making me feel welcome and comfortable on the bike so soon. Bring on the race season! Greg Williamson It’s fantastic that Greg is joining the team this year, as British Champion and a well-respected rider worldwide, he makes the perfect team mate to Matt Walker. Both have the experience and respect to bring the best out in each other and I’m sure we are going to have a lot of fun along the way. It’s a big year for the World Cup as Warner Brothers Discovery come in to rejuvenate the series with some exciting new changes and plans that we’re all looking forward to. Along with this, the World Championships in Fort William Scotland, Greg’s homeland, is going to be an amazing event and a focus of our racing year. Bring it on! Will Longden, Madison Saracen Team Manager Williamson and Walker will be part of a two pronged attack on the Gravity field with Madison having previously having announced their UK-based development squad under the guidance of former British pro Matt Simmonds. George Madley, Felix Griffiths and Liv Taylor will compete at domestic level with a full support package designed to help them progress through the ranks.
Luke and Remy Meier-Smith have confirmed that they will be racing for Giant Factory Off Road in the 2023 UCI World Cup season. The Australian brothers had been one of the great question marks remaining in the 2022/23 transfer window after a season which marked them out as two of the hottest properties in gravity. Remy’s season hit its high point with a silver medal racing as a Junior at the UCI World Championships in Les Gets, whilst older brother Luke clocked a 14th at the Lenzerheide round in the Elite class. In fact, it was only at the opening round in Lourdes that he finished outside of the top 20 all season, in only his second year competing in the top class. He was also crowned the U21 Enduro World Series champion having clocked five wins to his name. The pair had been riding for Ben Reid’s highly regarded Propain Factory Racing squad alongside Henry Kerr. It’s a real privilege to be joining the Giant Factory Off-Road Team for 2023 and beyond. I grew up riding Giant bikes, so it’s really cool to come back to where it all began. I’ve already spent a few weeks on the new bike and I’m absolutely loving it. Excited to put my head down during the off-season and come out swinging this year. Luke Meier Smith The siblings will join highly-regarded Frenchman, Remi Thirion on Giant Factory Off-Road in the downhill pits whilst the pairing of Youn Deniaud and McKay Vezina round out their gravity line up in enduro.
America’s Gwendalyn Gibson has signed a deal to race for Trek Factory Racing in 2023. The Californian was many pundits' breakthrough act of 2022. A status which was confirmed when she picked up a bronze medal at the UCI Cross-country Olympic World Championships in Les Gets at the end of the season. The 23 year-old had already impressed however - she won the Cross-country Short Track race in Snowshoe alongside a brace of top 10’s amidst a season in which she should have struggled. Gibson had suffered a broken kneecap earlier in the year which many predicted would purloin her to the sidelines until the end of the summer. After spending five years racing for the Norco Factory Racing squad, the young American joins a veritable powerhouse roster starring Jolanda Neff, Evie Richards, Maddie Munro, Vlad Dascalu, and Riley Amos. It remains unclear as to whether the Waterloo, Wisconsin squad will feel the need to bolster their numbers further ahead of the season getting underway this year.
Trek Factory Racing Downhill star, Charlie Harrison, has announced his retirement from professional downhill racing. The Trabuco, California native has had a tough couple of years with stellar results being tempered by tough battles with injuries. Harrison’s highest UCI World Cup finish was a superb third place at the 2019 UCI World Cup finals in Snowshoe, West Virginia. A badly broken arm suffered in practice for the 2021 Leogang round was the latest in a string of tricky injuries. It required surgery and came on the back of a wrist injury suffered at the same venue, on the same limb in 2019. Now the 25 year-old has decided to take a step away from racing stating that his time spent on the injury sidelines have given him renewed focus on family and that it has rekindled his love for riding. A statement on his social media accounts read: Hey guys. I’m announcing my retirement from professional racing. Over the last few seasons, my priorities have slowly shifted from being a World Cup racer to wanting to focus on family, life at home, and my next career. The last few seasons have been the toughest thing I’ve gone through mentally, and to be totally transparent, completely jaded my view of bikes. I became resentful, bitter, and fell out of love with the sport that means so much to me. Due to my retirement however, I’ve been able to fully reconnect to bikes, and completely rediscover the reasons why as a thirteen-year-old kid, I was completely gripped by this sport. I’m super excited to be able to share this complete story with you guys in the future. It was an absolute blessing to be able to race World Cups full time for six years, and the last four years onboard Trek Factory Racing was a once in a lifetime opportunity. They gave me everything that I could ever need to push my upper limit of possibilities. As a result of this amazing team, I was able to accomplish things on a bicycle that I never thought possible. It was a true honor to work alongside such professional and motivated individuals, and I was able to make some truly beautiful relationships from that. I’m forever grateful to have my name associated with such a world class team, and I’m beyond appreciative for their endless support over the last four years. I’m able to look back on my short career and just have such an appreciation for everything it included. Racing has taught me so many lessons to bring forward in life. It taught me to chase the heck out of your dreams, because you never know what they’ll turn into. It taught me how to deal with bad times, and how to get through them. It also taught me the importance of relying on other people to help get you through those times. This sport gave the world to me, and I’m so thankful for the friends, experiences, and moments that came from that. It’s hard to summarize seven seasons of elite World Cup racing into one caption, but to be able to live through that opportunity is something that I will forever cherish. Thank you to everyone that’s been a part of this beautiful journey. Charlie Harrison
UCI Mountain Bike World Cup to go through some of the biggest changes to the sport since its inception Cross-country Short Track (XCC) will now include a U23 category Downhill (DHI) to enjoy significant increase in broadcast and fan exposure thanks to the addition of a Semi Final The Enduro World Series (EWS) is elevated to UCI World Cup status and will be known as the UCI Mountain Bike Enduro World Cup (EDR) from 2023 Cross-country Marathon (XCM) also promoted to a UCI Mountain Bike World Cup from 2023 onwards with four new venues on next year’s calendar The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) are pleased to announce that the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup will be further extended from 2023 with the introduction of enduro and E-enduro to the calendar. This follows the recent announcement of the addition of cross-country marathon (XCM) to the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup. The existing Enduro World Series (EWS) is elevated to UCI World Cup status and will feature alongside cross-country Olympic (XCO), cross-country short track (XCC) downhill (DHI) and XCM. All enduro events on the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup will be one-day events. New at each round of enduro racing at the 2023 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup will be a points system for each timed Special Stage. An overall classification according to points won will decide the order of riders for the last Special Stage, with the rider who has accumulated most points setting off last. E-Enduro (E-EDR) follows the same principle but the courses will be slightly different, including challenging technical climbs suited to the attributes of an enduro E-mountain bike. The integration of enduro and E-enduro into the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup is another development for the discipline since the UCI’s partnership with ESO Sports and Discovery Sports Events, two of WBD Sports Europe’s specialist sport organisations. The integration of XCM into the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup programme and the introduction of Under 23 categories for the XCC were announced in September. Another enhancement to the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup from 2023 will be increased screen time for the Elite downhill competitions thanks to the introduction, at each downhill round, of a semi-final between the qualification and final. Featuring the top 60 Elite Men and top 15 Elite Women from qualifying, the downhill semi-final will see men outside the top 30 and women outside the top 10 enjoy broadcast coverage for the first time. Forty Elite riders (30 men and 10 women) will qualify for the final, where the goal is to broadcast each of the 40 runs in their entirety live on WBD platforms. In addition, thanks to the increased participation of Junior Women, a qualifying run will be introduced for this category, with the fastest 10 proceeding to the final. The Men Junior and Women Junior competitions will also be broadcast for the first time. View the full 2023 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup calendar. UCI President David Lappartient said: The UCI Mountain Bike World Cup has been delighting athletes and fans for more than 30 years with multiple rounds being held worldwide throughout the season. I am thrilled that this international series will also include enduro, E-enduro and cross-country marathon from 2023. These formats will add a new dimension to the reinvigorated series that is taking the mountain bike discipline to even greater heights. Also thanks to our partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery, the spectacular downhill racing will benefit from greater exposure that will enchant existing fans and attract new audiences. I cannot wait to witness this new extended UCI Mountain Bike World Cup from 2023. Chris Ball, CEO of ESO Sports, added: Mountain bike racing has reached an incredible level over the past few years and this latest evolution will allow the sport to change gear again and accelerate towards an exciting new future, celebrating the discipline in all its forms. With more racing in short track and a new semi-final in downhill, fans will be treated to more action than ever. The awarding of UCI World Cup status for enduro, E-enduro and cross-country marathon will also put a greater spotlight on these incredible mountain bike formats and allow us to both push the front end of racing whilst maintaining amateur participation at many of our events. Along with the UCI, we believe these changes will help broaden the appeal of mountain biking and enhance the race experience for athletes, teams and fans alike.”
UCI Mountain Bike World Series is the new home of UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in the formats of cross-country Olympic, cross-country short track, cross-country marathon, downhill and enduro and E-enduro The UCI Mountain Bike World Series brings the major formats together, unifying the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup experience for fans More year-round coverage on more platforms - more ways to follow your favourite teams and athletes than ever before The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) are pleased to announce the new UCI Mountain Bike World Series, which will include the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup for cross-country Olympic (XCO), cross-country short track (XCC), cross-country marathon (XCM), downhill (DHI), enduro (EDR) and E-enduro (E-EDR). The UCI Mountain Bike World Series will unite all mountain bike’s major formats under a single brand for the first time. The UCI Mountain Bike World Cup will be the pinnacle of this new structure, which will enable all formats to flourish independently but also sit side by side at select rounds and give athletes and teams additional exposure. The UCI Mountain Bike World Series will also provide opportunities for amateurs and those seeking to break onto the Elite stage. Amateur XCM, EDR and E-EDR racing at some events will enable amateurs to compete alongside their sporting heroes, while providing a clear pathway to the highest level of the sport for aspiring athletes in the quest of qualifying points to progress into the Elite ranks. This alignment of formats and racing will be perfectly showcased in September in Les Gets, Morzine and Châtel (France), hosts of the first ten-day UCI Mountain Bike World Series festival. Featuring all the major UCI Mountain Bike World Cup formats, as well as amateur racing, the festival will set the benchmark for this new era for mountain biking. With one of the world’s biggest sports broadcasters behind the UCI Mountain Bike World Series, there will be more live coverage and more ways to follow racing than ever before. UCI World Cup XCO, XCC and DHI events from the UCI Mountain Bike World Series will be available live and on-demand on discovery+*, the Eurosport App and globally on GCN+. UCI World Cup XCM, EDR and E-EDR will benefit from in-depth Highlights Shows at every round. More ways to watch will be announced in the coming months. UCI President David Lappartient said: The global popularity of mountain bike is on the rise, and by combining all its major formats as well as racing for Elite and amateur riders in one major series, we will further increase the appeal of this discipline. With its festival atmosphere, mix of racing and expanded live coverage, the UCI Mountain Bike World Series offers a fresh and appealing experience for athletes, hardened fans and newcomers to the mountain bike community. Chris Ball, CEO of ESO Sports, said: By creating a single global platform that unifies the major racing formats with UCI World Cup status for the first time, the new UCI Mountain Bike World Series will also allow for the integration and growth of amateur, pathway and festival events to UCI World Cup racing. Our long-term goal is to elevate the major racing formats of the UCI World Cup, taking the athletes and teams to a new level. We also want to maintain the ability to entertain and engage mountain bikers at all levels. The future is incredibly exciting and we are honoured to usher in a new era of the sport. *Streaming is available on discovery+ in Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the UK and Ireland.
France’s Amaury Pierron, the reigning UCI DHI World Cup overall title holder, has suffered a broken collarbone and has already undergone surgery. Pierron had a stellar 2022 campaign with four UCI World Cup races and a UCI World Championships silver medal heading his way. Now, only a month into the off-season, he is having to convalesce in what he took to social media to describe as ‘forced rest’. In the post on his Instagram page, the Frenchman stated that, “Surgery went well, and I already can’t wait for the adventure ahead." Pierron, who rides for the Commencal Muc-Off by RA squad, has had his battles with injuries over recent years but there was nothing in his post that seemed to state any particular complications or issues with his most recent hurdle. The post negated to state when or how the injury was sustained. The good news for the two-time overall title holder is that time is on his side in terms of recuperation with the first round of the UCI MTB World Series coming 9-11 June in Lenzerheide, Switzerland.
The revised 2023 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup Calendar is announced, including a historic 10 day festival in Les Portes du Soleil (Les Gets, Morzine & Châtel), in the Haute-Savoie region and four new UCI World Cup Cross-country marathon venues. Haute-Savoie region, France, to be the first venue to host UCI Mountain Bike World Cup for Downhill and Cross-country as well as Enduro, Marathon and E-Enduro across two action-packed weekends Les Portes du Soleil, within the Towns of Les Gets, Châtel and Morzine to host competitions Four new venues announced for Cross-country Marathon Five round E-Enduro calendar launched The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) are pleased to reveal the final details of the 2023 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup Calendar. One of the flagship events on next year's calendar will be a first in the history of the sport with a ten-day all-encompassing festival featuring all formats of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup, taking place from September 7 - 17. Taking place in the Haute-Savoie region, cross-country Olympic (XCO), cross-country short track (XCC) and downhill (DHI) will take place in Les Gets, while cross-country marathon and enduro will be based in Châtel and Morzine. The Haute-Savoie region has hosted no less than six rounds of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in the past, as well as the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships twice in Les Gets, most recently in August this year. However, the 2023 edition will be the first time the Portes du Soleil has brought all the major mountain bike formats together in a single event. This major venue will host multi-format races combined with a festival atmosphere designed to entertain fans and gather the mountain bike industry into one space. For the first time, this will happen across back-to-back weekends. With these major formats united in a single area, riders, teams and fans can look forward to more racing than ever before. UCI President David Lappartient said: “With the incredible images and atmosphere of the 2022 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Les Gets still in our minds, we can only look forward to returning to Haute-Savoie next year for the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup. “This area has repeatedly demonstrated its commitment to our sport, and with this major combined event we will again benefit from the fantastic organisation and enthusiastic welcome that characterises the region of Haute-Savoie, which will host our second UCI Cycling World Championships, in 2027.” Martial Saddier, President of Conseil départemental de la Haute-Savoie, France, added: “We thank the UCI and Warner Bros. Discovery once again for their trust. Congratulations to the Portes du Soleil (Les Gets, Morzine and Châtel) for establishing themselves as the mountain bike reference. The Haute-Savoie will be there!” Also announced today is the calendar for cross-country marathon (XCM) and e-enduro (EDR-E), both of which have been designated UCI Mountain Bike World Cup status from 2023 onwards. Kicking off the XCM calendar will be Nové Mesto Na Morave in the Czech Republic, followed by Finale Ligure in Italy, Châtel/Morzine in France and Snowshoe in the USA. Meanwhile, EDR-E will join XCM in that most famous of enduro venues, Finale Ligure, to get their season underway, before heading to Leogang in Austria. It’s back to Italy for round three and the stunning surroundings of Val di Fassa Trentino, before heading to France for rounds four and five. Loudenvielle in the Pyrenees will accommodate round four before concluding the series in style in Châtel/Morzine as part of the flagship ten day Haute-Savoie festival. As part of WBD and the UCI’s commitment to participation and creating pathways into elite levels of sport, amateur racing will also be on offer in both enduro and cross-country marathon next season. All four rounds of cross-country marathon will have open racing categories, meaning there are no pre-qualification requirements for entry. In enduro, six of the seven venues will have amateur racing on offer in both traditional enduro and e-enduro. They are; Maydena, Derby, Finale Ligure, Val di Fassa Trentino, Loudenvielle and Châtel/Morzine. All of the traditional enduro rounds will offer UCI ranking points, rewarding the best placed riders with the opportunity to advance to the elite competition. Warner Bros. Discovery was appointed to advance the sport of mountain biking as part of an eight-year agreement in June 2022. They will deploy their extensive assets and expertise, including Discovery Sports Events and ESO Sports, to elevate mountain biking to the next level and reach a global audience. This new vision for the sport will provide a brighter spotlight for the different formats within mountain biking, including a number of rule changes across the sport which were announced last week.
Kasper Woolley has parted ways with Yeti Cycles’ after three seasons aboard the turquoise marque. The Squamish local is one of the enduro world’s biggest young talents and his move away from Yeti OneUp Components, the satellite squad to Yeti/FOX Factory Team, marks the end of an injury blighted time with the team. Woolley pulled off no fewer than five top 10’s in 2021 before an extremely disappointing 2022. At EWS Tweed Valley he injured his T6 Vertebrae fracture, a fractured scapula and a concussion. After rehabilitating from that, he then suffered another horror crash closer to home in Whistler where he collided with another rider on a pump track which resulted in a broken and dislocated jaw and a type 3 occipital condyle fracture to the top of his spine. Kasper Woolley has yet to confirm who he’ll be riding for in 2023 when the enduro season kicks off in Tasmania.
French star Victor Koretzky and Chilean prodigy Martín Vidaurre have both put pen to paper for Specialized Racing ahead of the 2023 season. Koretzky has been open that his deal came together late in the day having already signed with Bora Hansgrohe on the road but, with the overlap of Specialized machinery between the two squads, it was one that made perfect sense. The 28 year-old may well be an early season threat too as he’ll be ‘fresh’ from an intensive set of road training camps and one-day races. I aim to be in good form early in the season and perform well at these road races before turning my attention to the MTB. The world championships in Scotland will be significant to qualify for the 2024 games, and I will give everything to achieve this goal. Viktor Koretzky In Chilean Martín Vidaurre the Morgan Hill concern has snapped up one of the emerging stars of Cross-country racing. The 22 year-old has blazed a trail through the U23 ranks and is the reigning UCI World Cup overall title holder having taken seven wins in 2022. The 2023 season will be his first in Elite and is one of the most hotly anticipated debuts in recent memory. I am happy and very excited to join the Specialized Factory Racing Team. So many factors influenced my decision, but Specialized is a racing company, one of the best out there, and I am sure I made the best decision for me. The bikes have a good history, and the team knows how to win. On the other side is Specialized's big community in Sudamerica. For sure is not going to be easy; there is a lot to learn, but I will keep my style and try something crazy. I have no significant pressure, so it's time to take opportunities and get more experience. My goal will be consistent the whole season. Martin Vidaurre Specialized Racing now stands as one of the most heavily star studded rosters in the Cross-country pits with their latest signings joining Haley Batten, Laura Stigger, Sina Frei and Christopher Blevins.
