The WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series is in full flow following back-to-back UCI World Cup rounds in May that saw the world’s best Gravity athletes take to the trails of Pietra Ligure - Finale Outdoor Region in Italy and Poland’s Enduro Trials of Bielsko-Biała. The action isn’t letting up yet either as we reach the halfway point of five consecutive race weekends and the return of the Endurance formats at Czechia’s Nové Mĕsto Na Moravĕ venue. We look at everything you need to know about the Nové Mĕsto Na Moravĕ round of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series races, 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 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series round in Nové Mĕsto Na Moravĕ, Czechia, starts with the Women U23 XCC at 9:50 (UTC+2) on Saturday, May 24 and concludes with the MenU23 XCO at 16:00 (UTC+2) on Sunday, May 25. Below are the key timings for race weekend. All times are UTC+2 (EST+6/BST+1/CEST): Saturday, May 24 9:50 – UCI XCC World Cup | Women U23 10:30 – UCI XCC World Cup | Men U23 11:30 – UCI XCC World Cup | Women Elite 12:10 – UCI XCC World Cup | Men Elite Sunday, May 25 10:00 – UCI XCO World Cup | Women Elite 12:00 – UCI XCO World Cup | Men Elite 14:00 – UCI XCO World Cup | Women U23 16:00 – UCI XCO World Cup | Men U23 WHERE CAN I WATCH? You can watch all the action from the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series round in Nové Mĕsto Na Moravĕ, Czechia, wherever you are in the world. Both the Men and Women U23 UCI XCO World Cup 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 – Flobikes USA – Max South & Central America: MTBWS TV Asia Indonesia, Macao, Malaysia, Mongolia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand – Eurosport Other Asian territories – MTBWS TV Oceania Australia – Stan Sport New Zealand – MTBWS TV Africa Angola, Burundi, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Cape Verde, Cote d'lvoire, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial, Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mayotte, Mozambique, Mali, Mauritania, Namibia, Nigeria, Niger, Reunion, Rwanda, South Africa, Eswatini, São Tome and Principe, St Helena and Ascension, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Seychelles, Socotra, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zimbabwe, and Zambia – Supersport All African territories – MTBWS TV Europe Andorra – MAX, Eurosport Austria – discovery+, Eurosport Belgium – HBO Max, Eurosport and LN24 (only Men’s Elite XCO race live) Bosnia & Herzegovina – Max, Eurosport Bulgaria – Max, Eurosport Croatia – Max, Eurosport Czechia – Max, Eurosport and CT Sport Denmark – Max, Eurosport Faroe Islands – Max, Eurosport France – Max, Eurosport and La Chaine L’Equipe (Live Men’s XCO only) Germany – discovery+, Eurosport Hungary – Max, Eurosport Ireland – TNT Sports Italy – discovery+, Eurosport Moldova – Max, Eurosport Montenegro – Max, Eurosport Netherlands – HBO Max, Eurosport North Macedonia – Max, Eurosport Norway – Max, Eurosport Poland – Max, Eurosport Portugal – Max, Eurosport Romania – Max, Eurosport Serbia – Max, Eurosport Slovakia – Max, Eurosport Slovenia – Max, Eurosport Spain – Max, Eurosport Sweden – Max, Eurosport Switzerland – SRF/RSI and MTBWS TV Türkiye – Max, Eurosport United Kingdom – discovery+, TNT Sports All other European territories – MTBWS TV RIDERS TO WATCH After April’s first two UCI XCO and XCC World Cup rounds of the 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series, a handful of riders have already made strong cases in their pursuit of the overall titles. In the women’s field, Samara Maxwell (Decathlon Ford Racing Team) has been the surprise package, claiming her and New Zealand’s first Women Elite UCI XCO World Cup win in round one and following it up with second place six days later. The Kiwi already has a 100-point series lead over Jenny Rissveds (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) – the 2016 Olympics gold medalist leading a chasing pack featuring Nicole Koller (Ghost Factory Racing) and Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing - Pirelli). The standings could get shaken up this Sunday though with XCO UCI World Champion Puck Pietrse (Alpecin-Deceuninck) making her 2025 series bow and reigning UCI XCO and XCC World Cup overall series winner Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon) plotting a return to form after a disappointing round two in Araxá. For the men, Christopher Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing) tops both championships having finished first and second in the two UCI XCO World Cup rounds in Brazil, where he also took the two UCI XCC World Cup victories. The American is in the form of his life, and similar results in Nové Mĕsto Na Moravĕ would see him build a significant lead after just three rounds. XCC UCI World Champion Victor Koretzky (Specialized Factory Racing) isn’t used to playing second fiddle but has only been able to get the better of Blevins once this year, while their team-mates Martin Vidaurre Kossmann and Adrien Boichis (Specialized Factory Racing) make it a four-rider shut out for the American manufacturer at the top of the standings. Jordan Sarrou (BMC Factory Racing), Alan Hatherly (Giant Factory Off-Road Team-XC) and Nino Schurter (Scott-SRAM MTB Racing Team) are the best of the rest, with the Swiss G.O.A.T targeting a record-extending seventh win in the UCI XCO World Cup at the Czech venue. To do so though, he’ll have to get the better of Mathieu Van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) – the Dutchman starting his first UCI World Cup since 2021 this weekend. The 2023 UCI World Champion in the road race, 2024 Gravel UCI World Champion and seven-time Cyclo-cross UCI World Champion is targetting an elusive XCO rainbow jersey this summer and gets his off-road campaign underway in Czechia. While road cycling commitments mean he’s unlikely to compete for the overall, expect the multi-discipline master to be a favourite of any UCI World Cup event he enters, including both races this weekend. Racing gets underway on Saturday, May 24 in Nové Mĕsto Na Moravĕ. Full schedule and event details are available HERE.
Following back-to-back rounds of Gravity-fuelled action in the Enduro Trails of Bielsko-Biała (Poland), this weekend sees the return of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series’ Cross-country contests after a six-week break as the Endurance competitions descend on Nové Mĕsto Na Moravĕ (Czechia). If April’s Brazilian double-header in Araxá, Minas Gerais was the season’s South American appetiser, then the third round is the start of the series’ European entrée. And it’s kicking off at an iconic spot – the Vysočina Arena course, an annual staple in the UCI Cross-country Olympic (XCO) World Cup schedule every year since 2011, except in 2016 when it hosted the UCI Mountain Bike XCO World Championships. Two hours southwest of the Czech capital Prague in the region of Vysočina, Nové Mĕsto Na Moravĕ has built a reputation for fast, frantic racing, with huge support present around the course and in the start/finish straight’s grandstand arena. And this year is set to be no different. FAST AND FURIOUS COURSE Both the XCO and cross-country short track (XCC) races feature incredibly technical courses that take in the area’s picturesque forests and countryside before riders cross the start-finish line in front of the arena’s raucous grandstand. Punchy climbs are followed by fast, tricky descents and there’s little let-up for the riders. Nino Schurter’s (Scott-SRAM MTB Racing Team) six XCO wins (including one at the UCI World Championship) make him the most successful men’s rider of all time in Nové Mĕsto Na Moravĕ. While the G.O.A.T could extend his record this weekend, Tom Pidcock’s (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team) run of four consecutive XCO wins will definitely come to an end – the Brit’s absence to ride the Giro d’Italia meaning there will be a different men’s XCO winner for the first time since 2020. ALL EYES ON VAN DER POEL AND PIETERSE Reigning XCO UCI World Champion Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck) returns to mountain biking after a full Spring Classics season on the road where she didn’t finish outside the top 10, winning La Flèche Wallonne Féminine and podiuming at Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes and Amstel Gold Race Ladies Edition. Her team-mate Mathieu Van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) is arguably the most eye-catching name on the start list though. The Dutchman hasn’t raced off-road since September 2023 and last lined up at a UCI World Cup at Nové Mĕsto Na Moravĕ in 2021. But with sights set on an illusive XCO title at the UCI Mountain Bike World Championship in 2025 and one eye on the Olympic Games in LA 2028, the multi-discipline star is adding flat bar racing to his racing program after four years predominately focused on the road. It’s not a foregone conclusion for Pieterse and Van der Poel. Samara Maxwell (Decathlon Ford Racing Team) is the woman to beat from the first two rounds, winning her first UCI XCO World Cup at the season opener in Araxá and following it up with second place six days later. Jenny Rissveds (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) also looks back to her 2016 Olympic-winning best, while Nicole Koller (Ghost Factory Racing), Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing - Pirelli) and Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon) are likely to be in contention in Czechia. The men’s competition meanwhile is the Specialized Factory Racing show – the American team’s riders occupying the top four spots in the XCO overall table. Christopher Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing) is in the form of his life, almost completing a perfect double-header in Araxá with his second place in round one’s XCO race the only time he wasn’t on the top spot. Victor Koretzky (Specialized Factory Racing) has carried his strong season-ending form through to 2025 and will push his team-mate every pedal stroke of the way. Others outside the Specialized stable worth keeping an eye on are record-holder and age-defier Schurter and Riley Amos (Trek Factory Racing - Pirelli) – the first-year Elite rider did the U23 XCO-XCC double in 2024. In the XCC, UCI World Champion Evie Richards has a 100% record this year and in previous Nové Mĕsto Na Moravĕ events – winning both UCI XCC World Cups at the venue in 2020. If she claims first this weekend, the Brit will equal Annika Langvad’s 2018 record of winning the opening three UCI XCC World Cup rounds. Again, expect Koller, Maxwell and Keller to be fighting the rainbow bands for the lead in the shortened format. In the men’s competition, Blevins and XCC UCI World Champion Koretzky went 1-2 at both races in Brazil, and the American could become the first rider to ever win the opening three rounds with victory in Czechia. But with 10 XCC wins to his name and red-hot form on the road and cyclo-cross bike this Spring, the most successful short-track rider of all time Van der Poel will fancy his chances. Racing gets underway in Nové Mĕsto Na Moravĕ on Saturday with the U23 UCI XCC World Cup. Full schedule and events details are available here.
The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) Sports can confirm that 16 wildcard teams – eight cross-country and eight downhill – have been selected for round seven of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series in Saalfelden Leogang - Salzburgerland (Austria) on June 5-8. While all eight teams that applied for a Downhill spot secured a wildcard, only eight Cross-country teams were selected from 18 applicants. Most of the teams qualified via the new wildcard system will be making their second or third appearance in the series for their respective formats, but there will be a first appearance for Future Frameworks Team in the UCI Downhill World Cup. The newly formed sister squad to WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series Team Frameworks Racing/5Dev, is focused on up-and-coming talent and made up of first-year Juniors Jack McCredie and Zanna Logar, and second-year Junior Benny De Vall. Elsewhere, in Cross-country, KTM Factory MTB Team and Lexware Mountainbike Team continue their 100% attendance record so far in the 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series, while Goodman Santacruz, Rogue Racing – SR Suntour, Team High Country and Kenda NS Bikes UR Team do the same in downhill. One rider who has qualified via the wildcard system worth keeping an eye on is Aaron Gwin (Gwin Racing). The American legend has four UCI World Cup victories at the Austrian venue during his storied career, including an iconic finals run from 2015 where his bike’s chain snapped when coming out of the start hut and he still somehow went on to win. The 16 wildcard teams for round 7 of the 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series in Saalfelden Leogang - Salzburgerland are: UCI Cross-country World Cup: KTM Factory MTB Team BIXS Performance Race Team Lexware Mountainbike Team Massi Scott Creuse Oxygene Gueret Trek Future Racing Cabtech Racing Team Trinity Racing UCI Downhill World Cup: Goodman Santacruz Gwin Racing Rogue Racing – SR Suntour Team High Country Kenda NS Bikes UR Team YT Racing Development The Alliance Future Frameworks In addition to hosting round 4 of the UCI Cross-country World Cup and round 3 of the UCI Downhill World Cup, Austria’s largest bike region Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn will also stage round 4 of the UCI Enduro World Cup, one week after a trip to Loudenvielle-Peyragudes in France.
Tahnée Seagrave (Orbea / FMD Racing) and Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity) defied appalling conditions in the Szczyrk Mountain Resort (Poland) to claim the opening round of the UCI Downhill World Cup in sensational style. Bruni triumphed by a nail-biting 0.156 seconds over Oisin O’Callaghan (YT MOB), redemption for the Frenchman who lost out by an even tighter margin last year in Bielsko-Biała to another Irishman, Ronan Dunne (Mondraker Factory Racing DH), and won a race to recover from a collarbone injury just to compete in Poland. The 2024 UCI Downhill World Cup overall winner was the last rider down the starting ramp to round out a fraught day that featured plenty of spills to match the thrilling finish, and he produced an almost perfect run to depose O’Callaghan who looked set for victory. Seagrave put the women’s elite field on notice, announcing this is the first step in a tilt at the overall title after struggling with her own injury problems in recent years, as only Anna Newkirk (Frameworks Racing / 5DEV) could get anywhere close to her. SEAGRAVE CONQUERS SNOW AND THE FIELD It was a sign of the challenging conditions facing riders in Poland that Veronika Widmann (Mondraker Factory Racing DH) was the first woman to make it down the course in one piece as the third starter. Lisa Bouladou (Goodman Santa Cruz) hit trouble just before the flat section, and Phoebe Gale (Orbea / FMD Racing) lost traction after slipping on a boardwalk bridge at the top. Utah-born Newkirk set the benchmark immediately after Widmann, powering (and at times scooting) into the lead a staggering 17 seconds quicker than the Italian. Only four other riders finished within ten seconds of Newkirk as a first UCI World Cup win looked more and more likely with Marine Cabirou (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team), Nina Hoffmann (Santa Cruz Syndicate) and Gloria Scarsi (MS Racing) all came and went in slower times - the latter rocking a belt-driven gearbox chasing the €100,000 prize for winning a round on that equipment. However, the dream died when Seagrave entered the snowstorm. Riding the route as if it were dry, the Brit was fastest through the opening three time checks and though she lost time on the tail end of her run and nearly went over her handlebars at one stage, it was still enough to set a scorching time of 3:34.340. Reigning UCI Downhill World Cup champion, Valentina Höll had no answer for YT MOB - lacking the aggression of Seagrave she finished in fifth at seven seconds down on the tenacious 29-year-old Brit. “Because of the conditions my brakes weren’t working very well so I think that helped,” Seagrave said. “You’ve just got to make the best of it, I kept pumping the brake to make it work. I had a little sketchy moment at the end because I forgot to do that, but glad I managed to put it together. “I don’t think it’s too early [to think about overall], I feel the healthiest I have been and I’m back from a series of horrible injuries. I’ve had a couple of years to get back into it and I’m ready to give it my all again.” BRUNI EDGES OUT O’CALLAGHAN BY NARROWEST OF MARGINS The fight between Bruni and O’Callaghan came right down to the wire with the Frenchman losing a second between the last two intermediate time checks, then clinging onto his tenth of a second advantage to avoid a second agonising defeat in as many years in Poland. Staying on the bike proved half the battle with a host of riders hitting the deck while they sat in the green on the timing screens, the slightly improved weather conditions for the men’s race cajoling more risks and the corresponding rise in incidents. Danny Hart (Norco Race Division) rolled back the years to set the first competitive time of the day but it was Amaury Pierron(Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) who was the story until the final stages. The sixth starter of the afternoon blew the rest of the field away with a time of 3:05.675 and would go on to finish third as the only other rider within a second of Bruni. For over an hour, it looked like it’d be even better. Plenty started stronger than Pierron but whether it was Benoit Coulanges’ dropped chain for Scott Downhill Factory or Ronan Dunne, Andreas Kolb (YT MOB), Thibaut Daprela (Rogue Racing - SR Suntour) and Luca Shaw (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) all losing control while ahead, no one could put together the complete run. Lachlan Stevens-McNab went the same way for Trek Factory Racing DH in arguably the most dramatic fashion of all as he was ejected from his bike midway through the course - the second year in a row he’s bit the dust while on track for the lead. Richie Rude (Yeti / Fox Factory Race Team) was perhaps the closest to besting Pierron before O’Callaghan’s run, carrying some outrageous speed through the tightest sections of the Polish course on his return to Downhill after winning back-to-back Enduro UCI World Cup titles. This season the American has switched his focus to the pure gravity discipline, like 2024 women’s overall UCI Enduro World Cup winner Harriet Harnden (AON Racing - Tourne Campervans) who qualified third but bottomed out on her final run and finished half a minute adrift. Rude had no such trouble, igniting the competition with his hair-raising run that finished just seven tenths behind Pierron. The Frenchman was finally overthrown by ‘Double O’ though, O’Callaghan producing a magical run and celebrating joyfully as he crossed the line and saw he’d moved into first - a position he kept until the very last run of the day as Bruni proved inevitable. “Last season was a bit stinky with finishing so close to the win,” Bruni said. “I didn’t think I had it in me with the offseason a bit complicated and the weather being so far from my favourite conditions but I just kept on riding.’’ “To me it was not so perfect, it was really rough, and I was getting caught off guard with the braking. I just had to give everything.” With this podium Loïc Bruni equals his hero, Nicolas Vouilloz, with 44 career trips to the rostrum though he was quick to play down his own achievements compared to the French legend. O’Callaghan added on watching Bruni’s run: “It definitely gets the heart racing more than the run. Woah it was tight, I was on the edge of the seat but good start, can’t complain really.” ALRAN AND JENSEN SET THE PACE IN JUNIORS Max Alran (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding) showed he still reigns supreme in Men’s Junior UCI Downhill World Cup, but was pushed all the way by a new crop of challengers led by Tyler Waite (Yeti / Fox Factory Race Team). Last down the ramp, Alran skated home just eight tenths ahead of Waite while Oli Clarke (MS-Racing) made it a Kiwi double-podium while another compatriot took fourth place - Waite’s teammate Jonty Williamson. Asa Vermette (Frameworks Racing / 5DEV) had a disappointing first round of the year, trailing home tenth after the UCI World Championship qualified second, but he was still only seven seconds back in a compact field led by Alran. Alran said: “Really stoked, not the easiest run but made it to the bottom first so really happy. What a way to start the season! The bike worked good, vision was good, so yeah… really happy.” With defending UCI World Champion and UCI World Cup overall winner Erice van Leuven (Norco Race Division) still recovering from a crashthat returned multiple broken bones, the Women’s Junior category was up for grabs and it was Denmark’s Rosa Maria Jensen who laid down the first marker of the season. “I just won my first UCI World Cup! I’m starting to believe it now, it’s the best day of my life, I’m so so happy and to be here with the team and family is something I’ll never forget,” Jensen said. Jensen was the class of the field, beating Lina Frener and Eliana Hulsebosch by five seconds ahead of Van Leuven potentially returning next time out in Loudenvielle-Peyragudes. The French Pyrenees will host another gravity double-header in a fortnight’s time, after three home riders took victory in 2024. However, before that, the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series heads to an iconic stop in Nové Město Na Moravě. The Czech staple of the European leg will feature the return of the UCI Cross-country Olympic and Short Track World Cup competitions that got started in such dramatic fashion in Araxá, Brazil as Christopher Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing), Samara Maxwell (Decathlon Ford Racing Team) and Evie Richards (Decathlon Ford Racing Team) will look to defend or even extend their overall leads from May 23-25.
Slawomir Lukasik (Yeti / Fox Factory Team) and Elly Hoskin secured their first Elite wins in the second round of the UCI Enduro World Cup at the Enduro Trails of Bielsko-Biała (Poland). Lukasik was dominant throughout the five stages of the Men's race, while it was a more dramatic affair in the Women’s race as Hoskin claimed victory after Raphaela Richter crashed out. LUKASIK DAZZLES ON HOME TURF Lukasik made an early statement of intent, being fastest on stage one. The Polish rider posted a time of 4:30.014 - and he never relinquished his advantage. The Yeti / Fox Factory Team rider finished over three seconds ahead of Gregory Callaghan on stage one. Plenty of eyes were on Daniel Booker who went into the second race of the season off the back of a win in the opening event at Pietra Ligure. He came from behind to secure victory in Italy, but there was never any sign of a repeat in Poland after he came home in fifth on the first stage of Cygan, 6.312 seconds behind Lukasik. In a show of strength, Lukasik was quickest on stage two. On the Dziabar trail, which had the largest vertical drop at 485m, he clocked a time of 6:27.456. Louis Jeandel (Lapierre Gravity Collective) was second on the stage, 1.519 behind Lukasik, and his run was enough to catapult him up from third to second after two stages. Booker lost further ground and dropped to 11th after two stages, over 22 seconds adrift of Lukasik, while Callaghan went from second to fourth - with Jack Moir (YT Mob) climbing to third. Lukasik, who was narrowly beaten into second in the opening race of the season, extended his advantage by securing first place on stage three, albeit by only 0.511 from Marco Osborne of the United States. Jeandel retained second place overall but saw his deficit increase to over 11 seconds, while Callaghan returned to the top three - 11.439 behind the leader. It was another disappointing stage for Booker, who came home in 13th on the Debowiec trail to drop over 30 seconds behind Lukasik in 11th. Stage four did not go to Lukasik as he was overshadowed by Moir, who took the top spot on the DH+ trail with a time of 3:23.138. Lukasik took 14th on the stage, 8.332 behind Moir, and it left him with an advantage of 4.846 over Callaghan going into the final leg. Any thoughts of Lukasik cracking on Stary Zielony were quickly snuffed out, as he produced a strong performance to take second on the stage, with Moir again topping the timing sheets. Lukasik’s overall time of 23:26.591 was enough for victory over Moir by 6.040, with Callaghan completing the podium in third. It was an afternoon to forget for last week’s winner, as Booker finished in 95th. Race winner Lukasik said: “It was crazy. I still can’t believe. It was a really stressful day, but finally I got the win. It was a great day, but a really stressful one. The home crowd was so crazy. I am so stoked.” HOSKINS SHINES AS RICHTER SUFFERS MISFORTUNE There was drama in the Women’s UCI Enduro World Cup race, as Raphaela Richter crashed out from the lead going into the final leg which allowed Hoskin to take her first race win. Germany’s Richter won the first stage and followed that up in the fourth, but her hopes of victory were dashed as she came down with what was reported to be a dislocated shoulder. Richter was locked in a tense battle with Hoskin for the top spot, but the German’s departure allowed the Canadian to coast home. Ella Conolly of Great Britain took the fifth stage in a time of 4:40.328, which was narrowly ahead of Hoskin. Despite missing out on the fifth stage, Hoskin had the final say as her combined time of 26:46.980 was good enough for the race win by a comfortable margin of over 45 seconds from Conolly. Morgane Charre (Pivot Factory Racing) took third place, 51.854 off the winner. No other rider got within a minute of Hoskin. Race winner Hoskin said: “It was really fun day out there, really mucky and slippery. There was no snow, which was a little bit different from practice, but I managed to enjoy it and I think people had a lot of fun out there. I certainly did.” JUNIOR ACTION AND ENDURO OPEN Tommy Bougon led home a one-two for France in the Men’s Junior UCI Enduro Enduro World Cup. Bougon was never out of the top four at any stage on the course and found pace on the run for home as he clocked a winning time of 25:17.223. Last week’s winner Melvin Almueis took second, 2.393 behind Bougon, while third went to New Zealand’s Cooper Millwood. Victory in the Junior Women’s event went to Slovenian talent Nezka Libnik, who came home in a time of 29:08.568. Lacey Adams, from Australia, was second in a time of 29:40.007, with American Chloe Bear in third. A total of 115 riders took part in the Enduro Open event, testing their fitness, racing skills, and on-the-fly bike fixes on the Enduro Trails of Bielsko-Biała—the same weekend and terrain as the UCI Enduro World Cup. The event wasn’t limited to Enduro bikes, with dedicated E-enduro categories that pushed both riders and their battery-assisted machines to the limit. HÖLL AND BRUNI SET THE PACE IN BIELSKO-BIAŁA UCI DOWNHILL WORLD CUP QUALIFYING In the opening round of the 2024 UCI Downhill World Cup in Bielsko-Biała, Valentina Höll (YT Mob) and Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity) posted the fastest times in qualifying, picking up right where they left off last season. Höll surged from third place after the early splits to finish first with a time of 3:39.203, ahead of British riders Tahnee Seagrave and Harriet Harnden. In the Men’s race, Bruni climbed from ninth at the first split to secure the top spot with a time of 3:08.648. Amaury Pierron, who briefly led, ran into issues before the finish and had to push hard in Q2 to secure a place in Sunday’s finals—alongside other top contenders who also had to battle their way through, making for an incredibly exciting and high-stakes Q2 session. In the Junior Qualifying, Aletha Ostgaard (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) topped the Women’s field, while France’s Max Alran(Commencal/Muc-Off), the 2024 overall series winner, set the fastest time among the Junior Men. The UCI Downhill World Cup finals in Bielsko-Biała will take place on Sunday, May 18, with the Junior races starting at 11:30 CET, followed by the Elite finals. Fans can catch all the action live, with Junior finals streamed on the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series YouTube channel. To find out where to watch the Elite finals in your region, click here. The Enduro field takes a well-earned pause to rest and recharge before the third round of the UCI Enduro World Cup, set to take place in Loudenvielle-Peyragudes, France, from May 30 to June 1.
In a flashback from the past and indicator of what could be to come, Valentina Höll (YT Mob) and Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity) set the fastest times in Downhill qualifying on the Enduro Trails of Bielsko-Biała. Höll and Bruni were the dominant forces in the 2024 UCI Downhill World Cup season, and showed they are ready to fight for glory again with strong performances at the start of the opening weekend of the campaign. Höll produced a stirring finish in Women's Downhill Q1. The Austrian found herself in third after the opening split, as Tahnee Seagrave (Orbea / FMD Racing) set the pace. British rider Seagrave held sway after the first three splits, but defending UCI Downhill World Cup champion Höll found pace between the third and fourth timing checks. After taking the lead at the fourth split, Höll powered away to cross the line in a winning time of 3:39.203. Seagrave crossed the line in second, 1.566 behind Höll. Harriet Harnden (AON Racing - Tourne Campervans), switching from Enduro to Downhill, made it a two-three for Britain, as she came home in a time of 3:41.290 for third place. Marine Cabirou (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) was the winner at Bielsko-Biała 12 months ago, and she took sixth place behind Höll. Of the 32 starters, there was only one DNF at the Szczyrk Mountain Resort in southern Poland, with Jolanda Kiener failing to get to the fourth split. BRUNI MAKES STATEMENT OF INTENT Men’s 2024 UCI Downhill World Cup champion Bruni threw down an early marker with victory in Q1. The French rider was only ninth at the first split but made relentless progress. He hit the front at the third split, only for his fellow French rider Amaury Pierron (Commencal/Muc-Off By Riding Addiction) to go faster at the fourth split. Pierron had an issue on the run to the finish, coming home in 79th, as Bruni stopped the clock in a time of 3:08.648. Oliver Davis of Trek Factory Racing DH took second, 1.359 behind Bruni, with Ryan Pinkerton (Mondraker Factory Racing DH) completing the top three. After his issue in Q1, Pierron had to push hard in Q2 to qualify for Sunday's final. He came home in fifth in Q2 to advance to the finals. Like Amaury Pierron, several top riders who didn’t make it through Q1 were back on track for Q2, where they had to push hard to earn their place in Sunday’s finals — making for an incredibly exciting and high-stakes qualifying session. JUNIOR QUALIFYING In the Junior Qualifying, Aletha Ostgaard (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) topped the Women’s Qualifying, while France's Max Alran (Commencal/Muc-Off By Riding Addiction), the 2024 overall series winner, set the pace in the Men's Qualifying. The UCI Downhill World Cup finals in Bielsko-Biała take place on Sunday, May 18, with Junior racing kicking off at 11:30 CET, followed by the Elite Men and Women finals. Fans around the world can tune in live: both the Men’s and Women’s Junior UCI Downhill World Cup races will be streamed on the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series YouTube channel. To find out where to watch the Elite finals in your region, click here.
Ronan Dunne (Mondraker Factory Team), Camille Balanche (Yeti/Fox Factory Racing) and Harriet Harden (Aon Racing - Tourne Campervans) share their thoughts ahead of the UCI Downhill World Cup in the Enduro Trails of Bielsko-Biała, Poland, while Dan Booker and Slawomir Lukasik (Yeti/Fox Factory Racing) assess their chances ahead of the second UCI Enduro World Cup. The start of the downhill season is almost upon us in Bielsko-Biala, Poland, and riders are ready and raring to go after a long seven months since they last went racing in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada. The off-season can be a time for change – whether that’s new bike or component setups, training routines or, in some cases, whole new teams – and things can therefore be hard to predict until we get a clear idea of who’s up to speed in qualifying. One rider who tried to minimise change during the break is Ronan Dunne (Mondraker Factory Racing). The Irishman has kept everything consistent, even if an injury in February did disrupt his pre-season preparation for a couple of weeks. And, as last year’s UCI Downhill World Cup winner in Bielsko-Biała, he goes into this weekend with added confidence. Speaking at the pre-race press conference, Dunne said: “I was really happy with the off-season. I’m a bit more prepared this year and more used to the bike than last year. We have the bike pretty similar to how we ended the season last year so it was a lot easier. [The off-season] was more riding and speed-wise rather than messing around with set-up and trying all these different things. “I got injured, but it wasn’t too bad. I had a few weeks off the bike and then back on for about a month and a half. Everyone has had big injuries in this sport. I wasn’t going to miss any races because I knew I’d have time to come back to build up speed, so I wasn’t too worried about it. It was the first broken bones, so it was a good experience. “The [Bielsko-Biala] track is basically the same layout as last year and I loved the layout last year. I’m not going to be messing around too much with lines this weekend. I’ll be sticking to what I know.” At the other end of the off-season change scale is Camille Balanche (Yeti/Fox Factory Racing). The 2020 UCI Downhill World Champion made the move from Yeti/Fox Factory Racing after her old team Dorval AM Commencal shut at the end of the 2024 season. The Swiss rider spent most of last year battling with the symptoms of a head injury suffered in 2023 but feels back to her best and has one eye on a home UCI World Championships in Champéry, Valais in September. Speaking at the pre-race press conference, Balanche said: “Everything is new – new team, new bike, new mechanic, new coach. It’s motivating and exciting, [but] it’s a lot to learn and adapt to. “I’m completely healthy again and I could train as much as I wanted so I’m totally fit. Last year was challenging. I still had symptoms, but I didn’t know where they were going to come. Sometimes it worked out not bad, sometimes it was just a disaster – especially mentally to know when I could push and when I couldn’t really ride much. It was super hard, but I was just happy to be there still. This year is different. I’ve had a really good off-season since last December, so I’m super stoked. “[UCI World Championships] is an objective, but I’ll get to it when it comes because it’s in September. UCI World Championships at home is the dream and the best but it’s far away so I want to focus now on the first UCI World Cup and think about that a bit later. “I did really well [in Bielsko-Biała] last year so it must be a track that suits me. I had an advantage because it was brand new, and I feel like I can adapt really fast to a new track.” Another rider who went through a big change in the off-season was Harriet Harnden (Aon Racing – Tourne Campervans). The Brit switched to Reece Wilson’s new outfit after racing all her life for Trek and the 2024 UCI Enduro World Cup overall series winner is also primarily focusing on downhill, rather than enduro, for the 2025 season. That didn’t stop her from racing and winning in Pietra Ligure, Finale Outdoor Region (Italy) last weekend though. Speaking at the pre-race press conference, Harnden said: “I don’t mind change. I quite like the idea and fun of trying something new and discovering what’s out there and figuring out what works for you. “The focus is definitely on the downhill. I spent a lot more time on my Gamux Sego this winter and that’s practically all I’ve ridden. I only got a few rides in on [the Nikolai] before the race last weekend. I didn’t get a chance to properly bed her in, but we definitely put in the miles last week. I’m looking forward to riding that a bit more throughout the year and getting it really dialled for the UCI World Champs in Switzerland. “I really enjoyed the two days of racing [in Pietra Ligure]. My first-ever Enduro World Series event was a two-day race in 2019 so it’s cool to be able to go back to that and enjoy it as a more established enduro rider. I think that’s what enduro is – a big day and adventure and just enjoying being out in the mountains – we certainly did that last weekend.” “I think [Grit & Glory] is going to be a great way to show some behind-the-scenes and let people feel like they’re more part of the action. I’m excited to see how it’s going to come out. I’m not going to be a part of Enduro so much, so I’ll be following along as much as all the fans.” It’s not just the downhill athletes who are in action this weekend though, with the Enduro Trails of Bielsko-Biała also hosting the second round of the UCI Enduro World Cup. Riders have only had a short turnaround window after last week’s season opener in Pietra Ligure, Finale Outdoor Region (Italy), and a debut victory still hasn’t sunk in for Men’s Elite winner Dan Booker. Speaking at the pre-race press conference, Booker said: “I don’t really feel like it’s sunk in yet because I’ve been so busy since it happened. Since I crossed the line at the race it’s been flat out, travelling all the way up here. My focus has pretty much gone straight into this race. Maybe when we have the break after this round, it’ll sink in a bit more. “I’m just going to take this year race by race and do the best I can. I’m super happy on the [privateer] set-up I’m on at the moment, so I’m not really looking to make an impression to any other teams. I want to do it for myself and hopefully it would be great to bring another person on board – whether that’s a mechanic or someone just to help out with errands – but that’s the only thing I’d change. “There are some really tough parts about the way that I run the program, especially on days like today in practice – my bike’s sitting muddy in the back of the car, and I’ve got to go and wash it! But when the conditions are good, you feel a lot of freedom running your own program, so I enjoy it.” The man Booker pipped to first place last week, Slawomir Lukasik, was humble in defeat and believes that the level of competition in Enduro means that even home advantage counts for little on the Enduro Trails of Poland during tomorrow’s finals. Speaking at the press conference, Lukasik said: “I was so stoked to see [Dan] in first place. The battle was really tight. It’s even better for the sport and those who follow the race. [There is a home advantage] but it’s not as big as people think. I think the level of the sport is pretty high – all of the top 20 guys can ride really fast on that kind of track without losing speed.” Watch the full press conference HERE.
The 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series has already witnessed the opening rounds of the cross-country and enduro formats, with three race weekends full of nail-biting, unpredictable racing in Araxá – Minas Gerais (Brazil) and Pietra Ligure, Finale Outdoor Region (Italy). This weekend, downhill joins the action alongside the second round of the UCI Enduro World Cup in the Enduro Trails of Bielsko-Biała (Poland), and fans can expect more of the same in the gravity-fuelled formats. A MODERN CLASSIC The Beskid Mountains venue in southern Poland hosted rounds of the UCI Downhill World Cup and UCI Enduro World Cup for the first time last year, and instantly became a modern classic. Its Enduro Trails network was already renowned in this corner of Europe for its steep, technical and natural terrain, while its new downhill course delivered on its pro debut with its blend of jumps, technical features and wood sections. Riders were also treated to a warm welcome from the thriving local mountain bike community, with passionate Polish fans stationed on every jump, berm, rock garden and drop. The downhill course is broadly the same, while the UCI Enduro World Cup features a new stage from last year – the final 2.31km Stary Zielony – with the remaining stages reshuffled in order. In total, athletes will take on five stages during a 37km course featuring 1,320m pedal ascent (and 440m gondola) and 1,609m of descent. FIRST-ROUND FORM FINDER The opening round of the UCI Downhill World Cup is always difficult to predict, with riders coming off a long off-season that could have included a switch in team and bike set-up, recovery from injury or operation, or simply seven months without racing. Reigning overall series champions Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity) and Valentina Höll (YT Mob) will line up as favourites with points to prove – both having missed out on the top spot last year in Bielsko-Biała. But Bruni and Höll face stiff competition from a chasing pack of riders that’s more competitive than ever. For Höll, Harriet Harnden (AON Racing - Tourne Campervans) is the most intriguing opposition in Poland. The reigning UCI Enduro World Cup overall winner has switched formats for 2025 and is focusing on downhill, but still found time to dominate the first UCI Enduro World Cup round of the season in Pietra Ligure, Finale Outdoor Region (Italy) last weekend. Other likely challengers for Höll include last year’s victor in Bielsko-Biała, Marine Cabirou (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team), Nina Hoffman (Santa Cruz Syndicate) and Tahnée Seagrave (Orbea/FMD Racing). Bruni meanwhile hasn’t gone between the race tape since Mont-Sainte-Anne (Canada) last October, but few would bet against the Frenchman being in contention for the win on Sunday. Ronan Dunne (Mondraker Factory Racing) was the only rider to get the better of Super Bruni in Poland last year, but a resurgent Amaury Pierron (Commencal/Muc-Off By Riding Addiction), format-switcher Richard Rude Jr (Yeti/Fox Factory Racing) and wildcard qualifier Aaron Gwin (Gwin Racing) could all stand between the Frenchman and the top spot this time out. A POTENTIAL HOME WINNER Before Sunday’s Downhill final, there’s the small matter of the second UCI Enduro World Cup to be decided on Saturday. Slawomir Lukasik’s (Yeti/Fox Factory Racing) wait for a debut win goes on – the Pole missing out by an agonising 0.374 seconds to Daniel Booker in Pietra Ligure, Finale Outdoor Region – but he will be hoping home advantage can help give him the edge in the Beskid Mountains. Charles Murray (Specialized Gravity) spoiled the Polish party in 2024, but with Richie Rude focused on downhill, that’s one less challenger for Lukasik to contend with. In the women’s field, there will definitely be a different winner from last year – Isabeau Courdurier (Lapierre Zipp Collective) having retired from full-time racing at the end of 2024. With first-round winner Harriet Harnden also switching formats to downhill in Poland, the competition is wide open. Morgane Charre (Pivot Factory Racing) has UCI World Cup-winning experience on her side, but Ella Conolly showed consistency in Pietra Ligure to put herself into contention, while fourth-placed finisher Raphaela Richter was the only rider other than Harnden to win a stage in Enduro’s heartlands. Racing gets underway in Enduro Trails Bielsko-Biała on Saturday with the UCI Enduro World Cup – full schedule and events details are available here.
After an iconic UCI Enduro World Cup season opener in Pietra Ligure, Finale Outdoor Region (Italy), the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series keeps the Gravity action coming this weekend with downhill also joining the fray in the Enduro Trails of Bielsko-Biała, Poland. We look at everything you need to know about the Bielsko-Biała round of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series, including when the enduro and downhill events are scheduled to take place, who is racing and how to watch. WHEN? The 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series round in Bielsko-Biała, Poland, starts with the UCI Enduro World Cup at 8:00 (UTC+2) on Saturday, May 17 and concludes with the Men Elite UCI Downhill World Cup at 14:00 (UTC+2) on Sunday, May 18. Below are the key timings for race weekend. All times are UTC+2 (EST+6/BST+1/CEST): Saturday, May 17 08:00 – UCI Enduro World Cup 12:30 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualifying 1 Women Elite 13:00 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualifying 1 Men Elite 14:15 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualifying Women Junior 14:40 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualifying Men Junior 15:30 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualifying 2 Women Elite 15:50 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualifying 2 Men Elite Sunday, May 18 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 14:00 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Finals Men Elite WHERE CAN I WATCH? There will be several ways to watch the Gravity-packed action unfold in Poland. For the UCI Enduro World Cup, there will be a course preview featuring the route and its key sections, practice day and race day video highlights on the official YouTube channel, key race moments on social media and live timings on the official WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series website. For the first UCI Downhill World Cup of the season, you can watch the finals live anywhere in the world. Both the Men Junior and Women Junior UCI Downhill World Cup races will be broadcast live on the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series YouTube channel, while the Elite finals will be shown on one of the below channels or streaming services. Pre-show starts at 12:45 UTC+2, so set a reminder to join Ric McLaughlin live from Poland: North America Canada – Flobikes USA – Max South & Central America All Central and South American territories – MTBWS TV Caribbean – Rushsports 2 Asia Indonesia, Macao, Malaysia, Mongolia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand – Eurosport China – Zhibo.tv All other Asian territories – MTBWS TV Oceania Australia – Stan Sport New Zealand – MTBWS TV Africa All African territories – MTBWS TV Europe* Andorra – MAX, Eurosport Austria – discovery+, Eurosport Belgium – HBO Max, Eurosport Bosnia & Herzegovina – Max, Eurosport Bulgaria – Max, Eurosport Croatia – Max, Eurosport Czechia – Max, Eurosport Denmark – Max, Eurosport Faroe Islands – Max, Eurosport France – Max, Eurosport, L’Équipe Live 2 (OTT) Germany – discovery+, Eurosport Hungary – Max, Eurosport Ireland – TNT Sports Italy – discovery+, Eurosport Moldova – Max, Eurosport Montenegro – Max, Eurosport Netherlands – HBO Max, Eurosport North Macedonia – Max, Eurosport Norway – Max, Eurosport Poland – Max, Eurosport Portugal – Max, Eurosport Romania – Max, Eurosport Serbia – Max, Eurosport Slovakia – Max, Eurosport Slovenia – Max, Eurosport Spain – Max, Eurosport Sweden – Max, Eurosport Switzerland – MTBWS TV Türkiye – Max, Eurosport United Kingdom – discovery+, TNT Sports All other European territories – MTBWS TV RIDERS TO WATCH The Bielsko-Biała venue made its UCI World Cup debut last year and instantly became a rider and fan favourite. Ronan Dunne (Mondraker Factory Racing), Marine Cabirou (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team), Charles Murray (Specialized Gravity) and Isabeau Courdurier (Lapierre Zipp Collective) won their respective events in 2024, but few would predict an exact repeat in Poland this weekend. In the Men’s enduro competition, Slawomir Lukasik (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) is the rider to watch. The 32-year-old Pole led in Pietra Ligure, Finale Outdoor Region last weekend until the final stage, when Daniel Booker’s searing final run saw the Australian leapfrog him at the last, meaning Lukasik missed out on his first UCI World Cup win by less than a second. It was a similar story in Bielsko-Biała last year too, and he will be hoping he can use home support to his advantage in getting over the line. Lukasik won’t have it easy though. While team-mate and 2024 UCI Enduro World Cup overall series winner Richard Rude (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) will be focusing on downhill this weekend, reigning UCI Enduro World Champion Alex Rudeu, Jack Moir (YT Mob) and 2024 UCI E-Enduro World Cup overall series winner Ryan Gilchrist (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) will all be in contention. The Women’s Enduro competition is also wide open with last year’s winner Isabeau Courdurier not racing and Pietra Ligure’s fastest rider Harriet Harnden (AON Racing – Tourne Campervans) focused on downhill. Morgan Charre (Pivot Factory Racing) has the experience, but Ella Conolly has also started 2025 strong with a second-place finish in Italy. In Downhill, the reigning WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series overall winners Valentina Höll (YT Mob) and Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity) will be aiming to get their title defences off to a strong start while hoping to make amends for missing out on the top spot in Poland last year. Harnden is Höll’s most interesting competition and it will be intriguing to see how the Enduro rider handles a different format, while Nina Hoffman (Santa Cruz Syndicate), Cabirou and Tahnée Seagrave (Orbea/FMD Racing) can all lay down race-winning runs. In the Men’s Elite, Rude is another format-crossing rider worth keeping an eye on, while downhill purists Troy Brosnan (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team), Finn Iles (Specialized Gravity) and Amaury Pierron (Commencal/Muc-Off by Racing Addiction) mean it’s not a foregone conclusion for Super Bruni. Racing gets underway on Saturday, May 17 in Bielsko-Biała. Full schedule and event details are available HERE.
The Dutchman returns to Cross-country mountain biking for the first time in almost two years with more off-road racing planned later this season. Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) has confirmed that he will be competing at next weekend’s WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series round in Nové Mĕsto na Moravĕ, Czechia. The 30-year-old last completed a mountain bike race in 2023 at the Paris 2024 test event, while his last UCI World Cup was in Nové Mĕsto na Moravĕ in 2021. Before this, he was a regular at UCI World Cups between 2016 and 2019, winning 10 Cross-country Short Track (XCC) and three Cross-country Olympic (XCO) races. The Dutchman has predominantly focused on road cycling and cyclo-cross over the last four years though, winning UCI World Championships in both and claiming iconic victories in the Spring Classics and a Tour de France stage. But he signalled a return to cross-country mountain bike was on the cards in 2025, with an elusive UCI XCO Mountain Bike World Championship a target for this year as he builds towards a potential tilt at a gold medal at the LA 2028 Olympic Games. His team, Alpecin-Deceuninck, announced on X that he would line up at Nové Mesto before turning his attention back to the road and the Tour de France. They also teased that he would return to off-road racing after July, with a detailed program to be announced at a later date. Van der Poel arrives in Czechia in great form, having claimed his third consecutive Paris-Roubaix title in his most recent race. His victory concluded a strong Spring Classics campaign that included wins at E3 Saxo Classic and Milan-Sanremo and a third-place finish at the Tour of Flanders. The multi-discipline master will also have fond memories from Nové Mesto in 2021, having won the XCC race and finished second in the XCO. The man who stopped him doing the XCC-XCO double, Tom Pidcock (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team), won’t stand in his way either as he’s competing on the road at the Giro d’Italia.
The Canadian sustained a fractured finger during a training ride in the Czech Republic and will miss the opening Downhill round of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series in Poland. Kasper Woolley (YT Mob) is recovering from a fractured finger he injured during a training ride in the Czech Republic earlier this week. The 26-year-old was gearing up for his first UCI Downhill World Cup of the year having switched formats from Enduro in the off-season but is now set to miss this weekend’s racing in Bielsko-Biała and the could potentially be sidelined for Loudenvielle-Peyragudes (France), Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland (Austria) and Val di Sole, Trentino (Italy). In a press release from YT Mob, Woolley said: “My goal is to be back in 4-6 weeks. The fracture is very small, but it’s unfortunately in the joint, so it’s not something I can just tape up and push through. It’s a huge bummer to miss the first race. I actually have been struggling with tendinitis in this same hand all winter long, and it was finally all coming together. I definitely was not feeling anywhere close to 100% ready for this first race, but the plan was to just get some racing under my belt and be ready for Loudenvielle. I’m not sure when I’ll be back, but with lots of races this season, I’m looking forward to showing what I can do. We wish Kasper a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing him in action this summer.
The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) Sports can confirm that six wildcard teams have been selected for the second Downhill round of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series that will take place in Loudenvielle-Peyragudes (France) on May 30-June 1, presented by FACOM. Four of the teams will be making their second appearance in this year’s series, while there are first starts for The Alliance and Gwin Racing. All six outfits are crammed full of up-and-coming talent, but five-time UCI Downhill World Cup overall champion Aaron Gwin (Gwin Racing) is the highest-profile rider yet to qualify through the new wildcard system. The 37-year-old showed he still has what it takes to compete in the Elites after returning from injury at the end of the 2024 season, qualifying for finals last time out in Loudenvielle and finishing 12th in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada. While he has only gone between the race tape twice this year in domestic races in the US, third and fourth-place finishes are evidence that he shouldn’t be overlooked in the Pyrenees. Gwin is joined by compatriot Gavin Tomlinson and Canadian Michael Delesalle – both of whom are making the step up to the Elite class in 2025. The Alliance meanwhile is made up of three promising riders from the southern hemisphere. New signing Jackson Connelly has recorded the trio’s biggest result to date, finishing 25th at the 2023 UCI World Cup in Snowshoe (USA), while James MacDermid has been with the team for three years but is yet to qualify for an Elite finals run. Ursula Summers completes the outfit, with the 16-year-old making her UCI World Cup debut in France. Elsewhere, well-known names to qualify via the wildcard system include Thibaut Daprela (Rogue Racing - SR Suntour), Thomas Estaque (Goodman Santacruz), and 2019 Junior Men’s UCI Downhill World Champion Kye A’Hern (Kenda NS Bikes UR Team). The six wildcard teams for round 6 of the 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series in Loudenville-Peyragudes are: Goodman Santacruz The Alliance Rogue Racing – SR Suntour Kenda NS Bikes UR Team Team High Country Gwin Racing In addition to hosting round 2 of the UCI Downhill World Cup, Loudenvielle-Peyragudes will also stage round 3 of the UCI Enduro World Cup, following the season opener in Pietra Ligure - Finale Outdoor Region (Italy), and round 2 in Bielsko-Biała, Poland, from 16–18 May.
Daniel Booker waited until the last possible moment to take an outlandishly dramatic first UCI Enduro World Cup round by less than a second at the 2025 season opener, while Harriet Harnden (AON Racing - Tourne Campervans) proved she’s still the woman to beat with a commanding triumph in Pietra Ligure, Finale Outdoor Region (Italy). Booker had led only once across the first six stages as first Jack Moir (YT Mob), then Sławomir Łukasik (Yeti / Fox Factory Team) appeared in pole position to take the first UCI Enduro World Cup round of the season. But entering the final stage trailing Łukasik, Booker produced a blistering four minutes of descending to put all the pressure on the Pole who came up short by just three tenths of a second, with UCI Enduro World Champion Alex Rudeau in third. Harnden enjoyed a much more straightforward route to victory as she picked up where she left off last season despite shifting her focus to the UCI Downhill World Cup in 2025, finishing 24 seconds ahead of fellow Brit Ella Conolly. Conolly was in contention until the 3.5km Fedeli alla Linea trail on stage five that featured almost 700m of elevation drop and also proved pivotal in the Juniors - Harnden finished almost half a minute ahead and won the final two stages for good measure. Misfortune hampered two very finely poised Junior races, as overnight leaders Melvin Almeuis and Lucile Metge completed a French double on a UCI Enduro World Cup round featuring a new two-day format going back to the discipline’s more adventurous routes. 0.37 SECONDS: THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GLORY AND DEFEAT FOR BOOKER Having worked so hard to build a lead over Łukasik, Booker and the rest of the chasing pack including surprise struggler Richie Rude (Yeti / Fox Factory Team), Moir threw it all away on the first stage of an unpredictable day two of the men’s race. Moir didn’t enjoy the same cushion as Harnden overnight having won his brace of stages by an aggregate of 1.3 seconds - Jesse Melamed (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) bounced back from a disaster on Isallo Extasy to win Dolcenera - yet was clearly the rider to beat holding a four-second lead over Łukasik. However, that all went up in smoke on the 1.9km Spillpietra trail within view of the sparkling Mediterranean, as Moir finished a stunning 14 seconds adrift of Rudeau, as Booker took up the Australian standard at the front by finishing as runner-up and moving into first place overall. Last year’s UCI Enduro World Cup overall winner Rude signalled a return to form in fourth - and he’d finish on the podium in the three remaining stages despite the damage to his chance of winning the round being done on day one - and Łukasik and Ryan Gilchrist (Yeti / Fox Factory Team)’s competitive showings kept them in contention ahead of the all-important stage five. Fedeli alla Linea catapulted Łukasik back into first as Gilchrist claimed the stage with the Pole putting valuable seconds into Booker and Moir - the latter of whom failed to produce the major resurgence he needed to get back into contention - setting the stakes perfectly for the short, sharp final double-header. Łukasik was the man to beat on stage six giving himself an advantage of 2.7 seconds over Booker ahead of the finale, which proved once again that the theme of this men’s race was impermanence. Beginning Armuin half a minute before the Pole, Booker flew down the course with the best time of the day and didn’t have to wait long to find out if he’d done enough - Łukasik crossed the line 33 seconds later meaning he lost out on victory in Pietra Ligure by an agonising 0.374 seconds. “It hasn’t really sunk in yet. I reckon later on it will, but feels pretty amazing. It was a tough race, two-day races you really had to try and conserve your energy where you could, such long physical stages as well,” Booker said. “Maybe Saturday I felt a bit stronger but then today I felt like I was holding onto it. To come from behind and win feels amazing. I’ll go for a swim, get some gelato then pack up and get to Poland. Really looking forward to it.” HARNDEN OUTLASTS CONOLLY AND CHARRE While Harriet Harnden didn’t have things all her own way on day one, losing out on the opening stage to Ella Conolly (Cannondale Enduro Team), she surged back to hold a comfortable nine-second lead over her compatriot by the end of stage three with Morgane Charre (Pivot Factory Racing) the only other rider within touching distance overnight. The bulk of Charre’s time loss came on the tough Hiroshima Mon Amour stage that also cost Connolly 12 seconds, and Harnden didn’t let up entering day two as she doubled her lead across the opening two stages. Only Conolly could hang with the reigning overall UCI Enduro World Cup winner down Spillpietra, before the 27-year-old was decisively shaken off on the longer Fedeli alla Linea. In the trail area built around the 19th-century Forte Tortagna, Harnden fortified her lead with another nine seconds while behind, the larger gaps between Conolly, Charre and fourth-place Raphaela Richter began to settle the fight for the remaining podium positions. At only a kilometre in length, stage seven was unlikely to provide large enough time gaps to shake up that order unless a rider crashed, though that didn’t stop Harnden giving it everything to claim another stage win and on her way to securing the Pietra Ligure round. Richter recorded her best result of the weekend in finishing runner-up on Armuin, within a quarter of a second of Harnden, as Conolly and Charre both finished comfortably in the top ten to confirm their places on the podium. Another top five finish for last year’s U21 overall winner Simona Kuchyňková capped an up-and-down, but ultimately promising weekend for the CUBE Factory Racing prospect while Nadine Ellacosta (Abetone Ancillotti Vittoria Factory Team) ensured there was Italian representation in the top 10 on home trails. However, none of them were close to dethroning Harnden, who said: “I wasn’t expecting that, I was just coming for some fun and downhill’s the focus next week. This was just a fun start to the season. I just enjoyed riding my bike, I wasn’t overthinking stuff. It’s nice to know I still have the feeling of how to race Enduro and I’ve not lost it over the winter. “After yesterday I wasn’t sure, it was still super tight. Nine seconds can go in a flash but then after I started riding good this morning I was pretty confident I was in a good place.” ALMEUIS AND METGE HOLD OFF DETERMINED CHALLENGERS The Men’s Junior race was the tightest of all, heading into day two in Pietra Ligure, Finale Outdoor Region as Melvin Almeuis led Gabriel Sainthuile by just 0.336 seconds after three incredibly tight stages produced three different winners with New Zealand’s Cooper Millwood also getting in on the action. Millwood was the first rider to lay down a marker on Spillpietra, winning by five seconds from Almeuis while Sainthuile dropped his biggest chunk of time in the round so far, hemorrhaging four seconds to the overall leader. As was a theme in Italy though, Fedeli alla Linea was the critical stage as Almeuis stamped his authority on the competition. A mechanical for Sainthuile contributed to him losing 12 minutes and dropping him to dead last while time gaps to the riders who did have a clean run also exploded - Almeuis took his second stage win 19 seconds ahead of Millwood with Italy’s Matteo Falcini (Abetone Ancillotti Vittoria Factory Team) the only other rider within a minute of the domineering Frenchman. Millwood took the final two stages by a second and three to secure his runner-up spot but was never a threat to Almeuis overall, while the sailing was even plainer for fellow French junior Lucile Metge in the Women’s Junior race. Metge bounced back from defeat on Isallo Extasy to finish day one with a two-second advantage over Elise Porta (Lapierre Gravity Collective), and that gap barely changed on stages four and five as the pair picked up a win each by the narrowest of margins. However, Porta unravelled on stage six as Chloe Bear (Yeti / Fox Factory Team) led the consistent Metge and Porta failed to finish on Armuin marking a disappointing end to such an enthralling tussle that promoted Lacey Adams (Yeti / Fox Factory Team) to second overall and Bear onto the podium. That rounded out a successful curtain-raiser for the European WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series leg of the season that also saw the Enduro Open races held on Saturday in Pietra Ligure, featuring 205 participants across various categories, including both Enduro and E-enduro. Metge, Almeuis, Harnden and Booker don’t get much time to celebrate though with the Pietra Ligure competition kicking off a run of five WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series rounds on consecutive weekends. Next week, the Enduro Trails of Bielsko-Biała sees the first Gravity double-header of the season as Enduro returns on 17 May, before the UCI Downhill World Cup opener takes centre stage on 18 May in Poland.
Jack Moir (YT MOB) was the surprise package on an adrenaline-filled opening day of the revamped UCI Enduro World Cup in Pietra Ligure, Finale Outdoor Region (Italy) as he took control of the men’s elite race against favourite and reigning overall winner Richie Rude (Yeti / Fox Factory Team). The spiritual home of Enduro provided the perfect setting for the discipline to return to its roots with seven stages spread across two days, that extended schedule putting more emphasis on the adventure, exploration and self-sufficiency that make the Gravity-based format such a hit. However, that shake-up couldn’t upstage the unflappable Harriet Harnden (AON Racing - Tourne Campervans) in the women’s elite race as the reigning UCI Enduro World Cup winner stamped her authority over a new season of the competition. And as JT Fisher (Yeti / Fox Factory Team) and Simona Kuchyňková graduated to the elite ranks, there were new pacesetters in the juniors with Melvin Almueis and Lucile Metge in pole position for day two. Picture: © FOR Nicola Damonte MOIR STEALS THE LIMELIGHT ON OPENING DAY Ahead of the event, Jesse Melamed appeared the favourite to capitalise if Rude became unstuck having won here two years ago and also beaten the 2024 overall winner in Squamish last month. But Melamed hit major trouble on the opening stage as the final starter and finished dead last on Isallo Extasy, as instead Jack Moir and Sławomir Łukasik (Yeti / Fox Factory Team) set the pace over the opening 5.9km. The towering 50-metre beech forests providing a backdrop for the opening salvos couldn’t have contrasted any more with the microscopic difference at the top as Moir led Łukasik by less than half a second before riders embarked on a tough, pioneering transition to the start of stage two with Daniel Booker and UCI Enduro World Champion Alex Rudeau the next best challengers. Picture: © FOR Nicola Damonte Hiroshima Mon Amour served up more of the same as Rude struggled and even a rain shower couldn’t stop Moir, as the Australian stretched his overall lead to a more comfortable three seconds and his compatriot Ryan Gilchrist moved into the top five. Melamed found redemption on the medieval streets of Radzi village, winning on a Dolcenera stage that highlighted the best of old and new in Pietra Ligure as the most recent trail zone added to the extensive Finale Outdoor Region network. The margins were extremely tight once again on the 1km stage as Dmitri Tordo missed out by less than half a tenth with Moir and Booker also finishing within a second of the Canadian meaning Moir holds a lead of 4.2 seconds overnight ahead of Łukasik, with Rude 20 seconds adrift. Picture: © FOR Nicola Damonte HARNDEN LEADS CONOLLY IN BRITISH ONE-TWO Despite an initial wobble, Harriet Harnden had no such trouble showing she remains the rider to beat in the women’s elite category. Ella Connolly sprung a surprise on Isallo Extasy, beating both Harnden and Morganne Charre (Pivot Factory Racing) by over four and one second respectively, though that proved to be a false dawn as her fellow Brit came roaring back on Hiroshima Mon Amour with a huge margin of victory. Connolly still finished second as Charre arguably lost out the most, coming in almost 20 seconds back and behind Winnifred Goldsbury, before Simona Kuchyňková announced herself to the elite ranks on Dolcenera. Last season’s U21 overall winner finished third, ahead of Charre and within three seconds of the all-conquering Harnden as Connolly was the bridesmaid yet again - though not quite by the same hair’s breadth as in the men’s stage. A tough start for Kuchyňková means she’s likely out of the running for the overall win with Connolly 9.8 seconds away from Harnden and Charre the only other rider within half a minute, meaning day two already looks like a three-horse race for the first victory of the season. Picture: © WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series JUNIOR RACES REMAIN FINELY POISED The race to lead the men’s junior standings overnight went right down to the wire thanks to Gabriel Santhuile’s stage three win helping to evaporate the monster seven-second advantage Melvin Almueis had held earlier in the day. The Frenchman dominated the opening stage but saw his wings clipped over the next two stages as Santhuile finished just 0.336 seconds behind overall, with stage two victor Cooper Millwood in third. Meanwhile Lucile Metge is in pole position in the women’s junior despite finishing last on Dolcenera - Elise Porta (Lapierre Gravity Collective) was quickest there and on Isallo Extasy but a torrid stage two cost her 18 crucial seconds. 205 riders took to the startline in the Enduro and E-Enduro Open events held across the four stages that the elite and junior riders will tackle on day two in Pietra Ligure, Finale Outdoor Region. The action continues tomorrow with Enduro the sole focus this weekend in Italy, kicking off a run of five consecutive weekends of WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series thrills and spills. Harnden, Moir, Metge and Almueis will defend their overall leads across four stages on Sunday including the fearsome Fedeli alla Linea, featuring almost 700m of elevation drop over just a 3.5km trail.
UCI Enduro World Cup athletes will be in Bielsko-Biała, Poland on the 16-18 May, for the second round of the season. This one day race at the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series takes the athletes on some of the regions best enduro trails, across 5 stages. They will be challenged with 1320m of climbing (plus an additional 440m via gondola), followed by descents of over 1600m in stages that range from 1.85km (DH+) to 3.6km (Dziabar). For a more detailed look at the courses, you can check out the athlete interactive map.
