After four fiercely contested UCI Enduro World Cup rounds, the 2025 series enters its second half with three weekenders of racing and the outcome of both men’s and women’s overall titles still up for grabs.
Val di Fassa, Trentino (Italy), is the setting of this weekend’s action, and with only Enduro on the cards, riders and fans will see a return to a two-day UCI Enduro World Cup round.
A staple of the UCI Enduro World Cup and its precursor – the Enduro World Series – since 2019, the Dolomite-based location is regarded as one of the best venues in the world. With a racing history dating back to 2015, it was fitting that it hosted the inaugural UCI Mountain Bike Enduro and E-Enduro World Championships last year.
NEW TESTS AND OLD FAVOURITES
UCI World Cup locations don’t get much better than the Dolomites. The mountain range will provide a jaw-dropping backdrop to the all-out, Gravity-fuelled action, but its terrain will also make for some amazing racing.
The charming town of Canazei will play host to the race headquarters, while the riding will stretch across three sectors of the Val di Fassa - Passo Pordoi, Passo Sella and the Ciampac area.
For the UCI Enduro World Cup, athletes will take on seven stages during a 60.1km course featuring 3,057m of descent and 3,316m of pedal ascent.
The first three stages take place on day one, which can be seen as something of a warm-up for the following day’s action – as it will feature 13km less pedalling and roughly half the ascent and descent. All three stages will be making their UCI Enduro World Cup debut, so could produce some surprises – particularly the day’s last stage, 9.90 (3.5km with 37m ascent and 621m descent).
The second day, meanwhile, includes four firm favourites from the region – Titans, Glühwein, Tutti Frutti and Ciasates – and would be a tough enough day’s riding without the Enduro exploits 24 hours previously.
RUDE RETURNS TO GIVE ŁUKASIK A TOUGH TEST WHILE CONOLLY TARGETS HATTRICK OF WINS
With a week-long break in the UCI Downhill World Cup, reigning UCI Enduro World Cup overall title holder Richard Rude Jr (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) is set to return to his Enduro roots in Trentino.
The American has had mixed results since turning his focus to Gravity’s other format this season, but showed he’s still at home on an Enduro bike at the opening round in Pietra Ligure - Finale Outdoor Region (Italy) when he finished sixth.
His presence has the potential to shake things up in the Val di Fassa - Trentino standings, even if it won’t dramatically alter the overall, with there being only one more round after this weekend that doesn’t clash with a UCI Downhill World Cup. Rude is a firm favourite in Trentino, having won three times at the venue (2019, 2021 and 2022) and taken bronze at last year’s UCI Enduro World Championships.
Rude’s teammate, Sławomir Łukasik (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team), leads the men’s overall series, and hasn’t finished off the podium all year. Although the Pole is yet to back up his debut UCI Enduro World Cup win in Bielsko-Biała (Poland), expect him to contest for a top spot in Italy.
Privateer Daniel Booker’s two wins mean he’s closest to Łukasik in the standings, while others to look out for are in-form riders Charles Murray(Specialized Gravity) and winner in Saalfelden Leogang-Salzburgerland (Austria), Jesse Melamed (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team). One rider who won’t be in Val di Fassa - Trentino is last year’s winner at the venue, UCI Enduro World Champion Alex Rudeau.
In the Women Elite, Ella Conolly appears unstoppable in her pursuit of a debut title. The Brit has dominated the last two UCI Enduro World Cup rounds, hasn’t finished outside the top two all year, and only seems to be growing in confidence.
One rider who has got the better of Conolly this year is Elly Hoskin, winner of the UCI Enduro World Cup round in Bielsko-Biała. The Canadian returns to racing having sat out rounds three and four, so will be the toughest challenge Conolly has faced since May.
The only other UCI Enduro World Cup winner in the field, Morgane Charre (Pivot Factory Racing), is also back on the startlist again having sat out Saalfelden Leogang-Salzburgerland after a crash in practice.
Conolly’s series lead currently stands at 490 points, with Simona Kuchynková (Cube Action Team), Morgane Charre and Nadine Ellecosta(Abetone Ancillotti Vittoria Factory Team) the only riders within 600 points of the in-form privateer.
HOW TO WATCH
Race content will be available across the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series’ official platforms, including the YouTube channel, website, and social media profiles. Fans can catch up with the action from Val di Fassa - Trentino with:
· A course preview featuring the route and its key sections
· Practice day and race day video highlights
· Key race moments on social media
· Real-time race updates via live timing on the official website
Racing gets underway in Val di Fassa - Trentino on Saturday – full schedule and event details are available here.
