- With the announcement of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series Teams, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) Sports and the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) officially confirmed the Endurance teams that have secured top-tier status for the 2025 season.
- We focus on the 20 teams selected for all 10 rounds of the UCI Cross-country World Cup (UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup – XCO – and UCI Cross-country Short-Track World Cup – XCC)
Comprised of the top 15 ranked teams based on UCI points, along with five permanent wildcards, this roster of 20 teams forms the first division of endurance racing in mountain biking. Each team is guaranteed entry to all 10 Endurance rounds of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series, which kicks off in Araxá, Brazil, on April 3, 2025.
The selections confirm that the world’s best cross-country mountain bike riders will battle it out for supremacy again, with the teams of stars such as Alan Hatherly (Giant Factory Off-Road Team - XC), Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon), Victor Koretzky (Specialized Factory Racing), Mona Mitterwallner (Mondraker Factory Racing XC), Mathieu van der Poel and Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck) all guaranteed spots on the start line.
Simon Burney, Head of Sport for Cycling Events at WBD Sports Europe, said: “The 20 Endurance teams that have secured WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series Team status will guarantee that each round will be fiercely contested from the first pedal stroke to the last surge for the line.”
ESTABLISHED OUTFITS AND NEW ADDITIONS AMONGST TOP-15 RANKED TEAMS
Three-quarters of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series Teams were selected based on their UCI team rankings, which were determined by the UCI points of the four highest-ranked riders of each team.
Sat at the top of the rankings table was Specialized Factory Racing – the American manufacturer’s team retaining all of the star women riders (Haley Batten, Sina Frei and Laura Stigger) that helped secure the women’s team series overall in 2024, as well as UCI Cross-country Short Track (XCC) World Champion and reigning WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series overall winner, Victor Koretzky (XCC – Men Elite) alongside American Continental XCO Champion, Chris Blevins.
Alessandra Keller’s results (2024 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series overall winner - XCC and XCO – Women Elite) effectively secured Thömus Maxon’s place at the table, while UCI XCO World Champion Alan Hatherly’s move to Giant Factory Off-Road Team - XC contributed the lion’s share of the US outfit’s points tally.
Despite winning the men’s team series overall last season, Hatherly’s old team Cannondale Factory Racing slipped in the rankings due to the South African and Simon Andreassen’s moves. But the British team did enough to secure WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series Team status and will be led by Charlie Alridge and new signing Jolanda Neff.
Andreassen’s UCI points bolstered Orbea Fox Factory Team’s total, and the Dane will be vying for wins to add to his collection for the Spanish manufacturer alongside fellow new addition Rebecca Henderson.
Elsewhere, Scott-SRAM MTB Racing Team could count on the points of stalwarts Nino Schurter, Filippo Colombo and the addition of up-and-coming star of last season’s Under-23 category, Bjorn Riley. The American youngster will be one to watch in what will his first Elite season.
Riley’s main rival in the Under-23 class, Riley Amos, is also taking the step up for 2025 and will be leading the charge for Trek Factory Racing - Pirelli alongside Evie Richards, while Canyon CLLCTV XCO is pinning its hopes on Luca Schwarzbauer and 2016 Olympic Champion Jenny Rissveds.
It wasn’t just the established teams who made it into the top 15, with new outfit Origine Racing Division’s four-strong selection having enough points collectively to propel them into a WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series Team spot. Led by UCI XCO World Cup podium finishers Mathis Azzaro and Martina Berta, the French team will be looking to make an instant impression.
Other teams to secure the automatic WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series Team status were BH Coloma Team, Decathlon Ford Racing Team, the Bart Brentjens-managed KMC Ridley MTB Racing Team, Wilier-Vittoria Factory Team, Ghost Factory Racing and Cube Factory Racing.
STARS AMONGST WILDCARD SELECTIONS
In addition to the top 15 ranked teams, five season-long wildcard spots were up for grabs for the remaining UCI Mountain Bike Teams. These have been assigned to the established outfits Alpecin-Deceuninck, BMC Factory Racing and Liv Factory Racing, and new teams Lapierre Racing Unity and Mondraker Factory Racing XC.
Among members of these teams are multi-discipline stars Mathieu van der Poel and Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck), reigning French XCO National Champions Jordan Sarrou and Loana Lecomte (BMC Factory Racing), and three-time UCI Cross-country Marathon World Champion, Mona Mitterwallner (Mondraker Factory Racing XC).
The full list of teams to secure WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series Team status are:
- Alpecin-Deceuninck (BEL)
- BH Coloma Team (ESP)
- BMC Factory Racing (SUI)
- Cannondale Factory Racing (GBR)
- Canyon CLLCTV XCO (FRA)
- Cube Factory Racing (GER)
- Decathlon Ford Racing Team (FRA)
- Ghost Factory Racing (GER)
- Giant Factory Off-Road Team - XC (USA)
- KMC Ridley MTB Racing Team (NED)
- Lapierre Racing Unity (FRA)
- Liv Factory Racing (USA)
- Mondraker Factory Racing XC (ESP)
- Orbea Fox Factory Team (ESP)
- Origine Racing Division (FRA)
- Scott-SRAM MTB Racing Team (SUI)
- Specialized Factory Racing (USA)
- Thömus Maxon (SUI)
- Trek Factory Racing - Pirelli (USA)
- Wilier-Vittoria Factory Team (ITA
