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 rounds 15 and 16 of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series in Lake Placid Olympic Region, New York (USA) on October 3-5 and Mont-Sainte-Anne (Canada) on October 9-12.
While all eight teams that applied for a downhill spot secured a wildcard, it was another competitive selection process in cross-country, with only eight of the 13 applicants selected.
The majority of qualifying teams have already featured in the 2025 series, but there will be a first appearance for Canadian outfit Forbidden Dunbar Racing Team.
The eight-strong Downhill and Enduro team is supported by British Columbia-based manufacturer Forbidden Bike Co. and bike shop Dunbar Cycles, and is predominantly a Canadian-focused team with Australian Connor Fearon and Brit Alex Storr also part of the ranks. While the majority of its racing has taken place in North America this year, including Ryder Wilson’s win in the Crankworx Silver Star Canada Cup and Emmy Lan’s back-to-back second places at Crankworx Silver Star and Crankworx Whistler, the pair have also featured once in the 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series at the UCI Downhill World Cup in La Thuile – Valle D’Aosta (Italy).
Elsewhere, Lexware Mountainbike Team will be the only Endurance team to have a 100% wildcard qualification record for the whole of 2025, while Goodman Santacruz, Rogue Racing - SR Suntour, Team High Country and Kenda NS Bikes UR will manage the same in downhill.
Finally, the return of Gwin Racing to the wildcard fold gives Aaron Gwin (Gwin Racing) the chance to become the joint-most successful downhill athlete at Mont-Sainte-Anne in the venue’s 27th UCI Downhill World Cup. The legendary American rider has three wins (2011, 2012 and 2017) at the iconic Canadian spot, and needs one more to equal Steve Peat’s record.
The 16 wildcard teams for rounds 15 and 16 of the 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series in Lake Placid Olympic Region, New York and Mont-Sainte-Anne are:
UCI Cross-country World Cup:
- BIXS Performance Race Team
- Bike Team Solothurn
- Lexware Mountainbike Team
- KTM Factory MTB Team
- Thömus Akros - Youngstars
- Cabtech Racing Team
- Trinity Racing
- Massi
UCI Downhill World Cup:
- Kenda NS Bikes UR Team
- Rogue Racing - SR Suntour
- Goodman Santacruz
- Team High Country
- Future Frameworks
- The Alliance
- Forbidden Dunbar
- Gwin Racing
