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 eight of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series in Val di Sole, Trentino (Italy) on June 20-22.
While all eight teams who applied for a downhill spot secured a wildcard, it was a lot more competitive in the cross-country, with eight selected from 23 applicants – a record number for the new system.
The majority of qualifying teams have already featured in the 2025 series, but there will be first appearances for two local outfits – one Gravity and the other Endurance.
Abetone Ancillotti Vittoria Factory Team is a six-strong Enduro-focused team that blends the experience of Tommaso Francardo with the youth of Clarissa Carzolio – both of whom recorded top-20 finishes at the 2025 UCI Enduro World Cup in Pietra Ligure - Finale Outdoor Region (Italy). For Val di Sole, the completely Italian squad will be switching formats and attempting to beat the downhill specialists at their own game.
CS Carabinieri – Cicli Olympia meanwhile is another all-Italian team making its 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series debut in the Endurance formats. A mainstay of previous series, it is led by UCI Cross-country Olympic (XCO) World Cup podium finishers Filippo Fontana and Daniele Braidot.
Elsewhere, KTM Factory MTB Team and Lexware Mountainbike Team continue their 100% wildcard qualification record, while Goodman Santacruz, Rogue Racing – SR Suntour, Team High Country and Kenda NS Bikes UR Team do the same in downhill.
The wildcard system has already shown its worth in downhill, with Thibaut Daprela (Rogue Racing – SR Suntour) securing fifth in the Men’s Elite UCI Downhill World Cup in the Enduro Trails of Bielsko-Biała (Poland). The flying Frenchman will be looking to seize any more opportunities he gets via his team’s wildcard spots.
The 16 wildcard teams for round 8 of the 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series in Val di Sole, Trentino are:
UCI Cross-country World Cup
- BIXS Performance Race Team
- Carabinieri – Cicli Olympia
- KTM Factory MTB Team
- Massi
- Cabtech Racing Team
- Lexware Mountainbike Team
- Scott Creuse Oxygene Gueret
- Trek Future Racing
UCI Downhill World Cup:
- Goodman Santacruz
- Rogue Racing – SR Suntour
- Team High Country
- Kenda NS Bikes UR Team
- YT Racing Development
- The Alliance
- Future Frameworks
- Abetone Ancillotti Vittoria Factory Team
