Three local outfits make up the seven-strong selection that will join the Endurance WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series Teams for the first two rounds.
The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) Sports confirm that seven wildcard teams have been selected for the first two Endurance rounds of the 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series, that will take place in Araxá – Minas Gerais (Brazil) on April 3-6 (Round 1) and April 10-12 (Round 2).
Three of the spots go to Brazilian teams Caloi Henrique Avancini Racing, Specialized Racing BR and Soul Extreme Racing Team, while the other four are taken by promising, development-focused European UCI MTB Teams that have a wealth of up-and-coming talent at their disposal.
With just one week separating the two opening rounds of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series in Araxá – Minas Gerais, the seven teams have received a wildcard entry for both rounds and will join the 20 Endurance WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series Teams on the start line in Brazil.
Of the three local teams selected, the most well-known outside of Brazil is Caloi Henrique Avancini Racing. The three-rider squad is managed by the Brazilian legend and two-time UCI Cross-country Marathon World Champion Henrique Avancini, who recently announced that he is coming out of retirement to try his hand on the road.
Specialized Racing BR will have athletes represented across all racing categories (Elite, Under 23), while new team Soul Extreme Racing includes multi-time Brazilian Cross-country Olympic (XCO) National Champion, Karen Fernandes Olimpio.
Elsewhere, the Under-23-focused Lexware Mountain Bike Team has a squad that includes Elina Benoit – a Swiss rider who recorded a number of top 10 finishes in U23 races last season; Trinity Racing – the British development squad responsible for Haley Batten and Christopher Blevins – features new addition Line Burquier (Junior XCO UCI World Champion in 2021, then crowned U23 UCI World Champion the following year); while UCI World Cup regulars Maximilian Foidl (KTM Factory MTB Team) and Yana Belomoina (Massi) will be looking to use their years of experience to seize their wildcard opportunity in Brazil when the racing gets underway on 3-6 April.
The seven wildcard teams for rounds 1 and 2 of the 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series in Araxá Minas -Gerais are:
- Caloi Henrique Avancini Racing
- Specialized Racing BR
- Soul Extreme Racing Team
- Lexware Mountainbike Team
- Trinity Racing
- KTM Factory MTB Team
- Massi
