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When it comes to firing a new year of international mountain bike racing into life you really need a venue that lives and breathes drama, it needs to understand the big stage and, most importantly, offer the kind of racing that inspires greatness. Enter the Finale Outdoor Region.The small town on the Italian Riviera has a story that is intertwined through the very fabric of UCI Enduro World Cup racing. It almost single handedly showed the world what can happen when a small but passionate community of purists throws their collective weight behind a particular sport. For years it was the traditional curtain closer, but this year it’s the all-important curtain raiser.Where is it?Finale Outdoor Region nestles on the world famous Italian Riviera on the Mediterranean coast between Genoa to the south and Nice to the north. The island of Corsica lies out to sea and Finale’s beaches have long been tightly-congested affairs, attracting summer sun-seekers from all over Europe. But then something changed.30 years ago, a small group of committed local mountain bikers and entrepreneurs convinced the local administration and businesses that they needed to look to the hills behind Finale Ligure and not just the beaches for the future of tourism. The network of trails that sprawled forth now takes in an area including more then 20 municipalities between Vado Ligure and Pietra Ligure. The Finale Outdoor Region is not just a European powerhouse when it comes to riding destinations, but a global one.Has there been racing here before?Finale Outdoor Region first hosted Cross-country Marathon races as a way to showcase its sizable trail network. Then, as the trails became rowdier and rowdier, enduro came to the fore. Finale Outdoor Region is the only venue to have featured on every Enduro World Series and then UCI Enduro World Cup schedule since the former's inception back in 2013.Pietra Ligure and Finale Ligure have both been at the forefront of developing e-enduro racing over the last several seasons and as such frequently sees some of the best battery-assisted stages of the year.What’s the course like?Welcome to one of the big things that makes Finale Outdoor Region so great - such is the scope of trails to choose from that it’s impossible to tell just which of its chocolate box of classics will star. The local topography is manna for trail builders and with the area now being home to some of the world’s very best, it’s often the new stages you haven’t heard of that become the most talked about.What else can we expect?It will be hard on bikes and bodies alike. One of the things that makes a win in Finale Outdoor Region so coveted comes from the terrain itself. In an age where enduro race bikes are all but bulletproof, the exposed limestone, savage gradients and torturously high speeds of the trails here can still break machinery like nowhere else. Amongst the earliest of enduro skillsets was managing the attrition of your machine, that has ebbed over the last decade but in Finale, it’s still key.The crowd here is also huge. It’s an ultra-passionate part of the world when it comes to just about everything and over the years stages like Men’s Downhill have routinely been lined by crowds four to five deep. The lure of the parties in the piazza is irresistible and when you add racing, the beach, the party and some of the best eateries in Europe into the mix it makes for a lively time, post-race...Who are the favourites?Last season's UCI Enduro World Cup overall title winner, Isabeau Courdurier has developed a bit of a bogey round when it comes to the race courses perched above this particular corner of the Med. Despite being the dominant force in modern enduro racing the Lapierre Zipp Collective rider has won there but ‘only’ as part of Team France’s Trophy of Nations winning team, never as an individual.A factor in this has been the strength of one of her closest rivals, Morgane Charre (Pivot Factory Racing) can summon from the same rocks. Charre has won the same Trophy of Nations titles there, but also has a brace of individual victories to her name too. Charre calls the area ‘home’ and having narrowly missed out on the overall last season virtually on the final stage, will be keen to come out of the gates strongly.Jesse Melamed (Canyon CLLCTV) won in Finale Outdoor Region last season and his experience will make him hard to stop there again this season. Reigning overall title holder Richie Rude (Yeti / Fox Racing Shox) will also be one to watch. With elite men’s enduro seeing almost a different winner at every round though, it’s a pretty tricky crystal ball to read.In terms of e-enduro, Flo Espinera (Orbea Fox Enduro Team) was beaten in Finale Outdoor Region by Laura Charles (Miranda Factory Team) whilst Fabien Barel won the elite men’s race ahead of Antoine Rogge (Lapierre Zipp Collective). Can the French come back out on top this year?The Finale Outdoor Region will be back in 2024 on the 10 - 12 May, you can find out more here.

For those stuck in the northern hemisphere the winter months can seem interminable as the long wait for the next fix of racing action can seemingly take forever. But fear not, Jack Moir of the YT Mob is here! Jack’s YouTube channel (MoiMoiTV) has long been a hit with the big Aussie vlogging his way around the international circuit complete with a supporting cast of international superstars. The man from the central coast of New South Wales is one of those southern hemisphere army of riders who live the dream of the endless summer. They make an annual pilgrimage from the end of their summer straight into Europe and North America’s sunny months for the race season. Metal Monday’s do exactly what they say on the tin - on a Monday Jack drops a fresh riding video set to a heavy metal track. No more, no less. Just jaw dropping bike control from one of the UCI Enduro World Cup’s biggest stars set to occasionally questionable, never low tempo rock ‘n’ roll music. Moir made the switch to Enduro from Downhill full-time back in 2020 and has since busied himself with clocking some of the most consistently high finishing numbers in the sports history. He was rewarded with the overall title in 2021. Last year was a tough season for the newly-signed YT Mob rider - his last top flight win was back in 2022 at the Enduro World Series in Crans Montana, Switzerland. Will we see him back on the top step again in 2024? We hope so. For now, enjoy regular doses of Metal Monday!

The UCI Mountain Bike World Series takes place all over the world and in any and all conditions. Racing is tough, but never tougher than when mountain weather turns nasty. Some riders open their hotel room curtains in the morning and shudder in fear whilst for others it’s just the opportunity that they’ve been waiting for. For Jolanda Neff, Evie Richards and the rest of the Trek Factory Racing Cross-country squad the mixed conditions and high altitudes of the final rounds of the 2023 season were just such an opportunity. When the weather gets truly bad that’s when racers with reserves of bike handling skills really shine. Jolanda Neff, the reigning Olympic champion, after what was (by her standards) a disappointing season showed signs of rallying with a couple of hard fought podiums, Evie Richards took victory in Snowshoe in the Cross-country short track (XCC) and there were huge plaudits for Riley Amos. The Colorado-based U23 rider shone amidst the murk of Andorra taking his debut Cross-country Olympic win before making it a brace in Canada to secure second in the overall title race. Don’t miss any of the action from the UCI Mountain Bike World Series 2024. Highlights packages as well as rider and tech insights are all available right here. Learn more about the 2024 UCI Mountain Bike World Series calendar here.

You know the old saying, ‘If you wait for a bus long enough then two will come along at once’? In 2024 the UCI Mountain Bike World Series will kick off with the Endurance athletes continuing their Brazilian escapades at round two in Araxá, Minas Gerais.Yet again, there will be  Cross-country Olympic (XCO)  and Cross-country Short Track (XCC) racing a plenty and with the first round of the season well and truly in the not-so-recent history books, all eyes will turn to yet another level playing field. Where is it?The second venue of the year is located roughly seven hours north of the first, Mairiporã. Araxá is a municipality in the Western Minas Gerais region in the south of the country. Its highest point is 973m above sea level and its population stands at just over 107,000 people. For those racers feeling the inevitable strain of their return to action the weekend before there is some good news - Araxá is famous for its spa and wellness facilities. At its heart is the Grande Hotel Termas de Araxá. First opened in 1944, the sprawling resort put the region on the map highlighting its medicinal mud and mineral waters.  Has there been racing here before?Yes - plenty of it too! The venue celebrated 20 years of UCI-level international racing this year and it’s set to start its third decade with a UCI World Cup debut. The course which winds its way through the forest to the rear of the main resort building is well ridden with some of the most epic bar-to-bar battles in Brazil’s top flight having been duked out around it. What’s the track like?The track is cut into the forest itself and features a good mix of flatter, power-sapping high speed sections and fast, natural descending through the trees. The general slant is a bit more towards the technical and it can become a handful should the fast rolling red clay become drenched. What else can we expect?Just as with the previous round, crowds! Despite there being over six hours hours between the two opening venues, South America is mad for mountain bike racing and as such the organisers are expecting a sell-out crowd across the week. The region’s focus on tourism means that there is plenty of on-site infrastructure to support such a crowd and the slightly further flung location (compared to round one) should ensure that there’s a ‘pilgrimage’ aspect to attract the hardest of hardcore race fans. Expect noise. Who are the favourites?For many seasoned UCI World Cup fans, the second round of the year is often the most interesting because it can be about one of two things; tightening a grip or a strong response. The UCI Enduro World Cup traditionally started with two big ‘fly away’ rounds and those who could board their flights home with the most points in the bank were often in the driving seats for the rest of the first half of the season. Winning at round one is always huge, but backing it up or, conversely, fighting back is also crucial. It’s of course impossible to say just who will come out on top in Araxá but in 2022 it was Loana Lecomte (Canyon CLLCTV) and Nino Schurter (Scott SRAM MTB Racing) who took top honours at the second round in Lenzerheide, Switzerland in XCO. They would finish the year in second and first places respectively in the overall. Over the course of the season every point matters and on leaving Brazil, the big guns will want to have amassed as many of them as possible.  Click here to buy tickets for the UCI World Cup in Araxá, Brazil!

With the arrival of 2024 just weeks away, the first green shoots of the new UCI Mountain Bike World Series season are beginning to tantalise race fans the world over. The mountain bike off-season can be a long and tedious affair for those in need of a UCI World Cup fix, but with the announcement of next year's calendar came the confirmation of another busy year of bar-to-bar action and, even more tantalisingly, a host of brand-new venues.The first debutante venue is going to be the official starting pistol too - Mairiporã in Brazil will kick things off with the opening rounds of Cross-country Short Track (XCC) and Cross-country Olympic (XCO). Where is it?Located one hour north of the centre of São Paulo near Brazil’s southern coast is Mairiporã, which means ‘beautiful city’. The highest point of the surrounding area is Serra da Cantareira where it reaches an altitude of just over 1100m. Cantareira State Park protects a large portion of Sao Paulo’s water supply and has been home to many extreme sports such as paragliding and mountain biking for many years. Has there been racing here before?Since 2019, Mairiporã has played host to some high level Cross-country races, the most recent of which was MTB Festival 2023 which boasted an entry list full of South American UCI World Cup regulars and local talent. What’s the track like?The track at the Arena iMTB Bike Park that the athletes of the UCI Mountain Bike World Series will take to will be a subtly evolved version of that raced at MTB Festival. It’s a widely-taped, fast rolling course through the forest that has been designed to promote overtaking and close racing. It will suit those riders with deep reserves of horsepower and those gifted in the dark art of staying invisible amongst the pack. What else can we expect?Crowds! When the UCI World Cup season opener was held in Petropólis just north of Rio de Janeiro the crowd in attendance on race day was one of the biggest in the sport’s history. South America is a part of the world that loves its mountain bike racing and with the race being so close to one of the world's most populous cities, expect the fans to turn out in full force. Who are the favourites?It’s the opening round of the season - who knows?! Last season’s overall title winners Puck Pieterse (XCC, XCO), Luca Schwarzbauer (XCC) and Nino Schurter (XCO) will be the riders with the biggest targets on their respective backs. Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck), still just 22 years of age, looked to be the complete package last time out with little to no weaknesses. Her ability to not only win but also to ride cleverly when not doing so to achieve maximum points was uncanny. Schwarzbauer (Canyon CLLCTV) ground it out over the course of the season and established himself on many fans' radar as the rider out front driving the pace whilst Schurter (Scott SRAM MTB Racing) remains the king of the numbers. Simply put, no other male athlete in mountain bike history has been as successful as the Swiss star and this season he has the opportunity to put his UCI World Cup overall wins tally into double digits. 

●      2024 UCI Mountain Bike World Series to feature 15 race weekends●      Cross-country, Downhill and Enduro will collectively visit 10 countries across Europe, North and South America●      Six brand new venues added to the line-upWarner Bros. Discovery and the UCI are excited to reveal the 2024 UCI Mountain Bike World Series calendar.Once again all the major mountain bike formats have been aligned on a single calendar, which next year will take place in 10 countries across Europe, North America and South America - and includes six brand new venues.The full calendar for the UCI World Cups in cross-country Olympic (XCO), short track (XCC), downhill (DHI) and enduro (EDR), including E-enduro (E-EDR) will cover 15 weekends of racing, with all formats enjoying both standalone and combined events. One of the highlights of the calendar will once again be the flagship festival event in Haute-Savoie, France, which this year attracted over 100,000 spectators.More information on the UCI Cross-country Marathon World Cup will be released in due course.The season kicks off with cross-country featuring back-to-back race weekends in Brazil, with new venues in Mairiporã and Araxá, Minas Gerais, making their UCI World Cup debut. Joining them as first-time hosts will be Bielsko-Biala in Poland, Crans-Montana and Aletsch Arena, Bellwald, both in the Valais region of Switzerland and Mt Van Hoevenberg, Lake Placid in the USA.David Lappartient, President of the UCI, said: "With its innovative new format bringing together all the major formats in the discipline, the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup was a huge success in 2023, with, for the first time, a round – in Haute-Savoie, France – hosting all the specialties on the series programme.“There will be something new next year too, with new venues being included in this flagship mountain bike series, not only in Europe but also in North and South America. This testifies to the popularity of the sport, which the International Olympic Committee has just confirmed will be on the programme for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. Mountain bike continues to develop internationally, and the UCI World Cup is undoubtedly a key element in this progress.”Chris Ball, VP of Cycling Events at Warner Bros. Discovery Sports, said: “After a ground-breaking 2023 I am proud to welcome both iconic venues and new destinations to the 2024 UCI Mountain Bike World Series calendar. In the largest expansion of international mountain bike for many years, six new venues will join a blockbuster of a year, totalling 15 event weekends.“Expansion into South America and long-term agreements in Lake Placid in the USA, Trentino in Italy and Haute-Savoie in France are hallmarks to a season that offers more racing than ever before. Switzerland also joins with two new venues in the stunning Valais region and Poland joins the UCI World Cup calendar for the very first time.”The 2024 calendar marks the second year in a ground-breaking eight-year partnership between the UCI and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), which sees WBD take on the broadcast, promotion and organisation of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup, utilising their extensive global reach to help grow the sport worldwide. You can view the full 2024 events calendar here.

Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Nino Schurter (Scott SRAM MTB Racing Team) have been crowned overall UCI Mountain Bike Cross-country Olympic World Cup series champions in Canada.In a super-challenging finale, on a track left soft and slick by persistent rain, Pieterse - who had already secured the title last weekend in Snowshoe, USA - dug in to grind out a third-place finish in the final elite women’s race while the battle for the minor podium places played out around her.But it was France’s Leona Lecomte (Canyon CLLCTV) whose incredible technical skills helped her to overcome a rear flat and a crash to take the win in Mont-Sainte-Anne. That victory saw the French national champion leapfrog Mona Mitterwallner (Cannondale Factory Racing) in the overall standings to give her second place in the series relegating the young Austrian - who finished back in 19th - to third.In a race that saw riders running many of the soft, rutted climbs as well as the super-slippery rock descents, Swede Jenny Rissveds (Team 31 Ibis Cycles Continental) managed to stick closest to Lecomte and take second place just 15 seconds behind.In the men’s elite race, Nino Schurter did enough to claim his ninth overall title by crossing the line in 14th after a slow start to the last race of the season. The Swiss veteran fought his way back from 31st place to clinch the title in a race where he also dropped his chain.The man who went into the race in second place in the overall, Jordan Sarrou (Team BMC), managed to just hang on to his second spot on the podium by finishing in ninth despite a strong challenge from a flying Matthias Flückiger (Thömus Maxon).The Swiss rider led for much of a six-lap race which was muddy enough to see riders dismounting the bikes continually to run cyclocross-style. Flückiger used all his speed on and off the bike to finish in second despite two punctures, a result which was good enough for third in the overall. But the win on the day went to the Olympic and UCI World Champion Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) who rode an intelligent and trademark technical race to cross the line some 26 seconds ahead of Flückiger. It was the Briton’s second Olympic cross-country World Cup win of the season.Ronja Blöchlinger (Liv Factory Racing) took the U23 women’s win in Mont-Sainte-Anne and clinched the overall series title with a dominant ride. The Swiss short-track overall champion led from the start loop and throughout the sapping, tricky four-lap race.Sofie Heby Pedersen (Wilier-Pirelli Factory Team XCO) managed to hang on to her second place on the overall podium with an 11th-placed finish despite a strong challenge from Kiwi Samara Maxwell (Rockrider Ford Racing Team) who finished in fifth leaving her third in the overall.Swiss rider Noëlle Buri (Bixs Performance Race Team) came across the line in second - some 31 secs behind Blöchlinger - after a back and forth battle with the USA’s Munro Madigan (Trek Factory Racing XC) who finished third.In the U23 men’s Adrien Boichis (Trinity Racing MTB) claimed the UCI Cross-country Olympic overall series title with the points from his stunning Friday evening win in the short track. But the battle for the remaining spots on the overall podium was intense with places changing hands on the slick and technical course as the race played out.The U23 men were the first to go after the overnight rain had soaked the track and it was the USA’s Riley Amos (Trek Factory Racing - XC) who capitalised on the conditions, securing second place in the overall with a skilful ride to take the win in Mont-Sainte-Anne. The man who came into the weekend second in the standings, Carter Woods (Giant Factory Off-Road Team - XC), was forced to retire from the race after a heavy crash on lap four of five. The Canadian still ended up third in the overall.On the day, France’s Boichis - who is also the overall short-track champion - crossed the line in second place some 16s behind Amos with the USA’s Bjorn Riley (Trek Future Racing) clearly relishing the conditions and coming in third.Full results are hereAnd that’s a wrap. Thanks for joining us for our coverage of the 2023 UCI Mountain Bike World Series. It’s been a stellar season of racing and we look forward to bringing you details of the 2024 season’s venues and dates later this month. Until then, best wishes from all of the team over here in Canada.

Valentina Höll (Rockshox Trek Race Team) and Loic Bruni (Specialized Gravity) clinched the overall UCI Downhill World Cup series titles in Canada after a thrilling season finale in Mont-Sainte-Anne.Austrian Höll cemented her claim to the championship with a masterclass of a win on a tricky course left slick by earlier rain.The World Champion’s victory in Canada was her fourth of the 2023 World Cup season and saw her underlining her dominance by finishing first in qualifying, first in the semi-final and then first by more than 13 seconds in the final.Nina Hoffmann (Santa Cruz Syndicate) secured second place in the overall by finishing runner up in the race despite crashing towards the bottom of the course and blowing her front tyre off on the final jump.The German’s second place meant that France’s Marine Cabirou (Scott Downhill Factory) ended up third in the overall after finishing ninth in Canada following a huge crash. Third in the race, it was a first podium of the season for Italian Veronika Widmann (Continental Nukeproof Factory).France’s Loic Bruni (Specialized Gravity) claimed his third overall World Cup series title with a run that lacked a little of his trademark finesse but was still enough to seal the title and put him into the hot seat with three riders to go.But it was the last man down the hill at Mont-Sainte-Anne who really set the huge crowd alight. Debut elite Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) took a spectacular win to the delight of the passionate home fans, crossing the line more than four seconds up on second-placed Briton Ethan Craik (GT Continental Factory Racing). Bruni himself ended up third in the season’s final race.Goldstone’s blistering win meant he leapfrogged Loris Vergier (Trek Factory Racing Gravity) in the overall standings to take second place and relegate the Frenchman - who came tenth - to third in the series.In the women’s junior downhill in drier conditions on Friday, Colombian Valentina Roa Sanchez (Transition Factory Racing) clinched the overall UCI World Cup Downhill championship with an impressive run to take the final win in Mont-Sainte-Anne.Roa Sanchez was some three seconds faster than Kiwi Sascha Earnest (KiwiDH) with France’s Lisa Bouladou in third. On the overall podium, it was second place for Bouladou and third for New Zealand’s junior World Champion Erice Van Leuven (Commencal Les Orres).In the men’s junior downhill, the USA’s Ryan Pinkerton (GT Continental Factory Racing) had secured the overall title in Snowshoe but was unfortunately sidelined at Mont-Sainte-Anne by a crash in practice. The man who went into the finals weekend in second position in the title race, Trek Factory Racing Gravity’s Bodhi Kuhn, was also injured in practice and forced to sit out the race. In the end it was France’s Nathan Pontvianne (Pinkbike Racing) who capitalised, taking the win on the day by nearly four seconds and leapfrogging Kuhn in the overall battle to take second spot relegating the injured Canadian into third. Pontvianne’s teammate Mylann Falquet was second in Mont-Sainte-Anne and Kimi Viardot (K Bike) was third.Full results are hereThe cross-country riders will be back in Olympic format action on Sunday starting with the U23 men at 9am EDT. Further details of the weekend’s schedule are available here.Full details of how to watch the racing are here.

Dutch rider Puck Pieterse (Alpecin Deceuninck) and Germany’s Luca Schwarzbauer (Canyon CLLCTV) were crowned overall elite UCI World Cup Short-Track champions in Canada.Debut elite Pieterse’s fifth place ahead of Thömus Maxon’s Alessandra Keller at the final round in Mont-Sainte-Anne was enough to seal the title on a day when Laura Stigger (Specialized Factory Racing) took the win. The Austrian overhauled France’s Loana Lecomte (Canyon CLLCTV) with an explosive final-lap attack. Australian Rebecca Henderson (Primaflor Mondraker Genuins Racing Team) was third in the eighth round of the series in Quebec.Switzerland’s Keller - who finished in 14th - ended up second behind Pieterse in the overall standings and Britain’s Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing XC)  who finished fourth in the Mont-Sainte-Anne final - was third.Luca Schwarzbauer crossed the line seventh in the men’s final which saw him crowned overall short-track champion. Germany’s Schwarzbauer fought for the lead throughout the 10-lap final race which was won by Victor Koretzky (Specialized Factory Racing) making it three short-track victories in a row for the Frenchman. Koretzky attacked on the final lap and managed to get a small gap to France’s Jordan Sarrou (Team BMC) who crossed the finish line in second with Specialized Factory Racing’s Christopher Blevins of the USA in third.In the overall standings Sarrou ends the season behind Schwarzbauer in second place and his fellow Frenchman Joshua Dubau (Rockrider Ford Racing Team) is third.Full results and standings can be seen here.The U23 racers went between the tapes on Thursday with Ronja Blöchlinger (Liv Factory Racing) and Adrien Boichis (Trinity Racing MTB) crowned overall UCI World Cup Short-Track champions.Both racers underlined their claims to the titles by winning the final round at Mont-Sainte-Anne. Blöchlinger’s victory in the finals means she has won an unprecedented eight out of eight rounds in the U23 short-track and becomes the only athlete in any format in the UCI Mountain Bike World Series to have gone unbeaten all season. The Swiss rider outsprinted Kiwi Samara Maxwell (Rockrider Ford) to take the win in Canada with Noëlle Buri (Bixs Performance Race Team) in third. Maxwell and Buri also finished the season second and third in the overall.In the men’s race, Boichis managed to solo away from a group including Canada’s Carter Woods (Giant Factory Off-Road Team -XC) and Trek Factory Racing XC’s Riley Amos. Woods and the USA’s Amos took second and third in the race as they did in the overall.Boichis's victory in the short-track is enough to also secure him the overall title in the U23 UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup series ahead of Sunday's final race.Full results and standings can be seen here.The cross-country riders will be back in Olympic format action on Sunday starting with the U23 men at 9am EDT. Futher details of the weekend’s schedule are available here.Full details of how to watch the racing are here.

Seven races and seven winners means that four elite men are still battling it out for the UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup series crown.The women’s elite title race was sewn up last weekend in Snowshoe, USA, by World Champion Valentina Höll (Rockshox Trek Race Team), but the men’s is still wide open and riders are preparing themselves for a thrilling showdown.In the last round of the World Cup series, points are only awarded for the final but all four of those men in the running are protected riders meaning that - barring disaster - they will be guaranteed to start.A maximum of 250 points are on offer for the winner of the elite final. Currently France’s Loic Bruni (Specialized Gravity) is leading the way but he’s just 60 points ahead of his countryman Loris Vergier (Trek Factory Racing). Third in the standings, just 152 points behind Bruni, is Santa Cruz Syndicate’s Jackson Goldstone and his fellow Canadian Finn Iles (Specialized Gravity) is also in with a shout lying 198 points adrift of his teammate Bruni.The standings mean that anything could happen and Bruni faces a real fight to land a third World Cup series title. For instance, if there was to be an eighth different winner with Vergier taking the top spot on the Mont-Sainte-Anne podium, the Trek rider would take the title even if Bruni came third.Although Austrian Höll has already secured the women’s elite title, the battle for the second spot on the series podium is shaping up to be a belter. Only 29 points separate Santa Cruz Syndicate’s Nina Hofmann and Marine Cabirou (Scott Downhill Factory) with a maximum of 250 on offer.In the junior categories, although the USA’s Ryan Pinkerton secured the men’s title in Snowshoe with his fourth win in four World Cups, the remaining spots on the podium are wide open and the women’s title is still in the balance. Currently, in the junior women, with 65 points on offer, Colombian Valentina Roa Sanchez (Transition Factory Racing) is just 15 points ahead of France’s Lisa Bouladou. World Champion Erice Van Leuven (Commencal Les Orres) is also still in with a shout - lying just 35 points off Roa Sanchez.In the battle for the junior men’s podium spots, Bodhi Kuhn (Trek Factory Racing Gravity) lies in second and Léo Abella (Commencal Les Orres) just 19 points behind him in third. With 60 points on offer though, four more riders could potentially take the second spot and six more the third.You can catch all of the live action on the UCI Mountain Bike World Series YouTube channel:12:30 EDT / 18:30 CEST UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup - Junior FinalsFind out more about where to watch: Mont-Sainte-Anne here.

The world’s fastest cross-country mountain bikers go once more this week as the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup series reaches its climax in Canada.Three of eight titles are already secured across the men’s and women’s Olympic and short-track categories in elite and U23 but five will go down to the wire in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Quebec in the eighth and final round of the 2023 season.The only cross-country Olympic title already in the bag is the women’s elite which Dutch rider Puck Pieterse (Alpecin Deceuninck) has claimed. However, the other podium spots are still in the balance so expect a fight between Austrian Mona Mitterwallner (Cannondale Factory Racing Team) and Frenchwoman Loana Lecomte (Canyon CLLCTV) who lie second and third in the standings respectively.Both Short-Track U23 titles are decided with Switzerland’s Ronja Blöchlinger (Liv Factory Racing) and France’s Adrien Boichis (Trinity Racing MTB) having wrapped those up at the seventh round in Snowshoe.Of the five still up for grabs the men’s elite cross-country Olympic is among the tightest with four riders in touch. With a maximum of 330 points available in the elite races - 80 for first place in short track and 250 for first place in Olympic - Nino Schurter (Scott-SRAM MTB Racing Team) leads the table but he’s just 89 points ahead of Frenchman Jordan Sarrou (Team BMC) and 167 in front of Switzerland’s Matthias Flückiger (Thömus Maxon). Luca Schwarzbauer (Canyon CLLCTV) is also in touch some 220 behind Switzerland’s Schurter.In the elite men’s short track, Schwarzbauer is well out front and could only be caught by Sarrou who trails the German by 190 points with a maximum of 250 on the table.In the women’s short track, three riders could still be crowned series champion. There are a maximum of 250 points on offer and Pieterse leads Swiss rider Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon) by 80 points and Britain’s Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing XC) by 194.In the U23 cross-country Olympic, the women’s title race is wider open than the men’s with three riders still in the chase. With 165 points still up for grabs, Blöchlinger leads Denmark’s Sofie Heby Pedersen (Wilier-Pirelli Factory Team XCO) by just 41 points and World Champion Samara Maxwell of New Zealand by 75.In the U23 men, Boichis is 160 points clear of Canadian Carter Woods (Giant Factory Off-Road Team - XC) with 165 points available.The cross-country racing starts on Thursday, October with the U23's Cross-country Short Track - full schedule and events details are available here.You can find where to watch all of the racing action live in Mont-Sainte-Anne here.

After a huge season of UCI Mountain Bike World Series racing, it all comes down to this weekend for the stars of cross-country and downhill as they head to Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada, for the final race of the year.This most iconic of venues, steeped in mountain biking history, is a fitting location to crown the overall winners of the UCI Cross-country Olympic (XCO), Short Track (XCC) and Downhill (DHI) World Cups. However, with one race left to go, a few standout riders are already assured of victory.In the women’s XCO, Puck Pieterse’s (Alpecin-Deceuninck) sixth place finish in Snowshoe, USA, last weekend was enough to hand her the overall title. The 21-year-old from the Netherlands will take the series win in her first year in the Elite category. However, the other spots on the podium remain wide open, so expect an intense battle between Austrian Mona Mitterwallner (Cannondale Factory Racing Team) and Frenchwoman Loana Lecomte (Canyon CLLCTV) who lie second and third in the standings respectively.While in the men’s category Switzerland’s Nino Schurter (Scott SRAM MTB Racing Team) leads the overall points - but just 89 points back is Frenchman Jordan Sarrou (Team BMC), who’ll be riding high after his stunning victory in Snowshoe last weekend. Third placed Swiss rider Mathias Flückiger (Thömus Maxon) and fourth placed German Luca Schwarzbauer (Canyon CLLCTV) are also within touching distance of the top spot.It’s a similar story in the downhill competition, with the women’s overall winner wrapped up in Snowshoe last weekend. Current UCI World Champion Valentina Höll (Rockshox Trek Race Team), of Austria, added to her collection of titles when a third place finish in West Virginia secured her the overall title. But things are much less certain below her in the points table - with just 29 points separating second placed Nina Hoffman (Santa Cruz Syndicate), of Germany, and last weekend’s winner from France, Marine Cabirou (Scott Downhill Factory) in third.Meanwhile, in the men’s race, it’s very much all still to play for. Frenchman Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity) leads the points race, but just 60 points behind him is his compatriot, Trek Factory Racing Gravity’s Loris Vergier. Canadian Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) is in third and a further 92 points back on Vergier. Meanwhile another Canadian, Finn Iles (Specialized Gravity), is also still in with a chance of a podium finish and will be looking to put down the power in front of his home crowd. Racing gets underway in Mont-Sainte-Anne on Thursday with the U23 short track - full schedule and events details are available here.You can find where to watch all of the racing action live in Mont-Sainte-Anne here.

Celebrating its 28th year of UCI World Cup events, Mont-Sainte-Anne is the venue with the longest Mountain Bike World Cup history. Since 1998, the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup has been a must-attend event in Canada, welcoming the cream of the international crop to crown the ultimate Downhill and Cross-country champions in a festive gathering full of action and activity.You can watch all the action from the UCI Cross-country Olympic, Cross-country Short Track and Downhill World Cups across GCN+ (globally), on the Eurosport App, discovery+ and the UCI Mountain Bike World Series YouTube channel.Friday 6 OctoberLive on UCI Mountain Bike World Series YouTube channel:12:30 EDT / 18:30 CEST UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup - Junior FinalsLive on GCN+ globally, Eurosport 1, Eurosport app and discovery+ across Europe:From 16:15 EDT / 22:15 CEST UCI Mountain Bike Cross-country Short Track World Cup - EliteSaturday 7 OctoberLive on UCI Mountain Bike World Series YouTube channel:From 10:30 EDT / 16:30 CEST UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup - Elite Semi-FinalsLive on GCN+ globally, and across Europe on the Eurosport app and discovery+:12:45 EDT/ 18:45 CEST UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup - Elite FinalsSunday 8 OctoberLive on UCI Mountain Bike World Series YouTube channel:08:45 EDT / 14:45 CEST UCI Mountain Bike Cross-country Olympic World Cup - U23Live on GCN+ globally, and across Europe on the Eurosport app and discovery+:From 12:45 EDT / 18:45 CEST UCI Mountain Bike Cross-country Olympic World Cup - Elite

Laura Stigger (Specialized Factory Racing) and Jordan Sarrou (Team BMC) enjoyed epic battles to take their debut elite wins in the Snowshoe Olympic Cross Country.Stigger led for more than half of a spirited six-lap USA race to hold off a determined chasing group.Alpecin-Deceuninck’s Puck Pieterse’s sixth place was enough to secure her the 2023 UCI Mountain Bike Cross-Country Olympic World Cup title giving her an unassailable lead ahead of the final round. But the race victory in a sunny Snowshoe was all Stigger’s as the Austrian ground out a gap to a group of four going into the third lap. The 23-year-old’s lead went out to nearly 40 seconds until France’s Leona Lecomte (Canyon CLLCTV) launched a gutsy fightback narrowing the gap to 23 seconds by the finish.Italy’s Martina Berta (Santa Cruz Rockshox Pro Team) came in third after riding away from a group that included Pieterse. Pieterse’s closest rival in the title race, Mona Mitterwallner (Cannondale Factory Racing) crossed the line in 10th position.Jordan Sarrou (Team BMC) outsprinted Nino Schurter (Scott-SRAM MTB Racing Team) to take the win in an insanely tight men’s elite race after seven laps where the race lead went back and forth time and again.The Frenchman was out front from lap five after leader on lap four World Champion Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) had two front punctures and Luca Schwarzbauer (Canyon CLLCTV) who was pushing the pace up front ahead of Sarrou was slowed up by a rear flat. The Frenchman then managed to get away solo and eke out a gap. Sarrou was then caught on the final lap by Schurter and Marcel Guerrini (Bixs Performance Race Team) to set up the final sprint which the Frenchman timed to perfection to deny Schurter his 36th World Cup win. Guerrini came across the line in third. Matthias Flückiger (Thömus Maxon) was fourth and Pidcock managed to battle back to round out the podium in fifth.Schurter retains the leader’s jersey going into the final round in Canada next weekend.In the U23 women’s race, World Champion Samara Maxwell (Rockrider Ford Racing Team) was in impressive form taking the win by more than a minute from Ronja Blöchlinger (Liv Factory Racing).The pair had ridden away from the field on lap one of five but the Kiwi - who secured a deal with Rockrider Ford team this week - gapped her Swiss rival on lap two and never looked back.Ginia Caluori (Thömus Akros - Youngstars) was third after battling for much of the race with Noëlle Buri (Bixs Performance race Team) who came in fourth. Swiss rider Calouri’s performance was all the more impressive for being on a borrowed bike with her’s currently lost in transit.Blöchlinger takes the series lead from Sofie Heby Pedersen (Wilier-Pirelli Factory Team XCO) who finished in 25th.In the U23 men it was a powerful win for Carter Woods (Giant Factory Off-Road Team-XC). Canadian Woods and series leader Adrien Boichis (Trinity Racing MTB) managed to splinter off the front of the race on the first lap of six and extend their lead to almost a minute by the final lap.The pair traded blows all race but it was Boichis who launched first in what would be the race’s defining moment. He went around Woods in an all-out attack in the second half of lap six but Woods had the legs to respond and passed the Frenchman to hold a five-second gap to the finish. The USA’s Riley Amos gave the home fans reason to cheer by coming in around 55 seconds behind Woods in third. Boichis retains the overall series lead. He’s currently ahead of Woods by 160 points with 165 available in Mont-Sainte-Anne.Full results are available hereThe cross-country athletes will be back in action in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada at the eighth and final round of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup. The U23 Short-Track will kick off the weekend for the endurance riders on Thursday, October 5. More details of the schedule here

Marine Cabirou (Scott Downhill Factory) and Oisin O’Callaghan (YT Mob) tamed the savage rocks and roots of Snowshoe, USA to taste victory in the penultimate round of the UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup.But in the women’s race, a third place for World Champion Valentina Höll (Rockshox Trek Race Team) was enough to secure the Austrian the 2023 World Cup series title ahead of the final round in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada next weekend.On the day though it was Cabirou who made it two World Cup wins in a row with a faultless performance that saw her cross the line just three-tenths of a second ahead of Nina Hoffman (Santa Cruz Syndicate). The French rider’s win leaves her third overall in the series but narrows the points gap to second-placed Hoffman to just 29 with 250 points on offer in the season finale.And in the men’s race it was a stunning debut elite win for Ireland’s Oisin O’Callaghan whose impressive victory makes it seven winners in seven races so far in the 2023 season.A breathtaking run for O'Callaghan's countryman Ronan Dunne (Continental Nukeproof Factory) clinched an historic one-two for Ireland. The USA’s Dakotah Norton (Intense Factory Racing) ended up third after crossing the line to a rapturous reception from the frenzied home fans.Fastest in qualifying and the semi finals, last man down the hill Loic Bruni (Specialized Gravity) crashed in the critical lower rock garden and ended up in 26th. The Frenchman still leads the series going into the final round next weekend but with 250 points still on offer the title battle will go down to the wire with four riders still in the running.Full results and standings are hereThe juniors raced yesterday and it was an impressive win for UCI World Champion Erice Van Leuven (Commencal Les Orres) who held onto a wild run to beat the USA’s Taylor Ostgaard (Transition Factory Racing) by just under six seconds. Ostgaard’s Transition team mate Colombian Valentina Roa Sanchez was third. Roa Sanchez leads France’s Lisa Bouladou by just 15 points going into the final round of the series at Mont-Sainte-Anne.And in the junior men, the home nation’s Ryan Pinkerton (GT-Continental Factory Racing) secured the 2023 series overall title with his fourth win in four World Cups. The 18-year-old was just three-tenths of a second faster than countryman Evan Medcalf (Evolve Racing) who was imperious through the super-technical lower rock garden. In third was France’s Mylann Falquet (Pinkbike Racing).Full results and standings are hereThe downhill stars will be back in World Cup action next weekend in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada with racing starting on Thursday, October 5.The Snowshoe World Cup continues on Sunday with the Cross-country Olympic races starting with the U23 men at 9am.You can follow the U23 action live on UCI Mountain Bike World Series YouTube channel: from 08:45 EDT and then the elite racing live on GCN+ globally, and across Europe on the Eurosport app and discovery+ from 12:45 EDT 

A string of top enduro riders are swapping to downhill for Snowshoe including the 2023 UCI Mountain Bike Enduro World Cup champion Richie Rude.The Yeti/Fox Factory rider is switching to big bike to extend the season along with the likes of Lapierre Zipp Collective’s Adrien Dailly, Canyon CLLCTV Dainese’s Gloria Scarsi and Forbidden Synthesis’s junior 2023 Enduro World Cup champ Emmy Lan. Downhill World Cup regular Pivot Factory Racing's Matt Walker is also in the mix.Hattie Harnden is another enduro rider taking the start line in Snowshoe after finishing third in the overall at the season finale in Châtel, France two weeks ago.It’s not a huge surprise to see the Trek Factory Racing Gravity star in action in the US as she’s done eight DH races in 2023 including the season opener in Lenzerheide and the UCI World Champs in Scotland in August. She's also the current British national downhill champion.But Rude, who is looking to race both North American World Cup downhill rounds, has also been chipping away on the big bike this season in between his enduro commitments.He came fourth in the US national champs in July and sixth in the Canadian Open last month after starting the season at a Downhill Southeast round in Windrock, Tennessee in May.And, in case anyone has forgotten, the Connecticut native is also a former UCI Downhill World Champion having taken the junior title in 2013 at Pietermaritzburg in South Africa.He says he’d been wondering how he’d stack up on the downhill bike and, once he saw the World Cup calendar, Snowshoe and Mont-Sainte-Anne became part of the plan.“I think ever since we kind of got the whole downhill bike idea together, this year was a year where we'd pick races here and there to do during the season,” he said.“And yeah I think just the last two were the easiest to kind of go to and it would be stress-free from the enduro side of things.“And, for a while, I’ve just been wanting to see how I stack up and kind of how my downhill speed is. But yeah, mainly just kind of wanting to have fun testing out the downhill bike and having Yeti back at the races. “It’s a bit different just because with enduro you kind of have a full day to get up to speed or just do your race. And there's 26 minutes of racing, not three and a half. “So I think I’ve kind of got to let the brakes go at some point and just carry that speed.”Britain’s Harnden, who since 2015 has earned 11 cyclocross and cross-country national championship titles, says downhill seems to complement enduro in a way that cyclocross, in particular, never really did.“You'd come out of the winter having fully bulked up and been in the gym for four or five months and I'd go to cyclocross worlds, which is like the end of January, start of February and you're almost at your biggest and heaviest then,” she said.“I always found that a little bit difficult because it doesn't complement riding around a grassy field. Like having a big, strong upper body. So I think the downhill and enduro complements each other a lot better.”“Having always raced more than one discipline, I find it helps me refocus and not get too drawn into just doing one thing.”The 22-year-old says that the downhill and enduro approach to this season nearly didn't happen after she struggled at the first round of the UCI Enduro World Cup in Italy.“Lenzerheide was the first first one [downhill] I did this year and there was almost a last-minute change of plan after the enduro race in Pietra [Ligure],” she said.“ I didn't have such a good race, finishing ninth, and we wondered whether it was actually the right thing to go and race a downhill world cup in between enduros.“So I chatted to my coach and we decided just to have a refocus, have a week of fun and it was the right thing to do to spend time with different people, even simple things like that. I think I came out better for it so it works for me but maybe not for everyone.”The elite qualifying races and junior finals at Snowshoe are on Friday and the elite semi-finals and finals are on Saturday.See the full weekend schedule here

Richards and Koretzky proved unstoppable in West Virginia as the 2023 UCI Mountain Bike Short-Track World Cup series headed across the pond to Snowshoe, USAIn the women’s race, no one had any answers for the power of Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing XC) who launched a devastating attack with two laps to go and never looked back.The 26-year-old looked a class apart on the slippery, technical descents and only series leader Puck Pieterse (Alpecin- Decuninck) came close to matching the British national champion’s pace once she had built up a gap.Richards crossed the finish line five seconds ahead of Pieterse with Australian Rebecca Henderson (Primaflor Mondraker Genuins Racing Team) another four seconds back in third.Pieterse retains the series leader’s jersey going into the final round in Canada next weekend.And in the men’s Victor Koretzky (Specialized Factory Racing) left it until the final climb on the final of five laps to launch an attack that no one could match.A group of eight had started the last lap in a tight race led mostly by series leader Luca Schwarzbauer (Canyon CLLCTV) but it was France’s Koretzky who had the legs to make the decisive move eventually crossing the line two seconds ahead of title challenger Jordan Sarrou (Team BMC) and four seconds ahead of Schwarzbauer.In terms of the series, the third place for Schwarzbauer and second for Sarrou means the German still has some work to do to secure the title leading his French rival by 190 points going into the final round of the season with 250 points still on offer.The U23 riders were in short-track action on Thursday night with Switzerland’s Ronja Blöchlinger (Liv Factory Racing) and USA’s Riley Amos (Trek Factory Racing XC) taking the wins.Blöchlinger made it seven short-track World Cup victories from seven this season to extend her stunning run of form and guarantee herself the 2023 UCI Mountain Bike Short-Track World Cup series title.She crossed the line some six seconds ahead of UCI Short Track World Champion Samara Maxwell of New Zealand. Noëlle Buri (Bixs Performance Race Team) was third.Riley Amos was a hugely popular home-nation winner, holding off a strong challenge from Canadian Carter Woods (Giant Factory Off-Road Team - XC) who came in five seconds back. Orbea Factory Team’s Luca Martin was third.Series leader Adrien Boichis (Trinity Racing MTB) suffered a puncture in the middle of the race but managed to battle back to 11th spot. His performance means that like Blöchlinger, he goes into the eighth round in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada with an unassailable lead in the series.Full results and standings are hereThe cross-country stars are back in World Cup action on Sunday with the Cross-country Olympic races starting with the U23 men at 9am.You can follow the U23 action live on UCI Mountain Bike World Series YouTube channel: from 08:45 EDT and then the elite racing live on GCN+ globally, and across Europe on the Eurosport app and discovery+ from 12:45 EDT 

The UCI Mountain Bike World Series is back Stateside! With the famous tagline of ‘almost heaven’, we’re kicking off in Snowshoe, West Virginia for the UCI Cross-country Olympic, short track, marathon and downhill World Cups. Snowshoe Mountain is the epicentre of the Mid-Atlantic’s mountain bike culture, and has hosted several of the most memorable races in recent World Cup history.You can watch all the action from the UCI Cross-country Olympic, short track and downhill World Cups across GCN+ (globally), on the Eurosport App, discovery+ and the UCI Mountain Bike World Series YouTube channel.Friday 29 SeptemberLive on UCI Mountain Bike World Series YouTube channel:12.30 EDT UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup - Junior FinalsLive on GCN+ globally, Eurosport 1, Eurosport app and discovery+ across Europe:From 16:15 EDT UCI Mountain Bike Cross-country Short Track World Cup - EliteSaturday 30 SeptemberLive on UCI Mountain Bike World Series YouTube channel:From 10:30 EDT UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup - Elite Semi-FinalsLive on GCN+ globally, and across Europe on the Eurosport app and discovery+:12:45 EDT UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup - Elite FinalsSunday 01 OctoberLive on UCI Mountain Bike World Series YouTube channel:08:45 EDT UCI Mountain Bike Cross-country Olympic World Cup - U23Live on GCN+ globally, and across Europe on the Eurosport app and discovery+:From 12:45 EDT UCI Mountain Bike Cross-country Olympic World Cup - EliteFull details about the UCI Mountain Bike World Series races in Snowshoe are available here.

US junior downhill sensation Ryan Pinkerton is relishing the challenge of tackling the Snowshoe track in front of his passionate home fans.The 18-year-old GT-Continental Factory Racing rider is on a proper roll having won the last three UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cups in Europe with dominant displays.And he’s clear that having the expectation of the partisan US crowd in West Virginia will only be a good thing.“I don't think there's any more pressure. I feel like, honestly, it's better, because the fans are really crazy for the US riders,” he said.“I just feel like, maybe at the other races, it was a little more than this race, because at the other races I had to get to where I am now so it was definitely harder. But now I just have to keep doing what I was doing before.”Californian Pinkerton says his mum will be trackside and his girlfriend is also going to be cheering him on in the crowd at her first World Cup.The Orange County teenager is currently leading the series from closest rival Canadian Bodhi Kuhn (Trek Factory Racing Gravity) who missed the last two French rounds after suffering a suspected concussion.The American has 88 points more than Kuhn, who is back for this seventh round of the series at Snowshoe.Pinkerton thinks the returning Kuhn and Christian Hauser (Union - Forged By Steel City Media) are likely to be the biggest threats this weekend“There's a bunch of other juniors but him [Kuhn] and Chris [Hauser] will definitely be the hardest ones to beat’” he said.“Obviously some of our riders will come out and definitely be fast, but I think those two are definitely the hardest ones, they’ve been there the whole season.”Pinkerton admits leading the series has ramped up the nerves but he’s confident he can deal with it.“​​Obviously, I never really thought about it up until I was in the lead. And then the last race in Les Gets was pretty hard,” he said.“Like I was really nervous at the top, a lot more nervous than I was at any other race. And I overcame that. So I think if I can overcome that then, I can overcome the nerves of this race.”Pinkerton will be in qualifying action at Snowshoe on Thursday afternoon.

The penultimate round of the UCI Mountain Bike World Series kicks off this week in Snowshoe, West Virginia, in the USA.This iconic venue will host both the UCI Cross-country and Downhill World Cups, as well as the final round of the UCI Marathon World Cup. The marathon riders will be first to leave the start line this week, when they take on an epic 100km loop for the last time this season.Vera Looser from Namibia and Héctor Leonardo Páez León of Colombia took the wins at the last round of the competition in France a fortnight ago, and will start today’s race as the clear favourites to do the same again. However, they’ll face competition from the current series leaders in the form of Italian Fabian Rabensteiner (Wilier-Pirelli Factory Team MX) and Lejla Njemčević of Bosnia and Herzegovina.On Friday it’s the turn of the cross-country short track athletes, who will be lining up in order to try and get the best possible start position for Sunday's cross-country Olympic race.In the women’s race Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck) leads the rankings with a points lead of 321 - meaning that a win on Sunday could see her clinch the overall title before the last race of the season. However, trying their hardest to stop her will be Austrian Mona Mitterwallner (Cannondale Factory Racing) and France’s Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Ineos Grenadiers), who sit second and third in the rankings respectively.The race could not be tighter in the men’s category, with all still to play for in the race for the overall series title. Nino Schurter (Scott-SRAM MTB Racing Team) leads the standings by just 98 points ahead of closest rival and fellow Swiss Mathias Flückiger (Thömus Maxon), whilst third placed Luca Schwarzbauer (Canyon CLLCTV), of Germany, is just a further 27 points back in third. With the series title on the line, expect some of the fiercest racing of the year this weekend.In the UCI Downhill World Cup it’s a similar story, as riders prepare to face the penultimate challenge of the year and shore up their points in the race for the overall title. Reigning UCI World Champion from Austria, Valentina Höll (Rockshox Trek Race Team), is on course to do the double - she’s over 400 points ahead of second placed Nina Hoffmann (Santa Cruz Syndicate), of Germany, and will start Sunday’s race as the clear favourite. Hoffmann’s second place finish is far from assured though - with last round’s winner Marine Cabirou (Scott Downhill Factory) just 90 points back.The points race is even tighter in the men’s competition, with just 149 points separating the top four men. Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity) currently leads the standings, but with Canadian Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) less than 60 points back in second place, the French former UCI World Champion has work to do if he is to stay on top. Another Frenchman Loris Vergier (Trek Factory Racing Gravity) and Bruni’s Specialized teammate Finn Iles, of Canada, also represent a significant threat to his lead in third and fourth place respectively.Full details about the UCI Mountain Bike World Series races in Snowshoe are available here.