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The second round of the UCI Marathon World Cup saw new winners crowned amongst the iconic surroundings of Finale Outdoor Region.  Competitors set out from the ancient village of Finalborgo to take on a huge 100km course that featured nearly 4000 metres of climbing. Taking in every type of terrain imaginable, the race played out beneath a blazing Italian sun that pushed riders to the limit.  The men were the first to cross the line, with Colombia’s Diego Alfonso Arias Cuervo securing the win with an impressive 1:12m lead ahead of Martin Stosek (Canyon Northwave MTB Team) in second and Italy’s Fabian Rabensteiner (Wilier-Pirelli Factory Team MX) in third.  Speaking after the race, Cuervo said: The race was really hard. I had a tough time because there were a lot of climbs and they were really rough. Around the 60km mark I started upping the pace, I was tied with the second placed rider but during that climb I was able to pick up some space and distance between us and that’s when I managed to make a bigger gap and win the race.  It’s the second most important win of my career after the 2021 World Championships in Elba. In the women’s competition it was Adelheid Morath from Germany who claimed victory, after a strong start to the race saw her lead quickly become unassailable. Round one winner Lejla Njemcevic was forced to settle for second, whilst Vera Looser rounded out the podium in third.  Morath commented: I think it was the hardest race in my whole career, it was super tough. The course was like 3700m of climbing but in a very technical terrain, so steep and loose, but beautiful. The first part was rooty and a little bit wet and then the last part was so dry, steep and hot. It was brutal with the sun, so there was some suffering. I tried on the first climb to make a gap and I felt good, so about 10km in I got the gap and I kept it to the finish, it was incredible.  It means a lot to me that now we have world cup racing in marathon, it’s a big step and also for women’s racing, so it really meant a lot to me, I'm very emotional. Today was a day that I will keep in my mind for a lifetime. Full results from today’s race as well as updated series rankings can be found here. The UCI Marathon World Cup returns on September 16 for round three at the UCI Mountain Bike World Series Festival Haute-Savoie, taking place in Chatel, Les Gets and Morzine.   

It was a full throttle day of racing across the hillside above Pietra Ligure for the third round of the UCI Mountain Bike Enduro World Cup and opening round of the UCI Mountain Bike E–Enduro World Cup. The Finale Outdoor Region has a history soaked litany of drama-filled enduro racing so it felt like a fitting place to host the first of the European legs of the Gravity season. You won’t have long to wait before we get to go racing once again at the UCI Mountain Bike Cross-country Marathon World Cup. Racing gets underway today with highlights to follow. You can follow along with all the action on GCN+ globally, Eurosport and discovery+ plus lots of free content on the UCI Mountain Bike World Series YouTube channel.  

Morgane Charre (Pivot Factory Racing) and Jesse Melamed (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Enduro Team) stamped their authority on the trails of Pietra Ligure to triumph at the UCI Mountain Bike Enduro World Cup in Finale Outdoor Region. The pair took two stage wins apiece and were simply too consistently fast for their rivals on six fast, chunky and technical tracks above the azure waters of the Ligurian Sea in Italy. After a huge 56km day, France’s Charre had a fairly comfortable win margin of nearly 14s over second-placed local hero Gloria Scarsi (Canyon CLLCTV Dainese). Last year’s champion Isabeau Courdurier (Lapierre Zipp Collective) was third. Charre came out swinging and won the first two stages of the day - both around 10-minutes riding and the longest in the race by some margin. As a result she led all day despite a strong challenge from Scarsi, who took a later stage and was buoyed by a vocal and partisan local crowd to her best-ever result on the world stage. Scarsi, who lives in nearby Albenga, harnessed the power of the crowd In the men’s race - the third round of the 2023 season - it took Canadian Melamed a stage to get going but then he found his pace, took a stage win and held the lead for the rest of what was a massive day in the saddle with more than 2,000m of climbing and 3,100m of descending. Melamed’s biggest threat came from his countryman Rhys Verner (Forbidden Synthesis Team) who took the first stage of the day along with the fifth. That meant, at the close of play, he was only five seconds back after nearly 30 minutes against the clock. Frenchman Alex Rudeau (Commencal Enduro Project) won a stage and had two seconds places to finish less than a second behind Verner in third. Melamed was clinical once he took the lead  In the U21 race, it was a dominating win for Canadian Emmy Lan of the Forbidden Synthesis Team, France’s Lily Planquart was second and Lan’s compatriot Elly Hoskin was third. The U21 men was a win for Specialized Enduro Team’s Raphael Giambi, Scotland’s William Brodie was second and Giambi’s fellow Frenchman Alexis Icardo (Canyon CLLCTV Dainese) ended up third. Team of the day were Canyon CLLCTV Factory Enduro Team but after three EDR rounds in 2023, Yeti/Fox Factory Racing lead the team standings. The e-enduro riders were also in action earlier in the day, as Finale Outdoor Region played host to the first round of the 2023 UCI Mountain Bike E-EDR World Cup. The nine-stage race ended up with wins for a resurgent Laura Charles (Miranda Factory Team) and for mountain-bike legend, former UCI World Cup Downhill champion Fabien Barel. Charles hardly missed a beat all day and Barel was excellent on the gravity stages but also competitive on the two power stages, which gave him the edge. Laura Charles was hugely impressive winning six of nine stages In the women’s race, Flo Espineira Herreros (Orbea Fox Enduro Team) was second and another mountain bike legend and former UCI Downhill World Champ, Britain's Tracy Moseley was third. In the men’s it was an all-French podium with Lapierre Zipp Collective’s Antoine Rogge in second and Florian Nicolai (WeRide Fulgur Factory Team) in third. Full EDR and E-EDR results are here The Team standings are here The action continues in Finale Outdoor Region tomorrow when the second round of the UCI Marathon World Cup gets underway. The top EDR and EDR-E riders will be back in action in two weeks time in the Austrian Alpine resort of Leogang from June 15 to 18.   

There is no doubt that when it comes to mountain bike racing, E-Enduro is the format on the move. The youngest of the race formats is riding the back of the boom in the popularity of E-MTB’s and is the proving ground for the world’s biggest bike and component manufacturers as the arms race continues to heat up with almost daily tech advances coming on a daily basis. The race around the stages of the stunning Pietra Ligure in the Finale Outdoor Region is set to be one of the sport’s milestones as it will see it ascend to full UCI World Cup status - not bad for a format which began life as recently as 2020! What is an E-EDR course like? E-Enduro, as you may have guessed, strongly resembles Enduro (EDR) in terms of how the racing goes down. The course itself is (in the case of Finale Outdoor Region) 58km in length and sees a number of timed stages each of which each rider has a start time on. There are two battery changes scheduled in and those start times are devilishly tight - riders have no option but to attack the adjoining liaisons at full speed in order to make them. That’s what makes E-EDR such a challenge; yes you have battery assistance, but you need every watt of it to even get you into the running on the time sheets.  What is a power stage? There is a key difference for E-EDR over regular EDR however; power stages. These are a unique concept when it comes to mountain bike racing and are timed technical climbs. Typically short in duration they test a riders ability to blend riding skill with their bikes drive unit output. It’s a fundamental part of what makes E-MTB’s so entertaining to ride and come race day a chance to make or break overall times. Who are the riders to watch? Just as the bike tech improves almost constantly, picking a winning rider can prove tricky in E-EDR. In the elite women’s field France’s Melanie Pugin (WeRide Fulgur Factory Team) won the first ever round back in 2020 but in more recent headlines it was Flo Espiñeira (Orbea Fox Enduro Team) who took the 2022 title and who now stands as perhaps the most accomplished all-rounder in the field. In the elite men’s class the French have really made their presence felt and have won just about every round in the previous two seasons. Yannick Pontal (BlackBox Test Pilot Program) is the reigning overall title holder and has proven himself to be hard to beat in just about every set of terrain. Pontal is on a new bike in the form of a Transition Relay for this season however, which will be pivotal. Orbea Fox Enduro Team’s Edgar Carballo has found a home in E-MTB racing and will be looking to challenge Pontal’s dominance this season. Living legend Fabien Barel, a maestro amidst the rocks of the Finale Outdoor Region, will be on the hunt too for Canyon CLLCTV and is many people’s dark horse to take the win. Where can I watch it?  You can stay abreast of the full day’s racing from the first ever UCI Mountain Bike E-Enduro World Cup right here with all our live timing and race coverage on 03 June. The race day highlights will be available on the UCI Mountain Bike World Series YouTube page on the same evening.  

Canadian Cross-country star, Emily Batty, has announced that she is retiring from international mountain bike racing. The 34 year-old from Oshawa first signed with Trek World Racing squad in 2010 before spending time on Subaru Trek and laterly Canyon. She appeared on 17 UCI World Cup podiums and won two UCI World Championships bronze medals during her career. © Red Bull Media House Batty’s time at the top spanned some of the sports largest shifts in both course and bike design amongst which she managed to remain one of its biggest stars. Along the way she was partnered with some of its biggest names including Jolanda Neff and Catharine Pendrel at international level. Batty took her social media channels to make the announcement:           View this post on Instagram                       A post shared by Emily Batty (@emilybatty1) Dear fans, supporters, and cherished friends, Today marks a new journey that fills me with nostalgia and anticipation. With mixed emotions, I announce my retirement from professional mountain biking. As I reflect upon my incredible career, I am grateful for the remarkable experiences, victories, and connections that have shaped me into the person I am today. First and foremost, I want to express my deepest appreciation to all of you—my dedicated fans and supporters. You have been the driving force behind my accomplishments, the wind beneath my wings. Your unwavering encouragement and belief in me have propelled me to reach the heights I had dreamt of. Whether cheering me on from the sidelines or engaging with me through the digital realm, your presence has made this journey genuinely remarkable. I will forever cherish the memories of standing on the World Cup podiums and representing Canada at two Olympic Games—a testament to the countless hours of training, sacrifice, and sheer determination. To finish twice third overall in the World Cup series and have graced the World Cup podium 17+ times is an achievement that will forever fill my heart with pride. The bronze medals at the World Championships in 2016 and 2018, the fourth-place finish at the Olympics in Rio, and the 9+ Canadian Nationals Championships victories have all become indelible milestones intricately woven into the fabric of my personal story. Throughout my journey as a professional athlete and someone who’s had the opportunity to experience the highest of the highs and the lowest of the lows, I have come to appreciate that success extends beyond medals. The true essence of my experience lies in the invaluable lessons learned, the memorable encounters, and the moments of personal growth that arise when confronting challenges head-on. I frequently look back at my first Olympics and representing Canada in London 2012 despite breaking my collarbone three days before the event. It holds a special place in my heart. The rollercoaster experience of pushing through the pain, finishing on the lead lap, and defying the odds remains a testament to the resilience and unwavering spirit of the character as an athlete. Looking back on that incredible journey, I am filled with immense pride, knowing I gave it my all despite the challenges. As I reflect on all these moments, I am reminded that the core of life’s meaning and purpose lies not in pursuing medals and achievements but in the journey of self-improvement through unwavering dedication to our craft, experiences, and skill advancement. It is a testament to our character, reflecting who we are and what we strive for, and how this transformation unfolds beautifully, leading us to become enlightened and better versions of ourselves. Every triumph, setback, and connection made throughout this extraordinary journey has moulded me into the person standing before you today. As I embark on this new chapter, I carry the invaluable lessons, profound friendships, and unwavering support from those who have stood by my side. I am grateful for the chance to contribute to the sport’s evolution and pave the way for future generations of athletes fuelled by resilience and passion. Collaborating and being supported by extraordinary brands has been an honour beyond words. Their unwavering support and belief in my abilities have amplified my accomplishments and helped me make a lasting impact within the industry. I am genuinely grateful for the opportunities they provided, the partnerships we cultivated and continue to cultivate. But beyond the medals, the victories, and the brand affiliations, what has truly touched my soul is the people I have met on this extraordinary journey. Each encounter, whether in person or online, has enriched my life and shaped my perspective. The connections I forged with all of you, my fans and supporters, have been the lifeblood of my motivation. Your energy and passion have fuelled my own. Over time, we cultivated a tremendous digital fanbase of nearly 1 million followers worldwide and continue to do so. The unwavering support and growth I’ve experienced through these digital channels have been precious to me throughout my career, and I am eternally grateful. It has provided me with a platform and a voice to express my true self, showcase the brands I have proudly represented, and share the profound connections I’ve forged along this extraordinary journey. As I step away from professional mountain bike racing and embark on a new journey in the sport, I am faced with the excitement and uncertainty that lie ahead. Having dedicated myself to cycling from age 13, the next chapter of my career will undoubtedly be challenging. Yet, I embrace this challenge with open arms and an eager heart. The possibilities are vast, and I am filled with a sense of purpose to explore new avenues, contribute to the sport of cycling in different ways, and continue growing as an individual. While I may not have all the answers right now, I am brimming with ideas and opportunities that lie in wait. The passion, determination and experiences that fuelled my athletic career will undoubtedly propel me forward into this next phase of my life in cycling. I invite you all to join me on this new adventure as I navigate uncharted territories, discover new passions, and seek to impact the sport in new ways. Thank you, once again, for being a part of this extraordinary ride. Your unwavering support and belief in me have been the driving force behind my success. Don’t forget that you can catch all the action from Lenzerheide, Switzerland as the UCI Mountain Bike Cross-country World Cup recommences for its second round on Discovery+, Eurosport and GCN+ 08-11 June.  

Commencal MucOff by Riding Addiction’s Myriam Nicole is set to miss the UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup curtain raiser in Lenzerheide, Switzerland this weekend. The former two-time UCI World Champion has been ruled out of the first couple of races of the year citing a battle with a concussion injury. The team have given their full support to one of the pre-season favourites and are working alongside her to get her back to racing as soon as possible.  Nicole, who took the win in Lenzerheide last season, rounded out 2022 with a bronze medal at the UCI World Championships in Les Gets and entered this campaign as one of the favourites to take the overall title.  Joining her on the sidelines will be the Santa Cruz Syndicate’s Jackson Goldstone and Trek Factory Racing’s Reece Wilson.  Goldstone had been on a tear throughout the build up to this season and would enter it as the reigning UCI Junior World Champion having placed second to Britain’s Jordan Williams (Specialized Gravity) in the overall title chase. The Canadian suffered a burst appendix last month and is missing Lenzerheide to undergo surgery on it.  Scotland’s Reece Wilson (Trek Factory Racing) is also due to miss the season-opener due to a broken leg. The 2019 UCI World Champion is already back on two feet and on the road to recovery where he will be hoping for a fully mended assault on the UCI World Championships in Fort William later in the year.  You can watch all the action from the UCI Mountain Bike World Series from Lenzerheide, Switzerland on GCN+, Eurosport, and discovery+  08 -11 June. Don’t miss out!  

When it comes to expert enthusiasm few can match our very own Josh Carlson. The Wollongong native is a guru of all things 'racetrack’ and, over the years, he has amassed more knowledge than most when it comes to the storied trails of the Finale Outdoor Region.  How could we enhance Josh’s extensive knowledge bank for this week’s UCI Mountain Bike Enduro World Cup course preview? Well, why not further enlisting the help of some reigning overall title holders?! Enter Lapierre Zipp Collective’s Isabeau Courdurier and Canyon CLLCTV’s Jesse Melamed: The UCI Mountain Bike Enduro and E-Enduro World Cup takes place this weekend in Pietra Ligure, part of the Finale Outdoor Region, Italy. You can follow along with all the action on GCN+ globally, Eurosport and discovery+ plus lots of free content on the UCI Mountain Bike World Series YouTube channel.  

Strong broadcast performance across Warner Bros. Discovery platforms Biometric data on broadcast for the first time in the sport Record number of teams, athletes and nationalities participated U23 Cross-country Olympic race streamed live for the first time Nové Město na Moravě in the Czech Republic saw the first live broadcast from the UCI Mountain Bike World Series hit screens around the globe with the opening round of the UCI Mountain Bike Cross-country World Cup. The event, which took place from the 11 - 14 May, 2023, showcased a huge step change in the presentation and broadcast of the sport.  Live coverage of the thrilling action outperformed the time slot average on linear channels in the United Kingdom, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands and France while social engagement on Warner Bros. Discovery's platforms - via viewership through the live streams and reach on social media - performed well above expectations, underlining the company's commitment to super-serving the mountain bike community with live racing, news, views and interviews. The weekend saw a flurry of firsts for the sport including live biometric data from Whoop bands on the broadcast and on-bike live sensors that will pave the way for more data and insights from the track.  And it wasn’t only innovations in tech that launched in Nové Město na Moravě. Warner Bros. Discovery Sports (WBD Sports) has brought in the new era with a slick on-site look and feel that includes state of the art LED technology on the start/finish straight, streamlined and reusable course marking that makes the sport easier to follow and safer for athletes, as well as on-event structures that puts the presentation of mountain bike in line with the sporting big guns.  The future heroes of the sport were not forgotten in Nové Město na Moravě, when, for the first time in UCI Mountain Bike World Cup history, the entire U23 Cross-country Olympic race was streamed live on YouTube for fans to enjoy.  In 2023, UCI Mountain Bike World Series has also seen a record number of athletes and teams registering for UCI Mountain Bike World Cups, including three UCI World Tour teams - Ineos Grenadier, Jumbo Visma and Alpecin-Deceuninck - laying the foundations for exciting discipline cross-overs in the cycling world. This record-breaking attendance of over 100 teams, 49 nationalities and over 1000 athletes, gives confidence in the growth of the sport and the willingness to support the revolution that is taking place in mountain biking in the WBD Sports era. Coverage of UCI Mountain Bike World Cups at UCI Mountain Bike World Series events will be available across key Warner Bros. Discovery channels including Eurosport, discovery+ and GCN+, as well as local broadcasters across five continents, making the sport the most accessible it’s ever been.  Leader of Mountain Bike for Warner Bros. Discovery Sports, Chris Ball, said: We’re incredibly proud to broadcast our first UCI Mountain Bike World Cup and the strong figures and brilliant engagement have already shown us that we’re on the right track and the future is bright. Nové Město na Moravě provided excellent racing and the new technology and additional resources we’ve brought to the broadcast highlighted this perfectly. It’s also fantastic to see U23 racing enjoy live coverage for the first time, as this will only help elevate the profile of the sport’s up and coming talent. The positive results from our first weekend demonstrates the huge appetite amongst existing fans and our work to bring new fans to the sport, whilst using coordinated links to our Giro d’Italia coverage on the same weekend proved hugely successful for attracting new viewers.

For the professional riders of the UCI Mountain Bike World Series, the formula is normally a pretty straightforward one; negotiate as good a deal as you can from a team that you think you want to be on with an equipment package that you think will allow you to be as competitive as possible. It’s often spoken of only in hushed tones but the top flight of mountain bike racing can regularly feature many a big name ‘stuck’ aboard a bike that, for whatever reason, they simply can’t get on with.  But what if the rider got to choose their own race set up? Not just how much air is in the tyres or how many clicks their adjusters are wound in by, but everything! Regardless of brand or sponsor, the riders of the YT Mob (Jack Moir, Christian Textor and Kasper Woolley) are allowed to hand pick all the componentry on their YT frames down to the very smallest detail in what the German marque are referring to as Live Uncaged. The UCI Mountain Bike Enduro World Cup resumes this weekend in Pietra Ligure, part of the Finale Outdoor Region, Italy. You can follow along with all the action on GCN+, Eurosport and discovery+ plus lots of free content on the UCI Mountain Bike World Series YouTube channel.  

The UCI Mountain Bike Enduro World Cup is full of riders from all over the world the top tier of which continue to astound with their respective abilities to cut through alien stages, after only one practice run, within the same second of each other. Being able to score points, no matter the kind of terrain, no matter what the weather is doing, is crucial if you want to win championships. And if winning championships is your preferred metric then the best of the bunch has to be Lapierre Zipp Collective’s Isabeau Courdurier. To get as good as Isabeau you need some pretty special terrain to train on. We spent a day with her at home in France to check out her local trails and to talk 2023 and that brutally impressive 2022 title win: The 29 year-old from the south of France took the French national championships earlier this year and is currently sitting second in the overall standings after the opening rounds of the season.  The UCI Mountain Bike Enduro World Cup resumes this weekend in Pietra Ligure, part of the Finale Outdoor Region, Italy. You can follow along with all the action on GCN+ globally, Eurosport and discovery+ plus lots of free content on the UCI Mountain Bike World Series YouTube channel.

Finale Outdoor Region welcomes two UCI Mountain Bike World Cups this weekend in Finale Outdoor Region, Italy, for the UCI Cross-country Marathon and Enduro World Cups. The area has long been synonymous with enduro mountain biking, having hosted the Enduro World Series every year since its inception in 2013, but this year it expands its offering to Marathon - opening up these iconic trails to this growing format. The UCI World Cup racing kicks off on Saturday, when the world’s best enduro riders will descend on Pietra Ligure to tackle its expansive trail network in the mountains high above the Ligurian Sea. With six big stages and over 3000 metres of descending on the menu, riders will have to push hard to keep both body and bike intact on these notoriously technical trails. In the women’s competition, all eyes will be on series leader Bex Baraona (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team). The British rider leads the standings by just 17 points ahead of France’s Isabeau Courdurier (Lapierre Zip Collective), with Ella Conolly (Cannondale Enduro Team) rounding out the top three. However, local rider Gloria Scarsi (Canyon CLLCTV Dainese) is a definite podium threat who’ll be looking to turn on the speed for her home crowd. In the men’s competition it’s Baraona’s Yeti/Fox Factory Race teammate Richie Rude who will start the race as the clear favourite. The American rider will be looking to add a fifth Finale podium finish to his roster, but trying hard to stop him will be Australia’s Daniel Booker (Nukeproof SRAM Factory Racing) and Luke Meier-Smith (Giant Factory Off-Road Team -EDR) who lie in second and third place respectively.  However, they’ll all face stiff competition in the form of Jesse Melamed (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Enduro Team) and Jack Moir (YT Mob). On Sunday it’s the turn of the Marathon racers, who will depart from the ancient walled village of Finalborgo into the mountains on a gruelling 100km course that will feature fire road, singletrack and an energy sapping 3760m of climbing. Leading out the women’s competition will be Lejla Njemčević of Bosnia Herzegovina, who took the win at round one in Nové Město na Moravě (Czech Republic) by an impressive margin of 02:46m. Her main competition will come in the form of Lithuania’s Katazina Sosna (Torpado Factory Team) and Switzerland’s Irina Luetzelschwab. In the men’s race, Italy can expect a strong showing from the top two ranked riders in the form of Fabian Rabensteiner (Wilier-Pirelli Factory Team MX) and Nicolas Samparisi (KTM Alchemist powered by Brenta Brakes). At round one in the Czech Republic, the fellow Italians were locked in a sprint finish after 120km of racing, with Rabensteiner just coming out on top. Elsewhere, Germany’s Simon Stiebjahn (Singer Racing Team) will also be looking to make his mark after a strong third place finish on his last outing. Amateurs will get their chance to race in both formats thanks to the Enduro of Finale Outdoor Region and the Marathon of Finale Outdoor Region.To follow all the action from the UCI Marathon World Cup and the UCI Enduro World Cup, tune in to the UCI Mountain Bike World Series YouTube channel for the official race highlights, bike checks and exclusive athlete interviews.Recaps and highlights from the racing are also available on Eurosport and globally on GCN+.More information on this weekend’s races in the Finale Outdoor Region can be found here.

When it comes to UCI Mountain Bike Enduro World Cup racing nowhere plucks the heart strings like Finale Outdoor Region. The trails that spiral their way from the cliffs high above the towns of Pietra Ligure and Finale Ligure to the Ligurian sea below have played host to some of mountain bike racings most captivating battles. The famous Italian round may have moved from its traditional position as the ceremonial season ender to the curtain raiser on the European races but its allure and promise of intrigue remain unabated. Thursday is practice day for the E-Enduro and Enduro racers as they battle to learn an action packed set of stages across just one run of each: Not only does the iconic Italian venue host the third round of the Enduro World Cup but it’s also set to be our first chance to see the racers of the E-Enduro World Cup. E-Enduro features the same set of stages but with the addition of technical climbing stages. To follow all the action from the UCI Marathon World Cup and the UCI Enduro World Cup, tune in to the UCI Mountain Bike World Series YouTube channel for the official race highlights, bike checks and exclusive athlete interviews.Recaps and highlights from the racing are also available on Eurosport and globally on GCN+.More information on this weekend’s races in the Finale Outdoor Region can be found here.  

How good is Specialized Racing’s Loïc Bruni at riding a downhill race bike? There are plenty of numbers which will give you a hint, such as his six UCI World Championships wins for example. Or his two UCI World Cup overall title wins. Or his 12 wins from 55 UCI World Cup podiums. But it’s when you see him ride a track like Fort William, one of the oldest and roughest of them all, from his point of view, that you get a clear picture of just how deep his talent runs. The new look UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup coverage for 2023 is set to offer fans, both old and new, more racing than ever before. We will be showing the new semi final format which will see racers battle it out to make the all-important finals whilst we will also be broadcasting the Junior races and streaming them live for the first time.   Excited for the start of the UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup season, this weekend? You should be. Don’t forget that you can catch all the action from Lenzerheide, Switzerland on GCN+, Eurosport and discovery+ plus loads of free content on the UCI Mountain Bike World Series YouTube channel.  

The UCI Mountain Bike Enduro World Cup roared into life back in March with the opening couple of rounds taking place in Tasmania. Both Maydena Bike Park and Blue Derby brought with them two very different flavours and as a result showcased the kind of breadth of ability required to cut it at the top of the fastest growing Gravity format.  Jesse Melamed won the Enduro World Series overall title last season then promptly went and made some more headlines with an off-season move to Canyon CLLCTV from Rocky Mountain RaceFace. We joined Jesse on the road to experience first hand what goes into competing at the highest level: It may not have been his dream start to the season but Melamed is right in the hunt for the UCI Mountain Bike Enduro World Cup crown. Can he solidify things with a good result at the next round in Italy at one of the sport’s most imposing battlegrounds; Finale Outdoor Region in Italy?  Don’t forget that you can catch all the action from the UCI Mountain Bike Enduro and E-Enduro World Cup’s from the Finale Outdoor Region on Discovery+, Eurosport and GCN+ 02-04 June.

Winning any UCI Mountain Bike World Series round is tough but E-Enduro (E-EDR) is comfortably one of the toughest formats. The myth of ‘e-bikes make things easy’ is quickly dispelled as soon as you see a racer take off from the bottom of one stage on full power to make their start time at the top of the next one. Times are unbelievably tight and the racing extremely physical. And then there’s the arms race. The old adage that racing bettering the breed is no more evident anywhere than in E-EDR as the world’s biggest brands and manufacturers push the bleeding edge of what the latest tech can do. There is no test session or CAD program that can produce the stresses and strains that the world’s fastest racers can conjure up in the heat of battle.  To mark the start of the new season, Yet Shimano EP Racing have released a four-part series chronicling their 2022 race season and their quest for that elusive top step. The even better news is that they’ve done the right thing and released all the episodes at once, you can watch them here.  Excited to go racing in 2023? Good. The UCI Mountain Bike E-EDR World Cup kicks off this season in Pietra Ligure, part of the Finale Outdoor Region, Italy. You can follow along with all the action on GCN+, Eurosport and discovery+ plus lots of free content on the UCI Mountain Bike World Series YouTube channel.  

Nové Město na Moravě in the Czech Republic is a famously tough place to go racing. The ascents and descents are short but amongst the most technical of the year. The track is lined with Czech fans, 5-deep all roaring the racers on to victory or defeat.  For the teams of the Endurance side of the UCI Mountain Bike World Series it’s even more. It’s the chance to put the long winters of planning, rider signings and equipment updates to the test amidst the white hot heat of battle.  Luca Martin, Anne Tauber, Pierre de Froidmont and David Campos were all out in force for the team in green and made their presence more than felt throughout the weekend: Don’t forget that you can catch all the action from the UCI Mountain Bike Cross-country Marathon, Enduro and E-Enduro World Cup’s from the Finale Outdoor Region on GCN+, Eurosport and discovery+ plus lots of free content on the UCI Mountain Bike World Series YouTube channel.

The course maps for both the UCI Mountain Bike Cross-country Marathon and Enduro World Cups in the Finale Outdoor Region have just been released ahead of racing getting underway next week.  In Finale Outdoor Region, mountain bike racing is taken very, very seriously. The region has made more than its fair share of history in the sport and now stands on the verge of making its exciting and perhaps biggest contribution yet.  The UCI Mountain Bike Cross-country Marathon World Cup (XCM) will be hosted in the historic Finalborgo, the ancient heart of the town of Finale Ligure.  The full course can be viewed here.  After the runaway success of round one of the series in Nové Město na Moravě, round two will see the long distance format swap dense Czech pine forests for stunning ribbons of singletrack skirting the Ligurian sea. The UCI Mountain Bike Enduro World Cup (EDR) will be returning to the only venue to have hosted top flight enduro racing right from the start and it is back at the spearhead of the next chapter of the sport.  The full course for enduro and e-enduro can be viewed here. For 2023, the EDR race will be based around the fast-emerging trail network of Pietra Ligure. Built by the same creative visionaries who have long sculpted the trails of Finale Ligure, the course offers the Finale Outdoor Region’s trademark blend of high speed savagery and awe-inspiring flow.  Don’t forget that you can catch all the action from the UCI Mountain Bike Cross-country Marathon, Enduro and E-Enduro World Cup’s from the Finale Outdoor Region on Discovery+, Eurosport and GCN+ 02-04 June.   

Sit in the Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II at around 4pm and it’s just possible to think that you’ve slipped, perhaps under the influence of industrial quantities of gelato, into a parallel universe where everyone rides mountain bikes. All ages, all shapes, all sizes, all languages meld together as the usual everyday hubbub makes way for conversations on tyre pressures and broken rear mechs. It’s as though the whole town is breathing mountain bike riding.  Finale Outdoor Region, which includes the equally bike fixated Pietra Ligure just a couple of minutes further around the coast, is set to host its first rounds of the Cross-country Marathon and Enduro UCI World Cups 02-04 June. And it’s a big deal.  It’s easy to wax lyrical about just how much the small Italian towns live and breathe mountain biking but perhaps a more interesting way is to take a wander down one of the beautifully rustic shuttered back streets of some of its past glories.  Here, in no particular order, are the races that helped to make the Finale Outdoor Region the legendary trail network that it is today: Martin Maes’ debut win When Martin Maes turned up at the first ever Enduro World Series (EWS) race in Punta Ala back in 2013, few knew his name. A gangly Belgian youngster on flat pedals and DH tyres, they learnt the name the hard way when he started claiming scalps. But the journey to that debut win was a slow burn and took three years.    The 2016 season had already featured four elite men’s winners including no fewer than four victories going to the man who would win his second title on the bounce, Richie Rude. Maes’ victory in Finale Ligure cemented his status as one of the very fastest in the world. Four more victories have since followed but all eyes are now on when the Orbea Fox Enduro Team pilot can convert a season’s worth of results into a title. Pietra Ligure would feel like a good place to re-find those winning ways. Trophy of Nations The Trophy of Nations began in 2019 and right from the first parade through the back streets of Finale Ligure became one of the loudest races in mountain biking. Teams of three racers competed on stage as one with each trio representing their country. The difficult years surrounding the global pandemic limited the event to just one other appearance (2022) where Team France (Isabeau Courdurier, Melanie Pugin and Morgane Charre) backed up their 2019 victory whilst Team New Zealand (Eddie Masters, Charlie Murray and Matt Walker) replaced Team USA (Richie Rude, Shawn Neer and Cody Kelly) as elite men’s gold medal winners.  Aside from its unique structure, Trophy of Nations was the first time that UCI World Champion’s medals were up for grabs in the enduro sphere and saw the ‘big single race’ vibes of Worlds meld with the ‘end of season party’ atmosphere of the traditional season closing battle above the beaches of Finale Outdoor Region.    Damien Oton wins in 2017 Damien Oton was one of the fastest enduro racers of the original generation of racers from the beginning of the EWS. The extremely likable Catalan had been on the cusp of some big results during the 2017 season only for events to inevitably conspire to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.  He had already tasted victory, in La Thuile 2014, but his triumph at the final round of 2017 was extremely emotional and remains one of the most celebrated in the sport’s history. Racing for Devinci at the time, his podium tears summed up perfectly just how tough it was to take to the top step in a series that was spiraling to ever-higher levels of bike racing.   Cecile Ravanel and Isabeau Courdurier summon perfection Cecile Ravanel’s EWS palmares is unlikely to be bettered any time soon. But, if it is, then her compatriot Isabeau Courdurier perhaps is one of the only riders likely to lay claim to the kind of numbers required. Both rounded off perfect seasons of wins in 2018 and 2019 respectively on the edge of the Ligurian Sea.    Ravanel was forced to sit out 2019 due to a back injury sustained during training which denied fans the opportunity to see the two square off properly but that in no way detracted what Courdurier achieved that year. It was a steamrollering. The Frenchwoman won every round and then capped it off by piloting Team France to the elite women’s Trophy of Nations title in Finale Ligure. A special season capped off in a fittingly special place.   2020 What has become colloquially known as ‘the Covid season’, 2020 was a story of survival for the Enduro World Series. So much momentum had been built and stoked only for the global pandemic to threaten to put pay to just about all international sport. But there was no stopping the Finale Outdoor Region.  Under a blanket of extensive precautions, the spiritual home of enduro fought back and made sport a priority to bring a little bit of normality to not only the local area but to the fans all over the world. Pietra Ligure hosted its first round (as well as a round of the new EWS-E e-bike category) and was immediately backed up by Finale Ligure with the pair joining Zermatt in Switzerland as part of a limited but vitally important season.  Don’t forget that you can catch all the action from the UCI Mountain Bike Cross-country Marathon, Enduro and E-Enduro World Cup’s from the Finale Outdoor Region on Discovery+, Eurosport and GCN+ 02-04 June.

The UCI Mountain Bike World Series’ flagship event in the Haute-Savoie region in France today unveils its plans for an unprecedented ten days of world-class mountain bike racing in the heart of the Portes du Soleil region (Les Gets, Morzine-Avoriaz and Châtel). The UCI Mountain Bike World Series Festival Haute-Savoie, taking place in Châtel, Les Gets and Morzine-Avoriaz will combine UCI Mountain Bike World Cup racing alongside a festival that celebrates this iconic region steeped in mountain bike history. With more than 600km of dedicated mountain bike trails and 24 lifts available, the Portes du Soleil in Haute-Savoie is the perfect host for this exciting new festival. With an outstanding natural heritage, Les Portes du Soleil is the spot for outdoor sports lovers. Between mountain pastures, alpine forests, summits on the Mont-Blanc and scenery across Lake Geneva, the Swiss Alps and the Dents du Midi, the surroundings will amaze riders and spectators alike. Encompassing all six major UCI Mountain Bike World Cup formats, there will be no less than ten UCI World Cup races taking place across two weekends. It’s the first time in the history of the sport that the UCI Cross-country Olympic (XCO), Short Track (XCC), Marathon (XCM), Downhill (DHI), Enduro (EDR) and E-Enduro (E-EDR) World Cups will come together in a single event. And it’s not just the biggest stars in mountain bike who will get in on the action - amateur races held in both XCM and EDR means anyone can take to the start line and see how they stack up against the fastest riders in the world. The Department of Haute-Savoie, organiser of this international competition together with the UCI and Warner Bros. Discovery, is a place rich with mountains, lakes and a stunning natural environment. It has hosted major sporting events that have made Haute-Savoie famous: the Winter Olympic Games in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc in 1924; the Alpine Skiing World Championships in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc in 1937; the UCI Amateur Road World Championships in Sallanches in 1964; the UCI Road World Championships in Sallanches in 1980; the UCI Mountain Bike and Trials World Championships in Les Gets in 2004; the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Les Gets in 2022 and, in the near future, the Junior Alpine Skiing World Championships at the Portes du Soleil in 2024 as well as the UCI Cycling World Championships in 2027. Les Gets (7-10 Sep) – providing a festival hub alongside the UCI XCO, XCC and DHI World Cups  Les Gets is no stranger to international competitions, with a proud history of hosting UCI Mountain Bike World Cups that dates back to 1992. More recently it hosted the prestigious 2022 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships, so it is only natural that it will offer a home to the UCI XCO, XCC and DHI competitions.  Les Gets will also act as the main festival hub, where the sport’s biggest brands will gather for a meet-up. For fans there will be live music, kids races and many more activities. Satellite festival sites in Châtel and Morzine mean fans can enjoy keeping up with the racing wherever they are, with big screens transmitting live from all the UCI World Cup races, so no-one misses out on any of the action. Morzine-Avoriaz (16 Sep) - hosting the penultimate round of the UCI XCM World Cup The all-new UCI XCM World Cup will be held in the mountains in Morzine and Avoriaz. Known for its steep terrain and lively atmosphere, Morzine will be the base camp for many of the riders on the UCI World Cup circuit in between races. This competition sees amateurs race the same gruelling 100km course as the professionals - with a lung busting 4000m of climbing. Amateurs will line up for the Marathon of Morzine-Avoriaz race, whilst the Elite will compete in the UCI World Cup race – with the unique aspect that both sets of racers will take on the exact same course at the same time.The route will take in natural trails as well as some of the iconic tracks of Morzine-Avoriaz’s famous bike park.  Châtel (15-17 Sep) - welcoming both professional and amateur enduro and e-enduro racing for the first time The action moves to Châtel for the closing weekend of the festival, when EDR takes its turn in the spotlight. Châtel is famous for its steep and technical terrain and for its Expert Bike Park developed over the years with the help of Freeride legends, first coming for the European Rampage 'Châtel Mountain Style' and now for the iconic and unique trails. Châtel will offer up a challenge to both the world’s top enduro riders and amateurs .  The action begins with the amateur race Enduro of Châtel (15 Sep), open to everyone as no pre-qualification is required. The Elite riders take on the same course on Sunday (Sept. 17) for the UCI EDR World Cup.  Martial Saddier, President of the Haute-Savoie Departmental Council and Nicolas Rubin, First Vice President of the Haute-Savoie Departement, said: We are proud to host this sporting event in the Haute-Savoie region. The Portes du Soleil region (Les Gets, Morzine-Avoriaz and Châtel) is a benchmark for mountain bike. We thank the UCI and Warner Bros. Discovery, once again, for their trust. Haute-Savoie will be there! Chris Ball, CEO of ESO Sports, added: We are incredibly excited by this new flagship festival in the Haute-Savoie.  The festival embodies Warner Bros. Discovery’s ambition to elevate mountain bike competition by unifying the formats and reaching new audiences worldwide to help grow this incredible sport. When we started this project, we said we didn’t only want to revolutionise the coverage, but also the onsite experience for fans, and these mini festival sites are another step forward to creating the most exciting atmosphere possible. Entries for the Marathon of Morzine-Avoriaz and Enduro of Châtel close on August 31 and are available here. In partnership with ESO Sports, Warner Bros. Discovery was appointed to advance and elevate the sport of mountain bike in June last year as part of an eight-year agreement with the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI).

Nové Město na Moravě has won the event of the year nine times so has some fine pedigree when it comes to UCI Mountain Bike World Series racing. And, in 2023, it refused to disappoint.  The final races of a packed weekend of Endurance racing took place last Sunday afternoon with a tantalising array of rivals old and new champing at the bit to get their seasons off to the best possible start. Check out the highlights, here:  Podium XCO Women: 1. Puck Pieterse (NED | Alpecin-Deceuninck) 1:23:01 2. Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (FRA | Ineos Grenadiers) 1:23:06 3. Loana Lecomte (FRA | Canyon CLLCTV) 1:23:12 4. Evie Richards (GBR | Trek Factory Racing XC) 1:23:17 5. Alessandra Keller (SUI | Thömus Maxon) 1:23:39 Results XCO Men Top 5: 1. Tom Pidcock (GBR | Ineos Grenadiers) 1:22:46 2. Joshua Dubau (FRA | Rockrider Ford Racing Team) 1:22:51 3. Nino Schurter (SUI | Scott Sram MTB Racing Team) 1:23:09 4. Jordan Sarrou (FRA | Team BMC) 1:23:09 5. Thomas Griot (FRA | Canyon CLLCTV) 1:24:07 The full results from Sunday’s men's race can be found here The full results from Sunday’s women's race can be found here Don’t forget to subscribe to GCN+, discovery+ or Eurosport to make sure that you don’t miss a second of the action. Find out more on where to watch here. Fancy trying your hand at the ultimate mountain bike race? Why not sign up for one of our Cross-country Marathon races? Find out more about Open Racing and how you can get on to the startline, HERE.