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The 2024 UCI Cross-country (XCO) World Champion and UCI XCO World Cup overall series winner Alan Hatherly has joined the WorldTour road cycling team Jayco-AluLa for 2025.  The 28-year-old South African has signed a two-year contract with the Australian outfit and will aim to compete across the road and off-road. As Giant is the official bike supplier of Jayco-AluLa, the UCI World Champion will ride for Giant Factory Racing when racing in the 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series.  It caps a phenomenal year for Hatherly, who also secured a bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games alongside his victories in the UCI XCO World Championship, two UCI XCO World Cups (Les Gets, Haute-Savoie in France; Mont-Sainte- Anne, Canada), and a UCI XCC World Cup (also in Les Gets, Haute-Savoie).  “I am incredibly excited for this new chapter in my cycling career and very grateful for the opportunity to ride for GreenEDGE Cycling for the next two seasons. I think now is the perfect moment for me to get out of the comfort zone and develop even further. Moving to a WorldTour road team is of course something totally new for me, it will be a steep learning curve, and I will be learning from the best. Combining road and MTB is new and refreshing and I am really looking forward to where this journey can go!” he said.  While he has spent the majority of his time on two wheels off-road, road cycling isn’t completely new to Hatherly and he has shown he can translate his racing prowess to the tarmac – finishing second in the 2024 South African national time trial championships and winning the five-day Tour du Cap stage race.  The move to a multi-discipline calendar makes Hatherly part of a growing group of riders who choose to juggle both the road and off-road disciplines, including double Olympic champion Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers), 2023 UCI XCO World Cup overall series winner Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck).  Hatherly’s transfer also brings to an end a four-year relationship with Cannondale Factory Racing – the team he made his breakthrough with on the world stage and won the 2022 UCI XCC World Cup overall title.

The 2024 UCI Cross-country Olympic (XCO) and Short Track (XCC) World Cup overall series winner Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon) has undergone surgery on her right cruciate ligament.  The 28-year-old Swiss rider had the operation in St. Gallen, Switzerland on October 22, two weeks after the season's final race in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada. The procedure was planned and aims to fix a historic injury that the two-time UCI XCO World Cup overall winner has managed since 2018.  The then-22-year-old fell during training at that year’s UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Lenzerheide, Switzerland, tearing her right cruciate ligament. Just one day later, she was back on her bike and winning gold at the U23 UCI XCO World Championships with a taped knee.  She has managed the rupture ever since and planned to analyse the situation after an Olympic year to find the best solution that would benefit her long-term health and work within the four-year Olympic cycle with an eye on Los Angeles 2028.  “The recovery and rehabilitation phase is currently going well. I feel I am receiving the best possible physiotherapy and medical care and am making the most of the situation,” she said.  The Swiss rider is no stranger to the surgery, having had an operation on her left knee’s cruciate ligament in 2021. She therefore understands the rehabilitation process and is already focused on returning for the 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series in April and next September’s UCI World Championships in Valais.  “I have enough time and therefore no pressure,” she added. “I want to be back on my bike by the end of January 2025 and then really start my pre-season preparation in the heat. My big goal for 2025 is the home UCI World Championships in Valais. There’s still plenty of time until September.”

In April 2025, Araxá, Minas Gerais (Brazil) will host the opening rounds of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series, drawing thousands of visitors to the city. The impact of hosting major sporting events often leaves lasting benefits for local communities, and Araxá is no exception. After more than 20 years of hosting the Copa Internacional de Mountain Bike, the city has now reached a new level of accommodation demand with the introduction of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series. The 2024 edition marked the city’s first-time hosting rounds of the UCI Cross-country Short Track (XCC) and UCI Cross-country Olympic (XCO) World Cup, and 2025 will see an expanded calendar with two weekends of racing at the Grande Hotel Termas de Araxá. Back in 2023, there were only around ten houses available for rent in the entire city. However, with the influx of visitors expected in 2025, over 200 homes are now registered for rent, and that number continues to grow. Many local families are planning to temporarily relocate with relatives in order to rent out their homes, creating a new source of income and employment opportunities for Araxá residents. As the supply of rental properties increases, prices have also become more competitive. Whether you're an athlete, exhibitor, or a spectator, simply click here and fill out the form according to your needs, and you'll be matched with suitable accommodation. To further expand the pool of available rentals, the event organizers have teamed up with AXA Consultoria Imobiliária, a local real estate consultancy. AXA has been instrumental in connecting with other agencies and homeowners, ensuring that all properties meet quality standards and are suitable for visitors. Anyone interested in listing their property can contact AXA via WhatsApp at +55 34 3438-0444. The WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series will kick off from April 3 to 6, with the second round following from April 9 to 13 on a completely different track, offering new challenges for athletes and thrills for the audience. One week prior, from March 28 to 30, Araxá will host the opening round of the Copa Internacional de Mountain Bike (CiMTB), Latin America's premier mountain bike competition, serving as a high-level warm-up for the season ahead. THE LEGACY OF CiMTB Since its inception in 1996, CiMTB has continuously innovated and contributed to the growth of mountain biking and the cycling market in Brazil. As a UCI event since 2004, it has been a key qualifying event for the Olympic Games, from Beijing 2008 to Paris 2024. CiMTB solidified its global reputation in 2022 by hosting the opening round of the Mercedes-Benz Mountain Bike World Cup in Petrópolis, and in 2024, it organized the Araxá round of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series. CiMTB was also responsible for designing the celebrated mountain bike course at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, widely regarded as one of the best in the history of Olympic mountain biking since its debut in 1996.

Vera Looser and 2023 series winner Lejla Njemčević took the women’s UCI Mountain Bike Marathon (XCM) World Cup title to the last 5km of a nail-biting series, while Fabian Rabensteiner led the defense of his XCM crown with a round one win and didn’t look back.  Cross-country Marathon is a different beast from its Olympic and Short-track cousins. Distances clock 100km, the terrain can be more rugged and wild than the groomed terrain found in the shorter formats, and riders must be self-sufficient for long stretches with significant distances between tech and feed zones.  Staying consistent across a season requires experience, skill, near-endless reserves of energy, and a bit of luck – a mid-race mechanical likely to end a rider’s shot at victory. And with three XCM races in the 2024 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series, there was not a lot of room for error.  Two riders with all the necessary attributes in the 2024 series were Vera Looser and Fabian Rabensteiner. While Looser only made her UCI XCM World Cup debut in 2023, the Namibian has been a tour de force and is yet to finish outside the top three. Rabensteiner meanwhile entered the season as the defending champion and once again managed to be the most consistent rider from all three rounds.  LOOSER OVERTHROWS NJEMČEVIĆ IN TIGHT TITLE BATTLE  With a total of 750 points up for grabs over the whole season, riders needed to maximise any chance they could to score big. Looser did just that in the opening round in Nové Město na Moravě, breaking clear on the second lap of the Czech course to beat the reigning series winner Lejla Njemčević. The Namibian scored an early advantage to lead the standings by 50 points – a gap that would ultimately prove crucial.  In Megève, Haute-Savoie (France), the Bosnian got her revenge – putting more than 13 minutes into second-placed Rae Hannah Otto, with Looser a further three minutes behind in third. The overall was tightly poised – Njemčević overtaking Looser to lead by 40 points with one round remaining. It would be a straight shoot-out in Mt Van Hoevenberg – Lake Placid, USA: if either won, they’d be guaranteed the title; if Looser beat Njemčević but someone else finished first, the marginal difference in points would decide it.  In the end, the series went down to the last of three 33km loops at the New York State venue – the pair inseparable for the first three-plus hours. Njemčević was the first to falter, dropping from the lead group including Looser and Rosa Van Doorn (Buff Megamo Team). But Looser’s title wasn’t guaranteed yet; if the Namibian had finished second, she would have been tied on points with Njemčević. With more than the race on the line, the 31-year-old found an extra burst of speed to outsprint Van Doorn, claiming her second UCI World Cup win of the season and her first overall title.  RABENSTEINER RALLIES TO BACK-TO-BACK SERIES WINS  Like Looser, Fabian Rabensteiner got his title tilt off to the best possible start in Nové Město na Moravě, rallying from 11th at the end of the first lap to build a seven-second lead by the race’s conclusion – Alex Miller and Samuele Porro completing the podium.  In Megève, Haute-Savoie, the Italian was unable to hold the pace of the veteran Colombian Héctor Leonardo Páez Leon, finishing more than seven minutes behind in fifth place. With Miller not racing in France, Rabensteiner’s lead in the standings was safe, but Páez Leon had emerged as his closest challenger – only 60 points separating them with one round remaining.  While not as close as the women’s series, the Italian needed to finish ahead of Páez Leon to ensure a second title. And this wasn’t guaranteed until the final few metres. Entering the arena, a group of nine featuring Rabensteiner and Páez Leon were still battling it out for the podium spots. Simon Schneller (Team Bulls) had the edge after almost four hours of racing, while Rabensteiner clinched third. With Páez Leon settling for ninth, the Italian’s title was confirmed.

The South African and Swiss stars accrued big points at all eight rounds of the 2024 UCI Cross-country Olympic (XCO) World Cup series, building almost unassailable leads to be crowned champions in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Quebec (Canada).  Olympic years always throw up interesting seasons in the UCI Cross-country Olympic (XCO) World Cup. The culmination of four years of preparation, the first few rounds see certain athletes peak to guarantee their spot in the gold medal race, while others have the luxury of focusing on the main summer event and gradually up the ante as the UCI XCO World Cup progresses. Some skip weekends to preserve their fitness, while others choose to take every opportunity to get between the race tape to stay sharp.  For Alan Hatherly (Cannondale Factory Racing) and Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon), the latter of these two strategies appeared to work best, securing them both the overall XCO series titles and third and seventh respectively in Paris last summer.  The pair were ever present at every WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series round and were almost numerically nailed on for first place as the season reached its finale in Mont-Sainte-Anne. From a year of top-10 finishes to sealing the title in style, here’s how Hatherly and Keller did it.  HATHERLY HITS RED-HOT STREAK AT RIGHT TIME  Before the 2024 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series, Alan Hatherly had never won an XCO race on the biggest stage. The first five rounds looked like it was set to be more of the same from the 28-year-old South African, who had shown promise but never converted a strong performance into a statement victory – a second place in Val di Sole, Trentino (Italy) equaling his previous best finish. Although he was still near the top of the standings, it would take some hard work to remain there – particularly after finishing 20th in Crans-Montana, Valais, Switzerland.  But in the last UCI World Cup in Les Gets, Haute Savoie (France) before the Olympic Games, there was a marked difference to Hatherly. After bouncing back from a disappointing weekend less than seven days before to win the UCI Cross-country Short Track (XCC) World Cup, he backed it up in the XCO to do the double, beating second-place veteran Mathias Flückiger (Thömus Maxon) by more than a minute and a half. The win appeared to unlock a new gear and propelled him to the top of the individual standings.  It was the start of a red-hot streak that no one could compete with. A bronze medal at Paris 2024 behind Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) and Victor Koretzky (Specialized Factory Racing) was immediately followed by the XCO win at the UCI Mountain Bike World Championship in Pal Arinsal, Andorra, securing the South African his first set of rainbow bands.  A month later, when the 2024 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series resumed in late September, Hatherly’s momentum hadn’t slowed. Outsprinted to the line by Koretzky on a fast and furious Mt Van Hoevenberg – Lake Placid course in the USA, Hatherly’s second place had all but confirmed his debut XCO series title.  After missing out on the win in the Mont-Sainte-Anne’s final UCI XCC World Cup that would have secured him the top spot in the overall, Hatherly showed why he deserves to be regarded as the best XCO rider of the year two days later. Setting a ferocious pace from the off in the Olympic-distance race, only Mathis Azzaro (Decathlon Ford Racing Team) could get within striking distance before the rainbow bands dug again, sailing off into the distance to claim a second UCI XCO World Cup win and the overall in style.  KELLER USES CONSISTENCY TO TAKE SECOND OVERALL WIN  Alessandra Keller knows what it takes to win an overall series, having finished top of the UCI XCO standings in 2022. The Swiss star couldn’t repeat her feat in 2023, settling for fifth while Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck) exploded onto the world stage. But come this season, the 28-year-old was ready to go toe-to-toe with anyone and was aided by a constantly changing field that often saw favourites such as Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Ineos Grenadiers) and Pieterse absent because of other focuses.  From the opening round in Mairiporã, Brazil, Keller was in the mix, and came away fourth in the individual standings – the lowest she’d rank all season. By round three in Nové Mesto Na Moravě (Czechia), she was up to second in the individual standings – her XCC win boosting her third position in the XCO – and even a relatively poor showing in Val di Sole, Trentino by her high standards (10th in the XCO, 5th in XCC) did little to diminish her status in the overall.  While she fell agonisingly short in her home race at Crans-Montana, Valais, Loana Lecomte (Canyon CLLCTV) having the edge, her place was enough to take her to the top of the standings – a position she wouldn’t relinquish again.  Another podium (third) in Les Gets, Haute-Savoie saw her build a commanding lead over Pieterse, and when it was announced that the multi-disciplined Dutch rider would focus on the UCI Road and Gravel World Championships instead of heading to North America for the final two rounds of the season, the overall was Keller’s to lose.  She could afford to let the front of the race go, instead riding in a measured, controlled, and consistent manner where it was about finishing in one piece rather than pushing the envelope. Ninth place in Mt Van Hoevenberg – Lake Placid meant she could secure the XCO overall with a top-30 finish in the following week’s XCC, and given she’d just be crowned the overall XCC title winner, only a crash was going to stop her.  Finishing eighth in Mont-Sainte-Anne’s UCI XCC World Cup, Keller had completed the XCC-XCO double with one race to spare. You wouldn’t have known it in the final race of the season though – the Swiss rider bossing her way to fifth and her fifth XCO podium of the year.

Richie Rude (Yeti/Fox Factory Racing) completed a podium-filled series to secure his fourth title and overtake Sam Hill as the most successful Enduro rider of all time, while Harriet Harnden (Trek Factory Racing Gravity) narrowly edged Isabeau Courdurier (Lapierre Zipp Collective) in a thrilling battle for the women’s crown.  After the move from the Enduro World Series and a successful first-ever UCI Enduro World Cup in 2023, this year’s competition was shaping up to be the most exciting yet for riders and fans alike.  The six-round series included some old favourites (Finale Outdoor Region, Italy; Loudenvielle-Peyragudes, France) and new additions like Bielsko-Biała (Poland), while both the men’s and women’s fields were packed full of riders capable of winning.  Richie Rude (Yeti/Fox Factory Racing) didn’t get that memo though. The three-time and reigning overall series winner showed consistency throughout when others faltered and only sacrificed his lead in the individual standings for one round. Harriet Harnden (Trek Factory Racing Gravity) meanwhile went toe-to-toe with one of the sport’s greats, overcoming Isabeau Courdurier (Lapierre Zipp Collective) in what was the Frenchwoman’s final season as a full-time professional.  RUDE REACHES G.O.A.T STATUS  Richie Rude (Yeti/Fox Factory Racing) has been a mainstay of enduro racing since he made the switch from downhill at the start of the 2014 season, and the 29-year-old went into his 11th season as the man to beat. He could also eclipse Sam Hill’s record of three series titles, securing his status as the greatest of all time.  Rude kicked off his title defense the best way possible, winning three out of four rounds to claim 470 points in Finale Outdoor Region, Italy. The following weekend in Bielsko-Biała, Poland, saw his closest competitor Charles Murray (Specialized Enduro Team) leapfrog him on the day and overall, but Rude’s third place limited the deficit to just 12 points.  The American appears to thrive under pressure and edged Alex Rudeau (Commencal Enduro Project) by seven seconds to win in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland (Austria), before claiming his third win of the season in Combloux, Haute Savoie (France) without winning a single stage.  With two rounds remaining, Rude’s lead was almost 400 points over his nearest challenger – team-mate Slawomir Lukasik (Yeti/Fox Factory Racing) – and the American could afford not to push himself on every stage to retain his title. In the penultimate UCI Enduro World Cup in Alestch Arena, Switzerland, his third place behind Jack Moir (YT Mob) and Lukasik was enough to retain a 342-point lead entering the season finale in Loudenvielle-Peyragudes (France), with Rude securing the overall midway through the racing en route to finishing second behind Martin Maes (Orbea Fox Enduro Team).  HARNDEN WINS FIRST OVERALL IN DRAMATIC FASHION  All eyes were on Isabeau Courdurier ahead of the 2024 UCI Enduro World Cup– the three-time series winner announcing that this would be her final full-time season ahead of the opening round. But the Frenchwoman wouldn’t have a free pass for all six UCI Enduro World Cups, with a strong contingent of challengers looking to prevent her from going out on a high.  Harriet Harden showed that she would be pushing Courdurier from the very first round, finding just over eight seconds in Finale Outdoor Region to claim an early 50-point advantage in the overall.  The pair could only be separated by two-tenths of a second in Bielsko-Biała – Courdurier’s win seeing her edge Harnden in the individual standings by two points – while a slightly bigger margin of victory for the Frenchwoman in Saalfelden-Leogang – Salzburgerland (Austria), extended this to 73 points by the midway point of the season.  Mistakes in Combloux, Haute-Savoie, saw Harden slip to fourth on the day – her first finish outside the top two – although the Brit managed to claim the only stage not won by Morgane Charre (Pivot Factory Racing) in difficult conditions. Courdurier’s second place stretched her lead to 151 points in the standings but with two rounds remaining, everything was still to play for.  A masterclass from Harnden at the upcoming 2025 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships venue in Aletsch Arena, Switzerland, saw her claim her second win of the season, while compatriot Ella Conolly managed to separate the Brit and Courdurier on the podium and help Harnden cut the individual standings’ deficit to just 63 points.  Entering the final round in Loudenvielle-Peyragudes, fans were set for a nail-biting conclusion, where it was likely to go down to the very final stage. Harnden set the tone, winning the first to take an early lead, and when Courdurier had a second stage to forget and found herself in 11th, the gap appeared insurmountable. The Trek Factory Racing Gravity rider couldn’t take anything for granted though and put in two more solid stages to finish fourth. Courdurier meanwhile had a resurgent stage three, but it was too little, too late – the Frenchwoman paying for earlier mistakes that ultimately cost her the title by just 21 points.  GILCHRIST OVERCOMES BORGES AND ESPIÑEIRA HERREROS DOMINATES UCI E-ENDURO WORLD CUP  Each of the six UCI Enduro World Cup rounds also saw E-enduro athletes take to an extended course on the following day to battle it out to win the UCI E-Enduro World Cup overall series title. In the men’s field, there was a Fabien Barel-shaped hole to fill – the reigning champion retiring ahead of the 2024 season – while Florencia Espiñeira Herreros (Orbea Fox Enduro Team) was the clear favourite to retain the women’s title.  From the first round in Finale Outdoor Region, a tight contest emerged between Ryan Gilchrist (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) and Manuel Soares José Borges (Canyon Collective Factory Enduro Team) – the Australian getting the better of the Portuguese rider in Italy. The pair would remain the two most consistent riders throughout the season, swapping places at the top of the standings until the sixth and final round in Loudenvielle-Peyragudes. While neither had races to remember in the Pyrenees – Gilchrist finishing 12th to Borges’ 17th – the 22-year-old Australian had done enough throughout the season to clinch his first title.  The women’s series meanwhile was a one-horse race from the start. Espiñeira Herreros seized the early advantage in Finale Outdoor Region, and when her closest rival Tracy Moseley confirmed that she wasn’t going to be competing at every round, it was hard to see who could stand in the way of the Chilean and a second consecutive overall series. The Orbea Fox Enduro Team racked up wins in Bielsko-Biała (Poland), Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland (Austria) and Aletsch Arena - Bellwald, Valais (Switzerland), and finished second in the other two rounds – enduro athlete Estelle Charles (Specialized Enduro Team) opting to also race E-enduro on the two occasions that the series visited her homeland, France.

The men’s 2024 UCI Cross-country Short-Track (XCC) World Champion managed to miss two rounds and still ran away with the overall series by winning half of all races, while the Swiss rider didn’t finish outside the top eight all year to claim her second XCC overall in three seasons.  While the Cross-country Short Track (XCC) format was once simply a qualifier for the grid positions of the Cross-country Olympic (XCO) race, since 2023 it has become its own tightly contested series and the competition is fierce.  The racing favours riders who can sustain a hard pace for 20 minutes before finding extra reserves of power in an all-out sprint for the line, meaning it requires a different skill set to the longer, endurance focused XCO event. But then some athletes – like this season’s overall winners – manage both with panache.  In the men’s field, Victor Koretzky (Specialized Factory Racing) won four out of the six races he entered, finishing on the podium in the other two to add the XCC title to the 2024 UCI XCC World Championship that he claimed in Andorra in August. Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon) meanwhile seized the lead in the individual standings after round three in Nové Město na Moravě (Czechia) and didn’t look back.  KORETZKY PRODUCES A NEAR-PERFECT SEASON  Like several other riders who ply their trade in the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series, Victor Koretzky has previously juggled other disciplines – most notably on the road for Bora-Hansgrohe. That changed for the 2024 season – the Frenchman focusing solely on mountain biking in the build-up to his home Olympic Games in Paris.  This meant that fans were treated to his explosive racing from the very first round in Mairiporã, Brazil, where the Frenchman went toe-to-toe with 2023 UCI XCC World Champion Samuel Gaze (Alpecin-Deceuninck), reigning UCI XCC overall series holder Luca Schwarzbauer (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) and team-mate Martín Vidaure Kossman (Specialized Factory Racing) in a four-up sprint. Although he came away with fourth, it was a sign of intent from Koretzky.  A week later, there was no catching Koretzky, as he broke away from another team-mate, Christopher Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing) to win by three seconds – an age in Short Track. His victory propelled him to the top of the individual standings, and when he followed it with another win in Nové Město na Moravě, he had a 160-point lead over second-placed Schwarzbauer.  By Val di Sole, Trentino, it looked like fans had a straight shoot-out between Koretzky and Gaze on their hands – the New Zealander recording his second XCC win of the season to make it two wins each. But when the Frenchman sat out the next two rounds in Crans-Montana, Valais, Switzerland, and Les Gets, Haute-Savoie because of recovering from Covid and preparation for the Olympics, momentum appeared to have shifted to Gaze who bumped Koretzky down to second in the individual standings.  While the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series paused for the summer, the Frenchman didn’t, narrowly missing out on gold at Paris 2024 before storming to his first UCI XCC World Championship title in Pal Arinsal, Andorra. The rainbow bands can sometimes act as an extra weight on a rider’s shoulders, but it seemed to give Koretkzy an extra gear.  In the penultimate round in Mt Van Hoevenberg – Lake Placid (USA), a last-lap surge was enough to secure his third win of the season, while a poor performance from Gaze meant Koretzky had a 154-point lead with one round to go. He would only need to finish eighth in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Quebec (Canada) to add the overall series to his rainbow jersey but fired himself to his fourth first of the season, overtaking Mathieu van der Poel’s (Alpecin-Deceuninck) record (five) for most men’s XCC podiums in a season in the process.  KELLER IN CRUISE CONTROL  While not as dominant as Koretzky in terms of race wins, Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon) took control of the women’s standings from round three and kept things consistent all year to seal her second UCI XCC World Cup overall title before the final race of the season. She got her XCC season off to a strong start in Brazil, finishing third and fourth in Mairiporã and Araxá respectively to find herself third behind Haley Batten (Specialized Factory Racing) and Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing – Pirelli).  When the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series entered its European phase, Keller ramped things up a gear, winning in Nové Město na Moravě (Czechia) to leapfrog Batten and lead the series by 30 points. In Val di Sole, Trentino, poor results from her closest competitors saw her stretch her lead even more, while a second and first in Crans-Montana, Valais and Les Gets, Haute-Savoie saw the Swiss rider land a one-two punch on her XCC rivals they ultimately couldn’t recover from.  Entering the final two rounds of the season, Keller had a 310-point lead over second-place Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck), but with the Dutch rider opting not to compete in North America, her closest rival for the XCC crown was Rebecca Henderson (Primaflor Mondraker Racing Team) – the Australian 414 points behind with a maximum of 500 available. Essentially a foregone conclusion, Keller was able to take her foot off the gas in the XCC and save some in reserve for the XCO races, where she was also leading the series title. The Swiss rider couldn’t afford to completely relax though – the XCC acting as a qualifier for the XCO’s grid positioning.  In Mt Van Hoevenberg – Lake Placid (USA), she rolled home in eighth to become mathematically uncatchable in the XCC, while the following weekend, another eighth place confirmed her XCO title two days before the final round of the season.

Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity) and Valentina Höll’s (YT Mob) series wins might have lacked the dominance of previous seasons, but the pair secured their spot at the top of the individual standings in Fort William, Scotland (UK) and stayed there to the final round in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Quebec (Canada).  Downhill mountain biking is fast, furious, and extremely unpredictable. The courses on the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series circuit are some of the most gnarly tracks on the planet, putting riders against technical terrain and terrifying jumps, while weather conditions can upend a finals run – wind and rain wreaking havoc on proceedings and ramping the difficulty up even more.  Putting together solid runs across qualifying, semi-finals and the finals requires supreme skill. Staying consistent across the season is nigh-on impossible. But in Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity) and Valentina Höll (YT Mob), the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series has two athletes who can defy reality.  The pair were overall series winners in 2023, with Höll also the UCI Downhill World Champion, and entered this season as the runaway favourites. From strong starts in Fort William to fighting their way to podiums even on bad weekends, here’s how they retained their titles in 2024.  BRUNI BATTLES TO FOURTH OVERALL SERIES  Loïc Bruni only turned 30 this year, but the Frenchman has already been at the top of the sport for almost a decade, winning his first UCI Downhill World Championship in 2015 before adding another four rainbow jerseys and three overall series to his collection.  The reigning title holder got his defense off to the best possible start, breaking his winless run in Fort William to build a 35-point lead in the overall standings on Troy Brosnan (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team). In Bielsko-Biała (Poland), his second place was enough to extend his lead over the closest chaser, race winner Ronan Dunne (Mondraker Factory Racing), while his second victory of the season, in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland (Austria), saw Super Bruni build a seemingly unassailable lead of 320 points just three rounds into the series.  Minor blips in Val di Sole, Trentino (Italy) and Les Gets, Haute-Savoie (France) where he finished ninth and fifth respectively saw his lead eroded to 216 points by a resurgent Amaury Pierron (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction), who won both rounds. But fans’ hopes of a title battle reminiscent of the 2019 series were quashed by the series’ penultimate round in Loudenvielle - Peyragudes (France). Pierron couldn’t make it three in a row, finishing 10th to Bruni’s 4th, and the 2023 series winner had an uncatchable 311-point lead going into Mont-Sainte-Anne. When Pierron broke his metacarpal in training in Canada, the overall was guaranteed with no other rider within the maximum 400 points of Bruni. The Frenchman could take things easy on finals day, rolling home in 26th with nothing else on the line having already secured his fourth overall series.  HÖLL SHOWS GRIT TO COMPLETE BACK-TO-BACK OVERALL AND UCI WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP DOUBLE  While Valentina Höll hasn’t been around as long as Bruni, the Austrian pinner has been just as dominant in the women’s field, winning two out of three overall series since 2021 and back-to-back UCI Downhill World Championships. Her 2023 was going to be a tough act to follow too – Höll only finishing off the podium once (in Les Gets, Haute-Savoie), and winning four out of eight rounds.  Her supremacy didn’t appear to have diminished after her team move to YT Mob in the off-season – Höll storming to victory in Fort William where she had clinched the rainbow jersey the previous summer. But a crash in her finals run in Bielsko-Biała and sixth-place finish put a dent in her lead in the individual standings – the top five separated by just 70 points.  Höll put her Polish disappointment behind her a few weeks later in Saalfelden Leogang - Salzburgerland, scoring the maximum 400 points by winning qualifying, semi-finals and finals at her home UCI World Cup to put herself back in control of the overall. While her lead was cut in Val di Sole, Trentino by race winner Tahnée Seagrave (Canyon CLLCTV FMD), she still had a 229-point cushion entering the second half of the season.  The Brit got the better of the Austrian again in Les Gets, Haute-Savoie, shaving another five points off Höll’s lead by finishing third to her fifth. But Seagrave’s title challenge faltered in difficult conditions in Loudenvielle-Peyragudes. A slip in the second sector brought her race run crashing down, while Höll showed her steely consistency regardless of the weather to finish second behind Myriam Nicole (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) and clinch her third overall title with one round to go.  Unlike Bruni, the newly crowned three-time UCI Downhill World Champion didn’t take things easy in Mont-Sainte-Anne either, fighting her way to third and a sixth podium of the season to finish with a 418-point margin over next-best Marine Cabirou (Scott Downhill Factory).

Significant updates to the UCI Regulations for the 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike Word Series have been confirmed by the Union Cycliste Internationale. These changes are designed to elevate the sport, create a clear pathway for athletes and enhance fan engagement beyond the core mountain biking community. The new regulations are set to make the UCI World Cups more competitive while providing teams and athletes with greater opportunities for growth and visibility. Cycling’s governing body, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series global promoter, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) Sports are announcing today amendments to the UCI Regulations for professional mountain biking. The 2025 season will see the biggest overhauls to the sport since the inception of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in 1991.  The driving force for the changes is the desire to elevate the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series. The series, that was launched in 2023, brings the major formats of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cups under the same umbrella, to ensure that each round is contested by the world’s best riders and teams, reinforcing its position as the pinnacle of mountain biking.  The reform will bring significant changes to the qualification system for UCI World Cups, reviewing the number of riders competing at the sport’s pinnacle while creating a clear pathway for teams and riders to progress from National to Continental to UCI World Cup levels. This provides new opportunities for emerging talent and ensures that the best riders can showcase their skills on the world’s biggest stage.  ENHANCED COMPETITION One of the biggest shifts is the change in the qualifying process for a UCI World Cup. The new regulations will review the number of riders competing, focusing on the best riders and teams to create more competitive racing.  While the registration of UCI MTB Teams will continue to be handled by the UCI, from 2025, UCI Mountain Bike World Series Teams (formerly known as UCI ELITE MTB Teams) will register under two categories: Gravity (downhill and enduro) and Endurance (cross-country and short track). This streamlined structure will boost visibility and engagement across all formats. A maximum of 20 Gravity Teams and 20 Endurance Teams will become UCI Mountain Bike World Series Teams for the entire season. For both categories, 15 invitations to join this top tier of teams will be based on the annual UCI Team Ranking, with an additional five teams benefitting from wildcard invitations for the season.  UCI Mountain Bike World Series Teams will benefit from multi-year commitments from 2026 onwards, supporting long-term planning and development. The UCI and WBD Sports will work closely with teams to offer increased exposure and marketing rights. Teams will register official brand colours for promotional purposes, helping to create a cohesive and recognizable presence across events and media.  In addition to the UCI Mountain Bike World Series Teams with season-long licences, at each round of the Series, up to eight additional UCI Teams will be given the opportunity to race as wildcard teams. National Federations will retain their designated quota. Qualification will not be limited to teams: individual riders can qualify if they meet specific ranking criteria, or if they are reigning National, Continental, or UCI World Champions in their format, or Olympic Champion (for cross-country Olympic).  There will also be the introduction of new multi-round Continental Series, in close collaboration with cycling’s five Continental Confederations, which will act as a springboard for a spot at UCI World Cups and will give riders across different continents the chance to qualify for the UCI World Cups, promoting global participation and competitiveness. More details on these new Continental Series will be revealed by the UCI soon.  NEW QUALIFYING SYSTEM FOR UCI DOWNHILL WORLD CUPS  A new UCI Downhill World Cup qualifying system for Elite riders will simplify the qualifying process and ensure the highest level of competition.  From 2025, all Elite Downhill riders will compete in a Qualifying 1 (Q1) round, with the top 20 Men Elite and top 10 Women Elite proceeding directly to finals. All remaining riders will compete in Qualifying 2 (Q2) round, where the top 10 Men Elite and top 5 Women Elite will secure their finals spot. The protection status regulation will be removed, meaning that riders will no longer get preferential treatment because of their previous or current season’s results. Only the best riders at each venue will make it through to the finals, with the number of Women Elite qualifying for the final increasing from 10 to 15.  INTRODUCTION OF CAREER NUMBERS  In addition to changes to the teams’ hierarchy and qualifying systems, the 2025 reform will also see alterations to how riders and teams present themselves, with the aim of aiding fan engagement.  All former Elite winners of a UCI World Cup round (in Cross-country Olympic or Downhill) who are still competing, will be required to select personal colours and a unique career number adding individuality and a sense of legacy to the competition on top of helping build rider identities and bringing fans closer to the sport.  Number 1 will be exclusively reserved for the current leader of the UCI World Cup standings for each of the two formats, superseding their unique career number. The leader’s jersey and number 1 plate will be awarded on the podium after each UCI World Cup.  ENDURO AND PAUSING OF E-ENDURO  A common decision has been made, in agreement with all the stakeholders involved in the UCI E-Enduro World Cup format, to press pause on the UCI E-enduro World Cup to work with the industry towards a future format. However, E-enduro will maintain its UCI World Championship status and will remain an Open Racing category at the UCI Enduro World Cup.  Moreover, Men Junior and Women Junior categories will be introduced for Enduro at the UCI World Championships, offering young athletes more opportunities to shine on the world stage.  LOOKING AHEAD Chris Ball, Vice President of Cycling Events at Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe, said: "These new developments mark a major turning point for the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series and reflect our continued commitment to growing the sport, making it easier for fans around the world to follow their favorite teams and riders. I’m confident that it will further solidify the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series as the pinnacle of the sport”. UCI Sports Director Peter Van den Abeele said: “The introduction of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series two years ago has led to significant growth of mountain bike and an increase in its popularity. Together with WBD Sports, the UCI wishes to build on the momentum with these changes that will simplify certain processes, favour globalisation, and make competition formats easier to follow and therefore even more exciting for the fans.” The 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series will mark a bold step towards the future of mountain biking, fostering greater competitiveness and fan involvement.   These amendments to the UCI Regulations will come into force on 1st January 2025. All details are available on the UCI regulations’ page

Greg Minnaar (Norco Race Division) left the start hut for the last time in Mont-Sainte-Anne, calling time on a downhill career that stretches back 27 seasons. An ever-present on the UCI World Cup circuit since the end of the last millennium, Minnaar has won everything there is to in the sport, earning him the title of the Greatest Of All Time. From his breakthrough race to his final season, here are some highlights from Minnaar’s monumental career. Titanic. Men in Black. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. The year 1997 was a big year for popular culture, but in Stellenbosch, South Africa, a then-unknown 16-year-old was given permission to compete at his local UCI Downhill World Cup.  Finishing 57th out of a field of 70 riders, not many are likely to remember Greg Minnaar’s professional downhill debut. But that first race run would spark a career that would burn bright until the very last round of the 2024 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Quebec (Canada), 27 years later.  In between, the nearly 43-year-old South African has won everything there is to in the sport – three overall titles (2001, 2005 and 2008), four UCI Downhill World Championships (2003, 2012, 2013 and 2021), and a record 22 UCI World Cups and 86 podiums from 167 starts.  Here, we look back at the highs of a career with the success and longevity that we’re unlikely to ever see again…  BREAKTHROUGH  After his UCI World Cup debut in May 1997, Minnaar would make a handful of UCI World Cup and UCI World Championship appearances before completing his first full season in 1999. His first top-10 finish came in the same season at Big Bear Lake, California (USA), while his first podium followed the next year in Vail, Colorado, where he piloted his Animal Orange downhill rig to fifth place, sharing the podium with pioneering icons Steve Peat and Nicolas Vouilloz. Minnaar wouldn’t have to wait long for his first win – Kaprun, Austria’s 2001 UCI World Cup the start of a record 22 victories – while his form in 2001, where he only finished outside the top 10 once was enough to secure him his first UCI World Cup overall series. RAINBOW REGULAR The up-and-coming South African was cementing himself as a regular on the UCI World Cup podiums, but he’d yet to taste success at the UCI World Championships. He was 2.6 seconds off the top spot in 2001 in Vail, Colorado, securing bronze in the process, but would have to wait another couple of years to end Vouilloz’ stranglehold on the rainbow jersey. Only Mickael Pascal (France) could get within one second of Minnaar, who was crowned 2003 UCI Downhill World Champion for the first time in Lugano, Switzerland. His victory would kickstart a relationship with the rainbow jersey race that few have emulated since. Minnaar would win again in 2012, 2013 and 2021 – highlighting his longevity by claiming a UCI World Championship in three different decades – but even if he didn’t finish on the top spot, there was a good chance he’d be in the top three; Minnaar also having four silver medals and three bronzes in his collection.  RED HOT RUN  Although Minnaar wouldn’t win another overall series after 2008, there was a period between August 2009 and June 2011 when he didn’t finish outside of the top three once, picking up wins in Bromont, Quebec, Maribor, Leogang and Fort William along the way. Amazingly, his two wins, three seconds, and third in 2010’s six UCI World Cup rounds weren’t enough for the overall – Gee Atherton pipping Minnaar to the title by 44 points – 0.37 seconds the difference in the final round in Windham, New York, and ultimately the whole season, with Atherton finishing first to Minnaar’s second.  MR FORT WILLIAM Of his 22 UCI World Cup wins, one venue has been a firm favourite of Minnaar over the years – Scotland’s Fort William. In 18 UCI World Cup round starts at the Nevis Range location, he has come away victorious a staggering seven times, earning him legendary status in the hills of the Scottish Highlands. He is so at home on the iconic course that he’s only finished outside the top 10 twice – once on his debut, and again in the 2024 season opener where he crashed twice, separating his shoulder, but still rolled over the line rather than DNFing.  FINAL FAREWELL  Minnaar had dreamed of ending on an all-time high by winning the 2023 UCI Downhill World Championships in Fort William, but it wasn’t to be – as documented in the Eurosport documentary ‘Not Done Yet’. Instead, he settled in for another season of racing as part of a new team – Norco Racing Division. The 2024 season wasn’t just about making up the numbers though, and the legend showed that he’s still got what it takes to compete at the pinnacle of the sport. After recovering from his injury at the first round of the season in Fort William, Minnaar made it to finals in Val di Sole, Trentino (Italy), Les Gets - Haute-Savoie, Loudenvielle – Peyragudes (both in France) and Mont-Sainte-Anne, finishing inside the top 20 three times and adding a final podium to his collection with third in Les Gets. Speaking after his last race run in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Greg Minnaar said: “I couldn’t be more thankful for the crowd coming out today. It’s not the best weather but they supported me the whole way down. I stalled up in the first corner and tried to work hard to catch a rhythm back up, but it was a little bit greasier than I thought. The crowd was going nuts and as I lost my footing in the ruts I could just hear my name being chanted.  “I just wanted to relax, focus on being smooth and try and be young again. It’s always easier to do it in your mind than do it in the physical. I’m disappointed with my race but considering all the pressure, I’m really chuffed.  “Mont-Sainte-Anne has been a big part [of my career]. I came her as a junior for the UCI World Championships in 98. The only time I haven’t been back is the two years through covid when they didn’t have the event. I feel very at home here. I love coming back here. I’ll be back next year – I just won’t be one of the jockeys.  “Everything has changed so much. The equipment has changed massively. It allows us to go a lot faster, so the tracks become somewhat less technical, but the bikes are handling the terrain better. The tracks have got a lot faster. We can handle a lot more, we train a harder, we’re physically and mentally more prepared. The last 25 years I’ve seen it go through so many changes.  “You always look back and think you could have done better. All through my 20s, I won my first UCI World Cup overall here in 2001 and about a month later I dislocated my shoulder, which injured me through my 20s. I always wish I’d got surgery a bit sooner, but back then there wasn’t the surgery to fix the problem I was having with my shoulder…until 2008 when I managed to get it fixed. I remember racing here in Mont-Sainte-Anne and my shoulder dislocated mid-run and I was trying to swing it to get it back in. And I couldn’t. I decided to pull off track to get out the way, and as I pulled off it went back in, so I turned back on and kept racing. I finished second. There are lots of those little regrets the whole way through.” While he’s stepping away from UCI World Cup racing, Minnaar will still be part of Norco Race Division as Team Director for the 2025 season onwards.

Loana Lecomte (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) claimed back-to-back UCI Cross-country Olympic (XCO) World Cup wins at the iconic Canadian venue, while Alan Hatherly (Cannondale Factory Racing) dominated the men’s race, securing the XCO overall series and finishing off an amazing year for the South African UCI XCO World Champion.  Mont-Sainte-Anne, in Quebec, is renowned for being one of the most technical UCI Cross-country Olympic (XCO) World Cup venues around, featuring Downhill-worthy descents and terrain suited to an all-out Enduro event. The difficulty was ramped up even more for today’s season finale though – cold and damp conditions making every root and rock in the forested sections extremely slippery.  After the lightning-fast course from last week in Mt Van Hoevenberg – Lake Placid (USA), Mont-Sainte-Anne would require a completely different skill set; less pure power and more bike-handling prowess.  Loana Lecomte (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) thrives in these conditions, and the Frenchwoman showed off her talents from the start lap, leading from the off to claim the 11th UCI XCO World Cup win of her career – and second consecutive UCI World Cup in Canada.  The men’s race also witnessed a masterclass from Alan Hatherly (Cannondale Factory Racing), who led off the line and never looked in doubt throughout. The South African’s win clinched him the title, completing a near-clean sweep for the season with only Olympic gold alluding the 2024 UCI XCO World Champion.  LECOMTE OUTLASTS STIGGER IN A CLOSE-FOUGHT BATTLE  Loana Lecomte has had a solid second half of the season and the Frenchwoman was a sprint finish away from making it back-to-back UCI XCO World Cup victories last weekend after her win in Crans-Montana, Valais, Switzerland.  Coming into Mont-Sainte-Anne, the 25-year-old was a favourite, having won at the venue in 2023. And when riders woke to find damp conditions on course, her superior bike-handling skills meant her chances had just improved.  She was positioned in the lead group alongside Rebecca Henderson (Primaflor Mondraker Racing Team), Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing – Pirelli) and Candice Lill on the start lap but used her climbing credentials to build an eight-second advantage by the end of the first lap proper. Behind her, Laura Stigger (Specialized Factory Racing) was working her through the field, recovering from an 11-second deficit at the end of the starting lap to lead the first chase group. Last week’s UCI XCO World Cup winner had another on her radar and knew she couldn’t let Lecomte build a lead this early in the race.  The Austrian made contact with the Frenchwoman by the end of lap two, while her team-mate – Friday’s UCI Cross-country Short Track (XCC) World Cup-winner Sina Frei (Specialized Factory Racing) – was only seven seconds back.  The pair couldn’t use team tactics to their advantage though, with Frei fading in the third lap. Stigger didn’t appear to need the support of the Swiss rider; the Austrian national champion asking questions of Lecomte as they continuously traded places at the front of the race. Behind them, a battle for fourth broke out – Lill and overall series winner Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon) going toe-to-toe with the South African privateer targeting second in the overall. Richards too was gradually clawing her way back into the top 10 after suffering a rear-wheel puncture.  Lecomte and Stigger were inseparable going into the final lap of the season and it became a question of who would blink first. Approaching the halfway point, the French national champion surged on one of the course’s long climbs, and Stigger had no response. The gap was suddenly into double figures, and while Stigger founed her composure and chipped away at Lecomte’s advantage on the downhill sections, it was ultimately too little too late.  With no threat of a repeat of last week’s sprint finish, Lecomte was able to roll her way over the line, taking her second win of the season in style. Stigger finished second, nine seconds behind, to take second place in the overall standings, with Frei third. Speaking after the race, Loana Lecomte said: “I’m very happy. I think I’ve raced with Laura [Stigger] since Juniors and it’s always a pleasure to race with her. She was very fast and since the Olympics, I’ve finished just behind her, so I was a little bit scared. I made some space and I tried to attack when I was the best and it was in the steep part. It’s not the first climb of the lap but it was one of the first and she was a little bit more tired than me. I’m very motivated and I just want to recover and restart the new season, new story. I love riding my bike and I want to continue.”   HATHERLY PRODUCES MASTERCLASS TO CLINCH FINAL ROUND AND OVERALL Alan Hatherly was in a strong position going into the final round of the season, but his overall title wasn’t a foregone conclusion – Victor Koretzky (Specialized Factory Racing) able to swoop in and leapfrog the South African if he won and Hatherly finished further down the pack. As soon as the racing started though, it was quite clear that there was only way the 2024 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series was ending. Hatherly was on a flyer from the off, going solo to build a 20-second lead in the first lap. The UCI XCO World Champion continued to extend the gap between him and the chasing pack, which was led by Koretzky and Mathis Azzaro (Decathlon Ford Racing Team). The pair kept the South African on an invisible leash, holding the rainbow jersey’s advantage at 30 seconds as the race approached its midway point. Koretzky soon started the flag though – a season’s exploits catching up with the Frenchman as his chances of a second-consecutive XCC-XCO double started to fade. Azzaro – second-place yesterday in the XCC race – meanwhile appeared energised, and started to reel Hatherly in. By lap six, the Frenchman had finally got onto the race leader’s rear wheel, but within minutes Hatherly was out of the saddle, attacking to try and drop Azzaro just as he was recovering from his exploits. Azzaro initially held Hatherly’s wheel on the long, drawn-out climb, but the rainbow jersey soon started to disappear into the distance, increasing his advantage to 14-seconds as he crossed the start-finish lap for the penultimate time. The Frenchman had nothing left in the tank, and Hatherly was able to complete a victory lap in front of huge crowds in Canada – the South African putting on a masterclass in Mont-Sainte-Anne. While first and second were settled, there was a scrap for third with Charlie Aldridge (Cannondale Factory Racing), Koretzky and Simone Avondetto (Wilier-Vittoria Factory Team). Alridge appeared to have the advantage after attacking on the final long climb, but Koretzky simply doesn’t know when he’s beaten – the XCC overall series winner using his sprinting skills to overtake the Scotsman in the dying stages of the season to clinch third and confirm second in the overall. Speaking after the race, Alan Hatherly said: “The overall was one objective for today. The main objective was to win with the rainbow jersey. It’s one thing to win the UCI World Championships, but I wanted to win a UCI World Cup again this year just to finish. I was really excited. I went to the front in the start lap and got a gap straight away and I was like ‘okay, let’s go long’. It was super tough, and I had to be tactical when Mathis caught me, but I had more in the tank and just emptied it. I thought ‘this is it, the final 20 minutes of racing for the year and I just need to go for it’, and I did exactly that. BÖHM AND LILLO DO THE DOUBLE  The Elite XCO races were sandwiched by the U23 UCI XCO World Cups, which saw commanding performances by Kira Böhm (Cube Factory Racing) and Dario Lillo (Giant Factory Off-Road Team) – the pair both recording XCC-XCO doubles in Mont-Sainte-Anne.  The women’s U23 UCI XCO World Cup kicked off proceedings on the last day of the season, and saw Böhm put in a dominant display to add the U23 UCI XCO World Cup to her victory in Thursday’s Short Track. But it could have been a very different story if it wasn’t for a crash by the U23 UCI XCO World Champion Isabella Holmgren. Home favourite Holmgren had built an impressive lead after attacking on the second lap, increasing her advantage by almost a minute in a single loop of the Mont-Sainte-Anne course. But things came crashing down just one lap later – the 19-year-old going over the handlebars and hitting the deck hard. While she remounted, the off saw her lose more than four minutes, and she was forced to retire. Böhm meanwhile seized the opportunity, pulling away from Olivia Onesti (Trinx Factory Team) and building an unassailable lead. Her win was the third of the season, securing her the overall series to go with the XCC title. Speaking after the race, Kira Böhm said: “It means a lot to me. It’s nice that I did the double win here in Mont-Sainte-Anne like I did at the start of the season in Brazil. It was the best finish. I’m really looking forward [to the Elites]. It’s going to be fun but also super tough. [The most important learning] has been to believe in myself.”  The final action of the 2024 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series was contested by the U23 men. And it was an absolute cracker to end the season.  Lillo, Luca Martin (Orbea Factory Team) and Yannis Musy broke away from the rest of the field and accrued a sizeable advantage on the first full lap. Rather than battle each other for supremacy, the trio worked well to grow their gap and put themselves in a strong position to contest the top three spots.  The race didn’t go to the line though, with Lillo putting in an attack at the start of the final lap that Martin and Musy simply couldn’t track. The Swiss rider – who had already won both XCC races in North America – built up a head of steam and couldn’t be caught, logging the fastest lap of the race and overcoming a small crash as he time trialled his way to the line for only his second-ever U23 UCI XCO win. Martin came home second, with Musy third. Speaking after the race, Dario Lillo said: “It means a lot. It hasn’t been the easiest season for me. I went into the season with high expectations, and I struggled quite a lot in Brazil with the first few rounds. Before the world champs, I was able to do a good reset, and from then on, I was able to take off. The trip we had with my team the last few weeks, I think that was the best two weeks in my life – we had so much fun, and it was a good atmosphere. I think you can see that in the results. In the second half of the season, [Luca Martin] and I had a few battles, and I knew what his strengths were, so I knew from my short races that the sprint in the last lap is quite good. That’s what I tried, and I was able to make a gap at the highest point, but I crashed, so it was hard to get back after that but I was able to do it and finish the race a few seconds in front, and that’s all that matters.”  In the overall series, Riley Amos (Trek Factory Racing – Pirelli) finished 13th and completed the XCC-XCO overall double. It was the American’s last race in the U23 category, and he looks set to battle it out with the Elite class when he makes the step-up next season.  Speaking after the race, Riley Amos said: “Oh my god, that felt like the longest race of the year. That was so sick. By far the best track of the year and the conditions were so sick. I was absolutely crawling. It’s been a long year, and my back was hurting me really bad today. But it was sick to really push those descents and try and battle with every guy that came by me. It’s been an amazing year and I got both the overalls so there’s no better way to finish my U23 career.” While Mont-Sainte-Anne is the final round of the 2024 UCI Mountain Bike World Series, the action kicks off again next April with the opening race of the 15 round 2025 season in Araxá - Minas Gerais, Brazil. For more information about the 2025 calendar and the latest news, keep an eye out on www.ucimtbworldseries.com

Troy Brosnan (Canyon CLLCTV Factory) took a dramatic and heartfelt victory in the UCI Downhill World Cup men’s elite finale in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Quebec (Canada) while Marine Cabirou (Scott Downhill Factory) saved her best until last in 2024 to win in Canada and claim second place in the women’s overall standings.  76 finalists advanced to face a course cloaked in mist at the top before some brutal rock gardens that proved decisive in the lower half, and the rain that began to spit as the first senior riders rolled off the start ramp only added to the jeopardy. Both elite overall titles were wrapped up but the action on the day was anything but straightforward, while Erice van Leuven (Commencal Les Orres) and Max Alran (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) claimed Junior UCI Downhill World Cup glory.  BROSNAN THE DADDY AS MINAAR BIDS FAREWELL Brosnan’s only other taste of UCI World Cup victory was in 2021, followed by a string of near misses and even his participation in Quebec was doubtful due to the birth of his baby Madison just six weeks ago at the end of August. The Aussie qualified fastest in Mont-Sainte-Anne, but a departing legend dominated the early proceedings. Greg Minnaar (Norco Factory Racing) enjoyed a relatively clean run in the his final UCI World Cup appearance and enjoyed a hero’s reception all the way down the course.  Minaar said afterwards: “I couldn’t be more grateful for the crowd coming out today, it’s not the best weather but they supported me the whole way down. I had not a great start, I stalled in the first corner and tried to catch that rhythm back up, but it was a little greasier than I thought.  “But that crowd was going nuts, as I lost my footing in the rocks, I could just hear my name being shouted, they were cheering all the way. I can’t thank them enough; I feel very at home here.”  Laurie Greenland was the early pacesetter for Santa Cruz Syndicate, taking advantage of drier conditions and Rémi Thirion (Giant Factory) and Benoît Coulanges (Dorval AM Commencal) both went green early in their runs but slid out of contention before the finish line.  Lachlan Stevens-McNab was the rider to keep it together for Union - Forged by Steel City Media on the increasingly sodden dirt and edged ahead of Greenwood, hunkering into the hotseat to watch a series of stars start brightly but fade while overall UCI Downhill World Cup winner, Loïc Bruni, wasn’t in contention for Specialized Gravity.  That left only Troy Brosnan - he was rapid through the first two-time checks but then drifted into red leaving a mammoth task on the final section. Yet the Australian delivered a special finish to inch 0.062 seconds ahead of Stevens-McNab and fire himself up to second in the overall standings, a possibility Brosnan didn’t even know was possible. “Just having a baby and not knowing if I’m even going to come to this race. Got the all-clear from the wife to go so I had to make it worthwhile, and this has been the best weekend of my life,” Brosnan said. “Feel amazing on the bike, my mind was just so free the whole weekend and honestly, I can’t believe I put that run down in the rain. I knew it was going to be tough, but everything was just flowing. I just knew I had to ride like it was dry and I guess it worked! When told he’d clinched second overall, Brosnan added: “No way, second? I didn’t even think that was possible!” CABIROU SIGNS OFF IN STYLE WITH DOUBLE-SUCCESS Second place overall was still up for grabs in the elite women’s race, incumbent Tahnée Seagrave (Canyon CLLCTV Factory) riding with an injured hand against Cabirou the challenger.  One of the early starters, Seagrave produced a cat-like save in the final section but lost six pivotal seconds in the process meaning she slotted in behind Mille Johnset (Canyon CLLCTV Factory) and earned a nervous wait. Minutes later, it was Cabirou’s turn. She pushed hard on the exposed opening section and finished strongly to move into top spot by 1.423 seconds.  Louise-Anna Ferguson (Intense Factory Racing) looked in contention as the third-last rider to go, the technical specialist staying in touch early on but then came unstuck with a costly crash. And Valentina Höll (YT Mob) slowed down as the course unfolded, going third behind early pacesetter Gracey Hemstreet (Norco Factory Racing) and Cabirou - handing the Frenchwoman victory in Canada and second place overall, 20 points ahead of Seagrave.  Cabirou said: “I’m really happy to take the win today, it’s such a hard week. Especially today the track was tough, so I tried to push but with the conditions it wasn’t easy. I did so many mistakes on my run so when I finished, I didn’t believe that will be the run of the week.” JUNIOR PACESETTERS FINISH SEASON IN STYLE The closest overall action happened in the first racing of the day, as Heather Wilson (Muc-Off Young Guns) and UCI Downhill World champion, Erice Van Leuven (Commencal Les Orres) entered the women’s junior final separated by only 45 points.  However, Wilson hit the deck twice in her run as the juniors struggled to stay upright across the board, and Van Leuven scorched down the trail to win the day by almost five seconds, and the overall title by 60 points. Van Leuven said: “It’s pretty special, it’s definitely a dream come true and to do it in my last junior race is pretty cool too. I actually had quite a decent crash, but then I just didn’t give up and didn’t go crazy pushing back, I was solid so I’m really proud of my ride.” The Men’s Junior title had been wrapped up away from the trail as Asa Vermette (Frameworks Racing) wasn’t able to compete this weekend following his crash in Loudenvielle-Peyragudes, meaning Alran knew he’d take the title before his first pedalstroke. But there was still the matter of the victory to be decided, and Max Alran deposed his twin brother Till on the final run of the season by 5.237 seconds. “Insane season for me, and what a way to finish, just in front of my brother. I’m really happy to win with him, I hope my brother’s stoked too,” Alran said. “I just feel great on the bike all season, I really enjoy riding and I think that’s my key for going faster.” As the 2024 season draws to a close, attention is already turning to the next campaign and that excitement was further fueled by this week's announcement of the 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series calendar.  Bruni and Holl will defend their UCI Downhill World Cup titles over 10 action-packed rounds including a brand-new stop for the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series in La Thuile – Valle d’Aosta (Italy). Pal Arinsal (Andorra) returns to the schedule in 2025 after hosting this year's UCI World Championships and Lake Placid will make the season-ending double-header twice as nice with the addition of a UCI Downhill World Cup round.  The 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series will begin with a back-to-back Brazilian cross-country double header in Araxá - Minas Gerais, Brazil on April 3 and end in Mont-Saint-Anne on October 12.

The final UCI Downhill World Cup of the season is always a momentous occasion, but things feel extra special in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Quebec (Canada), this year.  Not only is the venue celebrating the 29th anniversary of its first UCI World Cup, but it’s also the last time that fans will get to watch Greg Minnaar (Norco Factory Racing) competing at the pinnacle of the sport. And as the qualifiers got underway, all eyes were on whether the legendary South African could make it through to tomorrow’s finals.  He had protected status, meaning a spot in the semi-finals was a guarantee, but after that, it was down to him, his bike, and 27 years of racing experience.  The 42-year-old isn’t known as the G.O.A.T for anything and was able to channel the skills honed over three overall series, 22 UCI World Cups, and four UCI World Championships to fly down the course 20th fastest, guaranteeing that there will be one final throw of the dice to add win number 23 to his record. There will be no room for sentimentality on the mountain tomorrow though, and several riders are looking in fine form to finish their season strongly.  Troy Brosnan (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) set the fastest time in the semi-finals, and was the only rider to break 3:42. Dakotah Norton (Mondraker Factory Racing) and Andreas Kolb (Continental Atherton) were over a second back from the Australian but could only be separated by two-hundredths of a second, while UCI overall series winner Loïc Bruni (Specialized) and local fan favourite Finn Iles (Specialized Gravity) completed the top five.  Scroll slightly further down the list though to seventh, and you’ll see a certain Aaron Gwin (Gwin Racing). The American icon knows how to win in Mont-Sainte-Anne, and victory tomorrow would take him level with Steve Peat’s four wins at the venue.  NICOLE BACK TO HER BEST  In the women’s field, Vali Höll (YT Mob) has the chance to make it three wins in a row in Canada and put in a strong semi-final to be the penultimate rider in the start gate tomorrow. The Austrian was pipped to the top spot though by Myriam Nicole (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) – the Frenchwoman going fastest in all four intermediate splits.  ‘Pompon’ was victorious last time out in Loudenvielle – Peyragudes (France) and has looked back to her best after struggling with concussion for the whole 2023 season. While it’s too late to mount a challenge to Höll in the overall – the UCI World Champion already wrapping that up in the French Pyrenees – she could still leapfrog Tahnée Seagrave (Canyon CLLCTV FMD) into second in the series, who relied on her protected status and sat out the semi-final.  Racing gets underway tomorrow (Saturday, October 5) in Mont-Sainte-Anne from 11:30 EDT with the women’s junior finals. Find out how to watch here, and set a reminder to join Ric McLaughlin for the pre-show live from Canada from 12:45 EDT

Sina Frei (Specialized Factory Racing) and Victor Koretzky (Specialized Factory Racing) were victorious in the UCI Cross-country Short Track (XCC) World Cup in Mont-Sainte Anne, Quebec (Canada) taking the American’s team win tally to six in a row. Alessandra Keller’s (Thömus Maxon) eighth position cements her UCI Cross-country Olympic (XCO) World Cup overall series before Sunday’s final race, while Koretzky claims UCI XCC World Cup overall title.  Less than a week on from the all-out sprint finishes in Mt Van Hoevenberg – Lake Placid (USA), the Endurance Elites were at it again in Mont-Sainte-Anne for the final UCI XCC World Cup of the season.  It was a carbon copy of the week before’s results, Sina Frei (Specialized Factory Racing) and Victor Koretzky (Specialized Factory) making it two wins from two in North America – the Swiss and French riders once again launching explosive attacks on the last lap to leave everyone else in their dust.  The results also saw Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon) build an unassailable lead in the women’s XCO series, while Koretzky added the UCI XCC overall series to his UCI XCC World Championship win. FREI FINDS LATE-SEASON FORM, KELLER CROWNED UCI XCO WORLD CUP OVERALL WINNER While the women’s UCI XCC World Cup overall title had been decided the week before – Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon) clinching the crown – there was still pride on the line in Mont-Sainte-Anne, with many riders targeting a strong finish to a long season. The Canadian course is renowned for being fast and furious, and the tempo was high from the start – Chiara Teocchi (Orbea Factory Team) setting the early pace. The Italian had a big bunch of riders on her wheel, and despite creating some gaps on the course’s singletrack section, she wasn’t able to cut the chasing pack loose. When her flame finally faded, Loane Lecomte (Canyon CLLCTV XCO), Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing-Pirelli) and Sina Frei were constantly at the front or in the second or third wheels. The trio had a rotating cast of new additions as the laps ticked by – Jenny Rissveds (Team 31 Ibis Cycles Continental) and Keller surging to the lead group before falling away – but they were the only constants throughout. As the race entered its final lap, it was these three who would finally break away from the rest. Lecomte led the charge – the French XCC national champion showing her performances last weekend were a sign that she’s back to her best – and only Frei could hold her wheel, with Richards a few bike lengths further back. The UCI XCC World Champion dug deep to stay in touch but had to burn through her matches to try and bridge the gap. Frei meanwhile sat in Lecomte’s wheel and conserved energy before overtaking the Frenchwoman on the penultimate asphalt straight. The Swiss star then launched an attack up the final hill that Lecomte simply couldn’t follow, allowing Frei to roll over the line without the need for a full-on sprint finish. Lecomte was a close second, while Richards came home third. Speaking after the race, Sina Frei said: “It’s amazing. I can’t believe it. It’s exactly how I would like to finish the season. It’s just so nice. In our team, we have a very good atmosphere and vibe. It helps a lot. Even Haley [Batten], who couldn’t race today, was watching and cheering for us. It’s an amazing vibe and I have amazing teammates. I just try to have good positions until the finish. I knew that with that finish, I was thinking I needed to be first otherwise it would be difficult, so I tried to push a little bit harder.” Keller meanwhile finished eighth, securing the UCI XCO World Cup overall title ahead of Sunday’s final round. Speaking after the race, she said: “Unfortunately I didn’t have the power until the finish, but it was another good race and another good front row [for Sunday] and to win the overall makes me happy. We always race to win the day, but in general I had a pretty good season. That makes me really happy. I think it’s a reward for the whole team. I’m very proud of them, I’m very thankful for them.” KORETZKY CRUSHES THE COMPETITION  Unlike the women’s UCI XCC World Cup, the men’s title was still to play for going into the last round. The UCI XCC World Champion, Victor Koretzky (Specialized Factory Racing), was in cruise control, but a handful of riders – including Sam Gaze (Alpecin-Deceuninck) could still mathematically pounce if the Frenchman didn’t have a strong race. If the preceding race was fast, the men somehow found another gear – Alan Hatherly (Cannondale Factory Racing) setting a blistering pace from the very start to string the whole pack out from the off. The South African had an underlying motive – he could clinch the UCI XCO World Cup overall by winning the XCC – but it seemed an audacious attempt to try and attack from the off. When Hatherly eventually tired, Luca Schwarzbauer (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) ramped things up even further, causing pained faces on the riders behind who were just trying to hold his wheel. The big German’s diesel engine sustained the pace for lap after lap, whittling the lead group down as he went. Sam Gaze was one of the first to be dropped – the New Zealander eventually succumbing to some sort of off-screen issue to finish 32nd. The German’s pure power didn’t appear to be letting up, and as the group continued to get shuffled behind – Mathis Azzaro (Decathlon Ford Racing Team) joining the fun; Chris Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing) crashing out – the Canyon CLLCTV rider led entering the final lap. And then Koretzky went. His rainbow stripes were a blur as he pulled alongside Schwarzbauer and launched himself off the front on the first climb, creating a gap that made it look like his opponents were riding through thick mud. Only Azzaro could go with him, with Hatherly picking up the pieces many meters back. As the race entered its final throws, it was clear that it was going to be contested by one of the Frenchmen, but would it be the UCI World Champion (Koretzky) or the up-and-coming French champion (Azzaro)? Koretzky led his compatriot throughout, and when he threw the final hammer to blow up the last climb, Azzaro simply couldn’t respond. Crossing the line, Koretzky had done it – winning back-to-back UCI XCC World Cups, the UCI XCC overall series, and breaking Mathieu van der Poel’s (Alpecin-Deceuninck) record for UCI XCC World Cup podiums in the process. Azzaro meanwhile finished second, with Hatherly third.  Speaking after the race, Koretzky said : “The pace was super high compared to a normal short track. I couldn’t ride on the front the whole race. But I think, compared to the others, I’m comfortable when it’s a change of pace. It was super-fast, and when you’re on a wheel like this [Azzaro] it’s way easier, it’s why I tried to make a gap on the feed zone. To win another UCI World Cup is crazy, and I secured the overall too. It’s amazing, and now I can’t wait for Sunday’s race because it’s the last race of the season and the last UCI World Cup. I’m really excited and I just want to race again.”  BÖHM AND LILLO ALSO MAKE IT NORTH AMERICAN U23 XCC DOUBLES  Dario Lillo (Giant Factory Off-Road Team) and already-crowned series winner Kira Böhm (Cube Factory Racing) were victorious in the Men’s U23 and Women’s U23 respectively, while Riley Amos (Trek Factory Racing – Pirelli) narrowly beat Bjorn Riley (Trek Future Racing) to the Men’s U23 series title.  Leading from the start, Böhm remained in the front pack throughout, riding in a controlled and commanding way before pulling away in the last lap to win her fourth U23 UCI XCC World Cup of the 2024 season. Lillo meanwhile showed that his performance last weekend was no fluke. Taking the bell at the start of the last lap, the 22-year-old held off a surge from Bjorn Riley (Trek Future Racing) and sprinted across the line for his second consecutive U23 XCC win. In the men’s U23 overall series, Riley Amos (Trek Factory Racing – Pirelli) was able to claim the overall series with his seventh-place finish, holding onto the series lead by just 40 points from Riley.  Tomorrow sees the turn of the Gravity athletes, while the Endurance competitions will return for the final UCI XCO World Cup on Sunday, October 6. Find out how to watch all the racing here.

Swiss and German riders claim second UCI Cross-country Short Track (XCC) wins in as many weekends with successes in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Quebec (Canada), while Riley Amos (Trek Factory Racing – Pirelli) holds on to win overall series. The Under 23 Endurance riders got proceedings underway in a bumper four-day UCI World Cup in Mont-Sainte-Anne, laying down blistering races in the Short Track (XCC) before the Elites take to the iconic Canadian course tomorrow. Dario Lillo (Giant Factory Off-Road Team) and already-crowned series winner Kira Böhm (Cube Factory Racing) were victorious in the Men’s U23 and Women’s U23 respectively, while Riley Amos (Trek Factory Racing – Pirelli) narrowly beat Bjorn Riley (Trek Future Racing) to the Men’s U23 series title by 40 points. BÖHM MAKES IT BACK-TO-BACK WINS Kira Böhm had already claimed the overall U23 XCC series with a commanding win last weekend in Mt Van Hoevenberg – Lake Placid (USA), but the up-and-coming German star wasn’t resting on her laurels in her final Short Track race before moving up to the Elites. Leading from the start, Böhm remained in the front pack throughout, riding in a controlled and commanding way before pulling away in the last lap to win her fourth U23 UCI XCC World Cup of the 2024 season. The 22-year-old has been an ever-present on the U23 XCC World Cup podiums all season, and her 201-point lead over Emilly Johnston (Trek Future Racing) highlights her dominance in the competition. Böhm’s closest competitor on the day was again Isabella Holmgren – the U23 UCI XCC World Champion fighting her way to the front group from 18th after the first lap, but the 19-year-old didn’t have anything left in the tank to be able to contest Böhm for the win in front of a home crowd. Expect to see her battling it out for the overall next year though. Lea Huber (Trek Future Racing) completed the podium in third. LILLO FINISHES SEASON STRONG, AMOS HOLDS OUT TO TAKE SERIES After a disappointing home race by his own high standards, Riley Amos (Trek Factory Racing – Pirelli) was expected to bounce back with a strong performance in Mont-Sainte-Anne in what is his final race in the U23 UCI XCC rainbow jersey before progressing to the Elites. The American came into the final UCI World Cup with an 80-point lead over compatriot Bjorn Riley (Trek Future Racing) in the overall, but with Riley back after sitting out Mt Van Hoevenberg – Lake Placid, Amos would need to beat his rival to guarantee the overall series. It didn’t get off to a great start for the U23 UCI XCC World Champion, who found himself in 10th and four-seconds back on then-race leader Luke Moir (Cube Factory Racing) at the half-way point. While Amos went on a charge – recovering to lead by the start of lap seven – it was the last time we’d see him at the front of the race. Instead, Dario Lillo took up the mantel, and the Swiss rider showed that his performance last weekend was no fluke. Taking the bell at the start of the last lap, the 22-year-old held off a surge from Riley and sprinted across the line for his second consecutive U23 XCC win. Riley would finish second, Moir third, and Amos down in seventh – 11 seconds back. But it was enough for Amos to claim the overall series, which he held onto by 40 points. Tomorrow sees the turn of the Elites for the men’s and women’s XCC. Find out how to watch all the racing here.

After seven months, 10 countries and 16 rounds of the 2024 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series, this weekend sees the final UCI World Cup events of the season and the conclusion of the Cross-country and Downhill formats.  While the Downhill titles were decided last time out in Loudenvielle – Peyragudes (France), there are still three overall titles on the line in the UCI Cross-country Short Track (XCC) and UCI Cross-country Olympic (XCO) World Cup. It couldn’t be in a more fitting location either – Mont-Sainte-Anne, Quebec, Canada, hosting its record 29th UCI World Cup.  We look at everything you need to know about the Mont-Sainte-Anne round of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series, including when the Downhill, Cross-country Short Track (XCC) and Cross-country Olympic (XCO) events are scheduled to take place, who is racing and how to watch.  WHEN? The 2024 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series round in Mont-Sainte-Anne starts today with the Women’s U23 UCI XCC World Cup at 16:30 (UTC-4) and concludes with the Men’s U23 UCI XCO World Cup at 16:00 (UTC-4) on Sunday, October 6.  Below are the key timings for race weekend. All times are UTC-4 (EDT/BST-5/CEST-6):  Thursday, October 3 16:30 – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Women U23 17:05 – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Men U23 Friday, October 4  12:00 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification Women Elite  12:30 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification Men Elite 13:30 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification Women Junior 13:45 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification Men Junior 14:30 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Semi Finals Women Elite 15:00 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Semi Finals Men Elite 16:30 – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Women Elite 17:05 – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Men Elite Saturday, October 5 11:30 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Finals Women Junior 12:00 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Finals Men Junior 13:15 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Finals Women Elite 14:00 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Finals Men Elite Sunday, September 29 9:00 – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup | Women U23 11:15 – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup | Women Elite 14:00 – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup | Men Elite 16:00 – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup | Men U23 WHERE CAN I WATCH? You can watch all the action from the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series round in Mont-Sainte-Anne wherever you are in the world. Both the men’s and women's UCI Downhill World Cup Junior races will be broadcast live on the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series YouTube channel, while the Elite finals will be shown on one of the below channels or streaming services. For the UCI Cross-country World Cup, Elite Men’s and Women’s UCI XCC and XCO World Cups tune in to one of the below channels or streaming services:  North America Canada – Flosports and RDS USA  – Max South & Central America Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela – Claro (XCC / XCO) and Staylive (DHI)  Belize, Brazil, Guyana, Suriname – Staylive Puerto Rico – Max Asia Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Palau, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan – Staylive China – Zhibo.tv (DHI), Staylive (XCC / XCO) Indonesia, Macao, Malaysia, Mongolia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand – Eurosport Oceania Australia – Stan New Zealand – Staylive Africa: Angola, Burundi, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Cape Verde, Cote d'Ivoire, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopoa, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mayotte, Mozambique, Mali, Mauritania, Namibia, Nigeria, Nigeria, Reunion, Rwanda, South Africa, Eswatini, São Tome and Principe, St Helena and Ascension, Senegal, Sierra y Leon, Seychelles, Socotra, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Zambia: SuperSport All other African territories: Staylive Europa Austria – discovery+ Belgium – HBO Max, Eurosport 1 Czech Republic – Max, Eurosport 1 and CT Sport/CT Sport Plus (only XCC/XCO) Denmark – Max, Eurosport 1 France – Max, Eurosport 1, L’Équipe TV (DHI Live and XCO delayed) Germany – discovery+, Eurosport Greece – Eurosport Hungary – Max, Eurosport 1 Ireland – discovery+, Eurosport 1, TNT Sports 2 (XCC / DHI) and TNT Sports 3 (XCO) Italy – discovery+, Eurosport 1 Netherlands – HBO Max, Eurosport 1 Norway – Max, Eurosport 1 Poland – Max, Eurosport 1 Portugal – Max, Eurosport 1 Romania – Max, Eurosport 1 Slovenia – Max, Eurosport 1 Spain – Max, Eurosport 1 Sweden – Max, Eurosport 1 Switzerland – Staylive, SRF and RSI la Due (only XCC/XCO) United Kingdom – discovery+, Eurosport 1, TNT Sports 2 (XCC / DHI) and TNT Sports 3 (XCO) Rest of world – Staylive RIDERS TO WATCH While last weekend's venue was a completely new experience for the Endurance contingent, some will know the Mont-Sainte-Anne course like the back of their hands. Prior results can therefore come to the fore when predicting who is going to do what on finals day.  In the UCI Downhill World Cup, the newly crowned series winners Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity) and Vali Höll (YT Mob) have two wins each in Mont-Sainte-Anne, so will be firm favourites even without a title on the line.  Finn Iles (Specialized Gravity) will be trying to out-do his team-mate in front of a partisan home crowd, while veteran Aaron Gwin (Gwin Racing) could equal Steve Peats’ record four wins at the venue if the American can find some race pace at only his second UCI World Cup of the season.  For the women’s field, Höll’s biggest opposition is likely to come from Myriam Nicole (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) and Tahnée Seagrave (Canyon CLLCTV FMD). Both have tasted success in Canada in the past and appear to be close to their best after a few patchy years by their own high standards.  If Mont-Sainte-Anne was a sandwich, then the Endurance action would be the bread to the Gravity filling – the UCI XCC World Cup taking place on Friday, with the UCI XCO World Cup on Sunday.  With XCC points contributing to the XCO overall tally, both the Men’s and Women’s XCO series could be decided in Friday’s effective qualifying for Sunday's grid position.  In the women’s, Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon) only has to finish 34th to secure the XCC-XCO series double, while Alan Hatherly (Cannondale Factory Racing) has to win to claim the men’s XCO title.  Keller is likely to focus on finishing rather than first place so others may contest for the win, so expect to see UCI XCC World Champion Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing – Pirelli), last weekend’s winner Sina Frei (Specialized Factory Racing) and 2023 XCC winner in Mont-Sainte-Anne Laura Stigger (Specialized Factory Racing) battling it out at the front. Hatherly meanwhile will have stern competition from the UCI XCC World Champion Victor Koretzky (Specialized Factory Racing), Sam Gaze (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Filippo Colombo (Scott-SRAM MTB Race Team). An extra day’s rest than usual means that all of the above could be in contention when the final UCI XCO World Cup races takes place on Sunday, but there are a number of others who could be vying for top spot on the podium. Loana Lecomte (Canyon CCLCTV) looked in good form in Mt Van Hoevenberg – Lake Placid and won in Mont-Sainte-Anne in 2023, while Candice Lill has been one of the most consistent riders all season. In the men’s XCO, last year’s winner Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) won’t be racing in Mont-Sainte-Anne, but one man with five wins to his name at the venue is. Nino Schurter (Scott-SRAM MTB Race Team) might not be able to add to his nine overall series wins, but the 38-year-old isn’t done yet. And after a disappointing result in Mt Van Hoevenberg – Lake Placid, where a front puncture saw him drop from the lead group to finish 25th, expect the Swiss star to go all out to end his 16th season in the Elite class on a high. Racing gets underway today, Thursday October 3rd, in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Quebec, Canada. Full schedule and event details are available HERE.

The legendary Canadian bike park welcomes the Endurance and Gravity athletes for the final UCI World Cup of the season, and with titles still on the line in the Cross-country Olympic and Cross-country Short Track, fans can expect a nail-biting conclusion to the 2024 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series on the slopes of Mont-Sainte-Anne, Quebec.  The dust hasn’t even settled after an attritional and fast-paced Mt Van Hoevenberg – Lake Placid UCI Cross-country World Cup in the USA, but the best mountain bikers on the planet are gearing up to do it all again.  While the Downhill contingent have had a month to rest and recover since their last UCI World Cup in Loudenvielle - Peyragudes (France) there’s less than a week between the race weekends on either side of the USA-Canadian border for the Endurance athletes.  Loudenvielle-Peyragudes drew the curtain on the UCI Enduro World Cup, and last weekend’s round in the USA saw the final round of the UCI Cross-country Marathon World Cup. But riders in the Cross-country Olympic (XCO), Cross-country Short Track (XCC) and Downhill (DHI) competitions will line up for the last time of the 2024 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series in Mont-Sainte-Anne.  With three out of the remaining six series titles still yet to be decided – downhillers Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity) and Valentina Höll (YT Mob) confirmed their overall series wins in Loudenvielle – Peyragudes, while Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon) already clinched the Women Elite UCI Cross-country Short Track (XCC) World Cup overall last time out – expect the racing to be bar-to-bar from the off.  The venue – Mont-Sainte-Anne’s world-famous bike park, with more than 130km of trails and runs for all disciplines from Cross-country Olympic (XCO) to Downhill (DHI) and freeride – is a fitting location for the season finale too. The Laurentian Mountains spot will be hosting its 29th UCI World Cup, while next year’s edition will mark the 30th anniversary since it held its first UCI World Cup in 1991. It has also held the UCI World Championship three times – 1998, 2010 and 2019 – in that period.  PLENTY STILL ON THE LINE IN DOWNHILL DEAD RUBBER Although Bruni and Höll can’t be mathematically caught by the chasing pack, there’s still plenty to play for in the final UCI Downhill World Cup of 2024. Both these athletes will be aiming to finish their seasons on a high and get back to winning ways after missing out on top spot in the French Pyrenees. The pair have previous wins at the venue too, Bruni victorious in 2018 and 2019 (UCI World Championships) while Höll has back-to-back wins in Canada and is targeting a hat-trick. There will be plenty of other riders looking to make their mark –particularly as we enter the transfer season ahead of the 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series. Home favourite Finn Iles (Specialized Gravity) knows what it takes to stand on the top step in Mont-Sainte-Anne and will be looking to channel his 2022 race-winning run, while new UCI Downhill World Champion Loris Vergier (Trek Factory Racing Gravity) will be hoping for a better performance in the rainbow bands after a disappointing 14th last time out. In the women’s field, Myriam Nicole (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) looks back to her best after securing her 10th UCI World Cup victory last month in Loudenvielle-Peyragudes, while Tahnée Seagrave (Canyon CLLCTV FMD) has a point to prove after her challenge to Höll faltered in France. Mont-Sainte-Anne will also be the last time that we get to see a legend of downhill between the race tape – Greg Minnaar (Norco Race Division) hanging up his full-face helmet after 28 years of competing. The 42-year-old South African has won it all in downhill, including four UCI World Championships and three overall UCI Downhill World Cup titles, and is rightly regarded as the greatest of all time. His record of 22 UCI Downhill World Cup wins is the most of all time for men, and few would bet against him signing off in style with victory number 24. TITLES GO DOWN TO THE WIRE IN CROSS-COUNTRY FORMATS While everything has been settled in Downhill, it’s still all to play for in three out of four series in the UCI Cross-country World Cup. Alan Hatherly (Cannondale Factory Racing) and Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon) both sit in pole position in the Men’s and Women’s UCI Cross-country Olympic (XCO) World Cup standings and their respective points advantages mean that their titles appear to be foregone conclusions. But there’s still plenty of racing between now and the end of the series, and as last weekend’s events proved, both are only a puncture away from disaster. New UCI XCO World Champion Hatherly can seal his title before Sunday’s XCO if he wins Friday’s XCC. But if he finishes second or worse, the battle goes to the final race. Only Victor Koretzky (Specialized Factory Racing) and Filippo Colombo (Scott-SRAM MTB Racing Team) are mathematically within striking distance of the South African, but with both on the podium (Koretzky first, Colombo third) in Mt Van Hoevenberg – Lake Placid, expect them to bring the fight to Hatherly. Things are even more straightforward for Keller. The newly crowned UCI Cross-country Short Track (XCC) World Cup overall winner simply has to finish 34th or better in Friday’s XCC to win the XCO overall and do the XCC-XCO series double. If she somehow fails to score any points all weekend, Savilia Blunk (Decathlon Ford Racing Team) and Candice Lill are the only riders who can still catch her, but both would need to win the XCC and XCO double to pip the Swiss rider to the overall title.      In the Short Track, the tension went out of the men’s series with then-series leader Sam Gaze (Alpecin-Deceuninck) crashing and finishing 32nd in Mt Van Hoevenberg – Lake Placid, while the new UCI XCC World Champion Koretzky claimed his third XCC win of the year. The Frenchman has a 154-point lead over the New Zealander and needs to finish in the top nine to add the overall to his season haul. Gaze, Hatherly and Colombo are the only riders able to overhaul Koretzky but would need big points swing to make it happen. With the women’s XCC series wrapped up in North America, the pressure is off for Keller, and we can expect to see someone else contesting for the win. Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing – Pirelli) hasn’t been off the XCC podium since Crans-Montana, Valais, so expect the 2024 UCI XCC World Champion to be up there. Sina Frei (Specialized Factory Racing) appears to be finishing her season strongly, while her team-mate Laura Stigger (Specialized Factory Racing) won in Mont-Sainte-Anne in 2023. Racing gets underway in Mont-Sainte-Anne on Thursday, October 3 with the Men’s U23 and Women’s U23 UCI XCC World Cup. Full schedule and event details are available here.

The dates, venues, and rounds for next year’s WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series have been revealed, featuring a new venue and the return of fan-favorite locations.  The 2025 season will unfold over seven months, featuring 16 race weekends, with 10 UCI Cross-country and Downhill World Cup events and 7 UCI Enduro World Cup rounds. The 2025 calendar for the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series has been confirmed. The third year of the revamped UCI World Cup formats, launched in 2023 to unite all mountain bike’s major formats under a single brand for the first time, will visit ten countries across 15 rounds (16 race weekends) between April and October and will feature the best athletes in the sport’s Endurance (Cross-country Olympic, XCO - and Cross-country Short Track, XCC) and Gravity (Downhill, DHI and Enduro, EDR) formats. After starting with a back-to-back Brazilian cross-country double header in Araxá - Minas Gerais, the Gravity action gets underway with a UCI Enduro World Cup at the format’s spiritual home in Pietra Ligure – Finale Outdoor Region (Italy) before Downhill joins the party a week later in Enduro Trails - Bielsko-Biała (Poland). The Pietra Ligure and Bielsko-Biała UCI World Cup rounds are the start of five back-to-back weekends of racing that sees the return of Loudenvielle-Peyragudes (France) in the Gravity formats, as well as Nové Město Na Moravě (Czechia) in Endurance before the first XCO/XCC/DHI/EDR triple-header at a long-term partner venue Saalfelden Leogang - Salzburgerland (Austria). The second half of the series sees a completely new UCI World Cup venue for 2025 – the gravity-fuelled trails of La Thuile – Valle d’Aosta, in Italy, welcoming the UCI Downhill and Enduro World Cups; while, a year after having hosted XCO and XCC in the USA’s Mt Van Hoevenberg for its 2024 UCI World Cup debut, the Lake Placid Olympic Region (New York) will add a UCI Downhill World Cup in 2025.  It will also see a return of the 2024 UCI Mountain Bike World Championship venue Pal Arinsal (Andorra) and UCI Mountain Bike Enduro and E-enduro World Championship location Val di Fassa - Trentino (Italy), the iconic bike park venue Val di Sole - Trentino (Italy), back-to-back weekends in Haute-Savoie, France (exact venues to be announced at a later date) and Lenzerheide’s Bike Kingdom (Switzerland), with the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships of Valais 2025 in between, and a fitting season finale in Mont-Sainte-Anne; the renowned Canadian venue. Chris Ball, Vice President of Cycling Events at Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe, said: “Although I’m on tenterhooks to see the conclusion of this year’s WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series, the 2025 edition is shaping up to be the best season yet. We are expanding once more and welcome La Thuile into the UCI World Cup family, while Lake Placid adds Downhill to its schedule and brings the number of UCI Downhill World Cup rounds up to 10. The calendar also sees the return of locations that made successful debuts in 2024, as well as icons of the sport such as Val di Fassa, Nové Město Na Moravě and Mont-Sainte-Anne. A perfect combination of innovation and tradition. “Regardless of their pedigree, each round will take place at a venue that is at the pinnacle of mountain bike course design, guaranteeing exciting, adrenaline-fuelled racing from start to finish. The locations are also set in the heart of passionate mountain biking communities, and fans from near and far will line the courses and bring the noise come race day.”  UCI President David Lappartient said: “The WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series has already increased the visibility of the mountain bike discipline, with more rounds and more host venues than before. In 2025, we will continue the momentum with yet another new venue joining the Series. Starting in Brazil in April and finishing in Canada after months of exciting racing, the athletes and fans have a great deal to look forward to next season. It is going to be another intense year of mountain bike racing!”   WHOOP UCI MOUNTAIN BIKE WORLD SERIES 2025 CALENDAR: Round 1 / April 3-6: Araxá - Minas Gerais, Brazil (UCI Cross-country World Cup) Round 2 / April 10-12: Araxá - Minas Gerais, Brazil (UCI Cross-country World Cup) Round 3 / May 9-11: Pietra Ligure – Finale Outdoor Region, Italy (UCI Enduro World Cup) Round 4 / May 16-18: Enduro Trails - Bielsko-Biała, Poland (UCI Downhill and Enduro World Cup) Round 5 / May 23-25: Nové Město Na Moravě, Czechia (UCI Cross-country World Cup) Round 6 / May 30-June 1: Loudenvielle-Peyragudes, France (UCI Downhill and Enduro World Cup) Round 7 / June 5-8: Saalfelden Leogang - Salzburgerland, Austria (UCI Cross-country, Downhill and Enduro World Cup) Round 8 / June 20-22: Val di Sole – Trentino, Italy (UCI Cross-country and Downhill World Cup) Round 9 / June 27-29: Val di Fassa - Trentino, Italy (UCI Enduro World Cup) Round 10 / July 3-6: La Thuile – Valle d’Aosta, Italy (UCI Downhill and Enduro World Cup) Round 11 / July 9-13: Pal Arinsal - Andorra (UCI Cross-country and Downhill World Cup) Round 12 / August 21-31: Haute-Savoie, France (UCI Cross-country, Downhill and Enduro World Cup) Round 13 / September 18-21: Bike Kingdom - Lenzerheide, Switzerland (UCI Cross-country and Downhill World Cup) Round 14 / October 3-5: Lake Placid Olympic Region, New York, USA (UCI Cross-country and Downhill World Cup) Round 15 / October 9-12: Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada (UCI Cross-country and Downhill World Cup)

Laura Stigger (Specialized Factory Racing) and Victor Koretzky (Specialized Factory Racing) add to Sina Frei (Specialized Factory Racing) and Koretzky’s victories in the XCC to make it a clean sweep for Specialized at the team’s home race.  On the final day of Mt Van Hoevenberg – Lake Placid’s WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series, there was a carnival atmosphere as the Elite riders took to the full course for the UCI Cross-country Olympic (XCO) World Cup.  In warm and dry conditions, both the Men’s and Women’s Elite XCO races were red hot from the off. But the fast and wide course had the opposite effect of what went down in the U23 races 24 hours before, with big groups of riders staying together until the very end.  Both would conclude in sprint finishes, with Laura Stigger (Specialized Factory Racing) and Victor Koretzky (Specialized Factory Racing) coming out on top to make it a clean sweep for Specialized in the Elites at Mt Van Hoevenberg – Lake Placid.  STIGGER OUTSPRINTS TEAM-MATE FREI TO WIN ATTRITIONAL CONTEST  Laura Stigger (Specialized Factory Racing) overcame what looked like a mid-race blow-up to outsprint team-mate Sina Frei (Specialized Factory Racing) on the line to claim the American team’s third Elite win of the weekend.  In what was an attritional race from the off, Candice Lill set the early pace with a lead group including Loane Lecomte (Canyon CLLCTV XCO), Savilia Blunk (Decathlon Ford Racing Team) and Stigger, while series leader Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon) and Frei weren’t far behind.  On the long, drawn-out climb at the start of each loop, Lill would always be at the front, stretching her lead, but the group would soon bunch up again as the riders entered the descents and rock gardens that littered the second half.  The lead group was getting smaller with each lap though. First it was Keller who was dropped, while on lap four, home favourite Blunk went out the back after Stigger and Lecomte went on the offensive.  And then on the penultimate lap, it appeared that Stigger’s race was run – the Austrian unable to hold the pace of Lill and Lecomte as they powered their way up the lactic acid-inducing incline.  The Frenchwoman and 10-time UCI XCO World Cup winner appeared to have created a significant gap between her and Lill, and as she crossed the start-finish straight for the final time, her seven-second lead looked like it was only going to get bigger.  The chasing group of Rebecca Henderson (Primaflor Mondraker Racing Team), Stigger and Frei weren’t done yet though. Although the Australian was soon dropped, Stigger and Frei were soon bunched up with Lecomte and Lill, and it looked like it could end up being a four-up sprint for the line.  Stigger had other ideas. Mirroring Frei’s winning attack from the day before, the Austrian exploded out of the pits with Frei close behind – Lecomte unable to respond. In a two-way sprint, Stigger did enough to stay ahead of Frei, denying the Swiss rider of an XCC-XCO double, although the team-mates didn’t seem to mind as they celebrated with each other after crossing the line. Lill pipped Lecomte on the line, while Henderson soloed her way to fifth to complete the podium.  Speaking after the race, Stigger said: “It’s amazing. Racing here in America must be a lucky place for me. The brand is from here, Specialized is just giving me wings. It’s amazing. With a double win and Sina [Frei] smashing it yesterday. It must be a super good place for Specialized riders. I tried to give it all from the feed zone until the end, I saw tactics from Sina from yesterday and thought I needed to try the same. Sina and I are such good friends. It’s amazing to have such a teammate.” In the overall, Keller has one hand on the series title – the Swiss rider already crowned the XCC overall winner yesterday with one round still to go. The 2022 overall series winner currently has a 322-point lead over second place Blunk, and with 330 points up for grabs, she effectively only needs to finish the  in 35th place to achieve the series double. KORETZKY DOES THE DOUBLE After a frenetic and close-fought battle for the Women’s XCO, fans were treated to more of the same in the Men’s final.  Alan Hatherly (Cannondale Factory Racing) and Victor Koretzky were dictating the early tempo but as the field crossed the start-finish straight for the first time, the lead group was still numbering 20-plus riders. The first flash point was a big crash by Martín Vidaurre (Specialized Factory Racing) – the Chilean hitting the deck in the first rock garden on lap two, and his bike narrowly missing team-mate Kortezky as it flew through the air. Despite getting back on his bike, he soon pulled over and appeared to be suffering from a broken collarbone. On each climb, another rider took up the mantel – Mathis Azzaro (Decathlon Ford Racing Team), Filippo Colombo (Scott-SRAM MTB Racing Team), Marcel Guerrini (BIXS Performance Race Team) – but no one could make the attacks stick. And then disaster struck for Hatherly. In the middle of lap four, the new UCI XCO World Champion suffered a rear flat. Fortunately for the South African, he was near to the tech zone. But it wasn’t ideal. With a gap of 41 seconds and 30-plus places to the lead, it was now advantage Nino Schurter (Scott-SRAM MTB Racing Team) in the overall.  By the end of lap four, he’d made it back to 26th, but on such a fast course, it would take some serious racing to get back into contention.  The following lap, it was the turn of Schurter to suffer misfortune in the same spot – a flat front seeing the Swiss and South African leapfrog on the road and in the overall series.  At the front, the group looked like it been whittled down to five during lap six, but with two to go, it had swelled to 11 again – including Hatherly.  Eleven became nine by the start of the final lap, and on the last long drag, it was Colombo who injected the pace. Koretzky was stuck firmly on his wheel, but the pace was too high for three riders including local favourite Chris Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing).  Just like in the women’s race, the sprints started in the final tech zone, and it was Colombo who looked strong and in control. But Koretzky showed why he’s the UCI XCC World Champion, laying down the hammer and outsprinting everyone on the line to take the double – his first since Les Gets, Haute-Savoie (France) in 2023.  Amazing, Hatherly recovered to take second, while Colombo settled for third. Guerrini finished fourth with Mathias Flückiger fifth.  Speaking after the race, Victor Koretzky said: “The last time I did the double win was in Les Gets in France one year ago, so it’s amazing. Doing a double win on one weekend is always difficult because you need to stay motivated and to keep going. Today the weather was a bit high, and it was almost impossible to know who was the strongest. I rode super patient all race because it was super-fast and on the wheel it was a bit more easier but I couldn’t ride on the front. The race was too high. I’m proud of me, I’m proud of the team. It’s crazy – four wins on one weekend, it’s amazing for Specialized. We want to do the same thing next week and then we can party all together.” The result means that the men’s overall goes to the final round in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada, but like Keller, Hatherly has an almost unassailable lead. The UCI XCO World Champion currently has a 259-point lead over second place Koretzky, with Colombo (1085 points) the only other rider in striking distance.  HOLMGREN AND PUNCHARD MAKE IT A CANADIAN ONE-TWO IN THE U23  Just 24-hours earlier, it was a completely different story as Isabella Holmgren and Cole Punchard (Pivot Cycles – OTE) laid down dominant solo performances to win. In the Women’s U23, Holmgren pulled away from the pack by the end of lap two and continued to extend her lead right to the end. Punchard displayed almost repeat tactics in the proceeding Men’s U23, breaking away with XCC winner Dario Lillo (Giant Factory Off-Road Team) before the Swiss rider suffered a puncture at the midway point, leaving the Canadian to solo to the line.  The final round of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series heads to Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada, next weekend with action kicking off on Thursday, October 3rd with the U23 Short Track (XCC) from 16:30 (EDT).

After almost four and five hours respectively, both the men’s and women’s UCI Mountain Bike Marathon (XCM) World Cup races came down to sprint finishes in the third and final UCI World Cup of the season with Vera Looser and Simon Schneller (Team Bulls) coming out on top. Looser’s win saw her crowned the series champion, while Fabian Rabensteiner retained the men’s overall.  After a marathon 100km of racing, the UCI Mountain Bike Marathon (XCM) World Cup title came down to sprint finishes in the men’s and women’s competitions on a fast-paced course in Mt Van Hoevenberg – Lake Placid (New York, USA).  The women’s race was won by Vera Looser, who had enough left in the tank to edge Rose Van Doorn (Buff Megamo Team) for her second UCI XCM World Cup win of the season. Simon Schneller (Team Bells) meanwhile came out on top in a nine-rider contest for the men’s race.  The results saw the XCM overall series titles decided too – Looser leapfrogging Lejla Njemcevic to win by 50 points, while Rabensteiner’s third place saw him extend his lead over Héctor Leonardo Páez to retain his title by 120 points.  LOOSER SPRINTS HER WAY TO THE WIN  The women were the first to set off and were faced with three laps of the punchy 33.3km course. After a fast and frantic start, a nine-strong lead group had formed by the end of the first lap.  As they crossed the start-finish line for a second time, the pack had been whittled down to five – the quintet composed of Njemcevic, Looser, Van Doorn, Janina Wüst (Buff Megamo Team) and Margot Moschetti.  It was the Frenchwoman who was first to crack on the third and final lap, and the remaining four stayed together deep into the race. And then there was three, with Wüst dropped inside the final 10km.  But fans didn’t get a sprint showdown for the series title as the race entered its final kilometers – Njemcevic unable to hold Van Doorn and Looser’s wheels as the riders passed the 97km checkpoint.  In the end, it was the Namibian who came out on top, throwing her handlebars just at the right time to narrowly beat Van Doorn. Njemcevic meanwhile finished third, 31-seconds down.  The result was Looser’s second consecutive UCI XCM World Cup win, following her victory in Nové Město na Moravě (Czechia) in May, and secured her first XCM overall series title.  Speaking after the race, Vera Looser said: “I quite like riding in a pack, especially in such a long race because there’s always something happening and you can dice yourself, you can hang on, you can attack or different things. I prefer that to just riding on my own. Today was a long race but it was a tactical race. There’s a lot of punchy climbs and technical sections but they’re never long or difficult enough to drop somebody, so I knew it would probably come to a smaller group at the end and it might come down to a sprint. I was totally fine with that because my sprint is quite good. At the end of the day, it’s who wants it the most – especially with such a tight final. It’s amazing to win this race overall. The UCI World Cup defines the best rider of the season over all courses, over different races, over different tactics. I think I pulled that off pretty well.” SCHNELLER EDGES NINE-MAN THRILLER, RABENSTEINER RETAINS TITLE The men’s race was just as engaging, as the 40 starting riders had only been reduced to a group of 17 after a relentless first lap. The group was still together another 33km later, and it was only in the dying stages of the race that riders started to feel the pace.  Entering the final 10km, it was a 10-strong group that included title favourites Rabensteiner and Paez Leon, and whoever came out on top between the pair was most likely to take the overall title.  Gearing up for the final sprint though, it was Schneller who had the edge in the nine-man pack – the 27-year-old German doing enough to outgun Martin Stošek (Canyon Sidi MTB Team) to win his first UCI XCM World Cup.  Rabensteiner was a close third, guaranteeing him the title, while his rival Páez Leon finished at the back of the pack in ninth. Speaking after the race, Fabian Rabensteiner said: “I’m super happy with this title. Back-to-back is not easy. I performed well this year. I started well in Nové Město and had a good race in Megève. [This] course wasn’t so much for me, but I felt super strong and could bring home this trophy.”