News

The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) Sports can confirm that 14 wildcard teams (eight cross-country and six downhill) have been selected for round 14 of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series in Bike Kingdom - Lenzerheide (Switzerland), presented by Le Gruyère, on September 18-21. While all six teams that applied for a downhill spot secured a wildcard, it was another competitive selection process in cross-country, with only eight of the 19 applicants selected. The majority of qualifying teams have already featured in the 2025 series, but there will be a first appearance for Swiss Endurance outfit Thömus Akros - Youngstars. The nine-strong cross-country team is the development arm of WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series Team Thömus Maxon and has a strong focus on supporting the future stars of Swiss cross-country mountain biking. A number of its riders have already lit up this year’s WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series too, having qualified based on their UCI ranking points. Monique Halter has recorded two second place finishes in the Under 23 UCI Cross-country Olympic (XCO) World Cup, most recently in Pal Arinsal (Andorra), and sits in 10th place in the overall series standings, while her younger brother Nicolas Halter has also recorded two podium finishes this year to find himself in eighth. Elsewhere, Lexware Mountainbike Team is the only Endurance team to continue its 100% wildcard qualification record, while Goodman Santacruz, Rogue Racing - SR Suntour, Team High Country and Kenda NS Bikes UR Team do the same in downhill. As we enter the final three rounds of the 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series, there will start to be greater focus on teams’ UCI points (a combination of the four highest scoring team riders’ points) which determine whether a team is offered UCI Mountain Bike World Series Team status for two years (teams ranked 1-10) or one year (teams ranked 11-15). At the time of writing, BIXS Performance Race Team occupies 12th place in the Endurance teams rankings and would therefore earn itself UCI Mountain Bike World Series Team status for 2026. The 14 wildcard teams for round 14 of the 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series in Bike Kingdom - Lenzerheide are: UCI Cross-country World Cup: BIXS Performance Race Team Bike Team Solothurn Lexware Mountainbike Team KTM Factory MTB Team Thömus Akros - Youngstars Cabtech Racing Team Trek Future Racing Massi UCI Downhill World Cup: Kenda NS Bikes UR Team Rogue Racing - SR Suntour Goodman Santacruz Team High Country Future Frameworks The Alliance

The Swiss UCI World Cup round will be the record-breaker's last after 17 seasons.  Nino Schurter (Scott-SRAM MTB Racing Team) has announced that he will be lining up at a UCI World Cup for the last time in Bike Kingdom - Lenzerheide (Switzerland) on September 19 and 21.  The 39-year-old shared his retirement news on a post on social media, adding “it’s been one hell of a ride”.  In the video, Nino Schurter said: “Dear mountain bike family and beyond. For the past two decades, I've given my body, my mind and my soul to mountain biking. A beautiful sport, but also brutal at pro level. You either win races, you are a contender, or you're gone. There's no place for passengers. It's all or nothing. 24 hours a day, seven days a week. “When I raced my first World Championships, I was just a kid chasing a dream in Lugano 2003 and I left with my first international medal. What I didn't know then: that dream would carry me through countless unforgettable moments and let me win more than half of all of those championships along the way. “It's been one hell of a ride. But now it's time. Time to let my mind breathe and to spend more moments with the people who have supported me through it all. This year gives me the perfect goodbye. Crans-Montana will be my final XCO World Championships and Lenzerheide, my favourite race, will be my last World Cup. Two home races. I couldn't have scripted it better. “I want to thank everyone of you teammates, competitors, fans and the entire mountain bike community. You made this journey unforgettable. You were the reason I pushed harder. And you were the magic behind the medals. “I'm not disappearing. I'll still be riding, even racing (just not between the World Cup tape) and diving into new projects I can't wait to share soon. But for now, I'm giving it everything one last time. See you in Crans-Montana. See you in Lenzerheide. Let's make it legendary.” The Swiss rider is widely regarded as the greatest of all time, claiming 10 UCI Cross-country Olympic (XCO) World Championships, nine UCI XCO World Cup overall titles, 36 UCI XCO World Cups and bronze, silver and gold medals at Beijing 2008, London 2012 and Rio 2016 respectively.  Not only will Lenzerheide give him a home send-off on his record-extending 132nd UCI XCO World Cup start, but with three wins at the venue (2016, 2017 and 2023), it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Schurter going out at the top with win number 37 – another record. The retiring star added: “I’m incredibly thankful for everything I achieved in my life as a professional mountain bike racer. Now it's time to take all this experience into a new chapter of my life. I'm sure what comes from here is going to be just as exciting. Yes, I'm saying goodbye to cross-country World Cup racing but I will remain in the exciting world of cycling with all the great people involved.” We wish Nino the best in retirement from the UCI World Cup race tape!

While the UCI Enduro World Cup overall titles have already been wrapped up, it’s still all to play for in the battle to be best of the rest. The 2025 UCI Enduro World Cup has been a series for the ages with the return of two-day rounds, new venues, a first night stage, debut wins, and privateers going toe-to-toe with factory-funded teams. The main story of the season has been the dominance of two riders – Sławomir Łukasik (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) and Ella Conolly. The former has managed to step out of the shadows of teammate Richard Rude Jr (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team), winning half of the series’ six rounds to date and podiuming in the three to clinch his first overall series in La Thuile, Valle D’Aosta (Italy). Connolly, meanwhile, has been even more clinical, finishing in the top two all year and picking up a hat-trick of consecutive wins in Loudenvielle-Peyragudes (France), Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland (Austria) and Val di Fassa - Trentino (Italy) to claim the women’s title – all without the support of a factory team. But while the overall series might be wrapped up before a rider even takes on the final round’s first stage, the battle for second place will go to the wire, with five riders mathematically in contention in the men’s field, and three in the women’s. MURRAY AND MELAMED FAVOURITES While five riders can still finish runner-up in the men’s series, the focus is on Charles Murray (Specialized Gravity) and Jesse Melamed (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team). The pair are separated by just 20 points, with the New Zealander holding the marginal advantage over his Canadian rival. For Murray to stand the best chance of staying in second, he has to win in Morillon – something he hasn’t managed all year – or place higher than Melamed. But there are still scenarios where he can remain second if the Canyon CLLCTV rider finishes higher in the round. For Melamed to leapfrog the Specialized Gravity rider, he has to win for the second time this series or finish with a points gap that is greater than 20 – for example, Melamed comes 2nd (350 points) and Murray 4th (280 points). Although these are the more likely scenarios, there are also some outsiders, starting with two-time UCI Enduro World Cup winner Daniel Booker. The Australian privateer is 165 points behind Murray, and must be ruing his 90th and 95th place finishes in Val di Fassa – Trentino and Loudenvielle – Peyragudes. To finish second, he needs to win his third round of the series, for Murray to finish 9th or lower and for Melamed to finish third or lower. And then we get to highly unlikely but mathematically possible. Fifth-placed William Brodie has to win, and for Murray to finish 31st or worse, while sixth-placed Greg Callaghan needs to score maximum points and for Murray to finish 97th. Although both are feasible, neither has won a UCI Enduro World Cup before, so there would need to be a lot of firsts for the stars to align. KUCHYNKOVÁ IN DRIVING SEAT The contest in the women’s overall isn’t as tight as the men’s, with Simona Kuchynková (Cube Action Team) holding a 180-point lead over third-place Nadine Ellecosta (Abetone Ancillotti Vittoria Factory Team), but the Slovakian isn’t a shoo-in for second, with Morgane Charre (Pivot Factory Racing) also in contention. To guarantee the runner-up spot, Kuchynková can afford to finish as low as seventh, with 230 points enough to give her an unassailable lead. For Ellecosta, she needs to win and Kuchynková to finish eighth or below, or to outscore the Slovakian by 240 points – a scenario that hasn’t occurred all year. Things are even tougher for Charre, who has to win and hope Kuchynková finishes ninth or lower. JUNIOR TOP TWOS EFFECTIVELY TIED UP In the Juniors, the men’s top two can’t change regardless of what happens in Morillon, with Melvin Almueis dominating the series with four wins to take the overall and Cooper Millwood the best of the rest despite missing a round in Val di Fassa – Trentino.   Lacey Adams (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) just needs to score one point to mathematically secure the junior women’s overall title, with Lucile Metge needing to win and for Adams to effectively not start. While Adams’ teammate Chloe Bear (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) can’t contest for the overall series, she can still make it a one-two for the American factory outfit but needs to outscore Metge and for the Frenchwoman to have a bad weekend in front of a partisan home crowd.

Reigning UCI Cross-country Olympic (XCO) World Champion to compete in penultimate European round of 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck) has confirmed that she will be competing at the next UCI Cross-country World Cup in Les Gets, Haute-Savoie (France) later this month.  The 23-year-old has been a dominant force in the 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series since her first off-road race of the season at round three in Nové Město Na Moravě (Czechia), winning five out of the eight races that she’s entered. In that time, she has secured a UCI Cross-country Short Track (XCC) win in Nové Město Na Moravě, and two XCO-XCC doubles in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland (Austria) and Val di Sole - Trentino (Italy). She didn’t manage to repeat that feat in her most recent performances in Pal Arinsal (Andorra) but still secured fourth and 10th in the XCC and XCO, respectively. The multi-discipline rider switched her attention to the road in July, where she led Women’s WorldTour team Fenix-Alpecin at her second Le Tour de France Femmes. She had a strong race and was in the top 10 with two days to go, although lost time as the race entered the mountains and slipping down the general classification leaderboard to finish 24th, 49’17” down on the winner Pauline Ferrand-Prévot – the mountain bike legend and Paris 2024 Olympic champion making the switch to road in the off-season and winning the sport’s biggest race at her first attempt. Pieterse will stay in France to compete at round 13 of the 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series in Les Gets, Haute-Savoie, although she is yet to confirm if she will line-up at the 2025 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Valais (Switzerland) or in the series’ final three rounds in Bike Kingdom - Lenzerheide (Switzerland), Lake Placid (USA) and Mont-Sainte-Anne (Canada). Pieterse, who sits fifth in the XCO rankings and fourth in the XCC, will have fond memories of Les Gets, Haute-Savoie, and hasn’t finished outside the top two at the venue in her two previous Elite UCI World Cups – winning 2023’s XCC and 2024’s XCO.

The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) Sports can confirm that 16 wildcard teams – eight cross-country and eight downhill – have been selected for round 13 of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series in Les Gets, Haute-Savoie (France) on August 28-31. While all eight teams that applied for a downhill spot secured a wildcard, it was the most competitive selection in cross-country yet, with only eight of the 21 applicants selected. The majority of qualifying teams have already featured in the 2025 series, but there will be a first appearance for French Endurance outfit Sunn Factory Racing. The seven-strong all-French Cross-country team has a strong UCI World Cup history and focuses on youth and development. Some of its riders have already lit up this year’s WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series too, having qualified based on their UCI Ranking points. Yannis Musy and Flavie Guille are Sunn Factory Racing’s highest profile riders and have made their Elite debuts at this year’s WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series, while 19-year-old Alix Andre Gallis has recorded sixth-place finishes in the U23 UCI Cross-country Olympic (XCO) World Cup at Pal Arinsal (Andorra) and Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland (Austria). Elsewhere, Lexware Mountainbike Team is the only Endurance team to continue its 100% wildcard qualification record, while Goodman Santacruz, Rogue Racing - SR Suntour, Team High Country and Kenda NS Bikes UR Team do the same in downhill. The 16 wildcard teams for round 13 of the 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series in Les Gets, Haute-Savoie are: UCI Cross-country World Cup: Scott Creuse Oxygene Gueret BIXS Performance Race Team Bike Team Solothurn Lexware Mountainbike Team KTM Factory MTB Team Sunn Factory Racing Cabtech Racing Team Massi UCI Downhill World Cup: Rogue Racing - SR Suntour Goodman Santacruz Kenda NS Bike UR Team Gwin Racing Team High Country The Alliance Future Frameworks YT Racing Development

The 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series has so far attracted 56 million cumulative views and 15 million watch hours across WBD channels, supported by strong digital, on-site, and content engagement.  Record-breaking broadcast performances, significant digital engagement, and over 250,000 passionate fans attending in person have marked the first 11 rounds of the 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series* — powered by a reimagined promotional and coverage strategy from Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) Sports. Chris Ball, Vice President of Cycling Events at WBD Sports, said: “All the successes we’ve seen so far this season have truly justified our work in partnership with the Union Cycliste Internationale, riders, teams, venues and partners. The radical changes to the racing in 2025, including the new, high drama Q1 and Q2 format in downhill, combined with an entirely new approach to mountain bike professional team structure and the creation of the new UCI Mountain Bike World Series Teams is proving successful across the board.  “When we became the first global promoters of the discipline, our ambition was clear — to harness the scale of our global broadcast, streaming, and digital platforms to engage millions and elevate mountain bike to new heights all the way from on-ground operations to live broadcast innovations. Now in our third season of taking control of the promotion and organisation of the Series, we are thrilled to see that the significant changes we’ve made are working and resonating with fans, athletes and teams around the world.” RECORD-BREAKING VIEWERSHIP Innovation has been central to WBD’s ambition in attracting new audiences to mountain bike. WBD has focused on making broadcasts more accessible and engaging, introducing features like heart-rate zones and strain gauges that demonstrate just how physically demanding the races are. It has also added visual elements such as athlete headshots, race bike images, team logos and colours, national flags, and career stats for past UCI World Cup winners to additionally increase awareness and enhance team and athlete exposure. So far this season, millions of viewers across the globe have enjoyed live and on-demand coverage of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series on linear and streaming on WBD’s channels and platforms (HBO Max, Eurosport, discovery+ and TNT Sports), with 56 million cumulative views and 15 million watch hours. This includes WBD’s most-watched WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series round to date, with Val di Sole – Trentino (Italy) amassing nearly 15 million cumulative views on WBD channels— surpassing the previous record set in Nové Město Na Moravě (Czechia) in 2023 (+15.4 per cent). CONNECTING WITH FANS BEYOND THE LIVE WBD’s 360-degree ecosystem expands storytelling beyond the live broadcast, telling every story on and off the track through extensive digital and social coverage and the creation of new, non-live mountain bike content. The WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series social media channels have continued to bring fans closer to the action and riders, and at the same time attract new fans to the discipline. This season, there have been 225 million total video views and 11 million total engagements across TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube, with the social media teams posting more content to more fans than ever before.   The official WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series website has also continued to play an integral role, providing news, updates and event information to users from across the world. It has received 1.7 million total page views since the start of the 2025 series, and the live timing feature on race weekends has continued to be one of the largest drivers of traffic throughout the season – particularly during UCI Enduro World Cup rounds. WBD has demonstrated its commitment to off-road cycling content with the launch of two new, original WBD-produced programmes – Grit and Glory: Enduro Mountain Bike Racing and Race Bikes. The first is an eight-part, behind-the-scenes docuseries that follows all seven rounds of the 2025 UCI Enduro World Cup, giving viewers an exciting and intimate glimpse into the world of professional Enduro mountain bike racing. Race Bikes meanwhile takes a deep dive into the sport’s fastest machines, focusing on the mountain bikes that redefined what was possible, brought the whole sport forward and allowed the world’s best riders to achieve the seemingly impossible. STRONG ON-SITE ATTENDANCE At the heart of it all though of course are the UCI World Cup rounds themselves and the unparalleled race-day experience. From the opening rounds in Araxá, Minas Gerais (Brazil) to Pal Arinsal (Andorra), over 250,000 fans have lined the courses of iconic and new venues alike, creating a vibrant and electric atmosphere that’s been felt both trackside and by viewers around the world. Thanks to a ground-breaking long-term partnership between WBD Sports and the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) initiated in 2023 almost all major mountain bike formats were unified under a single brand for the first-time, creating the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series. The action continues in Haute-Savoie (France) with the UCI Enduro World Cup in Morillon (22-24 August) and Cross-country and Downhill racing in Les Gets (28-31 August). *Figures from January 1st – August 1st 2025

New world-class venues with Olympic pedigree across Asia and the USA will stage thrilling Gravity and Endurance races during the 2026 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series and beyond.  Multi-format racing will kickstart the 2026 season at the Race of South Korea (KOR) at the Olympic venue in MONA YongPyong, PyeongChang; Cross-country visits Soldier Hollow, Midway, Utah (USA) as part of the North American leg. The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) Sports today reveal that two new world-class venues have signed multi-year partnerships to host events beginning with the 2026 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series. The fourth year of the revamped UCI World Cups format, launched in 2023 to unite nearly all mountain bike’s major formats under a single brand for the first time, will begin with a landmark weekend of Cross-country and Downhill racing at the Race of South Korea in MONA YongPyong – the first-ever Asian UCI Cross-country Olympic (XCO) and UCI Cross-country Short Track (XCC) World Cups and first UCI Downhill (DHI) World Cup on the continent for 25 years. The opening round of racing will take place at a venue with proven Olympic credentials, having previously hosted the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018. With its challenging terrain and elite-level infrastructure, the venue promises a thrilling start to the new season. Soldier Hollow, Midway, Utah (USA) will stage XCC and XCO races as part of the North American leg of the 2026 series. The site demonstrated its mountain bike pedigree by hosting the 2024 Pan American Mountain Bike Championships and is also a highly regarded winter sports venue, set to stage events during the Olympic Winter Games Salt Lake City-Utah 2034. The addition of this venue brings another world-class location with a proven track record of hosting elite competition to the calendar. Chris Ball, Vice President of Cycling Events at Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe, said: “Today marks an exciting step in the continued development of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series with iconic new venues set to join the calendar from next season, signifying our commitment to growing the sport while delivering the best possible race experiences for riders, teams and fans alike.  “For the first time ever, we’re bringing the Cross-country Olympic format to Asia - hosted at a venue with proven Olympic credentials – which will kickstart the new season by connecting new fans to the sport. Additionally, bringing on board one of the world’s premier Cross-country destinations in Utah reinforces our commitment to delivering the sport at its highest level, and I am incredibly proud to bring these partnerships to life. We can’t wait to reveal the full calendar soon which we know will excite fans all around the world.” The dates for the UCI World Cup events set to be held at new venues in South Korea and USA will be announced as part of the full 2026 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series calendar in the coming weeks. 

The high-end holiday rental specialist will support the series during the two Haute-Savoie (France) rounds – Morillon and Les Gets. Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) Sports and Emerald Stay are proud to confirm a three-year agreement for the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series. The high-end holiday rental specialist will support the Haute-Savoie rounds of the next three series, starting with the back-to-back weekends (August 22-24 and 28-31) of racing in Morillon (UCI Enduro World Cup) and Les Gets (UCI Cross-country and Downhill World Cups). Emerald Stay, which is part of the Eterniti Group, is a hospitality company specialising in the management of high-end holiday rentals in top lifestyle destinations, both in the mountains and by the sea. It has developed a unique hybrid model that combines a proprietary digital infrastructure with an on-the-ground presence in all locations – and has had strong roots in the Haute-Savoie’s Portes du Soleil resorts since its inception in 2018. As part of this three-year partnership, Emerald Stay is providing exclusive properties in Les Gets to host key stakeholders, including organisers, professional teams, and sponsors. Just like any Emerald Stay guest, they’ll enjoy the privacy and comfort of a premium home elevated by hotel-level services, including exceptional bedding and amenities, personalised attention, a dedicated concierge team, and à la carte extra experiences such as private transfers, breakfast delivery, in-house massages, and more. Chris Ball, Vice President of Cycling Events at WBD Sports, said: “The Haute-Savoie region is a part of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series’ heritage and will continue to deliver on the international stage as it builds towards its hosting of the 2027 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships. Emerald Stay is an integral part of the Portes du Soleil’s hospitality offering and will be a valued official supplier over the next three years.” Laurent Lacourt, CEO of Emerald Stay, said: “Partnering with the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series in Les Gets is deeply meaningful for us. The Portes du Soleil resorts were the very first destinations where Emerald Stay began managing properties in 2018, and Les Gets stands as a global icon for mountain biking. Like the athletes who redefine limits on these trails, we aim to redefine how people experience the mountains, with innovation, excellence, and deep respect for the places that inspire us.” After a six-week break, the 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series will return in Haute-Savoie (France) with Enduro racing in Morillon (22-24 August) and Cross-country and Downhill action in Les Gets (28-31 August). Live and on-demand coverage of every race is available through WBD’s channels and platforms including Eurosport (Europe) and TNT Sports (UK & Ireland) with streaming on HBO Max and discovery+, as well as around the world through WBD’s broadcast partners.

A handful of riders head to new WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series Teams off the back of strong early-season form. Although there isn’t any racing until the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series starts up again in Morillon, Haute-Savoie (France) on August 22-24, that didn’t put a halt to the action in the mid-season transfer window. From July 14 - 18, teams had the opportunity to add or remove riders from their line-up, allowing the new signings to represent them for the remainder of the 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series calendar. This is different to the main transfer window, which sees riders move teams in the off-season. When a rider switches or joins a team, their accrued UCI points are transferred with them. This enables their new team to benefit when it comes to UCI Team Rankings, which are calculated by combining the total points of the four highest scoring riders across category and gender. In the Endurance formats, three privateers have been rewarded with team moves after recording impressive results at the first six rounds of the season. South African Luke Moir is the most established name, currently sitting 22nd in the overall with four top 20 UCI Cross-country Olympic (XCO) World Cup finishes, including fifth place in round 2 in Araxá, Minas Gerais (Brazil). The 22-year-old has signed with Mondraker Factory Racing XC after being supported by the Spanish team for the first half of the season. Luke Wiedmann is another to secure a WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series Team contract after signing with BMC Factory Racing, while José Gerardo Ulloa Arévalo has re-signed with regular wildcard team, Massi. In the Gravity format, the transfers have been mainly focused on the continuing development of Downhill’s youngest stars. Rosa Marie Jensen has lit up the two Junior UCI Downhill World Cups she has raced, winning in Bielsko-Biała (Poland) and finishing second in Pal Arinsal (Andorra). The Dane steps up from Specialized’s development squad, Gen-S, to the World Series team, Specialized Gravity.  Landon De Vall meanwhile has signed for Frameworks/5Dev’s development team, Future Frameworks.  Finally, Pivot Factory Racing have added 2024 Brazilian national champion Roger Vieira to their roster.

Samara Maxwell (Decathlon Ford Racing) and Thomas Pidcock  celebrated Elite victories in Pal Arinsal - Andorra for the first time in the UCI Cross-Country Olympic (XCO) World Cup.  Olympic Champion Pidcock was making his season debut in the Men Elite UCI XCO World Cup and after making his way through from a fourth-row start rode clear for glory. Luca Martin (Cannondale Factory Racing) won Friday’s UCI Cross-country Short Track (XCC) World Cup and provided tough competition for Pidcock. However, a puncture when 12 seconds behind confined the Frenchman to second position. Meanwhile, a third-place finish for Charlie Aldridge (Cannondale Factory Racing) saw two British riders on the UCI XCC World Cup podium for the first time since 1994. In the Women Elite category, Maxwell provided a determined display and battled back through the field from a puncture and two crashes to take a dramatic win. The New Zealander provided a last lap attack and distanced Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon) into second and Jenny Rissveds (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) third. Meanwhile, Valentina Corvi (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) and Finn Treudler (Cube Factory Racing) provided impressive displays to win the under-23 categories with solo wins. The UCI XCO course was one of the hardest competitors will face all season due to the additional altitude high up in the Pyrenees and energy-sapping climbs. The four-kilometre course included 160 metres of elevation gain each lap and technical descents which resulted in several crashes and punctures. PIDCOCK PROVES TOO STRONG AND FINALLY WINS IN PAL ARINSAL – ANDORRA After two podium finishes in as many years, Pidcock finally got the win he desired in his adopted home of Pal Arinsal – Andorra. The Olympic Champion, who lives in Andorra, made his own appearance this season in this year’s UCI XCO World Cup. After finishing third here during the last two years, Pidcock made it third time lucky to win at his adopted home venue. Coming into the race in third position overall Victor Koretzky (Specialized Factory Racing) was looking for redemption following a disappointing 27th place finish at Val di Sole – Trentino (Italy) and a broken chain which ended his hopes in Friday’s UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup. Pidcock was forced to battle his way through the congestion following a fourth row start and was unable to choose his own lines in the first technical section. French National Champion Martin was full of confidence after winning the UCI Cross-country Short Track event on Friday morning and set a blistering pace on the first lap. Olympic Champion Pidcock moved his way up through to 14th on the opening lap and was using the wide course and gruelling climbs to his advantage.  The Brit was too strong for those who tried to follow and midway through the second lap bridged across to the leading group of six riders. The relentless pace of Martin resulted in him pulling away with countryman Mathis Azzaro (Origine Racing Division) and they had an advantage of nine seconds. Pidcock was alert to the danger and closed the gap, while fellow Brit Aldridge was also in the podium fight. Martin continued his charge and joined by Pidcock the pair built an advantage of 27 seconds over Azzaro and Aldridge after 30 minutes of racing. At the halfway distance, Pidcock used a short climb to launch an explosive effort to gap his fellow leader.  On the sixth of eight laps, Pidcock had a slender 12-second gap over Martin when disaster struck for the Frenchman. A technical, rooted section leading down to the pits caused Martin to suffer a puncture, forcing the Cannondale Factory Racing rider to swap wheels, and he then suffered further mechanical issues. Martin found himself over a minute behind Pidcock when he got back underway and the Brit rider was in full control. Behind, the battle for third continued as Azzaro and Aldridge remained together just seconds ahead of a larger chasing group.  Taking the last lap bell Pidcock had an unassailable advantage of 47 seconds ahead of Martin, while Aldridge had gapped Azzaro by 10 seconds in the battle for third. The Olympic Champion was able to enjoy the final lap and pulled off tricks for his home crowd. Dressed in his specially designed golden kit, Pidcock had time to celebrate a 21-second victory over Martin and Aldridge was third 52 seconds behind his fellow Brit. After winning two of the opening three UCI XCO World Cup rounds, Christopher Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing) led overall coming into the event. However, after finishing 17th on a gruelling course in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland (Austria), it was another tough afternoon for the Specialized Factory Racing rider who placed 29th and over four minutes behind the winner. Blevins still has a healthy 313-point leadheading into the seventh round. There were no such problems for Pidcock, who said: “It’s super-nice to finally win here, kind of at home, after a few years. It’s not an easy place to race, that is for sure. “My tyres were a little bit hard in the end, due to a lack of experience in the races this year. It did play into my favour as I didn’t puncture or have any problems. I was nervous about getting a good launch at the start. If I’d have gone backwards from the fourth row, then I would have been really far back.   “My start was pretty okay; I went a bit hard midway through the race. It’s hard for everyone racing this high (at altitude), it’s not like you can find more oxygen anywhere.” When asked if he planned to compete any further UCI World Cup rounds? Pidcock added: “I don’t think this year. Next year I want to do a few more races.”  MAXWELL OVERCOMES PUNCTURES AND CRASHES TO TAKE GLORY Despite suffering two crashes and a puncture, Maxwell was not to be denied a second Women Elite UCI XCO World Cup of the season. Maxwell fought her way back to a leading group of four riders, who battled out the podium positions and then powered clear. She devoted her victory to injured Decathlon Ford Racing team-mate Greta Seiwald. The New Zealander came into the event with a 335-point lead in the overall standings following a consistent season which has seen her finish on the podium at each UCI XCO event. The tough uphill start saw British rider Isla Short shoot out of the pack as the climbing specialist looked to improve on her seventh position from Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland. Short was quickly consumed into the fragmenting leading group on the single track and left Ronja Blöchlinger (LIV Factory Racing) to set the early pace. The Swiss woman crashed on an off camber right-handed climb and also hindered the momentum of Maxwell. The difficult rock garden of Pal Arinsal - Andorra also took early victims as both Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing - Pirelli) and Loana Lecomte (BMC Factory Racing) had first lap crashes, with the latter pulling out of the event.  Maxwell and Blöchlinger grew a slender 10-second gap on the second lap over UCI XCO World Champion Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck). However, their momentum was halted by a rear wheel puncture for Maxwell who required a wheel change and lost 47 seconds as she slid down to eighth position. Sensing her opportunity Pieterse attacked entering the third lap as Maxwell sat in a group battling for fifth position 39 seconds behind.  After taking a steadier start on the gruelling course, Martina Berta (Origine Racing Division) and Rissveds drew back to within six seconds of Pieterse after 45 minutes of racing. With the pressure of the chasing group increasing Pieterse crashed on the rock garden resulting in mechanical problems for her bike and sliding back down the pack. Keller was next to close the gap to the leading duo as she powered up the steep climbs in Pal Arinsal – Andorra. Maxwell had also powered her way back through the pack and by the penultimate lap bridged across to make a group of four riders. However, the technical climbs of the course at altitude saw Maxwell crash and being forced to walk up a climb as Rissveds pulled out an advantage. The New Zealander was able to use her power again to bridge back across as the four leaders took the last lap bell together. Maxwell proved strongest and forced the pace on a long climb and was initially being followed by Rissveds.  The series leader continued to increase her pressure on the climbs and Rissveds paid for trying to stay with the leader. Maxwell celebrated her second UCI XCO World Cup win of the season, as Keller dug deep and had enough to pass Rissveds late on to grab second.  “I genuinely can’t believe that I won today,” said Maxwell afterwards. “Coming into today my biggest quote was ‘just because you have a thought doesn’t make it true’. I had a flat and two crashes all within what felt like five seconds. I thought ‘it’s going to be one of those days’ where I panic and drop down the rankings. “I told myself ‘just because I had the thought doesn’t make it a fact’. I’m a fighter and just re-set and chipped them [her rivals] off one by one.  “I don’t know where I flatted, I just came round the corner, and it felt a bit squirely and I looked down and my tyre was flat just as I passed the tech zone. It was a bit of chaos, but I tried to stay calm. It was all out in the last lap. I felt strong but kept making silly mistakes in the downhills. I just realised I needed a bit of room for myself to take my own lines. I waited until the climb, but afterwards my whole body was screaming. It’s hard. People think what I did on the last lap was hard. It’s not. What is hard is having setbacks and feeling out of control. Maxwell devoted the win to team-mate Seiwald who won the Italian National Championships in Short Track last month. “Sport is cruel,” said Maxwell. “She was on a big high after winning the Italian National Championships. She was getting back into her groove. The next day she rode, made a dumb mistake and got her ankle mucked up and now she’s out for the season.” CORVI PROVIDES DOMINANT PERFORMANCE DESPITE LATE CRASHES Corvi produced a dominant performance to win the Women Under-23 UCI XCO World Cup event by over three minutes. The Canyon CLLCTV XCO rider broke her collarbone earlier this season but returned to UCI World Cup action in style by winning at Val di Sole – Trentino last month. Corvi missed two UCI World Cup rounds due to her injury as Ella Macphee (Wilier-Vittoria Factory Team) leads the overall standings.  Macphee had a nightmare start in Pal Arinsal – Andorra when a crash on the opening section resulted in the Canadian dropping outside of the top 10 positions. Corvi had no such problems as she opened an advantage of over a minute after the first lap. Fellow Italian Sara Cortinovis (Ghost Factory Racing) is also in overall contention and led the charge behind before fading away in the middle of the race and finishing 17th. The altitude at Pal Arinsal – Andorra took its toll on the competitors and American Vida Lopez De San Roman (Trinity Racing) suffered following a fast start and finished fifth. Corvi was out of sight and over four minutes ahead, before two crashes on the last lap reduced her winning margin to 3:25.   Swiss rider Monique Halter held on for silver after distancing Sina Van Thiel (Lexware Mountain Bike Team) at the midway point. Van Thiel came back and finished just eight seconds behind in third after fending off fast-finisher Olivia Onesti (BH Coloma Team) on the final lap. An 11th place finish for overall leader Macphee saw her margin over Corvi reduced to 64 points heading into the seventh round. Meanwhile, Corvi celebrated her second consecutive Women Under-23 UCI XCO World Cup victory.  After the race, Corvi said: “I have no words to describe the race. I tried to manage the race from the beginning, and I didn’t make mistakes which was the most important thing. On the last lap I crashed two times. I’m super-happy to win here. The next week I do the nationals in Italy, the European Championships and then a break before preparation before the worlds.” TREUDLER IMPRESSES AGAIN IN SWISS CLEAN SWEEP Treudler extended his overall lead in the Men Under-23 UCI XCO World Cup as Swiss riders took a one-two-three. The Cube Factory Racing rider gapped his opponents on the second lap and built an unassailable lead of over a minute. Swiss riders excelled on the course high at altitude as Nicholas Halter set the fastest lap of the race on the sixth turn. Halter’s late charge was enough to secure his runner-up position, while fellow countryman Maxime Lhomme finished third. Overall contender Rens Teunissen Van Manen (KMC Ridley MTB Racing Team) lost important points in the series with an eighth placed finish.  Treudler was celebrating a perfect weekend in Pal Arinsal - Andorra after also winning the UCI XCC World Cup on Friday. “I felt really strong today and I’m super-happy to take the win after a disappointing race in Val di Sole – Trentino,” said Treudler.  “I’m super-stoked to get the double here and I’m really proud of this one. I just focus on myself and being the best version of myself, at the moment it is working out super-good. I want to defend my title at the European Championships, so my objective is now on that race after a small break. Then, I’ll be full focus on a home World Championships.”  The WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series takes a six-week break before Enduro riders return to action in Haute-Savoie, Morillon on 22-24 August. Meanwhile, endurance and downhill riders are next in action at Les Gets, Haute-Savoie on 28-31 August.

Five-time UCI Downhill World Champion Loic Bruni (Specialized Gravity) took victory on his local course to deny Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) a historic win at Pal Arinsal – Andorra. Meanwhile, Tahnée Seagrave (Orbea/FMD Racing) won a dramatic conclusion to the Women’s Elite event after leader and quickest qualifier Gracey Hemstreet (Norco Race Division) crashed coming into the finish. Goldstone was aiming for a historic fifth consecutive UCI Downhill (DHI) World Cup victory of the season and set the quickest time of the weekend. However, Bruni was seeking revenge after crashing out of the UCI Downhill World Championships on the same course last year. The Frenchman was not to be denied as Bruni found the required speed and lines to better Goldstone’s time to take a second UCI Downhill World Cup win of the season. Meanwhile, British rider Seagrave returned to the podium top step for the first time since the opening round in Bielsko-Biała (Poland). Young Canadian Hemstreet looked to be heading towards a third UCI World Cup win of the season before seeing her two-second advantage disappear in a late crash. UCI Downhill World Champion Valentina Höll (YT Mob) was suffering from sickness and kept her overall hopes alive with a second placed finish and Mille Johnset (Axess Intense Factory Racing) was third. The high-altitude course at Pal Arinsal - Andorra provided a gruelling high-speed challenge for competitors. The Pyrenees venue hosted the 2024 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships and riders were keen to put any mistakes from last year behind them. The fast and furious downhill course was just 2.1-kilometre long leaving no room for errors as riders dropped from Pic del Cubil down to Fontanals.  The fast and flowing course allowed riders to build speed in the top section before hitting the rock garden. An open section then let them maintain their flow before entering the technical wooded part and dropping down into the finish. Storm conditions forecasted for the afternoon resulted in an early start for the Women and Men’s Elite categories. Meanwhile, the Junior UCI Downhill World Cup Finals were cancelled, and the qualifying result determined the final ranking. The regulation meant that Max Alran (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) and Aletha Ostgaard (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Racing) took top positions in Pal Arinsal – Andorra. BRUNI OVERCOMES GOLDSTONE TO TAKE TOP SPOT  Bruni won his first of five UCI Downhill World Championship titles in Andorra almost 10 years ago and clinched his 12th career UCI World Cup win close to his home. However, the Frenchman has been without a UCI Downhill World Cup win this season since Bielsko-Biała. Young Colombian Fernando Juan Muñoz (Axess Intense Factory Racing) took the biggest result of his young career in qualifying by posting a time of 2:40.275. French National Champion and 2023 Pal Arinsal UCI Downhill World Cup winner Thibaut Daprela (Rogue Racing – SR Suntour) made it through the second qualifying session to finals the previous day. Daprela sent an early warning to the race favourites by posting the quickest time of the weekend in 2:37.401 – eventually enough for sixth position. UCI Downhill World Champion Loris Vergier (Commencal/Muc-Off By Riding Addiction) won his rainbow stripes on the same course last year. The Frenchman kept in contention with the leading time throughout the opening sections and then showed his speed on the bottom half to knock eight tenths off the leading time and a new benchmark of 2:36.534. European Champion Andreas Kolb (YT Mob) used his physical stature to his advantage to gain time on the top half of the course. However, on the technical section the Austrian dropped time and was nine tenths off the leader at the finish, to place seventh. Belgian Martin Maes (Orbea/FMD Racing) was the first of the final 10 starters to challenge the time of Vergier. The former Enduro competitor had a slender margin heading into the final rock garden before seeing the clock turn red by three tenths of a second and placed fourth. Italian national champion Davide Palazzari (Rogue Racing – SR Suntour) was over a second ahead of his opponents and looked set to post the quickest time until a crash in the final rock garden cost him dearly. He was disqualified afterwards. Andorra resident Amaury Pierron (Commencal/Muc-Off By Riding Addiction) was over a second ahead of team-mate Vergier before miss-timing the exit from a corner and going off track.  Looking to make history Goldstone had a tough task on his hands to gain speed on the fast and flowing course. Despite his smaller physique, the Canadian had a lead of five tenths at the second split and was carrying incredible speed. Nailing all the lines and exits the UCI Downhill World Cup leader went quickest by eighth tenths to post a new fastest time of 2:35.646. However, penultimate starter Bruni bettered the Canadian’s time by over a second in the opening sector. The five-time UCI World Champion held his advantage and speed into the middle section and broke Goldstone’s heart by going 1.2 seconds faster, clocking a time of 2:34.367. Final starter Muñoz had been fastest all weekend and was looking to make history and become the first UCI Downhill World Cup winner for Colombia. The South American was six tenths behind in the opening sector and then crash while pushing the limits. Goldstone remains overall series leader and has a 137-point advantage over Bruni heading into the seventh round. After taking a 12th career UCI Downhill World Cup win, Bruni said: “It means a lot. Battling with Jackson [Goldstone] this season and having to let him be better pushed me to come here with so much motivation. I had a lot of redemption and big feelings from last year, crashing at the UCI World Championships. “I really wanted this one. The track was difficult and fully flat out, not much to do but open the gas. A lot of guys were incredibly fast today, and I’m so happy I could be a bit looser and crazier than everybody. Jackson was on fire again, so it’s really cool to beat him fair and square. It’s been a cool season, and I’m happy to be back on top. One hell of a day. “I looked at Loris [Vergier]’s time, and it was insane—2:36 was the fastest time of the whole weekend by far. I wasn’t sure I could beat that, but I gave everything I had, and in my head, I thought, ‘It’s time, enough messing around.’ I’m really happy I avoided mistakes and took a risk in one section, which paid off.” SEAGRAVE TRIUMPHS FOLLOWING DRAMATIC FINISH Having experienced what it was like to stand on the podium in Andorra after finishing third in the UCI Downhill World Cup in 2023, Seagrave climbed to the podium top spot and clinched the 11th Women Elite UCI Downhill World Cup win of her career this weekend. Canadian Hemstreet was looking for her third UCI Downhill World Cup triumph of the season and qualified fastest in a time of 3:00.955. However, Seagrave provided pressure for her opponent and was just a tenth slower in qualification. Colombian national champion Valentina Roa Sanchez (MS-Racing) was the second starter and built an aggressive run to set the early benchmark of 3:02.389 - which earnt her sixth place. New Zealander Jess Blewitt (Cube Factory Racing) took over a second off the leading time as she built speed through the bottom section of her run and stopped the clock in 3:01.106 – quick enough for fourth position. Last weekend’s winner – and 2023’s winner at Pal Arinsal in 2023 – Nina Hoffmann (Santa Cruz Syndicate) was the first of the five riders away from the start-gate but crashed on top corner to end her hopes. UCI Downhill World Champion Höll has won twice previously on the new track in Pal Arinsal, Andorra. She had an explosive start and was three tenths ahead in the opening sector. The Austrian carried her speed through the rock garden, built her advantage in the bottom sector, and became the first Women Elite rider to break the three-minute barrier, stopping the clock at 2:58.651. After qualifying third fastest Johnset was challenging the time of Höll before a small mistake resulted in her losing vital time on the second sector. The Norwegian threw everything at the remainder of her run and finished just a tenth behind Höll for third. Experienced rider Seagrave accelerated through the top two sections and was 2.3 seconds ahead of Höll heading into the final rock gardens. The British rider held on to her advantage during a flawless run to set a new best mark of 2:56.835. Quickest qualifier Hemstreet struggled to match the speed of her rival in the top section and had six tenths to find after the top section. Renowned for her technical ability, the young Canadian found incredible speed and reversed the deficit to gain the lead by four tenths. With a two-second advantage coming into the finish, Hemstreet crashed exiting the final section - resulting in a fifth-placed finish over five seconds behind.  Despite being ill for the event, a second placed finish for Höll keeps her position as Women Elite UCI Downhill World Cup overall leader heading into the seventh round. Speaking after taking the victory Seagrave said: “I knew Gracey [Hemstreet] was going to win. She was so pinned at the bottom, I’m kind of gutted that she crashed so close to the end. “I’m happy with my performance today. I wasn’t committed as some of the other girls [in the rock garden] so I knew I had to do as much damage as I could where I was good. Gracey [Hemstreet] was a bit further back than me yesterday [on the top section], so when I saw that she was within a second I knew she was going to do something special. “This season has been a bit frustrating, but I feel like during such a long season you have to sacrifice a few races here and there. Hopefully mine are done.” ALRAN AND OSTGAARD CHARGE TO JUNIOR VICTORIES Alran snatch back the overall UCI Downhill World Cup Men Junior lead after winning in Pal Arinsal – Andorra. The French rider crashed in La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta (Italy) last weekend to finish 14th and lost vital points in the overall standings. However, his qualifying time of 2:39.151was enough to scoop the maximum points this weekend. Asa Vermette (Frameworks Racing/5Dev) remains in the overall hunt for a first Men Junior UCI Downhill World Cup win of the season. The American was just five tenths back in qualification for second position and a healthy amount of series points. New Zealander Tyler Waite (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) is also in overall contention and his third place from qualifying picked up some vital points. Till Alran (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) had led the overall standings coming into the sixth round. However, a fifth placed finish in qualifying cost him vital points and the overall lead to his brother Max. After winning at La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta last weekend, Ostgaard showed again that she is the Women Junior to beat. Her qualifying time of 3:04.470 was enough for victory and was 1.909 of a second faster than privateer Marie Rosa Jensen. Overall leader Rosa Zierl (Cube Factory Racing) retains a healthy advantage heading into round seven following a third-place finish. Ostgaard said: “My qualification was really good, what turned out to be our race, It’s such a sick course, I really liked it and had a great time. I didn’t expect such a short course to be so physical, but it was really good and a very clean run which is what I was going for.” Action continues tomorrow in the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series in Pal Arinsal – Andorra with Cross Country Olympic. The series then takes a break with UCI Downhill World Cup riders next taking to the slopes in Les Gets - Haute-Savoie (France) on 28 – 31 August.

Due to the latest weather forecast from the Andorra Government, indicating electrical storms with lightning predicted, the schedule for the UCI Downhill World Cup on Saturday 12 July 2025, will not proceed as planned. The revised race schedule is as follows: •⁠  ⁠8:00-9:00 AM CET: Combined downhill training session – Elite only •⁠  ⁠10:00 AM CET: UCI Downhill World Cup – Women Elite •⁠  ⁠11:00 AM CET: UCI Downhill World Cup – Men Elite The Finals of the Junior UCI Downhill World Cup are cancelled. Following the article 4.11.010 of UCI Regulations, if the final cannot take place due to unforeseen circumstances, the last qualifying round determines the final result. This safety decision has been made by the UCI, WBD Sports, and the local organizers to ensure the welfare of athletes, teams, marshals, volunteers, spectators, and everyone involved in the event. The Elite UCI Downhill World Cup races will be streamed live on digital platforms (HBO Max, discovery+, TNT Sports, Eurosport and MTBWS TV). More information on Where to Watch is available on ucimtbworldseries.com. The cross-country training schedule remains unchanged (9:00 AM – 12:00 PM tomorrow). Further updates will be communicated if there is any deterioration in the weather that affects this revised schedule.

After a quick turnaround from last weekend’s UCI Downhill World Cup in La Thuile – Valle d’Aosta (Italy), riders were back between the race tape in Pal Arinsal - Andorra for the final round before a six-week summer break. With thunderstorms forecast for the afternoon, there was even more incentive for the Downhill athletes to qualify for tomorrow’s Finals in the Pal Arinsal Bike Park at the first time of asking.  HEMSTREET BACKS UP BLISTERING FORM Gracey Hemstreet (Norco Race Division) is the only rider to have won twice this year, and the Canadian has put herself in the best position to make that three in Andorra. After a sluggish first sector, the 20-year-old showed why she’s currently second in the standings, getting faster at every split to be the only rider to stop the clock at 3:00 dead. It was only a narrow victory though, with Tahnée Seagrave (Orbea/FMD Racing) just a tenth of a second off the pace. The Brit had recorded fastest splits in all four intermediate splits but a slight loss of speed in the final sector cost the 30-year-old a first Q1 win of the season. Mille Johnset (Axess Intense Factory Racing) was the best of the rest, securing a Finals spot in Q1 for the first time this year, while series leader Valentina Höll (YT Mob) was back down in fourth. The Austrian is without a win since she became the UCI Downhill World Champion in Andorra last year and will have a nervous wait tomorrow if she finds herself in the hotseat with three riders still to go. Elsewhere, Louise-Anna Ferguson (Axess Intense Factory Racing) and Monika Hrastnik (Aon Racing – Tourne Campervans) needed Q2 to make it through to Finals, while Myriam Nicole (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) and Marine Cabirou (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) were both non-starters. MUÑOZ PUTS IN RIDE OF HIS LIFE In the men’s field, Colombian young gun Fernando Juan Muñoz (Axess Intense Factory Racing) outpaced everyone to claim the biggest result of his burgeoning career. It shouldn’t have come as a complete shock though – the 21-year-old making it through to the last two Finals in Val di Sole – Trentino (Italy) and La Thuile – Valle d’Aosta (Italy), where he’s placed 27th and 11th respectively. It was a close call though, with the top nine riders separated by less than a second on Pal Arinsal’s high-altitude downhill track. Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity) came closest to matching Muñoz, going fastest in two of the intermediate splits, and he will fancy his chances of getting back to winning ways in tomorrow’s final. Series leader Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate), meanwhile, recovered from a slow first sector to finish fifth. The Canadian is on course to break the men’s best all-time winning streak by claiming a fifth consecutive victory in Andorra but will need to iron out the early mistakes if he is to beat his and Aaron Gwin’s record. Other notable highlights include Amaury Pierron (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction), who qualified seventh while still recovering from a broken collarbone, and wildcard entry David Palazzari (Rogue Racing-SR Suntour), who made it through to Finals in eighth. Riders forced to take a second bite of the cherry and make it to Finals via Q2 include UCI Downhill World Champion Loris Vergier (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction), Dakotah Norton (Mondraker Factory Racing DH), Matt Walker (Trek Factory Racing DH) and Reece Wilson (AON Racing - Tourne Campervans), while Troy Brosnan (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) misses out on a final spot. ALRAN AND OSTGAARD FASTEST IN JUNIORS Max Alran (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) put in a stunning performance in the men’s Junior Qualifying – the French rider going fastest in every split to record a time that would have won the men’s Elite Qualifications. Second-place Asa Vermette (Frameworks Racing/5Dev) would have also won the senior competition with his 2:39.711, while overall series leader Till Alran (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) could only manage fifth. Aletha Ostgaard (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Racing) meanwhile showed that she hasn’t slowed down since winning in La Thuile, setting the fastest time with a dominant second half in the women’s Junior Qualifying. Series leader Rosa Zierl’s (Cube Factory Racing) kept things consistent to finish third, while privateer Rosa Marie Jensen was sandwiched between the series front runners – the Dane fastest in intermediate splits one and two before fading at the end. Racing gets underway tomorrow (Saturday, July 12) in Pal Arinsal - Andorra from 12:30 CEST with the Women Junior UCI Downhill World Cup Finals. Find out how to watch here.

The UCI Cross-country Short Track (XCC) World Cups have been dominated by two riders this season – Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Christopher Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing) having a 100% win record at every race that they’ve started. But both winning runs came to an end at elevation in Pal Arinsal (Andorra), with Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon) and Luca Martin (Cannondale Factory Racing) demonstrating that the pair aren’t infallible. Keller showed why she’s the reigning UCI XCC World Cup overall winner, biding her time and launching an attack on the last lap that UCI XCC World Champion Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing-Pirelli) could do nothing about. The win was her third XCC victory in Pal Arinsal - Andorra – the Swiss rider winning every UCI XCC World Cup ever at the Andorran venue – and the sixth of her career, taking her level with Pauline Ferrand-Prevot and Pieterse in the all-time standings, and one shy of Richards’ record seven. In the men’s Elite, Martin did to Blevins what the American has done to everyone else all year, throwing the hammer down in the final lap and building enough of a gap to hold off the series leader’s sprint as the pair raced for the line.  Martin’s win – a week after he clinched the French national championship in the XCC and Cross-country Olympic (XCO) – was his first UCI XCC World Cup win in the Elite class, but the U23 UCI XCO World Champion has already displayed that he’s comfortable after making the step up. After the Elites, it was the turn of the U23s on Pal Arinsal’s high-altitude course, and it witnessed wins for the series leaders – Katharina Sadnik claiming her first UCI XCC World Cup victory, while Finn Treudler (Cube Factory Racing) made it three in a row. CONSISTENT KELLER RETURNS TO TOP SPOTAlessandra Keller is renowned for her consistency, and the Swiss rider’s ability to churn out top-10 results even when she misses out on the podium saw her clinch both the UCI XCO and XCC overall titles in 2024. Her best result to date in this series’ Short Track has been third at the opening round in Araxá, Minas Gerais (Brazil), and the focus has understandably been on Richards and Pieterse, who have cleaned up at the opening five rounds. But as the season entered its second half, Keller has shown that she’s just getting started with the defence of her title. Initially, it looked like the race would go the way of the last three UCI XCC World Cups – Pieterse appearing imperious as she led the field through the opening two laps, with Richards back at the front after sitting out the last round in Val di Sole - Trentino (Italy). But by lap three of nine, the Dutchwoman looked like she had a fight on her hands to claim a fourth consecutive win, with Richards, Jenny Rissveds (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) and Keller coming to the fore. By lap five, this was our leading quartet, and the podium looked like it would come from this four, although Jennifer Jackson (Orbea Fox Factory Team) had brought back the chasing pack midway through the sixth lap. The following lap, Keller led into the first wooded section’s multiple lines for the first time, while Pieterse was unable to hold the pace of the Swiss rider, Richards and Rissveds.  On the penultimate loop, Keller and Richards had created a gap, with Ronja Blöchlinger (Liv Factory Racing) timing her surge to perfection to slot into third. It was Richards who blinked first, launching her attack long at the sound of the final lap’s bell, but Keller had the legs on the course’s long start climb to take the lead into the first wooded section. The Swiss rider started distancing the rainbow jersey, putting in a few bike lengths as they wound their way around Pal Arinsal’s XCC course for the final time, and entering the start/finish straight, Richards knew she wouldn’t have the legs to contest for the win and appeared happy to settle for second. Blöchlinger did enough to hold onto third, with Pieterse fourth. Speaking at the end of the race, Keller said: “Everyone knows how my winter was and coming back from an injury is never easy so I can’t complain about how it worked at the beginning [of the season]. Obviously, Andorra is a very good spot for me so I’m very happy to get the win here again.  “Evie is very strong as well. I think I was just missing that peak power after the injury. I’m slowly getting back. Obviously, I felt very strong from the beginning of the race, and I knew that the uphill is mild, so I really love that one. “It’s good for me to be back on the top spot. I’m very proud.” MARTIN TAKES DEBUT WIN TO END BLEVINS’ RECORD RUNChristopher Blevins has been so dominant in the 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series, winning five out of five XCC races, that pre-race it was almost a foregone conclusion that the American would extend his record to six in a row in Andorra. It was Mathias Flückiger (Thömus Maxon) who took the early initiative though, launching off the start of the 11-lap race with Blevins hot on his tail. While the Swiss rider would fade shortly after, it was clear that Blevins wouldn’t have it all his own way in Pal Arinsal, with a competitive six-strong lead group forming, including team-mate Victor Koretzky (Specialized Factory Racing), Nino Schurter (Scott-SRAM MTB Racing Team), Mathis Azzaro (Origine Racing Division), Charlie Aldridge (Cannondale Factory Racing) and Luca Martin. The pack would constantly shuffle, with no one rider taking the race by the scruff of the neck, and at the halfway point, it could have been anyone's.  Aldridge was the first to have a dig on lap seven, but his attack was extinguished before it had properly got started – a mechanical forcing the Scotsman to dismount and put his chain back on, spelling the end of his search for a first UCI XCC World Cup win. The following lap, it was Koretzky who showed his hand, with Martin and Blevins hot on his heels. But the Frenchman and reigning UCI XCC World Champion hasn’t looked like his 2024 best, and by lap nine, he’d slipped back to fifth with Blevins back in control. The American’s signature move has been to attack on the last lap, but he went on the penultimate instead, with Martin and Azzaro the only riders not gapped. Koretzky’s day would go from bad to worse – a snapped chain forcing him to fall on a climb and ultimately DNF, while the Frenchman’s spill would also hold up Schurter. Taking the last lap’s bell, Blevins still led, but Martin had other ideas, attacking on the course’s first descent before powering his way up the climb into the first wooded section. The Frenchman – wearing the tricolour jersey after winning last week’s national championships – had done something no one else has managed this year by creating a gap between himself and Blevins, and with time running out, the American would need to win it in a sprint. Martin held out though, consigning Blevins to second for the first time this year, while Azzaro came home third.  His win propels him up to third in the rankings, although Blevins still has a 578-point lead over second-place Koretzky. Speaking at the end of the race, Martin said: “It’s amazing to ride with the big guys. It is my first year in the Elite. Last week I won the French championships two times. I’m so happy that the bike works so well on this track. “Last week we had the French championship at altitude, and I tried to work at altitude. It’s hard to do intervals and stay in the right zone. “Honestly, I’m totally dead after the sixth lap. And I say ride off the front now. The last bit I see the front wheel [of Blevins] and I think ‘I’ve got a problem’ but I gave it everything.” SERIES LEADERS SADNIK AND TREUDLER ASSERT DOMINANCE IN U23 Katharina Sadnik recorded her debut win in the U23 UCI XCC World Cup, outsprinting fellow breakaway rider Valetina Corvi (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) at the line. Corvi had led a group of 10 from the start, which was slowly whittled away, and as the race reached its halfway point, the Italian and series leader Sadnik attacked, dropping the likes of Ella Macphee (Wilier-Vittoria Factory Team) and Ella Maclean-Howell (Cube Factory Racing) like stones. The pair would essentially time-trial their way to the line, but it was Sadnik who had energy left in reserve as she outsprinted Corvi. Sina Van Thiel (Lexware Mountainbike Team) completed the podium, crossing the finish line almost 30 seconds in arrears. The men’s U23 race was a tighter affair than the women’s, with Finn Treudler seizing the initiative on the last lap to take his third consecutive win of the season. The Swiss rider found himself down in 12th after the first lap but overcame a disappointing start to get into the seven-strong lead group by the end of lap three. He bided his time, marking other attacks from the likes of Heby Gustav Pedersen (Wilier-Vittoria Factory team), before launching one of his own on the penultimate loop that only Pedersen and Nicolas Halter could follow. He built enough of a gap to be able to ride unopposed to the line, with Pedersen and Halter battling it out for the remaining podium spots – the Dane getting the better of the Swiss rider. Treudler’s third consecutive win solidifies his top spot in the overall, with Pedersen more than 100 points back in second. Speaking at the end of the race, Finn Treudler said: “Racing at altitude is so different for the body. The lungs are burning so bad after the race. I’m happy with my effort today. I didn’t burn too many matches, and I still took the win, so I’m happy. I messed up my start so I was a bit far back, but I knew that the race would be so hard that I could move up in the last part. In two weeks, I have to defend my European championship, which is a big goal, and then I’m off for some rest before the big goal of worlds at home.” The WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series action continues in Pal Arinsal - Andorra tomorrow as the Downhill riders compete in the sixth UCI Downhill World Cup of the season.

After an Italian triple bill in Val di Sole - Trentino, Val di Fassa – Trentino and La Thuile – Valle d’Aosta, the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series returns to the Pyrenees with the UCI Cross-country and Downhill World Cups taking to the trails of Pal Arinsal, Andorra. We look at everything you need to know about the Pal Arinsal – Andorra round of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series races, including when the Cross-county Short Track (XCC), Cross-country Olympic (XCO) and Downhill events are scheduled to take place, who is racing, and how to watch. WHEN? The 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series round in Pal Arinsal, Andorra starts with the Women Elite UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup at 09:45 (UTC+2) on Friday, July 11 and concludes with the Men U23 UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup at 15:30 (UTC+2) on Sunday, July 13. Below are the key timings for race weekend. All times are UTC+2 (EST+6/BST+1/CEST): Friday, July 11 09:45 – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Women Elite 10:25 – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Men Elite 11:20 – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Women U23 12:00 – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Men U23   10:30 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification 1 Women Elite 10:55 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification 1 Men Elite 12:00 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification Women Junior 12:20 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification Men Junior 13:00 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification 2 Women Elite 13:20 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification 2 Men Elite Saturday, July 12 10:00 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Finals Women Elite 11:00 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Finals Men Elite Sunday, July 13 09:00 – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup | Women U23 11:30 – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup | Women Elite 13:30 – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup | Men Elite 15:30 – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup | Men U23 WHERE CAN I WATCH? There will be several ways to watch the action unfold at Andorra’s only UCI Cross-country and Downhill World Cups of the 2025 season. The UCI Downhill World Cup Qualification day can be followed on live timing and across social media. For the sixth UCI Cross-country Olympic, Cross-country Short Track and Downhill World Cups of the season, you can watch the Elite finals live anywhere in the world on one of the below channels or streaming services: North America Canada – Flosports USA – HBO Max South & Central America All Central and South American territories – MTBWS TV  Asia Indonesia, Macao, Malaysia, Mongolia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand – Eurosport China - Zhibo.TV (Only Elite Downhill races live) All other Asian territories – MTBWS TV Oceania Australia – Stan Sport New Zealand – MTBWS TV Africa All African territories – MTBWS TV Europe Andorra – HBO Max, Eurosport, ATV Austria – discovery+, Eurosport Belgium – HBO Max, Eurosport Bosnia & Herzegovina – Max, Eurosport Bulgaria – HBO Max, Eurosport Croatia – HBO Max, Eurosport Czechia – HBO Max, Eurosport, CT Sport+ (only Elite XCO and XCC races live) Denmark – HBO Max, Eurosport Faroe Islands – HBO Max, Eurosport France – HBO Max, Eurosport and La Chaine L’Equipe (Only Women Elite XCO race live) Germany – discovery+, Eurosport Hungary – HBO Max, Eurosport Ireland – TNT Sports Italy – discovery+, Eurosport Moldova – HBO Max, Eurosport Montenegro – HBO Max, Eurosport Netherlands – HBO Max, Eurosport North Macedonia – HBO Max, Eurosport Norway – HBO Max, Eurosport Poland – HBO Max, Eurosport Portugal – HBO Max, Eurosport Romania – HBO Max, Eurosport Serbia – HBO Max, Eurosport Slovakia – HBO Max, Eurosport Slovenia – HBO Max, Eurosport Spain – HBO Max, Eurosport Sweden – HBO Max, Eurosport Switzerland – MTBWS TV , SRF/RSI (only Elite XCO and XCC races live online) Türkiye – HBO Max, Eurosport United Kingdom – discovery+, TNT Sports All other European territories – MTBWS TV RIDERS TO WATCH In Downhill, all eyes are on whether Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) can break Aaron Gwin’s (Gwin Racing) 13-year record for most back-to-back wins (four). The Canadian equalled Gwin’s 2012 accomplishment at La Thuile – Valle D’Aosta (Italy), and is dominant form – the 21-year-old also qualifying fastest at the last two rounds.  Loris Vergier (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) came closest to keeping Goldstone out of the hot seat in the Italian Alps, and the Frenchman will fancy his chances in his team’s home race – the reigning UCI Downhill World Champion the most successful male rider on the current course, earning his rainbow stripes in the Pal Arinsal Bike Park’s race track last year, as well as winning his last UCI World Cup at the venue back in 2022. Elsewhere, Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity) can never be written off, Amaury Pierron (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) appears to be superhuman after finishing in the top 10 two weeks after breaking his collarbone, and wildcard entrant Thibaut Daprela (Rogue Racing - SR Suntour) was the last victor when the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series visited in 2023. In the women’s competition, Nina Hoffmann (Santa Cruz Syndicate) became the fourth different winner of the series in La Thuile. The German also won in Pal Arinsal – Andorra back in 2023, so will be eyeing first-ever back-to-back wins. One rider to stand on the Andorran topspot more recently than Hoffmann is current series leader Valentina Höll. The Austrian secured her third rainbow jersey in the Pyrenees last August, and is looking to break a winless UCI World Cup record that stretches back to June 2024. Other riders likely to contest for the podium include two-time UCI World Cup winner Gracey Hemstreet (Norco Race Division), a resurgent Tahnée Seagrave (Orbea/FMD Racing) and winner in Val di Sole, Marine Cabirou (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team). The Downhill action is the filling in a Cross-country sandwich, and both the XCC and XCO are nicely poised as each series enters its second half.  In Friday’s XCC, it’s hard to look beyond Christopher Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing) and Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck). Both riders have dominated the short track, winning every race that they’ve entered this year, with Blevins in particular out to set a six-in-a-row streak that is unlikely to ever be emulated. The pairs’ most likely challengers are the current UCI XCC World Champions Victor Koretzky (Specialized Factory Racing) and Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing-Pirelli), but both specialists have been unable to handle the pace of the runaway winners. On Sunday, things are likely to be a bit more competitive on Pal Arinsal’s high-altitude XCO course. In the mens’ racing, Olympic Champion Thomas Pidcock (Q36.5 Pro Cycling) will line up for his first UCI World Cup of the season and is an automatic favourite on his de facto home track – the Brit basing himself in Andorra. Expect him to push current series leader Blevins, round one winner Koretzky and Val di Sole victor Martin Vidaurre Kossmann (Specialized Factory Racing), even if he won’t start from the front of the grid. Another rider who can’t be overlooked is Nino Schurter (Scott-SRAM MTB Racing Team). The Swiss veteran has four wins to his name in Pal Arinsal - Andorra, and will be hoping for a fifth (and a record 37th overall) on his 130th start. While there’s no Pidcock equivalent to shake things up in the women’s XCO, another ‘P’ – Pieterse – starts as favourite. As well as dominating the short track, the Dutchwoman has backed up her XCO UCI World Champion status, winning the last two rounds in Saalfelden-Leogang – Salzburgerland (Austria) and Val di Sole. She secured her rainbow jersey on the trails of Pal Arinsal - Andorra, so has shown she’s more than capable on one of the circuit’s most difficult courses. Series leader Samara Maxwell (Decathlon Ford Factory Racing) is the most likely to challenge Pieterse for the podium, while Anne Terpstra(Ghost Factory Racing) is an outside bet – the Dutch rider the most successful women’s rider at the venue with two UCI XCO World Cup wins. Racing gets underway on Friday, July 11 in Pal Arinsal – Andorra. Full schedule and event details are available HERE.

Due to the latest weather forecast from the Andorra Government, indicating electrical storms with lightning predicted, the schedule for the UCI Cross-country Short Track (XCC) World Cup and UCI Downhill World Cup Qualifying on Friday 11 July 2025, will not proceed as planned. The revised race schedule is as follows, based on the latest weather forecast review: ·       8:00-9:00 AM CET: Downhill training session - Elite ·       9:00-10:00 AM CET: Downhill training session - Junior ·       10:30 AM CET: UCI Downhill World Cup Q1– Women Elite ·       10:55 AM CET: UCI Downhill World Cup Q1 – Men Elite ·       12:00 PM CET: UCI Downhill World Cup Qualifying – Women Junior ·       12:20 PM CET: UCI Downhill World Cup Qualifying – Men Junior ·       1:00 PM CET: UCI Downhill World Cup Q2 – Women Elite ·       1:20 PM CET: UCI Downhill World Cup Q2 – Men Elite   ·       9:00-9:30 AM CET: Cross-country Short Track training - all riders ·       9:45 AM CET: UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup - Women Elite ·       10:25 AM CET: UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup - Men Elite ·       11:20 AM CET: UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup – Women U23 ·       12:00 PM CET: UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup – Men U23 ·       1:00 – 2:30 PM CET: Cross-country Olympic training session - all riders This safety decision has been made by the UCI, WBD Sports, and the local organizers to ensure the welfare of athletes, teams, marshals, volunteers, spectators, and everyone involved in the event. The Elite UCI XCC World Cup races will be streamed live on digital platforms (HBO Max, discovery+, TNT Sports, Eurosport and MTBWS TV) and on TNT Sports 1 and Eurosport 1. More information on Where to Watch is available on ucimtbworldseries.com.

After three back-to-back rounds in Italy, the 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series heads west to Pal Arinsal, Andorra and its final UCI World Cups before a six-week summer break. The Pyrenees venue welcomes Cross-country and Downhill athletes again for the first time since it hosted the 2024 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships – where the reigning rainbow jersey wearers were crowned in a high-altitude and adrenaline-fuelled contest last August and September.  Located in the heart of the Pyrenees and a short journey from the Andorran border with Spain, both formats take place at the Pal Arinsal (formerly known as Vallnord) Bike Park. The park has more than 60km of trails across 30 different lines and five ski lifts to help riders experience the more than 1,000m of elevation drop on offer. It has been a staple of the UCI Downhill World Cup circuit since 2008, while Cross-country joined the fun in 2013. It has also hosted two editions of the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships (2015 and 2024) during that time. The Downhill takes place on the venue’s third UCI World Cup track. New for the 2021 season, it sees riders drop from Pic del Cubil down to Fontanals on a rowdy 2.1km course.  The Cross-country Olympic (XCO) and Cross-country Short Track (XCC) races, meanwhile, take on some of the hardest terrain that the riders will face all season, thanks to the addition of altitude. The XCO course is 4km long (160m elevation gain), while the XCC course is 1km long. CAN ANYONE PREVENT PIETERSE? Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck) has been almost unstoppable since she entered the 2025 series in Nové Město Na Moravě (Czechia) – 13th in the Czech round’s XCO, it was the only time in six race starts this year she hasn’t finished first. The Dutchwoman did the XCO-XCC double in Val di Sole -Trentino (Italy) to go with her double in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland (Austria), and could be the first woman to repeat the feat three times if she manages it again in Pal Arinsal - Andorra. She will have fond memories of the Andorran course too, having won the UCI World Championships for XCO there last year. Despite Pieterse’s dominance, Samara Maxwell (Decathlon Ford Racing Team) still finds herself at the top of the rankings, having raced at all five rounds of the series. The New Zealander has been in incredible form of her own – finishing second four times after winning the opening round in Araxá, Minas Gerais (Brazil) – and her points advantage means she’ll go into the summer break in first place in the overall regardless of results in Andorra. Others likely to contest Pieterse for the win include Mona Mitterwallner (Mondraker Factory Racing XC), who won at the venue in 2023, Val di Sole podium finisher Laura Stigger (Specialized Factory Racing) and round two-winner Jenny Rissveds (Canyon CLLCTV XCO). PIDCOCK TO SHAKE UP PROCEEDINGS Thomas Pidcock (Q36.5 Pro Cycling) is a favourite of whatever race he lines up at – regardless of discipline – so when the two-time Olympic Champion’s name is on the start list, expect a sigh to go out across the rest of the paddocks.  The 25-year-old hasn’t raced his Cross-country bike since last year’s UCI Mountain Bike World Championships, where he finished third in the XCO behind Alan Hatherly (Giant Factory Off-Road Team - XC) and Victor Koretzky (Specialized Factory Racing), but won’t be phased by his lack of recent race experience and the Andorran resident will be expected to contest for the win in his de facto home race. Those attempting to stop Pidcock include the current rankings leader Christopher Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing), whose XCO form has stuttered since two wins and a second in the first three rounds of the series. His teammate Martin Vidaurre Kossmann (Specialized Factory Racing) kept the wins coming for the American team in Val di Sole, though, and continued the Chilean’s own strong form. Nino Schurter (Scott-SRAM MTB Racing Team) can’t be written off either – the G.O.A.T winning four times at the venue, including his 2015 rainbow jersey. SAME AGAIN IN THE SHORT TRACK? Pieterse’s and Blevins’ records in the Short Track this year read 100% wins from races entered. Looking beyond the dominant pair is therefore very hard, particularly when the traditional XCC specialists have shown chinks in their armour. For Pieterse, she will be targeting a record-equalling seventh win in the format, which will take her level with the reigning UCI XCC World Champion, Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing-Pirelli). The Brit has been out of sorts since Nové Mesto Na Moravě, skipping Val di Sole through illness, but will be looking to bounce back on the course where she claimed her rainbow jersey. Blevins, meanwhile, could become the first Elite rider (man or woman) to win the first six XCC rounds of the series, and his most realistic challenger is Koretkzy, who, like Richards, won in Pal Arinsal last year. The pair won’t have to contend with Pidcock, though, in the short format – the Brit and two-time UCI XCC World Cup winner is not eligible because he’s not in the top-40 ranked riders based on UCI points. WOMEN’S DOWNHILL CONTEST IMPOSSIBLE TO PREDICT The women’s downhill series has never been more competitive, with four different winners from the opening five rounds, and seven riders standing on the podium so far this season.  The biggest surprise has been Valentina Höll’s (YT Mob) form – the Austrian without a UCI World Cup win for more than a year – but with Pal Arinsal the scene of her last downhill victory at the 2024 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships, that winless streak could get reset this Saturday. Despite not standing on the top spot yet this year, the reigning overall winner remains the most consistent performer – her second place in La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta (Italy) her third of the season. Gracey Hemstreet (Norco Race Division) meanwhile has tasted success twice this year, and was back on the podium last weekend in La Thuile with third, while Nina Hoffmann (Santa Cruz Syndicate) took her first win since Pal Arinsal in 2023 at the new Italian UCI World Cup venue – the German aiming for her first-ever back-to-back victories. Others in contention include Tahnée Seagrave (Orbea/FMD Racing) and Marine Cabirou (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team). One rider who won’t be is Anna Newkirk (Frameworks Racing/5Dev), who is out following surgery to her hand – the American ruled out until after the summer break. GOLDSTONE EYES WIN RECORD Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) has been in dominant form, adding a fourth consecutive win to his run in La Thuile and equalling Aaron Gwin’s (Gwin Racing) record from 2012. The Canadian looks unstoppable, converting fastest qualifying times into victories at the last two rounds, and will be eyeing a fifth straight ‘W’ in Andorra. Although he finished 57th in his only Elite finals run on the Pal Arinsal course back in 2023, difficult conditions on the day mean he’s going into this weekend with a relatively clean slate. The man currently looking most likely to break Goldstone’s run is Loris Vergier (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction). The Frenchman finished second in La Thuile and has won twice on the Pyrenees course, including at last year’s UCI Mountain Bike World Championships – although his last UCI World Cup win, which was in Andorra, came more than 1,000 days ago. Others to look out for include Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity), Amaury Pierron (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction), who amazingly recovered from a broken collarbone to finish 10th in La Thuile, and Thibaut Daprela (Rogue Racing - SR Suntour) – the wild card qualifier clinching his first and only UCI World Cup win at Pal Arinsal back in 2023. Racing gets underway in Pal Arinsal – Andorra on Friday with the UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup. Full schedule and events details are available here.

The two-time Olympic champion returns to Cross-country mountain biking for the first time since last year’s UCI World Championships in Andorra. Tom Pidcock (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team) has confirmed that he will be competing at this weekend’s UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup in Pal Arinsal, Andorra. The 25-year-old last completed a mountain bike race in 2024 at the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships at the same venue, while his last UCI World Cup was in Crans-Montana, Valais (Switzerland) last June – where he did the XCO-XCC double. The Brit, who lives in Andorra, spent last season building towards the Olympic Games Paris 2024 where he clinched his second gold in the Cross-country Mountain Bike event to go with his medal from Tokyo 2020.  En route to gold, he competed in two UCI World Cups last season, securing his second UCI Cross-country Short Track (XCC) World Cup and seventh UCI Cross-country Olympic (XCO) World Cup wins in his most recent race in Switzerland. This year has had a different focus for Pidcock, who switched teams in the off-season, leaving Ineos Grenadiers for UCI ProTeam Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team. He lines up in Pal Arinsal - Andorra having had a mixed 2025 on the road – winning the general and points classification at the season-opening AlUla Tour in Saudi Arabia, before a winless Spring Classics campaign and top-20 finish at the Giro d’Italia. He has stated that his remaining schedule includes La Vuelta (ruling him out of this year’s UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Valais, Switzerland, the UCI Road World Championships in Rwanda, and the UCI Gravel World Championships in Maastricht, Netherlands). Regardless of his form, he’s always a favourite and won’t be deterred from having to start towards the back of the grid this weekend – his UCI ranking meaning he won’t be eligible to race in Friday’s XCC and de facto qualifier for Sunday’s XCO.

Teammates Jackson Goldstone and Nina Hoffmann completed a perfect day for Santa Cruz Syndicate by holding their nerve and taking impressive wins in the UCI Downhill World Cup at La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta, Italy. Men’s Elite overall leader Goldstone, aged 21, equaled the record of four consecutive wins set by Aaron Gwin in 2012 and will have the opportunity to go one better next week in Pal Arinsal – Andorra. UCI Downhill World Champion Loris Vergier (Commencal/Muc-Off By Riding Addiction) continues his wait for a UCI World Cup win, stretching to over 1,000 days, after finishing second just 0.6 of a second behind, while Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity) was third. Meanwhile, Hoffman took her first Women Elite UCI Downhill World Cup win since 2023, despite still recovering from the injuries from a crash in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland (Austria) last month. The 28-year-old showed a combination of power and experience to win the fourth UCI World Cup round of her career. Women’s UCI Downhill World Champion Valentina Höll (YT Mob) was 2.9 seconds back in second and quickest qualifier Gracey Hemstreet (Norco Race Division) was third. There was a first career Women Junior UCI Downhill World Cup victory for Aletha Ostgaard (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team). Meanwhile, Till Alran (Commencal/Muc-Off By Riding Addiction) clinched his second Men Junior UCI Downhill World Cup win in as many rounds. The alpine ski town of La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta hosted the UCI Downhill World Cup for the first time and the specially designed track provided some exciting racing. The steepest ever UCI Downhill World Cup course faced riders with the 2.3-kilometre course having an average gradient of 28% as the course dropped 641 metres in elevation. The steep course mixed with rain for the men’s Elite competition made for changeable conditions and an intense afternoon of racing. GOLDSTONE CONTINUES DOMINATION OF MEN’S ELITE CATEGORY Canadian rider Goldstone came into the event full of confidence following three consecutive Men Elite UCI Downhill World Cup victories. Final starter Goldstone had to keep calm as rain resulted in several crashes and delays on the steep track. However, he once again flawless skills on the steep and technical descent to overcome his rivals. Amaury Pierron (Commencal/Muc-Off By Riding Addiction) came into the event placed fourth overall in the Men Elite UCI Downhill World Cup standings but had surgery on a broken collarbone just a week earlier. After making mistakes during qualifications, the Frenchman sneaked through to the finals by taking the final qualification spot in the second session. Starting first in the finals Pierron struggled to find the required pace but took a credible 10th placed finish. Youngster Lachlan Stevens-McNab (Trek Factory Racing) was the fastest of the early starters with a benchmark of 3:30.2. The steep sections of the La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta man-made course resulted in several riders being forced into mistake as Max Hartenstern (Cube Factory Racing) crashed out and Aaron Gwin (Gwin Racing) also made mistakes as he failed to trouble the leaders. Rain and rising wind hitting the slopes for the quicker qualifiers increasing the tension and resulted in many competitors having problems. UCI World Champion Vergier had been an ambassador in the Downhill event coming to La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta and sent down the perfect run to set the new quickest time. The seven-time UCI World Cup winner went fastest on each split and increased his margin at the demanding bottom section to set a new best time of 3:27.7. Light rain made way for sunshine as the final five riders entered the course following a short delay. Former Enduro rider Martin Maes (Orbea/FMD Racing) entered the steepest section just one second behind Vergier. In his first season of downhill action slight hesitation cost Maes but his clean run was enough to finish seventh. Bruni was the closest to the leader on the top sections, despite missing his footing early in the run. The Frenchman showed speed and composure as he went ahead in the second sector before a few mistakes on the tight corners was enough to fall 0.4 seconds behind Vergier’s time. Quickest qualifier Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) remained in touch on the opening power section and was just 0.7 of a second back. The Canadian was battling with his bike as he pushed the limits and pulled almost level in sector two. Coming into the final sector Goldstone had a slender advantage before stopping the clock in 3:27.1 – beating Vergier into second by 0.6 of a second. “I’m on a roll, it’s such a crazy feeling to be able to do four in a row,” said Goldstone. “I can’t believe that just happened, it felt right during the whole run and I was stoked with everything. “I had a few moments, the dust is so soft and powdery here that it’s really hard not to get sunk in and have those mistakes. I pushed through, gave it everything to the bottom and it was good enough. I would have been eight years old when that happened [Aaron Gwin won four in a row],  it’s a pretty cool statistic. “I was struggling on Thursday in practice a little bit, but I kept building from there. Qualification was a lot better and I wasn’t expecting that. I’m really happy to be able to bring it home. I try to keep myself as focused and in the moment as possible, I don’t look at the times or watch the live stream. “What a day for Santa Cruz Syndicate, I’m so proud of Nina [Hoffmann] who won her first race of the year. I can’t believe I have the chance [to go five in a row], saying that is a dream come true, we’ll give it our best shot.” HOFMANN OVERCOMES INJURIES TO CLINCH ELITE WOMEN’S HONOURS The controlled aggression of Hofmann resulted in her setting a winning time of a formidable 3:57.9 – the only woman to beat the four-minute mark over the weekend. After going quickest through the second qualifying round yesterday British rider Phoebe Gale (Orbea/FMD Racing) was fastest of the early starters. Her time of 4:05.05 was an incredible nine seconds faster than the previous day and put her into the hot seat for the final riders, eventually enough for sixth position. French woman Marine Cabirou (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) won the previous round in Val di Sole – Trentino (Italy) but lost time on the technical section and finished eighth. After qualifying fifth quickest the previous day Hofmann started quickly and was 0.7 quicker than Gale after the opening split. Hofmann showed her strength to carry speed into the demanding wooded section and kept increasing her pace during a smooth run to set an unassailable time. UCI World Champion Höll tried her upmost to use different lines in an attempt to better Hofmann. Despite pulling some time back on the second section the Austrian rider lost slender amounts on the bottom section as she battled to control her bike. Höll had to settle for second 2.99 seconds behind as she continues to search for a first Women Elite UCI Downhill World Cup win of the campaign. British rider Tahnee Seagrave (Orbea/FMD Racing) was looking to rekindle her overall ambitions after crashing in Val di Sole – Trentino. Seagrave went faster than Hofmann through the first split and then held a 0.47-second advantage heading into the steepest section. The British rider made a small mistake which killed her speed and lost important time to her rivals to finish fourth 3.97 seconds behind. Quickest qualifier Hemstreet had watched her fastest time from the previous day demolished by Hofmann. The Canadian struggled to match the raw power and speed of the leader on the top section and had a gap of 1.9 seconds to find on the top section. Despite matching the speed of Hofmann on the steep descent Hemstreet lost further time on the flatter bottom section and placed third 3.19 seconds behind. “I’m such an emotional person, I can’t believe it,” said Hofmann. “I came down to the finish and turned around to see my time was under four minutes. I had in my head that the winning time was going to be under four minutes. “I thought whatever the other girls did that was a really good run and I’m stoked about that already. I don’t know how I ended up in P1. “I was really nervous when Valentina [Höll] came down because she’s a benchmark, she was slower and then Tahnee (Seagrave) also lost time at the bottom and you could see she was tired at the bottom. “I was pretty sure either Tahnee or Gracey was going to get me. I know Gracey (Hemstreet) was not the best at the first split, but she was almost two seconds behind. I thought ‘oh my god that’s a lot already’. “This is why it means so much to me, where I came from in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland sending it over the wall ride. “Holding it all back in Val di Sole – Trentino and being so happy just to ride and just trying to build confidence. This weekend I could feel it clicked a bit again, I feel myself again but I still don’t want to push too much and have another crash. It worked out somehow.” ALRAN RECORDS BACK-TO-BACK WINS IN MEN’S JUNIOR EVENT Frenchman Till Alran won his debut Men Junior UCI Downhill World Cup victory in Val di Sole – Trentino last month and repeated the feat in La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta. While his twin brother Max Alran (Commencal/Muc-Off By Riding Addiction) crashed out Till had no such problems as he posted the quickest time of the day. Omri Danon has committed to racing in the UCI World Cup series this season and was rewarded for his fearless run with a time which was good enough for fifth overall. Danon was only briefly in the hot seat as American Luke Mallen took the lead at the first split and managed to hold his bike on the bumpy terrain to set a fastest time of 3:35.2. Mallen’s time stood the test of time and the American remained the quickest finisher as the top four qualifiers prepared for their runs. New Zealander Tyler Waite (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) had spent time analysing the lines through practice over the weekend. The Kiwi rider battled back from the fast top section and then used his expertise of the course to pick the right lines and overturned the deficit and set a time of 3:33.05 to post the fastest time. Boosted by his maiden win two weeks earlier Till Alran was faster than Waite through the opening split and carried his speed with some aggressive riding over the ruts to increase his margin. Alran maintained his composure as he effortlessly increased his advantage to post a winning time of 3:28.2 – the fastest run of the weekend at that point. Coming into the event as overall leader Max Alran was next down the track and despite going quickest through the opening split the Frenchman was struggling to maintain the same speed and then crashed out. Men’s Junior UCI Downhill World Champion Asa Vermette (Frameworks Racing/5DEV) was quickest qualifier and showed his speed in the opening sector. Vermett remained in contention in the second sector before being beaten into second by just 1.56 seconds. Along with the win Till Alran also took the overall series lead from his brother heading into the next round. “It was pretty cool, amazing and I’m really happy,” said Alran. “The track was good, an amazing new track. “It’s pretty cool to lead the overall, my brother crashed. I’m pretty stoked, it’s amazing.” OSTGAARD RECORDS FIRST WOMEN JUNIOR UCI WORLD CUP WIN AFTER IMPRESSIVE DISPLAY Ostgaard was beaten into second place at both Val di Sole - Trentino and Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland. However, the Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team rider was not to be denied in La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta and used her strength on the constructed course to take a first UCI Downhill World Cup win of her young career. American national champion Matilda Melton (Commencal Schwalbe By Les Orres) came into the event in third place overall following a consistent campaign which has also seen her finish on the podium at Loudenvielle-Peyragudes (France). Melton set an early benchmark time of 4:10.98 after posting the quickest time through every sector and 13.5 seconds faster than those before her. French national champion Cassandre Peizerat had qualified well and looked to challenge before crashing on a sweeping corner ending her challenge. After qualifying second Ostgaard was determined not to be denied again and carried her speed well on the exposed top section into the woods. The American showed fearlessness as she carried big air off the steep jumps and the loose terrain. Ostgaard used her strength to carry her speed onto the bottom section to stop the clock in 4:08.15 - bettering the time of countrywoman Melton by 2.83 seconds. Overall leader Rosa Zierl (Cube Factory Racing) was the final starter and was targeting her third consecutive Women’s Junior UCI World Cup victory. The Austrian rider matched her opponent in the top section but carried less speed into the woods and found herself 2.6 seconds back on the second sector. Zierl was unable to close the gap on the bottom sections and had to settle for runner-up position 2.445 seconds behind - but keeps a healthy lead in the overall standings. After taking her first Women Junior UCI Downhill World Cup victory Ostgaard said: “It was gnarly. I was telling myself the whole time, ‘clean run and don’t go fast’. It was so physical and when you add in how long the course is, you were really working by the end. “I struggled pretty hard in the beginning of the World Cup season, but in the end it made it better. I think if I came out swinging it wouldn’t have been as good and I would have struggled later. “I’m excited to experience it like this. I liked how physical the course was, it took everything on this course not just skills. I really liked it.” The WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series continues in Pal Arinsal – Andorra next weekend (9-13 July) when Gravity and Endurance riders will be in action. The weekend starts with the UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup and UCI Downhill World Cup qualifying on Friday. The Downhill finals are on Saturday, followed by the UCI Cross Country World Cup on Sunday.

Following a day of action-packed racing, Sławomir Łukasik (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) and Simona Kuchyňková (Cube Action Team) took victories at the UCI Enduro World Cup in La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta (Italy), whilst both the men’s and women’s Elite overall titles were decided on the final 600-metre long floodlight nighttime stage. Lukasik overcame Charles Murray (Specialized Gravity) on the final stage to win by just five hundredths of a second. With this victory, Łukasik was also crowned the overall Men Elite UCI Enduro World Cup winner with the final round remaining. The women’s Elite event was equally as close and despite Kuchyňková crashing on the final stage she held a two-second overall margin over British privateer Ella Conolly. With her runner-up placing, Conolly also sealed the women’s Elite crown ahead of the final round in Morillon, Haute-Savoie (France) next month. Meanwhile, Noé Forlin and Nežka Libnik took the respective men’s and women’s wins with convincing displays. La Thuile – Valle d’Aosta marked its return to top-tier Enduro racing by hosting the penultimate round of the 2025 UCI Enduro World Cup. The venue, a familiar name in the sport, previously featured five times in the Enduro World Series between 2014 and 2021. The final one-day event of this year’s calendar contained a 46.77-kilometre route with over 2,700 metres of descending. Three demanding stages faced competitors during the daytime including a high-altitude start above 2,500 metres for the first 3.4-kilometre Kappa Trail stage. Riders then faced a lengthy transfer up the mountainside to Col Croce which was 3.9 kilometres in length with an elevation of -941 metres. Back across to the other side of the valley the final daytime test with Chaz Dura Express providing a test of 5.9 kilometres with an elevation of -988 metres. Big mountain descents challenged the Enduro competitors with technical terrain and raw, natural. The day was wrapped up with a short 600-metre night stage, lit by floodlights with an elevation drop of 151 metres. FEARLESS ŁUKASIK SNATCHES VICTORY BY SMALLEST OF MARGINS Sławomir Łukasik (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) did just enough to seal victory in La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta and with it the Men Elite UCI Enduro World Cup overall crown. Despite being pushed in the latter stages at last weekend’s round in Val Di Fassa – Trentino (Italy), the Polish rider found his rhythm when it mattered to take the honours. Last weekend’s runner-up Richard Rude Jr (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) returned back to Downhill action in La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta, resulting in one less podium challenger. Łukasik started the day where he left off last weekend and posted the quickest time on the opening stage of 7:06.7 along the 3.4-kilometre course. Privateer Daniel Booker saw a rock damage his wheel and end his overall hopes last weekend in Val Di Fassa. The Australian was back in the mix at La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta, finishing second just +3.8 seconds behind in the opening stage and Canadian Lief Rodgers was third +5.2 seconds back. The 3.9-kilometre long Col Croce stage saw a complete change in the faces leading the charge as Canadian Elliot Jamieson took the spotlight and posted the quickest time of 8:26.04. New Zealander Murray led the charge for second just 0.9 of a second behind and Jesse Melamed (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) was third. Łukasik kept the overall lead heading into the third stage after losing six seconds to the stage winner but finishing faster than challenger opponent Booker. Fellow New Zealander Matthew Walker (Pivot Factory Racing) took the honours on the Chaz Dura Express stage, while an enthralling overall battle developed behind. After 5.9 kilometres of racing only two tenths of a second separated second place on the stage Murray and Łukasik in third. Heading into the final Nightfall stage Murray had a slender over lead of just 0.216 of a second ahead of Łukasik. Brooker took the final stage in a show of fearlessness and technical ability under the floodlights. French rider Adrien Dailly was just six tenths of a second behind and Melamed finished third. The overall battle saw Łukasik finish fourth on the stage and an important 0.266 of a second ahead of Murray to snatch the overall honours by five hundreds of a second. Murray was regretting some small mistakes on the nighttime stage which ultimately proved the difference. Meanwhile, a crash for Walker on the final stage resulted in him dropping down the overall standings as Melamed finished third overall. “It was a really good day on the bike,” said 2025 UCI Enduro World Cup overall series winner Łukasik. “It was so much fun riding here and every stage was amazing, with a bit of everything on it. "It was a really good battle with Charles (Murray) today, it was really great day. I can’t believe I’ve won the overall, it’s an amazing feeling and I’m so stoked about that. I’ve never been to Haute-Savoie so I’m excited about that race, but more relaxed because I took the overall win. It will be fun to ride and more focus for the World Championships.”   KUCHYNKOVÁ HOLDS ON FOR VICTORY DESPITE LATE SCARE Kuchyňková took an emotional first Women Elite UCI Enduro World Cup victory. The Slovakian rider had taken two podium positions this season but was yet to stand on the top step heading to La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta.  British privateer Conolly was pushed all the way for victory last weekend in in Val Di Fassa – Trentino and once again faced a tough ask in Italy. With the course placed on the border with France, Mélanie Pugin gave the travelling supporters a gift by winning the opening stage in a time of 8:25.1. Conolly had the opportunity to seal the overall series with a round to spare and the British rider remained in touch by finishing second on the stage just 0.5 of a second behind. New Zealander Winnifred Goldsbury led a pack of riders battling for third on the stage (2.4 seconds behind the winner), meanwhile Kuchyňková finished five seconds back on the opening stage. Kuchyňková reversed that deficit on the Col Croce stage after posting an impressive time which was nine seconds quicker than second placed Conolly. Despite being the longest stage of the day at 5.9 kilometres long there was little to separate the Elite women on Chaz Dura Express. Conolly went quickest but was just 3.3 seconds quicker than Canadian Elly Hoskins and Kuchyňková was three tenths of a second further back. Coming into the final stage Kuchyňková had no room for error with an advantage of just 2.6 seconds ahead of Conolly. The Nightfall test saw Delia Da Mocogno go quickest, just two tenths of a second ahead of Nadine Ellecosta (Abetone Ancillotti Vittoria Factory Racing) in second and Raphaela Richter in third. After a long day of racing Kuchyňková crashed on the final stage and finished 10th. Overall rival Conolly was also challenged by the lighting, finishing seventh and less than a second ahead. That result meant that Kuchyňková clinched her first UCI World Cup win and Conolly’s second was enough to secure the Women Elite UCI Enduro World Cup for the season. An emotional Kuchyňková said: “It feels so good to win my first ever Elite, it was such a long day. “I had so many moments in this race, it means the world to me and I just need to process it right now. I’m so thankful and really grateful for everyone who stood behind me in really hard times. It feels so good. “I was really looking forward to the nighttime stage as I was on a really good run. Then I came into the rock garden and I crashed. I thought it was over for me, I kept going and crossed the line. I saw everyone was so happy so I knew that I had done it.” 2025 UCI Enduro World Cup overall series winner Conolly added: “I knew I could wrap up the title today, so I’m happy with how I rode and Simona was just incredible today, she’s an insane rider so I’m really stoked for her. “It’s been my best season so far and I’m really happy. It was my goal at the start of the season to win the overall. We’ll celebrate tonight, we’ve got a small break until the next World Cup and then the World Championships is the next goal.” FORLIN AND LIBNIK PRODUCE COMMANDING DISPLAYS IN JUNIOR CATEGORIES Forlin was taking part in his first Men Junior UCI Enduro World Cup outing of the season at La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta. The Swiss rider was able to use his power on the bottom section of the opening stage to grow an early advantage of eight seconds on his rivals. Behind, Belgian rider Gabriel Sainthuile and New Zealander Cooper Millwood were locked in a close battle for second with little to separate them on the opening stage. UCI World Cup leader Melvin Almueis had a nightmare opening stage when a crash resulted in him breaking his rear brakes and losing 46 seconds to the leader. Almueis was able to find a replacement brake and was back and looking for revenge in the second stage. However, Forlin took the honours finishing three seconds ahead of the Frenchman, while Sainthuile cemented his podium position in third on the stage. Forlin was full of confidence and in command of the overall and his time on the third stage was again fastest - 14 seconds ahead of Almueis, while Sainthuile again placed third. Completing his clean sweep of stages for the day Forlin narrowly beat Sainthuile in the short and exhilarating Nightfall final stage, with the pair comfortably finishing first and second overall. Coming into the final stage Cooper was holding third place overall but only sat two seconds ahead of Canadian Rhys Blair. Cooper lost 12 seconds on the final stage to slip down the standings as Blair took the final podium position. “My day was pretty good,” said Forlin. “I had a pretty good stage one and had some good space afterwards. Stage two was pretty hard because the top was pretty sketchy and I had to control by bike pretty hard. “In the bottom section I was pretty fast I think and I could open more. Stage three the top section was pretty sketchy with the off-camber but at the bottom I could open a big gap in the end.” Slovenian rider Nežka Libnik was also unstoppable and took her second Women Junior UCI Enduro World Cup win of the season. In her only other outing in the series this season Libnik also took victory in Bielsko-Biała (Poland) back in May. Libnik showed her technical ability and power to win the opening KAPPA Trail stage by an impressive 15.4 seconds ahead of Lacey Adams (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team). Col Croce saw the leader’s gap grow out further but behind was a tight battle as French woman Lucile Metge finished runner-up and American Chloe Bear (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) was third. Overall series leader Adams was fourth on the stage and lost vital time to her title challengers. Libnik also won the longest stage of the day and was 10 seconds ahead of Adams, with Metge in third. The short final stage saw Libnik go quickest again and took the overall race honours. Despite finishing second on the final stage Adams had to settle for third overall, as earlier time gained by Metge sealed her runner-up position. “I’m really happy to take the win, my second World Cup this year,” said Libnik. “It’s quite good and the stages were also very good.” Meanwhile, Adams sits with a comfortable margin of 150 points ahead of Metge heading into the final round. "Today was really good,” said Adams. “I started off a little bit slow, on stages one and two I struggled to find a bit speed, a bit of confidence and pace. “I knew I had to bring back some time on stage three. I had a really good stage three, I kept it smooth and pedaled my hardest. “It was a good stage. We had a few hours break and then into the night stage. It was really sick in the lights, that was really good into the night. It was super-good day.” Racing continues in La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta (Italy) on Sunday with the UCI Downhill World Cup – full schedule and events details are available here.