The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) is pleased to announce the launch of Continental Series in 2025, whose events will be included on the UCI Mountain Bike International Calendar.
So far, these series will consist of twelve events in the Americas (seven Olympic cross-country and five downhill events), nine events in Europe (four Olympic cross-country, four downhill, and one combining both formats), and seven events in Oceania (two Olympic cross-country, four downhill, and one combining both formats).
The introduction of these series was approved by the UCI Management Committee in September in Zurich (Switzerland), as part of the key developments for the mountain bike discipline presented by the UCI in collaboration with WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series promoter, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) Sports. These changes, set to take effect from 2025, aim to ensure the continued development of the discipline.
Developed in close collaboration with the Continental Confederations, the Continental Series will provide riders from the different continents with new opportunities to qualify for the UCI World Cups, which are part of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series. A rider finishing in the top five of a Continental Series event will be eligible to participate in a round of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series, while the top five riders in the overall standings of the various Continental Series will have the right to participate in all rounds of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series in the following season. These additional opportunities will contribute to the global expansion of the discipline.
The events in the "Continental Series" (CS) will be similar to the Hors Classe (HC) events in terms of points awarded by the UCI. This will provide riders around the world with another chance to earn valuable points for the UCI Individual Ranking.
