FREI AND KORETZKY WIN FAST AND FURIOUS SHORT TRACK RACES IN MT VAN HOEVENBERG - LAKE PLACID

The American and Brit dominated their respective series with consistency and race-winning performances that no-one else could handle.The UCI Cross-country Short Track (XCC) World Cup has become fiercely contested where results are much more than simply sorting the starting order for the race weekend’s UCI Cross-country Olympic (XCO) World Cup. The shorter, high intensity nature of the racing has seen specialists emerge, and when they are in form, they are almost unstoppable.Christopher Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing) and Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing-Pirelli) are two such riders. Explosive, aggressive and able to ride in the red for sustained periods of time, the pair had already shown they could beat the best in XCC races – Richards in particular going into the 2025 season as the reigning UCI XCC World Champion.But both pulled together seriously impressive series that left them head and shoulders above the rest, and worthy winners of the 2025 UCI XCC World Cup overall titles.BLEVINS GOES FIVE-IN-A-ROW BEFORE SIGNING OFF THE SERIES WITH ONE ROUND TO GOLike his UCI XCO World Cup record, Blevins had two UCI XCC World Cup wins to his name prior to the 2025 series, although you’d have to go back to Snowshoe (USA) in 2022 for his most recent short track victory. While he had recorded some podium finishes in 2024, it was his teammate and reigning UCI XCC World Champion Victor Koretzky (Specialized Factory Racing) who was the rider to watch going into the new season.The American had clearly had an impressive off-season though, and started the series in the best way possible – outsprinting Koretzky to take the win in the Araxá, Minas Gerais’ (Brazil) opening race. It was a feat he repeated six days later, again getting the better of Koretzky, and as the series moved from South America to Europe, he already held a healthy lead in the overall.It was the same story in Nové Mesto na Moravě (Czechia), while wins in Saalfelden Leogang - Salzburgerland (Austria) and Val di Sole (Italy) made it an unprecedented five in a row for Blevins. It wasn’t until Pal Arinsal (Andorra) in July when another rider would finally get the better of Blevins – Luca Martin (Cannondale Factory Racing) edging him on the line.While his season appeared to drift in the next two rounds, his early dominance meant that the overall never truly looked to be under threat. And when the opportunity presented itself to claim the overall on home soil in Lake Placid Olympic Region (USA), Blevins didn’t miss – flying round teammate Adrien Boichis (Specialized Factory Racing) on the line for his sixth win of the season, and Specialized’s sixth 1-2 of the year.Martin prevented it being a Specialized Factory Racing whitewash in the overall – the Frenchman adding a second win of the series at the season finale in Mont-Sainte-Anne (Canada) – while his teammate Charlie Aldridge (Cannondale Factory Racing) rounded out the overall podium.RICHARDS PUTS IN HER MOST-CONSISTENT SEASON TO ADD THE OVERALL TITLE TO HER 2024 RAINBOW BANDSWhen Evie Richards won the 2021 UCI XCO World Championship, the Brit appeared to suffer the curse of the rainbow bands during her year in the world champions jersey, only finishing two UCI XCO World Cups and 16th position her best placing.The 28-year-old had another three seasons’ experience on her side entering the 2025 series, and looked determined to not suffer the same fate while wearing the UCI XCC World Champions jersey.She started her season the best possible way, leaving Brazil with a 100% record from the opening two rounds and in control of the overall. A narrow second place to Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck) in Nové Mesto na Moravě was the first time she had been bettered in the XCC all year, while sixth in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland would be her worst result all season.Forced to skip Val di Sole – Trentino (Italy), her overall looked under threat from Pieterse, who had won three back-to-back UCI XCC World Cups. But come Pal Arinsal, Richards answered her critics, returning to the podium with second behind Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon) while the Dutchwoman wilted at altitude.Defending overall champion Keller appeared to be Richards’ main threat and was hitting form just at the right time, while Jenny Rissveds (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) threw her hat into the ring with a win in Les Gets, Haute-Savoie (France) with the series leader only managing fifth. But the Brit showed a new, steely resolve.While Rissveds could go on to win the next three rounds, finishing the season with an almost perfect record and picking up XCO/XCC doubles in Les Gets, Haute-Savoie, Lake Placid Olympic Region and Mont-Sainte-Anne (Canada), Richards was always in the background, finishing next best to the Swede to retain her advantage in the overall.Rissveds ultimately left it too late, and will rue her failure to score points in Nové Mesto with 110 points the difference between the two. Keller meanwhile finished third while also clinching the 2025 UCI XCC World Championship.SADNIK EDGES CORVI WHILE TREUDLER ADDS XCC TITLE TO XCO CROWN IN U23In the U23 field, it was a similar story with a competitive contest in the women’s U23 while one rider ran away with proceedings in the men’s U23.Katharina Sadnik (KTM Factory MTB Team) had the edge in the women’s U23, beating Women U23 UCI XCO World Cup overall winner Valentina Corvi (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) by 26 points. The Austrian collected six podiums all year, including the win in Pal Arinsal, but the series was separated by just six points as racing got underway in Mont-Sainte-Anne. Her third-place finish scored her 20 more points than Corvi, who could only manage seventh – the Italian likely regretting her two missed rounds in Nové Mesto and Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland.In the men’s U23, like in the XCO, Finn Treudler (Cube Factory Racing) dominated. While he wasn’t able to match his eight wins from the Olympic-distance format, the Swiss 22-year-old did win seven rounds in a row from Saalfelden Leogang - Salzburgerland to Mont-Sainte-Anne, and was only beaten by elite-class rider Adrien Boichis at the U23 UCI XCC World Championships.

While three out of six titles were decided last time out in Lake Placid Olympic Region, New York (USA), there are still three series on the line in the Cross-country Olympic (XCO), Cross-country Short Track (XCC) and Downhill. It couldn’t be in a more fitting location either – Mont-Sainte-Anne (Canada) hosting its record 30th UCI World Cup.  We look at everything you need to know about the Mont-Sainte-Anne round of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series races, presented by Events.com, including when the Cross-Country Olympic (XCO), Cross-country Short Track (XCC) 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 Mont-Sainte-Anne starts with the Women Under 23 UCI XCC World Cup at 09:45 (UTC-4) on Friday, October 10 and concludes with the Men Elite UCI XCO World Cup at 15:30 (UTC-4) on Sunday, October 12. Below are the key timings for race weekend. All times are UTC-4 (BST+5/CEST +6): Friday, October 10 12:30 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification 1 Women Elite 13:00 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification 1 Men Elite 14:00 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification Women Junior 14:20 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification Men Junior 15:05 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification 2 Women Elite 15:30 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification 2 Men Elite 9:45 – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Women U23 10:35 – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Men U23 16:20 – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Women Elite 17:00 – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Men Elite Saturday, October 11 11:30 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Finals Women Junior 12:00 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Finals Men Junior 13:00 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Finals Women Elite 14:10 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Finals Men Elite Sunday, October 12 09:00 – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup | Women U23 11:00 – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup | Men U23 13:30 – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup | Women Elite 15:30 – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup | Men Elite WHERE CAN I WATCH? There will be several ways to watch the action unfold at Canada’s only Cross-country and Downhill UCI 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 tenth and final UCI Cross-country Olympic, UCI Cross-country Short Track and UCI Downhill World Cups of the season, you can watch the finals live anywhere in the world. Both the men’s and women's UCI Downhill World Cup Junior races will be broadcast live on discovery+ (in front of paywall), HBO Max* (in front of the sports add-on) and MTBWS TV (included in subscription), while the Elite finals will be shown on one of the below channels or streaming services: North America Canada – Flosports, RDS 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 Angola, Burundi, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Cape Verde, Cote d'lvoire, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial, Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mayotte, Mozambique, Mali, Mauritania, Namibia, Nigeria, Niger, Reunion, Rwanda, South Africa, Eswatini, São Tome and Principe, St Helena and Ascension, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Seychelles, Socotra, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zimbabwe, and Zambia - Supersport All African territories – MTBWS TV Europe Andorra – HBO Max, Eurosport 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, L’Equipe (Only Elite DHI and XCO races 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 XCC and XCO races live) Türkiye – HBO Max, Eurosport United Kingdom – discovery+, TNT Sports All other European territories – MTBWS TV RIDERS TO WATCH In Downhill, just 72 points separate Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity) and Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) in the overall, and whoever comes out on top has a good chance of securing the title. It’s advantage Super Bruni in terms of points and experience, but the Canadian closed the gap on the Frenchman with a higher finish in Lake Placid Olympic Region (fourth vs sixth), has home advantage, and has a 100% record at Mont-Sainte-Anne as an elite rider – winning his last race at the venue at the end of 2023. Even if Goldstone wins on Sunday, Bruni can still be a heartbreaker and deny the 21-year-old a debut title by finishing on the podium to claim his fifth overall title. The showdown also has the chance to be the closest overall title battle in history, which is currently 2010 when Gee Atheron beat Greg Minnaar by just seven points. In terms of recent form, Luke Meier-Smith (Giant Factory Off-Road Team - DH) will be targeting a follow up to his first-ever UCI World Cup win last Saturday, Luca Shaw (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) recovered from a two-second deficit at intermediate split two to finish runner-up just 0.7 seconds back on Meier-Smith, Henri Kiefer (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) has recorded back-to-back podiums at the last two rounds, and Bike Kingdom-Lenzerheide (Switzerland) winner Amaury Pierron (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) appeared to be onto a flyer on Whiteface Mountain before a mistake in the second sector cost him a shot at back-to-back wins. Shaw, Pierron and Loris Vergier (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) are all in the running for third in the series, too. The women’s overall might have been decided in Lake Placid Olympic Region, but there’s still plenty at stake. Valentina Höll (YT Mob) recorded the first perfect weekend of 2025 in the women’s field to clinch her fourth series. The Austrian will be looking to add UCI World Cup win number 13 to her collection in Mont-Sainte-Anne and sign off a turbulent year in style. Her closest rival in the rankings, Gracey Hemstreet (Norco Race Division), will be looking to bounce back in front of a home crowd after a poor showing south of the US-Canada border, while Tahnée Seagrave (Orbea/FMD Racing) can leapfrog the 20-year-old in the standings if results go her way.  Myriam Nicole (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) is another rider to look out for. The Frenchwoman was best of the rest in Lake Placid Olympic Region and has been unfortunate with some big crashes in qualifying and finals this year, but the 35-year-old clearly has good race pace as she searches for her first win of the year. Either side of the Downhill action is the Friday’s XCC and Sunday’s XCO, with both of the women’s series still to be decided. Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing-Pirelli) is in control of the short track series, but both Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon) and Jenny Rissveds (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) can overhaul the Brit if results go their way. All three have been in scintillating form of late, so expect them to go tyre-to-tyre until the finish line in Mont-Sainte-Anne.  Rissveds will also be a favourite in Sunday’s Women Elite UCI XCO World Cup – the Swede winning four of her last five Olympic-distance races, including the UCI XCO World Championship and last Sunday’s final in New York state. But the 31-year-old has most probably left it too late to catch Samara Maxwell (Decathlon Ford Factory Racing) in the overall series – the New Zealander’s 183-point advantage almost unassailable unless disaster strikes. Maxwell herself is also a favourite to record her third UCI XCO World Cup win of 2025, while Richards and Keller are likely to contend for the podium places. Christopher Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing), meanwhile, wrapped up both the men’s XCO and XCC overall titles last weekend with two sprint victories over teammate Adrien Boichis (Specialized Factory Racing). The American can afford to take it easy north of the border, but few would bet against him attempting a fourth XCO-XCC double of the series. Boichis will also be in the frame in Mont-Sainte-Anne, while Victor Koretzky (Specialized Factory Racing) and Martin Vidaurre Kossmann (Specialized Factory Racing) are currently sitting in second place in the XCC and XCO standings, respectively. Looking to spoil Specialized’s party, though, is Luca Martin (Cannondale Factory Racing) who able to contest for the first runner-up in both series. The Frenchman hasn’t hit the same heights as in Pal Arinsal (Andorra) and Les Gets, Haute-Savoie (France) after being forced to miss the UCI MTB World Championships with Covid, but an eighth-place finish on Sunday shows he’s heading in the right direction.  Racing gets underway on Friday, October 10 in Mont-Sainte-Anne. Full schedule and event details are available HERE.  

The legendary Canadian bike park welcomes Endurance and Gravity athletes for a record 30th UCI World Cup, and with titles still on the line in Cross-country and Downhill, fans can expect a nail-biting conclusion to the 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series on the slopes of Mont-Sainte-Anne (Canada), presented by Events.com.  The dust hasn’t even settled after an attritional and fast-paced Lake Placid Olympic Region, New York (USA) race weekend, but the best mountain bikers on the planet are gearing up to do it all again north of the border. And with three out of six series titles still yet to be decided –Christopher Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing) clinching the Men’s Cross-country Olympic (XCO) and Cross-country Short Track (XCC), and Valentina Höll (YT Mob) defending her Downhill overall title last time out – expect the racing to be bar-to-bar from the off.  The venue – Mont-Sainte-Anne’s world-famous bike park, with more than 165km of trails and runs for all disciplines from Cross-country Olympic (XCO), Downhill (DHI) and freeride – is a fitting location for the season finale too. The Laurentian Mountains spot will be hosting its 30th UCI World Cup since it made its debut in 1991, and it has also held the UCI World Championship three times – 1998, 2010 and 2019 – in that period. BRUNI V GOLDSTONE GOES TO THE WIRE, WHILE HEMSTREET AND SEAGRAVE BATTLE IT OUT FOR SECOND PLACE After nine rounds of racing, Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity) and Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) can only be separated by 72 points. While Goldstone has more wins to his name – four consecutive, record-equaling victories – and clinched the UCI Downhill World Championship too, it’s Bruni who is in the driving seat. The Frenchman has been here before, having won the overall series four times, including 2023 and 2024. But unlike last year, Super Bruni still has a lot to do to be sure of completing a hat-trick of consecutive titles. The 31-year-old has experience on his side and needs to finish on the podium if Goldstone wins to guarantee the overall, but the Canadian will be racing on home soil and will benefit from the boost of a partisan crowd. The 21-year-old will also have fond memories of the last time he raced at Mont-Sainte-Anne, when he won in his first Elite season in 2023. He also took a Junior UCI World Cup win at the venue in 2022. After being forced to sit out most of 2024 with an injury, it would be a Hollywood ending for the Santa Cruz Syndicate rider. Elsewhere, the fight for third is between Luca Shaw (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team), Loris Vergier (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) and Amaury Pierron (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction), while Lake Placid Olympic Region victor Luke Meier-Smith (Giant Factory Off-Road Team - DH) will be extra buoyed after his debut UCI World Cup win last weekend. The other Downhill winner on Whiteface Mountain was Vali Höll (YT Mob). The Austrian had a perfect weekend, winning Q1 and finals to score maximum points and seal her fourth overall series, and third in a row. The 23-year-old’s victory also broke a UCI World Cup winless streak that stretched back to June 2024, although she has been remarkably consistent this campaign – Lake Placid Olympic Region her eighth consecutive podium. Her main title rival, Gracey Hemstreet (Norco Race Division) had a weekend to forget and was forced into Q2 before placing 10th in finals. But the 20-year-old Canadian will have to dust herself down and go again in Mont-Sainte-Anne if she’s to hold on to second place in the series. Tahnée Seagrave (Orbea/FMD Racing) is only 123 points behind and will be keen to cap off a strong first season with new outfit Orbea/FMD Racing. WOMEN'S TITLES GO DOWN TO THE WIRE IN CROSS-COUNTRY FORMATS There are titles to be decided on all three days of the UCI World Cup in Mont-Sainte-Anne, with it still all to play for in the women’s XCO and XCC contests. On Friday, all eyes will be on Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing-Pirelli) and whether she can hold off Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon) and Jenny Rissveds (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) to take her first UCI XCC World Cup overall series. The Brit has a 150- and 160-point lead over her respective competitors and lines up in Canada in great form – finishing second behind Rissveds in her last two UCI XCC World Cups after a mid-season wobble that threatened to let Keller in. She can afford to finish eighth on Friday, but Keller and Rissveds will be ready to pounce if Richards does make a mistake. Of the two, it’s Rissveds who appears to be the most likely – the Swede is in the form of her life and coming off the back of her second XCO-XCC double of the season in Lake Placid Olympic Region. The Canyon CLLCTV XCO rider is also in contention for the XCO overall in Sunday’s final, but would require Samara Maxwell (Decathlon Ford Racing Team) to effectively DNF to have a serious shot at the title. The New Zealander has a 183-point advantage over Rissveds and could even tie up her and her country’s first-ever UCI World Cup overall title if she wins Friday’s XCC and Rissveds finishes 31st. The most likely scenario is that the overall won’t be decided until Sunday, and with Maxwell only finishing off the podium once this series – when she finished fifth in Bike Kingdom - Lenzerheide (Switzerland) – the 23-year-old already has one hand on the trophy. In the men’s field, Christopher Blevins will be able to enjoy a victory procession in Mont-Sainte-Anne in his red series leader jersey and number one plate – the American tying up both overall series in style on home soil in Lake Placid Olympic Region by doing his third XCO-XCC double of the series. The 27-year-old had dominated the early stages of the season, but appeared to be grinding his way to the titles after disappointing results in Pal Arinsal (Andorra), Les Gets, Haute-Savoie (France) and Bike Kingdom - Lenzerheide. Class is permanent, though, and Blevins answered his critics by dominating on the fast and frenetic Mt Van Hoevenberg course. Although top spot is settled, second place is still the play for in both series, with Blevins’ teammates currently occupying the runners-up rankings. In XCC, Victor Koretzky (Specialized Factory Racing) has a narrow, 36-point advantage over Luca Martin (Cannondale Factory Racing), while Charlie Aldridge (Cannondale Factory Racing) is 99 points back in fourth. The UCI XCC World Champion had a disappointing race in Lake Placid Olympic Region, crashing on the unforgiving rock garden before getting caught up behind another incident to finish 31st. The Cannondale Factory Racing duo will sense their opportunity, but will need the Frenchman to have another bad day at the office to have the best chance. In the XCO standings, Martin is again the underdog and sits 74 points in arrears of Martin Vidaurre Kossmann (Specialized Factory Racing). The Chilean had the edge over the Frenchman last Sunday, finishing fourth to his eighth, and the Cannondale Factory Racing rider will need to secure his second-ever UCI XCO World Cup win to give himself the best chance at second in the standings. Racing gets underway in Mont-Sainte-Anne on Friday, October 10 with the Men U23 and Women U23 UCI XCC World Cup. Full schedule and event details are available here.