When it comes to Cross-country mountain bike racing, there are few riders who can lay claim to breaking as much ground as Holland’s Bart Brentjens. The Dutch superstar was the sports first ever Olympic gold medal winner at the Atlanta games in 1996. In the latest video as we continue our build-up to the opening rounds of the 2023 UCI Mountain Bike Cross-country World Cup we caught up with Bart at home to relive that historic day and to look forward to the season ahead. Bart Brentjens will be taking up the position of expert commentator across all of the Endurance side of the UCI Mountain Bike World Series live broadcasts this season which kick off next weekend. The first rounds of the UCI Cross-country Short Track, Cross-country Marathon and Cross-country Olympic World Cups will take place at the iconic Nové Město na Moravě in the Czech Republic. Find out where to watch here. The venue has hosted some historic battles over the years and there’s now a way for you to be on the start line! Thanks to Open Racing you now have the opportunity to test yourself and your bike to the limit at the Marathon of Nové Město na Moravě. Find out more about Open Racing here.
UCI Mountain Bike World Cups coverage totals 135 hours of racing broadcast All coverage available globally on GCN+ Coverage also available on Eurosport and discovery+ U23 Cross-country Olympic and Junior Downhill racing to be broadcast for the first time and will be free to watch New Elite Downhill semi-finals broadcast for free All-new presentation team revealed Full where to watch information here. The UCI Mountain Bike World Series is excited to reveal that there are more ways to watch the UCI Mountain Bike World Cups than ever before. Fans will be treated to a completely new way of enjoying live broadcasts this season, as the sport ushers in a new era of coverage of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cups in cross-country Olympic, cross-country short track, cross-country marathon and downhill. Warner Bros. Discovery will harness the breadth of its network throughout the year to grow the sport and ensure the widest possible audiences are reached. Live broadcasts of the downhill, cross-country Olympic and cross-country short track elite finals and coverage of all major races from each of the 13 race weekends will be available globally on GCN+*. GCN+ can be accessed worldwide through a monthly or annual subscription. Racing coverage and content is available live and on demand via the GCN App, all web browsers, Amazon FireTV, Samsung Smart TV, AndroidTV, Chromecast, Apple AirPlay and Apple TV. As well as broadening the reach of the series, Warner Bros. Discovery will revolutionise the way mountain biking is watched by fans across the globe. With over 20 cameras on course, supplemented by three camera drones, the mountain-biking viewer experience will be completely transformed at each event – offering fans entirely different angles from each venue and ensuring every major moment is captured in every single race - a first for the sport. And it’s not just the elite finals that will enjoy coverage this season, with free to air live streams of the U23 cross-country races as well as the Junior and semi-final downhill races on the UCI Mountain Bike World Series YouTube channel, GCN+, Eurosport, discovery+ and GMBN Racing. Meanwhile, cross-country marathon and enduro will enjoy race day highlights shows hosted on the UCI Mountain Bike World Series Youtube channel, alongside in-depth bike checks, course previews and exclusive behind the scenes content. Fronting the new coverage will be a new talent team headed up by Kate Mason, who will anchor each of the UCI Mountain Bike World Series events broadcast on Warner Bros. Discovery platforms, starting with the first round of the 2023 UCI Cross-country World Cups from Nové Město na Moravě in May. Mason will be joined by legendary racer Cedric Gracia as an expert commentator in downhill, while titan of the sport Bart Brentjens will fulfil the same role for cross-country. They’ll be joined by reporters Josh Carlson and Hayley Edmonds, with Ric McLaughlin completing the team as lead commentator. Cedric Gracia, visiting the Cube studio in London for the cycling season launch event, said: I am extremely excited, of course. We are going to add new technology into this beautiful sport, drones following races, incredible views, put your seatbelt on because it’s going to be flat-out. The UCI Mountain Bike World Series kicked off last week with a double header UCI Enduro World Cup in Tasmania, and roars back into life in the Czech Republic on (11-14 May) with the UCI Cross-country World Cup in Nové Město na Moravě, whilst the UCI Downhill World Cup live coverage starts its season in Lenzerheide, Switzerland (8-11 June). The full UCI Mountain Bike World Series race calendar is available here. More information about GCN+ is available here. *Coverage of the Cross-country Olympic, Cross-country Short Track and UCI Downhill World Cups will be available globally on GCN+, and will also be shown on Eurosport and discovery+. The UCI Cross-country Marathon and Enduro World Cups will benefit from in-depth highlights and behind the scenes coverage on the UCI Mountain Bike World Series YouTube Channel as well as GCN+.
When it comes to competing in the UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup, few riders can match the breadth of experience of Florent Payet (Scott DH Factory). The unmissable lofty frame of the rider from the Reunion Islands has been amongst the world’s fastest for nearly two decades. Sadly, the race in Val di Sole last year was to be Flo’s last top flight Downhill race. Over the course of the year, Payet has climbed as high as third at the UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Championships at the same track in 2016. He has also been a European Continental Champion and taken multiple Coupe de France VTT wins along the way too. Mainly though, Flo is known and respected for an imperiously smooth riding style and technical skills up there with the very best. He was on hand for Scott DH Factory team at the recent Lourdes Pre-season Downhill Testing session in Lourdes so we are hopeful that he’ll still be on hand at the races to lend some wise words to the young racers who may be metaphorically and physically looking up to him. Don’t forget to find out how you can watch all the action from the opening round of the UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup in Lenzerheide 08-11 June.
Featuring eight days of racing and a total distance of over 600 km, and 15,000m of climbing, the Untamed Cape Epic styles itself as the toughest mountain bike stage race in the world. It is approached with respect and trepidation, even by names as big as Nino Schurter. The 10 time UCI Cross-country OIympic World Champion was paired up with his Scott SRAM MTB Racing stablemate, Andri Frischknecht for the 2023 running of the race which featured one of the fiercest seven days of racing imaginable. For Frischknecht, the son of Cross-country legend Thomas, it was his first time being paired with the rider whom many still view as the GOAT. The race, which began in Somerset West, went down to the final of seven stages finishing in Val de Vie Estate in Paarl and saw the Swiss pairing finish third in the overall. They were behind Georg Egger and Lukas Baum (Orbea X Leatt X Speed Company) who were themselves second to the winners Matthew Beers and Christopher Blevins (Toyota-Specialized-NinetyOne). Kim le Court and Vera Looser (Efficient Infiniti Insure) won the women’s overall. The film tells the story of just how tough the week under the hot South African sun really is and just how it can humble and reward in equal measures. Fancy a go at some Cross-country Marathon (XCM) racing? There are a limited number of entries left open for the Marathon of Finale Outdoor Region in Italy 02-04 June. The area has hosted high profile enduro and cross-country events for over 20 years, and it’s little wonder, as the region has hundreds of trails with a wide variety of environments and terrains, from the mountains to the sea. Find out how you can book your place on the start line, HERE.
The 2023 Oceania Continental Champs took place in Toowoomba at the weekend and promptly made some international headlines as some big names came to the fore and brought with them some bigger questions. The elite women’s title was won by Lia Ladbrook who clocked a 03:18.89, a second clear of Cassie Voysey in second. Ellie Smith was third. Ladbrook had already started her Gravity season strongly with fifth and third place finishes at the opening Enduro rounds in Tasmania. It was the elite men’s race however that really pricked the attention of international race fans. The fastest racer across the line was Richie Rude. The American currently leads the UCI Mountain Bike Enduro World Cup Series and had already set tongues wagging earlier this year by mooting a potential return to Downhill racing during the second half of the season. Riding a prototype, all black Yeti Cycles race machine and entered under the team ‘Jerrys Mad horses’, Rude broke the beam with a 02:50.79, the fastest time of the weekend. Toowoomba is the backyard of Rude’s longtime Yeti Cycles teammate and mentor, Jared Graves, himself an Enduro World Series champ. As an American however the title would go to the highest placed Oceania native who was none other than one Sam Hill (Nukeproof SRAM). Hill, a living legend of the sport, has five UCI World Championship titles to his name alongside two UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup crowns and three Enduro World Series overall titles. His trademark flat pedal riding style and pioneering approach to line choice galvanised a cult following that remains to this day. Comments sections ignited towards the end of last season when it was rumoured that he would make a return to Downhill for 2023 but that was tempered with a crash that saw him dislocate and fracture his shoulder towards the end of the year. Now though, it would look like Hill, 37, is very much back on the move and taking some big name scalps whilst adding to his substantial palmares. That win will seal Hill’s attendance at the UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Champs in Fort William 4-5 August. Will we see Sam Hill back on a UCI Mountain Bike World Cup podium in 2023? Tune in to round one in Lenzerheide, Switzerland 09-11 June.
For the stars of the Gravity side of the UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup the off-season has been a long one. But the green shoots of spring brought with them the chance to take their fresh race rigs for a gallop down a track which commands respect - Lourdes’ Pic du Jer. The track in the south west of France features a fast, rocky and often widely-taped top section and an even faster lower half peppered with big features. Showers moved in and out of the two-day test session turning the exposed rocks from barely grippy to polished marble within seconds. Santa Cruz Syndicate’s young pinners - Jackson Goldstone and Laurie Greenland are both eyeing up a big season. Greenland is a proven UCI World Cup winner, Goldstone is making the famously tricky leap from Junior to Elite. The Canadian wonderkid has been hamstrung by a ruptured appendix and remains in need of further surgery before R1 in Lenzerheide. Last time out in Lourdes, Commencal MucOff by Riding Addiction’s Amaury Pierron opened his account with a win. He smashed his way to the overall title in 2022, but it was hard fought. Loïc Bruni was the chief fly in his proverbial ointment but the man in his shadow here, his teammate Thibault Daprela, may be backing himself to take up that mantle in 2023. Two living legends survey a slightly changed battlefield. When it comes to downhill racing, Santa Cruz Syndicate’s Steve Peat and Greg Minnaar have been there and won just about everything. For this season the UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup tracks will look slightly different in an effort to help limit their environmental impact. The UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Champion - Loïc Bruni has a top secret new Specialized Gravity race rig being unleashed in anger for the first time here in Lourdes. Although it officially does not exist, it also very much does exist. And it’s very quiet. And it’s very fast. The arms race is back on in downhill this year and Specialized look to have taken an early lead. Jackson Goldstone looked smooth during Saturday’s open practice session until a crash at around the halfway point of the track, just as the rain started, curtailed progress somewhat. The eighth generation of the famous Santa Cruz V10 downhill race rig looks to be in good shape.Lourdes in the wet is a roll of the dice. With no race win up for grabs many opted not to venture out into the rain during the second half of Saturday. Conversely, some did acknowledge the opportunity to test processes amidst the carnage of the grip-free rocks and once dry loam. Christopher Grice has jumped ship from the big rig of Specialized Gravity squad to the development Gen-S set up.Continental Atherton Racing were out in force and relishing the ability to get the train rolling for the first time properly in 2023. Charlie Hatton narrowly missed out on the win at the opening British national round of the year was reunited with Andreas Kolb and second year Junior Dom Platt. This is a big year for FMD Racing’s Phoebe Gale. The 18 year-old is up into the big leagues of Elite for the first time along with habitual sparring partner, Norco Factory Racing’s Gracey Hemstreet. Gale has already singled out Fort William UCI World Championships as her target to get up to speed for and was insistent that she wasn’t putting herself under zero pressure. Gracey Hemstreet took a tumble on the torturously steep wall section on Saturday. The Squamish native was uninjured. In previous iterations the wall offered up fewer line choices, but with a slightly re-worked configuration this line, to the riders left, opened up and rewarded those who opted for the slower entry to more direct angle of attack.Laurie Greenland and many of the amassed pro’s were taking the chance to further dial their race bikes in by running telemetry systems. Data acquisition has shifted from being the preserve of a handful of teams to de rigueur for just about every squad with an eye on the top step. Specialized Gravity are stepping things up (again) this season and Jordan Williams is a big part of that. The young Brit is making the step up to the big leagues this year. He’s already started winning in 2023, is on a custom sized Demo and is seemingly loving life aboard the big red ‘S’. He went fastest in the first timed session of Sunday, by seven seconds. Nina Hoffmann was a big hit with the fans at Saturday evening’s pro signing session. The Santa Cruz Syndicate star became the first German to win a UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup since Regina Steifl’s victory in Mont-Sainte-Anne in 1993 when she took to the top step in Fort William in 2021.
Haute-Savoie in France, a veritable mountain bike mecca, will for the first time ever bring every format of the UCI Mountain Bike World Series together across 10 unbelievable days of racing and events at the UCI Mountain Bike World Series Festival, Haute-Savoie - Châtel, Les Gets, Morzine-Avoriaz. And you can be a part of it. Both the UCI Mountain Bike Cross-country Marathon World Cup and UCI Mountain Bike Enduro World Cup races are Open Racing and available for amateur entries which promise to put you on the same start line, on the same race course as some of the living legends of the sport. Ride, race and enjoy then watch the pro’s do battle on some of the finest terrain on earth. The historic 10-day festival will see the Marathon race play out around the legendary trails in Morzine-Avoriaz whilst the Enduro stages will be anchored around the famously tough and rewarding Châtel. The Haute-Savoie region has hosted no less than six rounds of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in the past, as well as the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships twice in Les Gets, most recently in August last year. However, the 2023 edition will be the first time the Portes du Soleil has brought all the major mountain bike formats together in a single event. A festival atmosphere designed to entertain fans and gather the mountain bike industry into one space is promised throughout, giving racers the ability to not only battle it out between the tapes but also to fully immerse themselves in everything two-wheeled. Entries for the Marathon of Morzine-Avoriaz and the Enduro of Châtel are now open. ENTER HERE.
Fancy taking part in some of the biggest races of the year, on some of the best trails in Europe amongst the biggest names in the sport? Well, now you can with the advent of the UCI Mountain Bike Cross-country Marathon World Cup! Cross-country Marathon (XCM) is one of the oldest mountain bike formats which sees hundreds of riders, pros and amateurs alike, compete on mammoth cross country loops from 100-120km in length. Now, thanks to open racing, there are two all-new ways for amateurs to get involved with the newly revamped format whilst sharing the same amazing tracks with the world’s best. There are two options available in the open race category at the opening round in Nové Město na Moravě in the Czech Republic; 120km - two laps 60km - single lap Both races will feature a mixture of singletrack, fire road and asphalt and promise a tour of some of the stunning areas best trails as well as some technical sections to keep things interesting. The second round takes place in one of Europe’s most iconic mountain bike hotspots; Italy’s Finale Ligure. The Finale Outdoor Region is home to some of the most spell-binding (and occasionally brutal) trails on the continent, the race promises to be one of the most beautiful and challenging of the season. With the Enduro of Finale Outdoor Region and the Marathon of Finale Outdoor Region happening across the same weekend of 2-4 June it promises to be one of the biggest and loudest of the year.To find out more about Open Racing, click HERE.
Tasmania felt like a fittingly beautiful place to kick start a new season of mountain bike racing. Beautiful that is unless you are a race bike. The stages of the opening rounds of the UCI Mountain Bike Enduro World Cup in Maydena Bike Park and Derby were unforgiving. What Maydena packed in in terms of sheer gnarliness, Derby matched with speed and physicality. The big names (just about) rose to the top and some new heroes stole the spotlight. Here’s what we learnt: Yeti are the real deal in 2023 You have to look back as far as 2014 for the last time a top flight enduro saw riders from the same pit win both elite women and elite men’s categories (Tracy Moseley and Justin Leov, Trek Factory Racing). Yeti / Fox Factory Racing added some additional garnish by another of their riders, Slawomir Lukasik, finishing second at round two behind Richie Rude. Unsurprisingly, they took team of the day and now lead all three title races. For Rude in particular, Tassie was a big success. He finished seventh in Maydena, not the start he would have wanted but, crucially, much further up the order than the rest of the ‘big four’ - Melamed, Moir and Maes.Luke Meier-Smith is as good as we all suspected The elder of the the Meier-Smith brothers has enjoyed a stellar career as an U21 and won a lot of races on both his enduro and downhill bikes. But in mountain biking, the move up to Elite is a slow burn. Some of the fastest in the world have struggled for top 20 results in the premier class during their debuts seasons. That was not the case with the young Australian. Freshly signed to Giant Factory Off-Road (alongside brother Remi) and newly crowned Australian DH National Champion, Luke took his debut Elite win at the first ever UCI Mountain Bike Enduro World Cup, writing himself into the history books in the process. The battle was a thriller too between himself and Dan Booker (Nukeproof SRAM). The big question now looms as to which Gravity bike Giant will ask him to concentrate on riding for the rest of the year… Isabeau Courdurier is doing it the hard way. Again. Enduro racing is a battle of nerves. Racers can be fastest on a stage but piecing five or more of them together to win a round and then a championship takes guile and a mastering of the craft. Isabeau Courdurier (Lapierre Zipp Collective) spends her time proving that she’s not only the fastest elite woman in the world but also that she sees the bigger picture perhaps better than anyone else. Visiting UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Champ Vali Höll lighting up the stages in Maydena? Not a problem. Riding through the pain of a horrible practice crash which saw her leg caught in her frame? Not ideal, but the points for fourth place remain just reward for a tough day in the office. And as we saw last time out, Isabeau is the queen of making it all add up at the end of the year… Who will prevail come round three and what will we learn? Find out when we go racing once more in the iconic Finale Outdoor Region at the third round of the UCI Mountain Bike Enduro World Cup 02 - 04 June. Want to go racing in Finale? Find out more about Open Racing, here.
Mountain Bike racing has always been a sport built on amateur participation and now, with the UCI Mountain Bike World Series, there are more ways to pin on a number and give racing a go. Both Cross-country Marathon (XCM) and Enduro (EDR) have been promoted to the big time with full UCI World Cup status. Both will also offer an easy to understand route for amateur racers who want to take on some of the most spectacular and challenging mountain bike race courses. Open Racing does away with the complex maze of categories and breaks them down into two: U21 and Open. What’s more, for those at the sharp end duking it out for the win in enduro, a qualifying spot for a full strength UCI Mountain Bike Enduro World Cup round is up for grabs if you can take to the top step. Fancy racing the world’s best race courses? Open Racing entries will be available at the following venues: XCM Nové Město na Moravě (CZE) 13/05/2023 Finale Ligure (ITA) 04/06/2023 Snowshoe (USA) 28/09/2023 EDR Finale Ligure (ITA) 03/06/2023 Val di Fassa Trentino (ITA) 25/06/2023 Loudenvielle (FRA) 02/09/2023 Les Portes du Soleil (FRA) 16/09/2023 Entries for the Marathon of Nové Město na Moravě and Finale Outdoor Region are available now. Meanwhile, Open Racing for all other rounds of marathon and enduro (except Les Portes Du Soleil) are now open.An entry date for the Marathon of Les Portes du Soleil and the Enduro of Les Portes du Soleil will be announced shortly.
The first UCI Mountain Bike Cross-Country World Cup of the year gets underway next month at the iconic Nové Město na Moravě in the Czech Republic. A huge weekend of racing will kick off the 2023 Cross-country season - and it’s not just the pros that will be getting between the tapes. As well as the fastest riders in the world, amateur racers can test their endurance against the biggest names in the sport in the Marathon of Nové Město na Moravě. Taking place on Saturday, May 13, the Marathon of Nové Město na Moravě is open to anyone who wants to challenge themselves on this world class course. There’s two options available in this open race category; one that features two loops over a gruelling 120km or a single lap across 60km. Both races will feature a mixture of singletrack, fire road and asphalt and promises some incredibly fun terrain, as well as some technical sections to keep things interesting. But the racing doesn’t end when the last rider crosses the Marathon finish line, as the very next day (Saturday, May 14) sees the fastest riders in the world line up for the UCI Mountain Bike Cross-Country Olympic World Cup in the same venue. It’s the ultimate weekend of racing for cross-country fans! Entries for the Marathon of Nové Město na Moravě are available now - for more information and to secure a space on the start line click here.
Since the arrival of international level enduro racing 10 years ago at the very first Enduro World Series race in Punta Ala, Italy battle has raged as to which is harder - downhill or enduro. With many top flight downhillers taking on stage racing and enduro speeds soaring year on year it’s a question which often feels like it is no closer to being answered. Enduro is about racing multiple timed descents linked together across a day’s worth of riding whilst downhill is the classic - fastest from the top to the bottom wins. A downhill racer will know every rock and root on the track, an enduro racer gets just one practice run on each stage so relies much more heavily on cat-like reflexes and constant processing of trail conditions. Each requires nerves of steel and granular preparation. With downhillers such as Luke Meier-Smith, Vali Höll and Conor Fearon scoring highly at the opening UCI Mountain Bike Enduro World Cup in Maydena Bike Park in Tasmania the established enduro brigade counter punched admirably at round two in Derby one week later. It has swung in the opposite direction too - Martin Maes, a dyed-in-the-wool enduro racer, tasted victory at the UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup in La Bresse, France in 2018. With Richie Rude, Isabeau Courdurier and Jack Moir already having mooted a dabble in downhill before the season’s end, will we see the same again in 2023? Stay tuned when we go racing again at the UCI Mountain Bike Enduro World Cup in Finale Outdoor Region, Italy 03 June.
When it comes to entries into the big leagues of the elite level UCI Mountain Bike World Series, anticipation levels don’t come much higher than those swirling around Canada’s Jackson Goldstone and the UK’s Jordan Williams. As Juniors, they lit up timing screens throughout 2022 often going faster than the elite level big guns. Both are set to make their top flight debuts this season, but one has suffered an unplanned setback. Goldstone, Santa Cruz Syndicate’s totemic next-big-thing, posted on his social media accounts that he had been released from a four day hospital stay after suffering a ruptured appendix at the end of last week. The 19 year-old’s pre-season had already been stellar with wins coming at the New Zealand and Australian national championships. Welp. Not ideal… just leaving the hospital after 4 days to finally go home. Ruptured appendix took me out this time. Back to ground 0 on training which is annoying but happy to be outta here! Jackson Goldstone, Santa Cruz Syndicate With the UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup in Lenzerheide not kicking off until 9-11 June, the good news is that the youngster does still have time in hand to get his preparation back on track.
Finale Outdoor Region has long been synonymous with mountain biking - but be prepared to see it in a whole new light this summer. For the first time, the area will host a UCI Cross-country Marathon World Cup, taking place from June 2-4 . The epic 100km course will take in the very best of what the region has to offer; glorious views across the coast, an unparalleled network of world class trails and an experience that transports you from the mountains all the way to the sea. And it won’t just be the pros that get to enjoy this incredible day in the saddle, with amateur riders offered the chance to hit the exact same course as the World Cup racers in the Marathon of Finale Outdoor Region. The single lap course will take in an incredible 3492m of elevation gain, with the route dividing into roughly 45% forest tracks, 33% singletrack and the remaining 22% on tarmac. In fact, that famous Finale singletrack translates into a total of nine descents, which add up to 30 km of trail. The course has been carefully chosen to make sure the trails in question can still be ridden in the wet, but with max temperatures hitting 30 degrees celsius in the Italian Riviera in June, it’s a post race dip in the Ligurian sea that’s most likely to provide any moisture. And with the race headquarters based in the mediaeval village of Finalborgo, spectators and supporters will be able to follow the action from any of the traditional restaurants and bars that line the ancient town square. The Marathon of Finale Outdoor Region takes place on Sunday, June 4 and entries are now open here.
Yeti Fox Racing’s Bex Baraona and Richie Rude took three stages apiece to emerge as victors in Derby, Tasmania at the second round of the UCI Mountain Bike Enduro World Cup.The pair were pushed hard on the granite slabs and boulders of Derby but their consistency and strength set them apart from the rest of the field on a day when riders pedalled every millimetre of a 44km course high up above this former tin-mining town.Rain in the week had left Derby’s trademark slabs muddy, slick and unpredictable and in the women’s race it was the Brits that this seemed to suit best. Harriet Harnden (Trek Factory Racing) took first blood on stage one but Baraona was just two seconds behind with Ella Conolly (Cannondale Enduro Team) in fourth and looking to be on the pace. Richie Rude only dropped below second place on one stage In the end, every stage would see a British one, two with Harnden and Baraona sharing the honours on three occasions. The pair would go into the final stage with less than a second between them and two stage wins apiece. The final stage - Kamma-Gutza - would be decisive though with Baraona grinding out the win on the day’s longest stage and taking the series lead.Scotland’s Conolly would also take a stage and her consistency would be rewarded with third on the day.France’s Isabeau Courdurier (Lapierre Zipp Collective) struggled to match her Maydena-winning pace at round one after suffering a leg injury in a practice crash earlier in the week but she dug deep and did enough for fourth. Morgane Charre (Pivot Factory Racing) was fifth. Harnden went into the final stage less than a second behind Baraona In the men’s race, Yeti/Fox Racing teammates Richie Rude and Slawomir Lukasik traded blows all day in front of a hugely-appreciative crowd. The pair would be one and two in four of the day’s six stages with the US’s Rude only dropping below second place on one stage all day. Only 2022 champ Jesse Melamed (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Enduro Team) managed to wrest a stage from the pair.In the end Rude would drop last and go fastest on the rapidly-drying final stage of the day to take the race win and series lead going into the European rounds in June. Lukasik’s two stage wins were enough for second on the day and Melamed rounded out the podium. YT Mob’s Jack Moir and Orbea Fox Enduro Team’s Martin Maes both improved on their round-one results taking fourth and fifth at Derby. Lukasik won two stages and pushed his Yeti teammate hard In the women’s U21 race it was a clean sweep for Kiwi Erice Van Leuven (Commencal Les Orres) who won all six stages. The second-place finisher at round one finished the day more than a minute and a half up on Canadian Elly Hoskin. Aussie Lia Ladbrook was third.In the men’s U21 race, round-one winner Tasmanian Sascha Kim came out on top again after winning three stages. His compatriot Cooper Lowe was second and France’s Lisandru Bertini (Lapierre Zipp Collective) was third. The UCI Mountain Bike Enduro World Cup heads to Europe for round three, when the world’s best will be back in action in Finale Ligure, Italy (June 02 - 04). Team of the day were Yeti, who also lead the series - full team rankings are hereFull round two UCI Mountain Bike World Cup Enduro results are hereFull series rankings are here
This legendary venue is a rider and fan favourite which twice featured in the Enduro World Series before enduro integrated into the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup. The Derby venue is as famous for its fans as for its incredible trail network. Racing gets underway this Friday, March 31, with an amateur event, the Enduro of Derby, followed by the pro racers getting back between the tapes on Saturday, April 1 to take on six big stages. In the women’s competition, Isabeau Courdurier (Lapierre Zipp Collective) will be looking for more of the same, having finished last week’s race in Maydena the winner by a comfortable nine seconds ahead of second-placed Morgane Charre (Pivot Factory Racing). Also looking for a repeat performance will be Cannondale Enduro Team’s Ella Conolly, who rounded out the Maydena podium in third. Waiting in the wings to disrupt the party will be Valentina Holl, Bex Baraona (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) and Harriet Harnden (Trek Factory Racing Gravity) who all have enduro wins to their names in the last two years. It was an all Australian affair on the podium in the men’s race at round one, with Luke Meier-Smith (Giant Factory Off-Road Team EDR) taking the win on home soil. He’ll start Saturday’s race as the clear favourite, but he’ll have no room to relax with fellow Aussies Dan Booker (Nukeproof SRAM Factory Racing) and Connor Fearon (Forbidden Synthesis Team) on his wheel. Also in the mix will be some of enduro’s biggest names, Richie Rude (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team), Jesse Melamed (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Enduro Team), Jack Moir (YT MOB) and Martin Maes (Orbea Fox Enduro Team). In the U21 Men’s competition it’s homegrown talent that shone brightest last weekend and winner Sascha Kim will start the race with a weight of expectation on his shoulders. Last week’s winner Emmy Lan (Forbidden Synthesis Team) remains the favourite in the U21 Women’s race. To catch all the action from this week’s race in Derby, make sure you subscribe to the UCI Mountain Bike World Series YouTube channel for race day highlights, course previews, bike checks and interviews with the world’s fastest enduro racers. More information including schedules, course maps and entry lists for Derby can be found here.
What a race! The inaugural UCI Enduro World Cup kicked off in spectacular style in Maydena, Tasmania and it was hectic! Close racing, crashes, mechanicals and some new faces on the podium made for one of the most exciting season openers in enduro history.
Isabeau Courdurier (Lapierre Zipp Collective) and Giant Factory Off-Road Team’s Luke Meier-Smith have taken first blood in the inaugural UCI Mountain Bike Enduro World Cup.France’s Courdurier showed the consistency and form that has already landed her two championship titles on the steep, testing trails of Maydena as the 2023 season launched in the Australian state of Tasmania. And Meier-Smith bounced into the all-new UCI Mountain Bike World Series with a win in his first senior race, fighting off strong challenges from a hugely-competitive field that featured the best enduro riders in the world but also stars of downhill dipping their toes into the format.In a historic turning point for enduro racing, after 10 years of the Enduro World Series, the sport has taken the step up to full World Cup status and become one of six disciplines to be integrated into the brand-new UCI Mountain Bike World Series. Luke Meier-Smith would take the win on three stages The tough six-stage race that opened proceedings took place among Tasmania’s stunning eucalyptus trees high above the Derwent Valley and saw riders cover some 54km, climb more than 1,200m and descend nearly 3,000m. Courdurier started the day with a win but she was pushed hard by reigning UCI Downhill World Champion Valentina Höll who would go on to win the next two stages with a text book technical display. Höll though would crash on stage five and lose her momentum, while Courdurier turned the screw taking two more stages.French rider Morgane Charre (Pivot Factory Racing) would end up pushing the 2022 champ hardest with her downhill skills suiting the steep chutes and jumps that characterise the loose Maydena terrain. And a return to her fantastic early-2022 form would leave a resurgent Ella Conolly (Cannondale Enduro Team) in third. Morgan Charre came closest to Isabeau Courdurier In the men’s race, it was a Tasmanian local - Nukeproof SRAM Factory Racing’s Dan Booker who won the first stage but a dominant Meier-Smith - who is reigning Australian downhill champ - was second and would go on to win three stages and never be outside the top four.Booker, though, would also be consistent and never be further back than third on any stage, finishing the day with a second place overall and just five seconds off Meier-Smith’s blistering pace.Another Australian downhill star, Connor Fearon of the Forbidden Synthesis team, would make it a home-nation podium after a day when he just kept getting faster - finishing with two third places on stages five and six.Reigning champ Jesse Melamed (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) would have a day of mixed fortunes appearing to be on the pace but suffering a burped tyre on stage three and then fading towards the end of the race after hitting a tree - eventually finishing in 19th. Tasmania's Dan Booker was never outside the top three The U21 women’s category saw a win for Canada’s Emmy Lan (Forbidden Synthesis Team) who chose the final stage to leapfrog Erice Van Leuven (Commencal Les Orres) after the Kiwi rider had led all day. Canadian Elly Hoskin finished third.The U21 men saw a win for Tasmanian local Sascha Kim who took three stage wins. Giant Factory Off-Road Team’s Remy Meier-Smith was second after also taking three stage wins and Will Hynes in third made it another all-Australian podium.Team of the day were Forbidden Synthesis with Giant Factory Off-Road second and Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team in third. Full team results here The UCI Mountain Bike Enduro World Cup stays in Tasmania for round two, when it returns to the inimitable trails of Derby next weekend, (March 31 - April 1). Full women's results here Full men's results here Full U21 women's results here Full U21 men's results here
Practice is done and the pros are about to line up for the first UCI Mountain Bike Enduro World Cup in Maydena on Sunday. This historic race will be kicking off on Sunday morning, as the fastest enduro athletes in the world take on six burly stages high in the Tasmanian rainforest. We’ll be bringing you all the action from Sunday’s race right here on our website thanks to live timing and the race blog, and keep an eye on our Instagram channel for live updates from the stages. In the meantime, if you’ve missed any of our coverage so far, be sure to check out these videos; Racing kicks off at 09:00 AEDT on Sunday, March 26 (or at 20:00 GMT / 19:00 CET on Saturday, March 25 if you’re in the UK or Europe). To find out the time in your zone click here. And it’s not just the pros who’ve been out on course here in Tasmania - the amateurs had their very own race on Saturday in the form of the Enduro of Maydena. To find out who the up-and-coming stars of Australian enduro are, click here to see the full results. To make sure you don't miss any of the action, be sure to subscribe to the UCI Mountain Bike World Series Youtube channel now!
1 How do I race the UCI Enduro World Cup (EDR) in 2023? Entries for Finale Outdoor Region, Val di Fassa Trentino, Loudenvielle, and Les Portes du Soleil will open in April.Entries are available for riders with the minimum points as well as riders on riders on official UCI teams.Open Racing (which has no pre-qualification requirements) will be offered at all 2023 UCI Enduro World Cup rounds except Leogang (6 races).The amateur Open Races will take place the day in advance of the World Cup race and will feature a selection of the World Cup race stages.You will need to create a Rider Account via our website www.ucimtbworldseries.com/register in order to register.Each racer needs their own individual account linked to a unique email address. There will be six amateur races at six rounds. 2 How do I race e-bikes in the UCI Enduro World Cup in 2023?E-bike will be a category in EDR World Cups / EDR Open Races (rather than a separate race / day) this season. E-EDR World Cup entries will be available for riders on official UCI teams and select wildcards. Open Racing (which has no pre-qualification requirements) will be offered at all 2023 UCI Enduro World Cup rounds except Leogang (6 races). The amateur E-EDR Open Races will take place the day in advance of the World Cup race and will feature a selection of the World Cup race stages. You will need to create a Rider Account via our website www.ucimtbworldseries.com/register in order to register. Each racer needs their own individual account linked to a unique email address. Entries for the first European enduros will open in April 3 I’m a Master - how can I race the UCI Enduro World Cup or E-Enduro this season? Master categories will continue to be available within Open Racing (both EDR and E-EDR). Open Racing (which has no pre-qualification requirements) will be offered at all 2023 UCI EDR World Cup rounds except Leogang (6 races). Any Master racers with the minimum global ranking points can qualify to race in the Elite category at the EDR World Cups. 4 Do I need a UCI licence to race in Open Racing? Licence requirements for the Open Races are established by the national cycling federation in the host nation – so they vary depending on the venue. Riders will have the option to race with day licences. UCI licences are not a requirement unless you wish to collect qualifying points to race the UCI Enduro World Cup. 5 How do I qualify to race the UCI Enduro World Cup? There will be opportunities for racers to qualify for the UCI Enduro World Cups. Golden Tickets (allowing direct entry into the UCI Enduro World Cups for UCI Licence Holders) as well as qualifying points will be on offer at all World Series Qualifier events (which include all 2023 Open Races, as well as all official UCI National Enduro Championships plus select national enduro races registered on the UCI calendar). Details will be available in the 2023 Enduro Rulebook. Each racer needs their own individual account linked to a unique email address 6 How many points do I need to qualify for the UCI Enduro World Cup? Minimum Points to be eligible to race the UCI Enduro World Cup vary depending on the category: Men Elite: 125 points Women Elite: 125 points Men U21: 75 points Women U21: 50 points 7 Do I need an EWS membership to collect points to qualify for the UCI Enduro World Cup? EWS Memberships will no longer be required this season - but any riders trying to collect qualifying points for the UCI Enduro World Cup will need a UCI ID ( licences available through their national cycling federation). For further information, please refer to the 2023 UCI MTB World Series (EDR & E-EDR) Rulebook. Entries for Finale Outdoor Region, Val di Fassa Trentino, Loudenvielle, and Les Portes du Soleil will open in April 2023 8 How long will courses be in 2023? For 2023, the World Cup EDR courses will feature between 4 to 6 race stages. E-EDR World Cup courses will have 2 loops (with 1 battery change).For further queries please contact the Sports Services Team via email sportsservices@eso-sports.com
