Race for second goes to the wire in Morillon, Haute-Savoie

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

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.

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.