Rudeau pulls off comeback win while Hoskins survives scare to triumph in UCI Enduro World Cup Finale

Jesse Melamed (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) is in the perfect position to win the final round of the men’s Elite UCI Enduro (EDR) World Cup after day one in Morillon, Haute-Savoie (France) and clinch second overall in the standings, while Simona Kuchynková (CUBE Action Team) and Elly Hoskin are the women Elite celebrating at the halfway stage in the finale.  BRACE OF STAGE WINS PUTS MELAMED IN THE DRIVING SEAT After a couple of gloomy training days, the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series returned from its six-week hiatus to glorious sunshine in the French Alps, and Melamed was the shining star of the show on the trails.  With overall winner Sławomir Łukasik (Yeti/FOX Factory Race Team) present in Morillon, Haute-Savoie (unlike women’s champion Ella Connolly) Melamed showed the Pole won’t have things all his own way at the UCI Enduro World Championships event next weekend by winning the opening two stages and leading by five seconds at the end of day one. In a straight winner-takes-all shootout with Charles Murray (Specialized Gravity) for second place in the overall standings, Melamed was over 20 seconds ahead of his rival by the finish line on stage four with the Kiwi only finishing inside the top eight on one stage. Gregory Callaghan and Tommaso Calonaci were surprise victors on Dre dans l’pentu and Paddock Express respectively to round out a Saturday that leaves Alex Rudeau as Melamed’s closest challenger. HOSKIN RULES THE ROOST ON RIVETING SATURDAY Hoskin announced herself to the pro ranks by cutting through mud and slush to take her maiden UCI Enduro World Cup victory in Bielsko-Biała (Poland) earlier this season and though the conditions couldn’t have been more different in France, the Canadian surged back to the front of the pack. Third on a tight opening stage, Hoskin laid down her marker at the next opportunity on La Char by conquering an unpredictable and slick clay surface as only Raphaela Richter could get within 10 seconds, and the 20-year-old backed that up with second win of the day on stage three. That was much closer as only a second separated Hoskin and revelation Delia Da Mocogno (YT Racing Development) who’s yet to finish on an Elite UCI Enduro World Cup round podium but will start Sunday in second after winning stage four. Kuchynkova described her day as “3.6, not great not terrible” but she arrived in France knowing only a Chernobyl-scale meltdown could prevent the 2024 U21 World Cup winner from taking second place overall in her first season of Elite racing. The Slovakian ended the day in fourth, nine seconds ahead of her only overall rival Nadine Ellecosta (Abetone Ancillotti Vittoria Factory Team). SURPRISE PACKAGES SHINE IN UNPREDICTABLE JUNIORS Like in the women’s Elite competition, with the men’s junior title being wrapped up ahead of the finale, new faces pushed themselves to the fore as Hugo Marti Montessinos led the rest of the field - including champion Melvin Almueis by almost six seconds - at the close of play. Cooper Millwood also starred with two stage wins but started off very slowly so has over nine seconds to make up.  And Elise Porta (Lapierre Gravity Collective) was the junior woman to beat, finishing the day a giant two minutes ahead of Chloe Bear (Yeti/FOX Factory Race Team) on debut in the competition. That capped a successful return to WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series racing that also saw 192 riders enter the Open EDR and Open E-EDR competitions that took on four stages ridden by the pros. Tristan Borel took a nailbiting 0.3-second victory in the men’s Open Enduro category while Sarah Chamaillard was the women’s champion and Ludovic Erima and Alejandra López Sánchez triumphed in the Masters. Meanwhile Maks Struna was the man to beat in a very competitive junior field and Paul Renaudin and Christine Soprano celebrated electrified wins. The action resumes tomorrow with the Elite and junior riders taking on five more stages that offer a more gruelling challenge and feature some tough uphill slogs, compared to the fast-paced races to the bottom of day one.

After a six-week summer break, the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series returns with its first finale of the 2025 season. And while both the men’s and women’s UCI Enduro World Cup overall titles were wrapped up at the last round in La Thuile – Valle D’Aosta (Italy), there’s still plenty on the line in Morillon, Haute-Savoie (France). The French venue is not only a new addition to the UCI Enduro World Cup, but with only Enduro on the cards, riders and fans will get to enjoy two back-to-back days of racing. NEW TESTS AND OLD FAVOURITES While Haute-Savoie in the east of France has been a staple of Cross-country and Downhill for decades, the town of Morillon presents a new test for the stars of Enduro. The French Alps spot unveiled a brand new Enduro Bike Park last year, and the world’s best riders will now be put through their paces on the venue’s pine-lined trails. Home to challenging trails, natural features, fast flows and plenty of roots, and with the mountains of the Grand Massif as a backdrop, it’s already a classic in the making. For the UCI Enduro World Cup, athletes will take on nine stages during an 81.6km course featuring 4,778m of descent and 4,871m of pedal ascent. The first four stages take place on day one, and are all downhill-only affairs with the opener Reverse River (3.0km with 530m descent) sure to create some big splits in the field from the off. The second day, meanwhile, includes another five favourites from the region, with the penultimate stage Grand Cret (3.8km with 660m descent) the longest of the whole race. Riders will be familiar with the final stage though, with Paddock Express (2.6km with 410m descent) concluding both days’ racing. ALL EYES ON BATTLE FOR SECOND The 2025 UCI Enduro World Cup has been dominated by two riders – Sławomir Łukasik (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) and Brit Ella Conolly – and the pair built unassailable leads in the overall series to clinch the first titles in La Thuile – Valle D’Aosta (Italy). Łukasik will be on the start line in Morillon, Haute-Savoie using the final round as a springboard into the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships Enduro event in Aletsch Arena/Bellwald, Valais (Switzerland) on September 1, where he’ll chase a rare UCI World Cup–UCI World Championships double. Conolly, opting to sit out the final round, is expected to be focusing fully on her preparations for the rainbow jersey race, taking the time to rest and recover as she also eyes the opportunity to complete the prestigious double. With form and momentum on the line, expect Łukasik to keep the intensity high in Morillon. While the titles might have been decided, there’s still all to play for to finish best of the rest in both the men’s and women’s series. In the men’s field, five riders can still mathematically clinch second spot, although the most likely are Kiwi Charles Murray (Specialized Gravity) and Canadian Jesse Melamed (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) – Murray leading Melamed by just 20 points. The contest is set to come down to the wire with the Canadian needing to beat the New Zealander to be in with a chance of leapfrogging him – something he has managed at four of the five races he’s started in 2025. Elsewhere, two-time UCI Enduro World Cup round winner Daniel Booker, William Brodie and Greg Callaghan have outside shots at second-place, but require a lot of different permutations to go their way to fly up the overall standings. In the women’s field, there are three riders in contention to finish runner up to Conolly, but Simona Kuchyňková (Cube Action Team) is firmly in the driving seat. If the Slovakian slips, Nadine Ellecosta (Abetone Ancillotti Vittoria Factory Team) is waiting in the wings to pounce, although needs to win and for Kuchyňková to finish eighth to steal second spot. Morgane Charre (Pivot Factory Racing) will no longer be able to challenge due to injury.  HOW TO WATCH Race content will be available across the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series’ official platforms, including the YouTube channel, website, and social media profiles. Fans can catch up with the action from Morillon, Haute-Savoie with: A course preview featuring the route and its key sections Practice day and race day video highlights Key race moments on social media Real-time race updates via live timing on the official website There are dedicated viewing areas for spectators, along with entertainment and evening events open to everyone. The top 10 men’s and women’s riders will be officially presented on Friday at 5:30 pm, setting the tone for an exciting weekend of racing. Racing gets underway in Morillon, Haute-Savoie on Saturday – full schedule and event details are available here.

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.