The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) Sports can confirm that eight wildcard teams have been selected for the fifth Downhill round of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series that will take place in La Thuile, Valle d’Aosta (Italy) on July 3-6.
Four of the teams will be making their fifth appearance in this year’s Series, while there are returns for several other squads. All eight outfits are crammed full of up-and-coming talent, while there are also established names such as five-time UCI Downhill World Cup overall champion Aaron Gwin (Gwin Racing) and UCI Downhill World Cup winner Thibaut Daprela (Rogue Racing – SR Suntour).
After three rounds, Daprela is the best-performing wildcard rider – the 24-year-old Frenchman recording two top-10 finishes to find himself 9th in the overall standings. He will be aiming to continue his strong form in Italy, while his team will also consider La Thuile – Valle d’Aosta as something of a home race – the Italian squad also featuring a strong line-up of local riders, including Davide Palazzari, Lorenzo Mascherini and Davide Cappello. With a partizan Italian crowd lining the venue’s brand-new downhill course, there will be extra motivation for the Rogue Racing – SR Suntour athletes as they take to the trail. And with the track continuing to evolve through training and qualifying, don’t be surprised if a wildcard rider makes it onto the podium for the first time this season.
The eight wildcard teams for round 10 of the 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series in La Thuile – Valle d’Aosta are:
- Gwin Racing
- Rogue Racing – SR Suntour
- Goodman Santacruz
- Team High Country
- Kenda NS Bikes UR Team
- YT Racing Development
- The Alliance
- Future Frameworks
