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MTB World Series
Article - 30 Aug 24
Short Track
Cross-Country

2024 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships: cross-country short track titles for Richards and Koretzky

The third day of competition at the 2024 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Pal Arinsal, Andorra, saw Elite cross-country short track (XCC) titles go to Evie Richards (Great Britain) and Victor Koretzky (France). The first ever Under-23 XCC UCI World titles went to Isabella Holmgren (Canada) and Riley Amos (USA). Viktoria Chladoňova (Slovakia) and Albert Philipsen (Denmark) are the 2024 Junior World Champions for cross-country Olympic (XCO).

The third day of competition at the 2024 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Pal Arinsal, Andorra, saw Elite cross-country short track (XCC) titles go to Evie Richards (Great Britain) and Victor Koretzky (France). The first ever Under-23 XCC UCI World titles went to Isabella Holmgren (Canada) and Riley Amos (USA). Viktoria Chladoňova (Slovakia) and Albert Philipsen (Denmark) are the 2024 Junior World Champions for cross-country Olympic (XCO).

WOMEN ELITE XCC: RICHARDS TIMES IT TO PERFECTION

Forty-five riders started, including favourites Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (UCI World Champion and Olympic Champion), 2022 silver medalist Alessandra Keller (Switzerland) and 2023 silver medalist Puck Pieterse (Netherlands).

Ferrand-Prévot set the early pace, matched by 2016 XCO Olympic Champion and 2024 Olympic bronze medalist Jenny Rissveds (Sweden). At half distance, last year’s XCC bronze medalist Evie Richards (Great Britain) passed Pieterse for third and caught Rissveds. As the Swede slipped, the Briton caught the Frenchwoman and the two went clear. 

Ferrand-Prévot attacked on the main climb, but Richards stayed close. The British rider timed her sprint perfectly to take the win in 19:46 and add the XCC rainbow jersey to her 2021 XCO rainbow stripes.

Ferrand-Prévot (FRA) finished 1 second behind, and Rissveds took bronze (+0.18). 

I really can’t believe it, I wanted to win so badly.” said Richards. “Honestly when she [Pauline Ferrand-Prévot] stayed on my wheel i thought ‘I don’t know if I can stand it’. So I waited for the sprint and I didn’t know if that would be long enough. I’ve been here at altitude for near three weeks doing 20-second sprints!

MEN ELITE XCC: VICTORY FOR VICTOR

Paris 2024 Olympic XCO silver medalist Victor Koretzky and fellow Frenchman Jordan Sarrou set the early pace amongst the 45 starters with Denmark’s Simon Andreassen and Alan Hatherly (RSA), overall leader of the 2024 UCI XCO World Cup in the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series.

2021 XCC UCI World Champion Chris Blevins (USA) – anchor leg of the successful team relay squad earlier this week – was in the mix, joined at halfway by 2022 and 2023 XCC UCI World Champion Sam Gaze (NZL).

The two Frenchmen stayed out front and Koretzky started attacking on the penultimate lap. Blevins stayed close to them until he was passed by Great Britain’s Charlie Aldridge (2023 XCO U23 UCI World Champion) just before the bell. Sarrou faded but Koretzky had the pace to stay three seconds in front of his chasers to take victory. A three-way sprint for the other medals saw Aldridge take silver, Hatherly bronze and Blevins fourth. Sarrou finished in fifth place, 11 seconds further back.

I’m super happy about this win,” said Koretzky. “I’ve had lots of wins in UCI World Cups, but never the UCI Worlds, I’m so happy to win this jersey finally ! I think my last short track races were super good, I was in the top 5 all season.”

WOMEN U23 XCC: HOLMGREN TWINS ON THE PODIUM!

Some 31 riders from 13 nations took to the start in a bid to become the first ever Women U23 XCC UCI World Champion.

It was one of the pre-race favourites, Canadian Isabella Holmgren, who built a lead over the chasers that included her compatriot Emilly Johnston, and USA’s Madigan Munro. Britain’s Ella Maclean-Howell joined them after half distance and went clear in 2nd on lap 5, while Holmgren’s twin sister Ava hit the group on the penultimate lap. But Isabella never looked like relinquishing the gold medal position, leaving the fight behind her.

Isabella Holmgren (Canada) won in 20:31; Maclean-Howell (+22-sec) second; Ava Holmgren (Canada) third (+26-sec).

MEN U23 XCC: RILEY AMOS LEADS USA 1-2

Chasing the first Men U23 XCC rainbow jersey were 48 starters, including favourites Riley Amos and Bjorn Riley (both USA).

RSA’s Luke Moir set the early pace with Dario Lillo (Switzerland), Tobias Lillelund (Denmark), Cole Punchard (Canada) and the two Americans looking dangerous as a lead group formed. With Brayden Johnson (USA) and Owen Clark (Canada) in the mix, the race developed a distinctively North American feel.

Lillo suffered a mechanical, leaving the Dane to lead through the final lap. But right at the end, the two Americans took charge, with Amos winning the sprint against his countryman Riley, leaving Lillelund to take the bronze and the Swiss rider to fight bravely for fourth. 

WOMEN JUNIOR XCO: SLOVAKIA’S CHLADOŇOVA WINS IN STYLE

Of the 57 riders who took to the start line, it was the 17-year-old Slovakian Viktoria Chladoňova who soon stretched out a lead over Slovenian Maruša Tereza Šerkezi. She had Canada’s Rafaelle Carrier for company before the Canadian made 2nd her own as Chladoňova managed the gap out front.  Chladoňova won in 1:01:24; second Carrier (+0:36) and third, Šerkezi (+1:31).

MEN JUNIOR XCO: DENMARK’S PHILIPSEN RETAINS HIS TITLE

From a field of 84, 17-year-old defending UCI World Champion Albert Philipsen went out fastest, followed by his fellow Dane Nikolaj Hougs, who led a group including two Spaniards – Alejandro García Vázquez and Hugo Franco Gallego - and two Nicholases: Konecny of the USA and Kalanquin of France.

Philipsen steadily stretched his lead to almost 2 minutes, leaving the others to fight for the other podium spots. Philipsen won 1:01:59; second Gallego (+1:55); third Hougs (+1:56). 

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Article
28 Aug 25
Les Gets, Haute-Savoie: When is it? Who is Riding? How and Where to Watch?
Short Track
Cross-Country
Downhill

After an Enduro series finale in Morillon, Haute-Savoie, the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series stays in the French Alps with the UCI Cross-country and Downhill World Cups taking to the nearby trails of Les Gets, Haute-Savoie. We look at everything you need to know about the Les Gets, Haute-Savoie round of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series, including when the Cross-county Short Track (XCC), Cross-country Olympic (XCO) 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 Les Gets, Haute-Savoie (France) starts with the Women Under 23 Cross-country Short Track at 09:45 (UTC+2) on Friday, August 29 and concludes with the Men Elite UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup at 15:00 (UTC+2) on Sunday, August 31. Below are the key timings for race weekend. All times are UTC+2 (EST+6/BST+1/CEST): Friday, August 29 09:45 – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Women U23 10:35 – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Men U23 18:00 – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Women Elite 18:40 – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Men Elite 12:45 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification 1 Women Elite 13:15 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification 1 Men Elite 14:25 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification Women Junior 14:50 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification Men Junior 15:45 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification 2 Women Elite 16:10 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification 2 Men Elite Saturday, August 30 10:50 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Finals Women Junior 11:15 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Finals Men Junior 12:10 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Finals Women Elite 13:10 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Finals Men Elite        Sunday, August 31 09:00 – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup | Women U23 11:00 – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup | Men U23 13:00 – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup | Women Elite 15:00 – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup | Men Elite WHERE CAN I WATCH? There will be several ways to watch the action unfold at the last French rounds of the 2025 season.   The UCI Downhill World Cup Qualification day can be followed on live timing and across social media. For the seventh UCI Cross-country Olympic, Cross-country Short Track and Downhill World Cups of the season, you can watch the finals live anywhere in the world. Both the Men Junior and Women Junior UCI Downhill World Cup 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 USA – HBO Max South & Central America All Central and South American territories – MTBWS TV Caribbean – Rushsports 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 All African territories – MTBWS TV Europe Andorra – HBO Max, Eurosport, ATV Austria – discovery+, Eurosport Belgium – HBO Max, Eurosport, LN24 (Only Elite XCO races live) 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 and La Chaine L’Equipe (only Elite XCC 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 XCO and XCC races live online) Türkiye – HBO Max, Eurosport United Kingdom – discovery+, TNT Sports All other European territories – MTBWS TV RIDERS TO WATCH In Downhill, all eyes are on the battle between Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) and Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity). The pair have shared the spoils so far this season – Goldstone leading Bruni four wins to two – but the Frenchman’s victory in Pal Arinsal (Andorra) last time out brought an end to the Canadian’s record winning streak. With four rounds remaining in the series, every point and place takes on even greater importance in the title race. Whatever happens, it’s likely to be an all-French affair with the last non-native to win at Les Gets, Haute-Savoie, Steve Peat back in 2002. Amaury Pierron (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction), Thibaut Daprela (Rogue Racing - SR Suntour), Bruni and Benoît Coulanges (Scott Downhill Factory) have all won at the venue since it rejoined the UCI Downhill World Cup circuit in 2019, and are all in with a shot during Saturday’s finale. While the home riders haven’t been as dominant in the women’s field, expect Marine Cabirou (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) and Myriam Nicole (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) to give the partisan crowd something to cheer about. Elsewhere, series leader Valentina Höll’s (YT Mob) search for a win continues but with four second-places this year it’s only a matter of time for the Austrian, while Tahnée Seagrave (Orbea/FMD Racing) and Gracey Hemstreet (Norco Race Division) look the most likely to challenge the reigning UCI Downhill World Champion for top spot. Either side of the Downhill action is the Friday’s XCC and Sunday’s XCO, with both series getting interesting as they near their conclusion. Previously, it was hard to look beyond Christopher Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing) and Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck) in the XCC, but both riders’ winning streaks came to an end at altitude in Pal Arinsal. While the pair will be aiming to bounce back, they’ve shown that they’re not infallible. In the men’s field, Luca Martin (Cannondale Factory Racing) became the only rider to get the better of Blevins all year, and he’ll be fired up to repeat the feat in front of a home crowd. Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon) meanwhile showed that she shouldn’t be overlooked in the overall series, and will be aiming to catch series leader Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing - Pirelli) on a course where she won in 2024. On Sunday, Martin and Blevins will once again be in contention, while the American’s teammate Martin Vidaurre Kossman (Specialized Factory Racing) will be targeting a return to the XCO podium. Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) is another likely to be contesting the win as the Dutchman switches to mountain bike ahead of his tilt at next weekend’s XCO race at the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships. The race will also be Nino Schurter’s (Scott-SRAM MTB Racing Team) penultimate UCI XCO World Cup – the Swiss G.O.A.T announcing that he plans to retire at the next round in Bike Kingdom - Lenzerheide (Switzerland). The 39-year-old has won at Les Gets, Haute-Savoie twice in his storied career, including at the 2022 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships, and few would bet against him making it a fairytale ending with a third this year. In the women’s field, attention falls to a rider at the other end of her career – Samara Maxwell (Decathlon Ford Racing Team). The New Zealander is enjoying her breakthrough year with two wins and four second places so far and appears to be unassailable in the overall series. A result in France would make the title a foregone conclusion. The rider with the best shot at stopping her is Pieterse. The Dutchwoman returns to mountain biking after a quiet Tour de France Femmes by her own standards, and will be hoping to get back to winning ways after a disappointing weekend in Pal Arinsal.  Racing gets underway on Friday, August 29 in Les Gets, Haute-Savoie. Full schedule and event details are available HERE.  

Article
26 Aug 25
WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series 2026 Calendar Unveiled
Short Track
Cross-Country
Downhill
Enduro

The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) Sports confirm the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series calendar for the 2026 season. The fourth year of the revamped format for mountain bike’s different UCI World Cups - launched in 2023 to unite almost all of mountain bike’s major formats under a single brand for the first time - will visit three continents and nine countries across 14 events between May and October and will feature the best athletes in the sport’s Endurance (Cross-country Olympic, XCO and Cross-country Short Track, XCC) and Gravity (Downhill, DHI and Enduro, EDR) formats. The series kicks off with a landmark weekend of Cross-country and Downhill racing at the Race of South Korea in MONA YongPyong – the first-ever Asian UCI XCO and XCC World Cup rounds and first UCI Downhill World Cup round on the continent in 25 years. After this, the action moves to Europe for the summer, with Nové Město Na Moravě (Czechia) welcoming the Endurance formats and Loudenvielle-Peyragudes (France) welcoming the Gravity formats – the UCI Enduro World Cup starting outside of Italy for the first time since 2023. The following weekend sees the first of two XCO/XCC/DHI/EDR quadruple-headers at long-term partner venue Saalfelden-Leogang Salzburgerland (Austria), before riders get a week’s break leading into the start of five back-to-back WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series race weekends. Lenzerheide (Switzerland) and Pal Arinsal (Andorra) welcome both the Cross-country and Downhill contingent, while Val di Fassa - Trentino (Italy) and the 2025 UCI Enduro World Championships venue Aletsch Arena-Bellwald, Valais (Switzerland) are the proving grounds for Enduro. In the middle of the five-week run is La Thuile – Valle d’Aosta (Italy), which hosts the second quadruple header of the series. Cross-country has also been added to the schedule following a successful debut for the venue in 2025 which saw the steepest Downhill track in the series’ history as well as the world’s first Enduro night stage. After a summer break, the European leg of the season concludes with back-to-back race weekends in Haute-Savoie (France) – one Cross-country and Downhill, the other the Enduro finale – before the Series jets off to North America for three rounds and two new venues. The first will see Cross-country contested on the trails of Soldier Hollow, Midway, Utah (USA) – a venue hosted by the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation, home to the USA Olympic biathlon team training centre and a regular on the IBU Biathlon World Cup circuit. With the region preparing to co-host the Olympic Winter Games in 2034, Soldier Hollow brings Olympic pedigree and world-class credentials to the closing stages of the season.   Downhill will then take to its spiritual home in Whistler Mountain Bike Park, British Columbia (Canada), delivering on decades of anticipation with a stage set for unforgettable racing. The iconic venue, which hosted the Olympic Winter Games 15 years ago, will welcome the world’s best downhill riders for a UCI World Cup for the first time. The final weekend will see both the UCI Cross-country and Downhill World Cups decided in Lake Placid Olympic Sites, New York (USA). Chris Ball, Vice President of Cycling Events at Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe, said: “The 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series was always going to be about bedding in the major reforms that we introduced at the start of this year, and the competitiveness and excitement of each format shows that the changes are working. For 2026, we’re doubling down on our successes and pushing the sport even further into new territories. “The 2026 calendar will witness 14 gripping events that take in the world’s best destinations, including four proven Olympic venues, with half returning under multi-year agreements reflecting our sustained investment in the sport’s growth. Every venue we've introduced since 2023 has quickly become a favourite among athletes, highlighting WBD’s commitment to pushing the limits of performance while prioritising safety and expanding a world-class, global calendar. We’re continuing to expand the reach of the sport by bringing Cross-country Olympic racing to Asia for the first time, growing our footprint in the USA, and will fulfil a long-term wish from fans, teams and athletes alike by adding Whistler – one of the world’s most iconic mountain bike destinations - to the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series calendar from next year.” UCI President David Lappartient said: “Bringing together three different UCI World Cups, the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series will see many stories unfold in 2026 as the weekends of competition progress. The succession of races throughout the season means athletes must strive for consistency, and logically there will be ups and downs along the way. The experience of seasoned riders and the sheer audacity of younger athletes always makes for thrilling competition across the different rounds. "In 2026, the UCI World Cups for cross-country Olympic, cross-country short track, downhill and enduro will span 14 weekends in the space of six months with exciting new hosts joining some of the series’ favourite venues. I am particularly pleased that the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series will expand into Asia in 2026, adding a new dimension to the series and providing a prestigious opening to the season.” WHOOP UCI MOUNTAIN BIKE WORLD SERIES 2026 CALENDAR: Round 1 / May 1-3: Race of South Korea, South Korea (UCI Cross-country and Downhill World Cups) Round 2 / May 22-24: Nové Město Na Moravě, Czechia (UCI Cross-country World Cup) Round 3 / May 28-31: Loudenvielle-Peyragudes, France (UCI Downhill and UCI Enduro World Cups) Round 4 / June 11-14: Saalfelden-Leogang Salzburgerland, Austria (UCI Cross-country, UCI Downhill and UCI Enduro World Cups) Round 5 / June 19-21: Lenzerheide, Switzerland (UCI Cross-country and Downhill World Cups) Round 6 / June 26-28: Val di Fassa - Trentino, Italy (UCI Enduro World Cup) Round 7 / July 3-5: La Thuile – Valle d’Aosta, Italy (UCI Cross-country, UCI Downhill and UCI Enduro World Cups) Round 8 / July 8-12: Pal Arinsal, Andorra (UCI Cross-country and Downhill World Cups) Round 9 / July 17-19: Aletsch Arena - Bellwald, Valais, Switzerland (UCI Enduro World Cup) Round 10 / August 14-16: Haute-Savoie, France (UCI Cross-country and UCI Downhill World Cups) Round 11 / August 21-23: Haute-Savoie, France (UCI Enduro World Cup) Round 12 / September 19-20: Soldier Hollow, Midway, Utah, USA (UCI Cross-country World Cup) Round 13 / September 25-27: Whistler Mountain Bike Park, British Columbia, Canada (UCI Downhill World Cup) Round 14 / October 2-4: Lake Placid Olympic Sites, New York, USA (UCI Cross-country and UCI Downhill World Cups)

Article
26 Aug 25
Cross-country and Downhill back underway at Les Gets, Haute-Savoie
Short Track
Cross-Country
Downhill

After a seven-week summer break since Pal Arinsal (Andorra), the Cross-country and Downhill athletes of the 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series are heading back between the race tape in Les Gets, Haute-Savoie (France) and the start of the season’s second half.  The Alpine venue is a legendary location and has been welcoming the Gravity format on and off since 1996. A staple of the UCI World Cups for both cross-country and downhill since 2019, and host of the 20024 and 2022 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships, it is renowned for its passionate, partisan French crowd. Located in the heart of the Portes du Soleil, close to the Swiss border, Les Gets bike park will host action for both formats. The park has 128km of trails across 23 different tracks and three ski lifts to help riders experience everything the park has to offer.  The Downhill takes place on the venue’s Mont-Chéry UCI World Cup track – a 2.2km course that features 571m of descent and a maximum gradient of 43.8 %. The Cross-country Olympic (XCO) and Cross-country Short Track (XCC) races, meanwhile, take on a custom trail that has its start/finish straight at the resort’s main hub. The XCO course is 3.55km long (140m elevation gain), while the XCC course is 1km long (43m elevation gain). CAN ANYONE CATCH MAXWELL? Samara Maxwell (Decathlon Ford Racing Team) is having the season of her young life. The 23-year-old New Zealander has been incredibly consistent in the first six rounds of the UCI XCO World Cup, and hasn’t finished outside the top two all year. Her win in Pal Arinsal in July showed that her victory in the opening round in Araxá, Minas Gerais (Brazil) wasn’t a fluke, and she has built a seemingly unassailable lead in the overall series with Nicole Koller (Ghost Factory Racing) second and 445 points behind. Although Koller sits second, it’s fifth-placed Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck) who is the most likely challenger to Maxwell’s crown. The Dutchwoman was in searing form, winning five out of six races (including XCC) entered in 2025, although she came unstuck at altitude with 10th place in Pal Arinsal. A confirmed starter for Les Gets, Haute-Savoie, she will be targeting a return to the podium on a course where she won last year. IS BLEVINS’ XCO SEASON A BUST?Christopher Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing) might lead the men’s series but his last three results (17th, 8th and 29th) suggest that the wheels might be falling off his bid for a first overall title. The American hasn’t raced since Pal Arinsal and will be hoping that the seven-week break can act as a reset for his season. Second and third spots in the overall are occupied by Blevins’ teammates Martin Vidaurre Kossmann and Victor Koretzky (Specialized Factory Racing). The Chilean looks most likely to challenge Blevins for the top spot, with Koretzky yet to reach the same highs as last season and skipping Les Gets, Haute-Savoie, to focus on the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Crans-Montana (Switzerland). Riders who look like they could break up the American factory team’s dominance include Luca Martin (Cannondale Factory Racing), who finished second behind Tom Pidcock (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team) in Pal Arinsal; fourth-placed Mathis Azzaro (Origine Racing Division) and the relative wild card Fabio Püntener (Bike Team Soloturn). Finally, multi-discipline master Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) is always a favourite whenever he lines up off-road but the Dutchman will be hoping for a smoother ride than he had in his only other mountain bike race this year, where he DNFd and fractured his wrist in Nové Město Na Moravě (Czechia). PREPARE FOR A BOUNCE BACK AND THE RISE OF KELLER IN SHORT-TRACK The men’s and women’s XCC standings couldn’t be more different. In the men’s, Blevins has dominated all year, and his record-breaking five-strong winning streak was only halted by Martin in Pal Arinsal, with the American having to settle for second. His 578-point cushion over second-placed Koretzky in the rankings means he could wrap the series up as early as this weekend if other results go his way, and expect him to be targeting the podium top spot and get back to winning ways. The women’s field, meanwhile, is tightly poised with only 130 points separating the top four. Reigning UCI XCC World Champion Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing - Pirelli) leads the way but Pieterse has the most wins (three) this series. While both will be in contention in Les Gets, Haute-Savoie, it’s worth keeping tabs on Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon). The 2024 UCI XCC World Cup overall series winner has gone under the radar this season but has displayed her signature consistency – finishing inside the top seven all year – to find herself tied in second on 930 points. The Swiss rider won in Pal Arinsal and knows what it takes to win an overall title as the series nears its conclusion. WOMEN’S DOWNHILL CONTEST IMPOSSIBLE TO PREDICT The women’s downhill series has never been more competitive, with four different winners from the opening six rounds. Valentina Höll (YT Mob) still leads the series despite failing to record a win all year – her second place in Pal Arinsal her fourth of 2025 – but knows what it takes to win on the Les Gets, Haute-Savoie course, having won the UCI World Championships at the venue in 2022. Others in contention are Gracey Hemstreet (Norco Race Division), the Canadian currently sitting in second and aiming to get back on the podium after a fifth in Pal Arinsal; Tahnée Seagrave (Orbea/FMD Racing), who won in Pal Arinsal and is having her best season in recent memory; and home favourites Marine Cabirou (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) and Myriam Nicole (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction). BRUNI AND GOLDSTONE SET TO BATTLE IT OUTJackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) might have missed out on securing the overall winning streak record in Pal Arinsal, but the Canadian’s second place means he still leads the series as the most consistent winner. With four rounds remaining, including a season finale in Mont-Sainte-Anne in front of a home crowd, the 21-year-old will be targeting a few more wins to start in Quebec as the nailed-on favourite. The one rider who can realistically spoil the Canadian party is Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity). The reigning UCI Downhill World Cup overall series winner clinched his second UCI World Cup of the season in Pal Arinsal and will be confident he can make up the 137-point gap to Goldstone over four rounds – starting in Les Gets, Haute-Savoie. Like Höll, he has only won at the venue once, but it was when it mattered most: at the 2022 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships. Others in contention in Saturday’s final include 2024’s winner Amaury Pierron (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction), reigning rainbow band wearer Loris Vergier (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) and wild card entrant Thibaut Daprela (Rogue Racing - SR Suntour). Racing gets underway in Les Gets, Haute-Savoie on Friday with the UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup. Full schedule and event details are available here.

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