The 2024 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series has got off to a blinding start with four unpredictable race weekends that have thrown up a whole host of surprises and adrenaline-fueled off-road action. After two new Brazilian venues kicked off the Endurance formats with some Latin American flair, it was the return of two favorites in the first two Gravity UCI World Cups of the season – Fort William, Scotland (Great Britain) for Downhill and Finale Outdoor Region (Italy) for Enduro and E-Enduro.

This weekend continues the jam-packed May mountain biking schedule, as both Gravity formats descend on Poland’s Bielsko-Biała for three days of racing against the clock. It’s the central European country’s first-ever UCI World Cup, and with the Downhill venue a brand-new course, it’s sure to be packed full of surprises for riders and fans alike.

EXCITING UNKNOWN

While the Beskid Mountains venue in southern Poland might not have hosted a UCI event before, its Enduro Trails network is renowned in this corner of Europe for its steep, technical, and natural terrain. There’s a thriving local mountain bike community too, so riders can expect a warm welcome from the passionate Polish fans on every jump, berm, rock garden and drop.

The Downhill course is brand new and is a mixture of jumps, features and wood sections, making bike set-up difficult with no historic data to go off. It will also develop throughout the weekend as lines are cut into the rich, dark soil, roots and rocks are exposed and bomb holes form, meaning no two runs will be the same.

While the downhill course has been created especially for the UCI World Cup, the venue’s team had a wealth of options to choose from for the Enduro and E-Enduro stages. The UCI Enduro World Cup will see athletes take on five stages during a 36.5km course featuring 2,074m of descent, while the UCI E-Enduro World Cup has nine stages across a 52.7km course with 3,038m descent.

RIDERS WITH A POINT TO PROVE

The Fort William and Finale Outdoor Region rounds of the 2024 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series gave a clear indication of who has had a good off-season and who’s still finding their feet and now playing catch up.

In the first UCI Downhill World Cup of the season, Valentina Höll (YT Mob) and Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity) showed they haven’t taken their foot off the gas since winning last year’s overall titles, and given their dominance in Scotland, it would be no surprise if the pair made it two from two in Poland.

It’s not a foregone conclusion though. The women’s field looks as competitive as ever, while some riders will have a point to prove after a disappointing result a fortnight ago. Tahnée Seagrave (Canyon CLLCTV FMD) appears to be back to her best, Nina Hoffmann (Santa Cruz Syndicate) was a mistake away from pushing Höll all the way, and Camille Balanche (Dorval AM Commencal) has made a strong recovery from last year’s season-ending injury. Marine Cabirou (Scott Downhill Factory) will look to bounce back after missing out on a podium spot in Scotland, and the returning Myriam Nicole (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) will be a force to be reckoned with if she can qualify for finals.

Troy Brosnan (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team), Finn Iles (Specialized Gravity), Dakotah Norton (Mondraker Factory Racing) and Luca Shaw (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) were the riders who could get closest to Bruni last time out, so expect the same in Poland. Don’t be surprised if you see Greg Minnaar (Norco Factory Racing) up there as well, the G.O.A.T on the start list after quickly recovering from a shoulder separation in his Fort William race run.

A POTENTIAL HOME WINNER

Although the results sheet says ‘win’ for Richie Rude (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) at the Finale Outdoor Region Enduro season opener, it could have been very different if a puncture hadn’t cost his teammate Slawomir Lukasik on the final stage. The 31-year-old Polish star will be looking to right the wrongs of Finale and give the local supporters a home winner to cheer about on Friday.

Isabeau Courdurier (Lapierre Zipp Collective) is another rider who will be on a mission in Bielsko-Biała – the 2023 UCI Enduro World Cup overall series winner was forced to settle for second once more in Finale Outdoor Region after an impressive performance by Harriet Harnden (Trek Factory Racing Gravity). While she might have finished 22^nd last time out, Katarzyna Burek is another rider to have on your radar – the reigning Polish national champion winning at the venue back in 2022.

Finally, there is a handful of riders coming into the UCI E-Enduro World Cup in blistering form. The Australian 21-year-old Ryan Gilchrist (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) looks the real deal, winning four of nine stages in Finale Outdoor Region and taking third spot in three more, while Manuel Soares José Borges (Canyon Collective Factory Enduro Team) was the most consistent, only finishing outside of the top 10 on one stage. In the women’s competition meanwhile, Florencia Espiñeira Herreros (Orbea Fox Enduro Team) and Tracey Moseley appear to have formed a rivalry that will hopefully run all season.

Racing gets underway in Bielsko-Biała on Friday with the UCI Enduro World Cup – full schedule and events details are available here.