Keller and Schwarzbauer master the altitude of Andorra to take convincing Short-Track wins

The UCI Cross-country Short Track (XCC) World Cup served up two gripping races and a pair of fairytale victors in Les Gets, Haute-Savoie (France) as Charlie Aldridge (Cannondale Factory Racing) claimed his first elite WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series triumph on a thrilling final lap and Jenny Rissveds (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) ended a 26-month drought with a swashbuckling performance. Rissveds claimed her first UCI XCC World Cup round since June 2023 years by decisively splintering the field with two laps to go and outkicking Alessandra Keller (Thӧmus Maxon) on the brutally iconic Les Gets climb while the runner-up made major gains on overall leader Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing-Pirelli). And with all the men’s Elite pre-race focus on Christopher Blevins’ chance to claim the UCI XCC World Cup for Specialized Factory Racing with three rounds to go, Aldridge outduelled teammate Luca Martin and Luca Braidot (Wilier-Vittoria Factory Team) to take a famous win. Meanwhile there were contrasting victors in the Under 23 ranks - Finn Treudler (CUBE Factory Racing) won his fourth consecutive round to put him on the verge of clinching the overall title while Vida Lopez de San Roman joined Aldridge in taking her first ever win. RISSVEDS STARS IN LONG-AWAITED RETURN TO CENTRE STAGE With all eyes on the tight top four of Keller, Richards, Nicole Koller (Ghost Factory Racing) and Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Decuninck), Rissveds stole the show looking resplendent on her first WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series outing in the UEC European Champion’s jersey. Yet it was UCI Cross-country World Champion Richards who set the tone early on, after catching COVID-19 following Rissved’s victory in Portugal she seemed keen to banish any questions over her fitness and went clear with Rissveds and Keller on the opening lap before sitting up and letting the five-second lead go. Richards was first across the line on four out of the nine laps while Pieterse, after her road racing exploits this summer including completing the Tour de France Femmes, immediately dropped out of the top 10 and eventually finished 11th after a long recovery ride. Despite leading the UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup, Samara Maxwell (Decathlon Ford Racing Team) is yet to taste XCC victory and appeared determined to change that when she pushed the pace on lap five reducing the pack to only Richards, Keller, Rissveds, Sina Frei (Specialized Factory Racing) and Jolanda Neff (Cannondale Factory Racing). Richards was consistently the strongest downhill rider, though not the smoothest she attacked the descent with more aggression than anyone else on the slick surface but eventually those early exertions caught up with her and she was dropped with two laps to go as Rissveds and Keller were the only riders who could live with Maxwell. That meant it all came down to the final climb and it was Rissveds who took the initiative, kicking clear early and holding off the indomitable Keller to the line. “I felt quite cool, calm and collected,” Rissveds said. “It was a really good race, I was calm and I tried to play it smart. I keep on learning things every race which is super cool since I’m pretty old in the game now and I feel like I still have a lot to work on and many things I can improve, it’s really nice to learn every time and I’m happy it paid off today.” Though she missed out on the win, Keller had the consolation of a 60-point gain on Richards in the overall standings meaning she now trails by just 40 but Pieterse and Koller both finishing outside the top 10 means more breathing room from the top two to the rest of the pack. CANNONDALE IN DREAMLAND AFTER NAIL-BITING 1-2 Blevins arrived in France knowing victory would assure him of the UCI XCC World Cup title and he asserted himself early alongside new German national champion Luca Schwarzbauer (Canyon CLLCTV XCO), before his challenge was halted by a dropped chain. But, with the American’s record of surging to victory on the final lap this season, the pack focused on sapping his legs on the tough climb to start the lap with Simon Andreassen (Orbea FOX Factory Racing), Filippo Colombo (Scott-SRAM MTB Racing Team) and Martin pushed the pace on early. It looked like the race had opened up for the Cannondale Factory Racing pair on lap seven when Thomas Litscher (Cabtech Racing Team) misjudged a steep uphill hairpin and held up the rest of the pack allowing them to build a nine-second lead across the line, but they couldn’t hold it and the bloated lead group re-formed and stuck together entering the final lap. It was there that Braidot made his move, dive-bombing Aldridge and Martin on the ascent only for the Brit to repay the favour turning to the top of the climb and the short descent to the finishing straight meant the home favourite had to bide his time for the sprint. Exiting the final corner, Martin was closing on Aldridge all the way to the line in the final sprint and got alongside his teammate but couldn’t nudge his wheel in front, finishing on the same time as the British national champion who celebrated a milestone win in his career. “I’m absolutely buzzing, crazy race it went so fast I was at the front with Luca [Martin] and the last lap was a bit of a battle,” Aldridge said. “I wasn’t sure if Luca was going to be faster or me but you kind of work together in these races and 1-2 is a really good way to end. “Had a little battle on the last few corners which made the heart rate go even higher than it was already but I’m over the moon. You’re so focused on trying to pull it off [on the final lap] then something like that comes, Luca [Braidot] flying down my inside and I went ‘I’m going to get him in the next corner’.” A rare off-day for Blevins saw the overall leader finish 17th as Aldridge jumps up to second in the standings due to Victor Koretzky’s absence for Specialized Factory Racing, but the American must only pick up 105 points next time out to guarantee UCI World Cup victory next time out. “When you’re a bit off, short track’s a different kind of pain,” Blevins said. “I was suffering, you go all out on the last climb and you get to the top and you can barely hold onto the bars. “But first effort in Europe sometimes can go either way, I didn’t really get a good ‘open up’ day this week on the bike so I think my body really needed that to open up after such a long break from racing, it’s like shaking off the cobwebs and jetlag and everything and hopefully Sunday I’m opened up now.” TREUDLER CONSISTENCY CONTRASTS WITH U23 WOMEN SURPRISE Vida Lopez de San Roman was unshakable on the way to her maiden victory. Having missed the first part of the season the American had finished 13th and 15th in her last two rounds but was a constant presence at the front of the first race of the day and outkicked Valentina Corvi (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) who closed to within 100 points of absent overall leader Katharina Sadnik (KTM Factory MTB Team) alongside Ella McPhee (Wilier-Vittoria Factory Team) and Sara Cortinovis (Ghost Factory Racing). “I’m definitely in a lot of shock and disbelief,”  Lopez de San Roman said. “I don’t think it’s fully processed yet but it definitely means a lot, especially being a first year and spending the whole season getting a lot of experience and learning from every race, I’m in a lot of disbelief but really excited and definitely a big confidence booster one week out from Worlds.” Treudler could seal the Men U23 UCI XCC World Cup overall title next time out in Bike Kingdom - Lenzerheide (Switzerland) after holding off Benjamin Krüger to win yet another WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series round. Treudler hit the front when he countered Nicolas Halter’s move on the climb and produced a controlled performance from there to extend his overall lead to 234 points. “It was a pretty smart move [from Halter] to come from behind and pass us with speed, I had to kick to keep up and then went over the top, saw the gap and continued to the finish,” Treudler said. “I had a super good training period sleeping at high altitude, and I think I saw that today. It’s a really good season so far and I’m really looking forward to the World Championships in two weeks.” The action is only just getting started in Les Gets, Haute-Savoie with the UCI Downhill World Cup Finals coming up on Saturday before the Cross-country riders take centre stage again on Sunday with the cross-country Olympic (XCO) races.

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.  

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)