© WBD Sports Events Limited. 2025
MTB World Series
Article - 27 Sep 24

UCI MOUNTAIN BIKE MARATHON WORLD CUP CONCLUDES IN MT VAN HOEVENBERG – LAKE PLACID

This weekend marks the final round of the UCI Mountain Bike Marathon World Cup (XCM) in the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series, as riders line up in Mt Van Hoevenberg – Lake Placid, New York, USA, for the third and final long-distance Endurance event in the format’s season.

This weekend marks the final round of the UCI Mountain Bike Marathon World Cup (XCM) in the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series, as riders line up in Mt Van Hoevenberg – Lake Placid, New York, USA, for the third and final long-distance Endurance event in the format’s season. 

Although the most recent race in the series was June’s Mont Blanc Ultra Somfy in Megève, Haute Savoie, France, riders haven’t had the whole summer off. In fact, last weekend saw Snowshoe, West Virginia, USA host the UCI Mountain Bike Marathon World Championships, where Simon Andreassen (Denmark) and Mona Mitterwallner (Austria) won the 2024 titles. Both fields were packed full of Cross-country Olympic (XCO) format riders, but this weekend’s clash with the UCI XCO World Cup race means it’s one for the marathon purists at the second new venue for the format in this year’s series. 

While Mt Van Hoevenberg – Lake Placid is making its UCI World Cup debut, the area has some serious mountain bike marathon credentials, and the nearby town Wilmington hosts the annual 100K and 50K Wilmington Whiteface mountain bike races. 

ROLLERCOASTER COURSE 

The foothills of Mt Van Hoevenberg are the setting for the race, but with the 2024 series titles up for grabs, riders will be focused on the task at hand for the duration of the 100km course. 

The race will see riders complete three laps of the same 33.3km course, tackling 721m of elevation gain per loop and giving fans plenty of opportunities to catch the action. The climbing starts as soon as riders leave the Lake Placid race village, with the first half of each lap containing four monster ascents before it becomes a bit more undulating north of the bobsled course. 

RABENSTEINER VS PÁEZ AND NJEMČEVIĆ VS LOOSER 

The three-race nature of the 2024 UCI XCM World Cup series means every position and UCI point counts in the contest for the overall series win. 

Hector Leonardo Páez took the victory in Mègeve, Haute-Savoie (France), but will rue his 13th place at the season opener in Nové Mĕsto Na Moravĕ (Czechia) – the Colombian 60 points behind the more consistent Fabian Rabensteiner (Willier Vittoria Factory Racing) in the standings. The former had the better UCI XCM World Championships, finishing in 12th compared to the Italian’s 21st, but Rabensteiner – the reigning UCI XCM World Series title holder – knows how to close out a series win from here. 

Other riders to watch out for include Andreas Seewald (Canyon Sidi MTB Team), the German national champion finishing fourth last week and second last time out in Megève, Haute-Savoie; and Samuele Porro – the Italian coming third in both UCI XCM World Cups this year and 10th in the UCI XCM World Championships. 

The women’s title is even tighter than the men’s, with just 40 points separating Lejla Njemčević and Vera Looser. Both have tasted success in this year’s series, with the Bosnian edging it because of marginally better results in the race she didn’t win. It would take both to not finish for third-place Janina Wüst (Buff Megamo Team) to be within a realistic chance of leapfrogging them to take the series, so expect a tussle for the race win and the series between last year’s overall winner and the Namibian. 

HOW TO KEEP UP WITH THE ACTION 

You can stay up to date with all the action from the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series round in Mt Van Hoevenberg-Lake Placid, USA wherever you are in the world. There will be live timings on the official WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series website and top stories from the UCI Mountain Bike Marathon World Cup to be published on the YouTube channel on Thursday, October 3rd.

The UCI Mountain Bike Marathon World Cup gets underway in Mt Hoevenberg-Lake Placid at 7:45 (UTC-4) on Sunday, September 29 with the Women’s Elite, followed by the Men’s Elite at 8:55 (UTC-4) – full schedule and events details are available here.

Share

Latest news

Article
15 Apr 25
Les Gets and Grand Massif Chosen as Mountain Bike Venues for 2027 UCI Cycling World Championships in Haute-Savoie, France
Short Track
Cross-Country
Downhill
Enduro

The UCI has confirmed the locations for the four mountain bike formats at the second-ever unified UCI Cycling World Championships, with Cross-country and Downhill returning to the UCI World Cup staple of Les Gets and Enduro and Cross-country Marathon tackling the trails of the Grand Massif. Les Gets, Portes du Soleil has been picked for Cross-country Olympic (XCO), Cross-country Short Track (XCC) and Downhill. The bike park is a firm favourite amongst mountain bike fans and hosted its first UCI Downhill World Cup in 1996. It has previous experience hosting UCI World Championships too – first the UCI Downhill World Championships in 2004, and most recently XCO, XCC and Downhill in 2022. Enduro and Cross-country Marathon (XCM), meanwhile, will see athletes compete on the Grand Massif’s expansive 400km network of trails. With the French Alps as a backdrop, both races are sure to be a spectacle for riders and fans alike. The mountain bike formats are just four of the 20 UCI World Championships that will be held across 12 sites in the Haute-Savoie department during the second-ever UCI Cycling World Championship. An expansion on the first event in Glasgow 2023, it will see 10,000 Elite and Amateur athletes compete for rainbow bands in disciplines as varied as road, track, BMX, indoor cycling and eSports between August 24 - September 5, 2027. Some two million fans are expected to travel to the Haute-Savoie department for the 13 days of competition, with the whole of the area part of the festivities, while its breathtaking landscapes and iconic landmarks like Mont-Blanc will be celebrated during the contests. Speaking at a press conference in Sallanches, France, UCI President David Lappartient said: “These combined UCI Cycling World Championships were part of my vision when I was elected UCI President in 2017. This vision became a reality in 2023 in Glasgow and across Scotland, and we are now building on what we created in Scotland, in an even wider range of cycling specialties. I am delighted that this edition will take place in Haute-Savoie, a recognised host region for UCI events in several disciplines. Cycling in all its splendour will be celebrated in the French department.” In 2025, the Haute-Savoie department will host all formats of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series over two consecutive weekends. Morillon will make its debut as a UCI Enduro World Cup venue from August 22–24, followed by UCI World Cup events in Les Gets—including XCC, XCO and Downhill —from August 28–31.

Don't miss out

Sign up for latest news now
Series partner
WHOOP
Main partners
AWSMichelinShimano
Official Partners
MotulOakley
Official Suppliers
FacomGoProCommencalMavic
Brought to you by
UCIWarner Brothers Discovery Sports
©WBD Sports Events Limited. 2024