After seven fast and furious rounds, the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series has reached its halfway point. After letting the Enduro riders have a turn in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland last weekend, the Cross-country crew are set to make a comeback at one of the most celebrated locations in the sport. The Downhill riders have patched themselves up after their own hard-fought battles and are ready to go again on the infamous ‘Black Snake’ trail.

We look at everything you need to know about the Val di Sole, Trentino round of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series calendar, including when the Cross-country Olympic (XCO), Cross-country Short Track (XCC), and Downhill (DHI) Worlds Cups are scheduled to take place, who is racing and how to watch.

WHEN?

The 2024 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series round in Val di Sole, Trentino, Italy starts tomorrow with the Women’s Downhill qualification at 14:00 (UTC+2) and concludes with the Men’s U23 UCI Cross-country Olympic at 16:00 (UTC+2) on Sunday, June 16. Full schedule available here.

WHERE CAN I FOLLOW THE ACTION?

You can watch the action from the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series round in Val di Sole, Trentino wherever you are in the world.

For all races, there will be live timings on the official WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series website and highlights on the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series’ Instagram and Facebook channels, with top stories from the race weekend on YouTube.

The Elite races of the UCI Cross-country Olympic and Short Track World Cups will be broadcast live. To follow the action, tune in to one of the below channels or streaming services.

UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup 

EUROPE

• Austria: discovery+
• Belgium: HBO Max, Eurosport 2
• Czech Republic: Max, Eurosport 2
• Denmark: Max, Eurosport 2
• France: Max, Eurosport 2
• Germany: Max, Eurosport 2
• Hungary: Max
• Ireland: discovery+
• Italy: discovery+, Eurosport 2, RAI Play
• Netherlands: HBO Max, Eurosport 2
• Norway: Max, Eurosport 2
• Poland: Max, Eurosport 2
• Portugal: Max, Eurosport 2
• Romania: Max, Eurosport 2
• Slovenia: Max
• Spain: Max, Eurosport 2
• Sweden: Max, Eurosport 2
• Switzerland: Eurosport player
• UK: discovery+

 CENTRAL/SOUTH AMERICA :

• Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela: Claro (not live)
• Belize, Brasil, Suriname : Staylive
• Puerto Rico : Max

AFRICA: Staylive

NORTH AMERICA: USA : Max,   Canada : Flosports

ASIA: Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Palau, Philippines, Russia, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan : Staylive

Indonesia, Macao, Malaysia, Mongolia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand: Eurosport

OCEANIA : Australia : Stan Sport,  New Zealand: Staylive

REST OF THE WORLD: Staylive

UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup 

EUROPE:

• Austria: discovery+
• Belgium: HBO Max, Eurosport 2
• Czech Republic: Max, Eurosport 1
• Denmark: Max, Eurosport 1
• France: Max, Eurosport 2
• Germany: discovery+, Eurosport 1
• Hungary: Max, Eurosport 1
• Ireland: discovery+, Eurosport 1
• Italy: discovery+, Eurosport 1, RAI Play
• Netherlands: HBO Max, Eurosport 1
• Norway: Max
• Poland: Max, Eurosport 1
• Portugal: Max, Eurosport 1
• Romania: Max, Eurosport 1
• Slovenia: Max, Eurosport 1
• Spain: Max, Eurosport 1
• Sweden: Max, Eurosport 1
• Switzerland: Eurosport player
• UK: discovery+, Eurosport 1

CENTRAL/SOUTH AMERICA :

Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brasil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, Venezuela: Staylive (not live)

Puerto Rico : Max

AFRICA: Staylive

NORTH AMERICA : USA : Max, Canada : Flosports

ASIA : Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Palau, Philippines, Russia, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan : Staylive

Indonesia, Macao, Malaysia, Mongolia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand: Eurosport

OCEANIA : Australia : Stan Sport, New Zealand : Staylive

LIVE TIMING: live.ucimtbworldseries.com

UCI Downhill World Cup 

Both the men’s and women's UCI Downhill World Cup Junior Finals will be broadcast live on the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series YouTube channel, on Saturday June 15. For the Elite races, tune in to one of the below channels or streaming services:

EUROPE:

• Austria: discovery+
• Belgium: HBO Max
• Czech Republic: Max, Eurosport 2
• Denmark: Max, Eurosport 2
• France: Max, Eurosport 2
• Germany: Max, Eurosport 2
• Hungary: Max
• Ireland: discovery+
• Italy: discovery+, Eurosport 2, Rai Sport
• Netherlands: HBO Max, Eurosport 2
• Norway : Max, Eurosport 2
• Poland : Max, Eurosport 2
• Portugal: Max, Eurosport 2
• Romania: Max, Eurosport 2
• Slovenia: Max
• Spain: Max, Eurosport 2
• Sweden: Max, Eurosport 2
• Switzerland: Eurosport player
• UK: discovery+

CENTRAL/SOUTH AMERICA :

Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brasil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, Venezuela: Staylive

Puerto Rico : Max

AFRICA: Staylive

NORTH AMERICA :   USA : Max, Canada : Flosports

ASIA : Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Palau, Philippines, Russia, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan : Staylive

Indonesia, Macao, Malaysia, Mongolia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand: Eurosport

China: Zhibo

OCEANIA : Australia : Stan Sport,  New Zealand : Staylive

TUNE IN TO MAX

European fans are now able to watch the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series on Max. Already available in the U.S, the enhanced streaming service has now been extended to selected European markets, with more to follow later this summer. Max has something for everyone, combining HBO Max’s can’t-miss boxsets, Discovery’s real-life entertainment and Eurosport’s world-class sports. It will be the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series’ new streaming home for the remaining UCI Mountain Bike World Cups of the year, and the only place to stream every event, medal, and world record at the Olympic Games Paris 2024.

RIDERS TO WATCH

The first three rounds of the UCI Cross-country Olympic and Short Track World Cup 2024 have provided a good idea of the riders to beat this weekend.

In the women’s field, none fits the bill better than Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Ineos Grenadiers.) Following her dominant victory in Nové Město na Moravě, and with her home Olympics just six weeks away, Ferrand-Prévot will be looking to make a statement.

Hoping to deny the French rider airtime will be XCO series leader Haley Batten (Specialized Factory Racing) who has only once been off the podium this season, and not since the first round Short Track in Mairiporã, Brazil back in April. Similarly consistent and targeting a second win of the year will be Switzerland’s Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon), while Last year’s winner in Val di Sole, Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck), will be aiming for the double.

Italian National Champion Martina Berta (Santa Cruz RockShox Pro Team) exceeded her own expectations by finishing behind Pieterse a year ago and is now reconsidering whether the course might suit her after all.

The overall standings of the men’s side of the same event might make it look like a one horse race, with Victor Koretzky (Specialized Factory Racing) a massive 170 points ahead of the pack on, but 20th in the XCO in Nové Město na Moravě proved that he’s human after all.

Koretzky’s team-mate Christopher Blevins is his closest challenger, though just 31 points separate Blevins in 2nd from the great Nino Schurter (Scott-Sram MTB Racing Team) in 6th.

Schurter was a comfortable second two weeks ago, but he’s been inconsistent compared to the likes of Sam Gaze (Alpecin-Deceunick) and Alan Hatherly (Cannondale Factory Racing.)

On the UCI Downhill (DHI) World Cup, the elite women must be wondering what they have to do to beat Valentina Höll (YT Mob.) Höll’s immaculate ride at home in Austria last weekend means she leads the overall competition by nearly 300 points. Tahnee Seagrave (Canyon CLLCTV FMD) is her closest competition and would be closer but for a big crash in Sunday’s final. The only woman other than Höll to stand atop a podium this season is Marine Cabirou (Scott Downhill Factory) and the French woman will believe she can do it again.

Among the DHI men, although Loic Bruni (Specialized Gravity) is looking unstoppable, the 30-year-old has never won on the notorious Trentino track, finishing a lowly (for him) 14th last year. Best placed to beat him might be his team-mate, Finn Iles. The Canadian silver medalled behind compatriot Jackson Goldstone on the Black Snake in 2024. If not Iles, then maybe Luca Shaw (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team.) The US national champion has been Mr Consistency this season, as the only rider to finish every race - qualifiers, semis, and finals - inside the top ten.

Racing gets underway tomorrow, June 14 in Val di Sole, Trentino. Full schedule and event details are available HERE.