Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Presents Grit & Glory, an Exclusive Look Inside Enduro Mountain Bike Racing

Alex Rudeau came from behind to win the men’s Elite race at the final UCI Enduro (EDR) World Cup round of the 2025 season while Elly Hoskin underlined her superiority at the Morillon, Haute-Savoie (France) with a crushing 23-second women’s Elite triumph. Rudeau was five seconds behind after a gravity-intense Saturday that contrasted with the lung-busting nature of day two that featured several tough ascents against the clock, notably on stages five and seven, but it didn’t take long for Rudeau to overhaul the Canadian and despite Jesse Melamed (Canyon CLLCTV Factory) taking the penultimate stage, Rudeau held on. However, Melamed also had cause to celebrate at the finish line as he clinched second overall in the UCI Enduro World Cup ahead of Charles Murray (Specialized Gravity) while Simona Kuchynková (CUBE Action Team)’s third place in the round confirmed her status as women’s Elite runner-up. Hoskin’s procession to victory in France was ultimately more comfortable despite an early scare, she entered day two with a 13-second advantage and almost doubled it by the finish while Elise Porta (Lapierre Gravity Collective) and Melvin Almueis were triumphant in the juniors. INEVITABLE RUDEAU OUTDUELS MELAMED Rudeau immediately hit back against Melamed on the breathless stage five, wiping out his overnight lead before Murray piled further pressure on the Canadian with a daring stage win, proving he’d put a disappointing Saturday well behind him. And things got even worse for Melamed on stage seven which featured a surprise top five led by Elliot Jamieson while Rudeau put five more seconds into his rival, meaning he led by seven overall. The penultimate stage was the longest of the weekend with the most potential to separate the pack, and it was there that Melamed finally responded, wiping out Rudeau’s gains from the previous run and firing himself back into contention for the Morillon win while ensuring Murray remained out of the picture. But Rudeau had saved his best for last and on the same trail that closed day one, he won by a second to clinch his first win of the season at the final opportunity. Afterwards, he said: “Feeling good, it’s my 22nd victory and the last one was in 2023 in France also, so I think the vibe in France is good for me. I really like this kind of format, two days of racing.” Meanwhile Melamed acknowledged mountain biking 101 of “If I didn’t hit so many trees, I would’ve maybe won the race”though added he was ‘super happy’ to accomplish “my main goal was to stay on the podium.” Downbeat Murray said: “I’m stoked to be on the overall podium but it’s a little bit tough because I was in second, I had a turbulent weekend - some really good riding and stages, then some crashes and mistakes. It’s mentally pretty hard because I’ve given everything this season and third overall is still an incredible result but I was third last year, so my goal was to be second or first and we’re going to have to come back and try again.” Overall winner Sławomir Łukasik (Yeti/FOX Factory Team) arrived in France with one eye on next weekend’s UCI World Championships and he rode like it, finishing over two minutes back in 24th and then admitting he was “riding for fun”ahead of attempting to complete a prestigious double in Aletsch Arena/Bellwald, Valais (Switzerland). HOSKIN WINS RICHTER STARE-OFF After Hoskin was the undoubted story of the women’s Elite race on Saturday, Raphaela Richter countered straight away on day two by scorching to stage five victory, five seconds ahead of Hoskin and Kuchynková. Hoskin’s slide continued on stages six and seven when she first hemorrhaged four seconds to the Slovakian, then Richter’s win at Morillon Village cut the Canadian’s overall advantage to just a second. However, she produced a fine return on stage eight, finishing over 16 seconds ahead of Kuchynková and Richter meaning she could coast in third on the last run of the day and celebrate her second win of the season after Bielsko-Biała (Poland). “I’m just really happy, it was a long, long week and I’m really glad I got to back up that first win at the last stop, I was itching for that,” Hoskin said. “My mum was texting me all day, telling me via emojis how good I was doing. Rafa [Richter] was really on my ass for a bit and then I had a good stage eight and just had to keep it together on the last one.” Nadine Ellecosta’s late charge for Abetone Ancillotti Vittoria Factory Team wasn’t enough to challenge Kuchynková for second place overall, with champion Ella Conolly electing to sit out the round ahead of the UCI World Championships.  Kuchynková said afterwards: “It’s so crazy, my first Elite season, I’m just a rookie and I’m already second place and World Championships are next so all eyes on there.” ONLY ONE FAIRYTALE ENDING IN JUNIORS AS PORTA SPOILS ADAMS PARTY Porta completed her superior victory in the women’s junior race, continuing her dominance by winning every stage apart from Morillon Village following her Saturday sweep, and she crossed the line on the final run of the day holding a victory margin of over three and a half minutes. Chloe Bear (Yeti/FOX Factory Race Team) was the only rider to break the streak, winning stage seven by five seconds en route to finishing second in the round and third overall behind Lucile Metge, who wasn’t at the day two roll-out, and Kuchynková’s successor as women’s junior champion Lacey Adams (Yeti/FOX Factory Race Team) who had an off weekend in France. “The first day was super cool, I’m super happy to have two minutes in front of the other girls and I just tried to keep my advantage and stay on my bike, riding with flow,” Porta said. Adams was crowned overall winner before the summer break and though her victory lap wasn’t as flawless as she’d have liked, she still looked back on the weekend and the year with pride: “Big two days of racing, I really enjoyed them. I spent more time on the ground than I should’ve, a bit of a slow race for me but I’m stoked to take the overall.” Things went more smoothly for men’s junior overall champion Almueis after a difficult day one. Starting Sunday six seconds behind compatriot Hugo Marti Montessinos, Almueis immediately annihilated that gap with a daring Sairon Trail run that put him in the driving seat for the rest of the event. Though Marti closed the gap slightly with victory on stage seven, Almueis responded in style by putting eight seconds into the rest of the pack on the penultimate stage and holding firm on Paddock Express, which was won by Gabriel Santhuile. “Really good weekend for me, the first day was pretty hard with a slippery stage and I wasn’t confident on my bike, but second day I succeeded and I’m really happy to win the last of the season” Almueis said. The weekend also marked the final Open EDR and Open E-EDR events of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series season, as 192 riders took on four stages ridden by the pros. The WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series stays in the Haute-Savoie region of France for seven more days but relocates five miles north to Les Gets for the return of the Cross-country Short Track, Cross-country Olympic and Downhill competitions with all six Elite titles still up for grabs.

Jesse Melamed (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) is in the perfect position to win the final round of the men’s Elite UCI Enduro (EDR) World Cup after day one in Morillon, Haute-Savoie (France) and clinch second overall in the standings, while Simona Kuchynková (CUBE Action Team) and Elly Hoskin are the women Elite celebrating at the halfway stage in the finale.  BRACE OF STAGE WINS PUTS MELAMED IN THE DRIVING SEAT After a couple of gloomy training days, the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series returned from its six-week hiatus to glorious sunshine in the French Alps, and Melamed was the shining star of the show on the trails.  With overall winner Sławomir Łukasik (Yeti/FOX Factory Race Team) present in Morillon, Haute-Savoie (unlike women’s champion Ella Connolly) Melamed showed the Pole won’t have things all his own way at the UCI Enduro World Championships event next weekend by winning the opening two stages and leading by five seconds at the end of day one. In a straight winner-takes-all shootout with Charles Murray (Specialized Gravity) for second place in the overall standings, Melamed was over 20 seconds ahead of his rival by the finish line on stage four with the Kiwi only finishing inside the top eight on one stage. Gregory Callaghan and Tommaso Calonaci were surprise victors on Dre dans l’pentu and Paddock Express respectively to round out a Saturday that leaves Alex Rudeau as Melamed’s closest challenger. HOSKIN RULES THE ROOST ON RIVETING SATURDAY Hoskin announced herself to the pro ranks by cutting through mud and slush to take her maiden UCI Enduro World Cup victory in Bielsko-Biała (Poland) earlier this season and though the conditions couldn’t have been more different in France, the Canadian surged back to the front of the pack. Third on a tight opening stage, Hoskin laid down her marker at the next opportunity on La Char by conquering an unpredictable and slick clay surface as only Raphaela Richter could get within 10 seconds, and the 20-year-old backed that up with second win of the day on stage three. That was much closer as only a second separated Hoskin and revelation Delia Da Mocogno (YT Racing Development) who’s yet to finish on an Elite UCI Enduro World Cup round podium but will start Sunday in second after winning stage four. Kuchynkova described her day as “3.6, not great not terrible” but she arrived in France knowing only a Chernobyl-scale meltdown could prevent the 2024 U21 World Cup winner from taking second place overall in her first season of Elite racing. The Slovakian ended the day in fourth, nine seconds ahead of her only overall rival Nadine Ellecosta (Abetone Ancillotti Vittoria Factory Team). SURPRISE PACKAGES SHINE IN UNPREDICTABLE JUNIORS Like in the women’s Elite competition, with the men’s junior title being wrapped up ahead of the finale, new faces pushed themselves to the fore as Hugo Marti Montessinos led the rest of the field - including champion Melvin Almueis by almost six seconds - at the close of play. Cooper Millwood also starred with two stage wins but started off very slowly so has over nine seconds to make up.  And Elise Porta (Lapierre Gravity Collective) was the junior woman to beat, finishing the day a giant two minutes ahead of Chloe Bear (Yeti/FOX Factory Race Team) on debut in the competition. That capped a successful return to WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series racing that also saw 192 riders enter the Open EDR and Open E-EDR competitions that took on four stages ridden by the pros. Tristan Borel took a nailbiting 0.3-second victory in the men’s Open Enduro category while Sarah Chamaillard was the women’s champion and Ludovic Erima and Alejandra López Sánchez triumphed in the Masters. Meanwhile Maks Struna was the man to beat in a very competitive junior field and Paul Renaudin and Christine Soprano celebrated electrified wins. The action resumes tomorrow with the Elite and junior riders taking on five more stages that offer a more gruelling challenge and feature some tough uphill slogs, compared to the fast-paced races to the bottom of day one.

After a six-week summer break, the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series returns with its first finale of the 2025 season. And while both the men’s and women’s UCI Enduro World Cup overall titles were wrapped up at the last round in La Thuile – Valle D’Aosta (Italy), there’s still plenty on the line in Morillon, Haute-Savoie (France). The French venue is not only a new addition to the UCI Enduro World Cup, but with only Enduro on the cards, riders and fans will get to enjoy two back-to-back days of racing. NEW TESTS AND OLD FAVOURITES While Haute-Savoie in the east of France has been a staple of Cross-country and Downhill for decades, the town of Morillon presents a new test for the stars of Enduro. The French Alps spot unveiled a brand new Enduro Bike Park last year, and the world’s best riders will now be put through their paces on the venue’s pine-lined trails. Home to challenging trails, natural features, fast flows and plenty of roots, and with the mountains of the Grand Massif as a backdrop, it’s already a classic in the making. For the UCI Enduro World Cup, athletes will take on nine stages during an 81.6km course featuring 4,778m of descent and 4,871m of pedal ascent. The first four stages take place on day one, and are all downhill-only affairs with the opener Reverse River (3.0km with 530m descent) sure to create some big splits in the field from the off. The second day, meanwhile, includes another five favourites from the region, with the penultimate stage Grand Cret (3.8km with 660m descent) the longest of the whole race. Riders will be familiar with the final stage though, with Paddock Express (2.6km with 410m descent) concluding both days’ racing. ALL EYES ON BATTLE FOR SECOND The 2025 UCI Enduro World Cup has been dominated by two riders – Sławomir Łukasik (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) and Brit Ella Conolly – and the pair built unassailable leads in the overall series to clinch the first titles in La Thuile – Valle D’Aosta (Italy). Łukasik will be on the start line in Morillon, Haute-Savoie using the final round as a springboard into the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships Enduro event in Aletsch Arena/Bellwald, Valais (Switzerland) on September 1, where he’ll chase a rare UCI World Cup–UCI World Championships double. Conolly, opting to sit out the final round, is expected to be focusing fully on her preparations for the rainbow jersey race, taking the time to rest and recover as she also eyes the opportunity to complete the prestigious double. With form and momentum on the line, expect Łukasik to keep the intensity high in Morillon. While the titles might have been decided, there’s still all to play for to finish best of the rest in both the men’s and women’s series. In the men’s field, five riders can still mathematically clinch second spot, although the most likely are Kiwi Charles Murray (Specialized Gravity) and Canadian Jesse Melamed (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) – Murray leading Melamed by just 20 points. The contest is set to come down to the wire with the Canadian needing to beat the New Zealander to be in with a chance of leapfrogging him – something he has managed at four of the five races he’s started in 2025. Elsewhere, two-time UCI Enduro World Cup round winner Daniel Booker, William Brodie and Greg Callaghan have outside shots at second-place, but require a lot of different permutations to go their way to fly up the overall standings. In the women’s field, there are three riders in contention to finish runner up to Conolly, but Simona Kuchyňková (Cube Action Team) is firmly in the driving seat. If the Slovakian slips, Nadine Ellecosta (Abetone Ancillotti Vittoria Factory Team) is waiting in the wings to pounce, although needs to win and for Kuchyňková to finish eighth to steal second spot. Morgane Charre (Pivot Factory Racing) will no longer be able to challenge due to injury.  HOW TO WATCH Race content will be available across the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series’ official platforms, including the YouTube channel, website, and social media profiles. Fans can catch up with the action from Morillon, Haute-Savoie with: A course preview featuring the route and its key sections Practice day and race day video highlights Key race moments on social media Real-time race updates via live timing on the official website There are dedicated viewing areas for spectators, along with entertainment and evening events open to everyone. The top 10 men’s and women’s riders will be officially presented on Friday at 5:30 pm, setting the tone for an exciting weekend of racing. Racing gets underway in Morillon, Haute-Savoie on Saturday – full schedule and event details are available here.