The route is perhaps the most famous bikepacking route in the country, and the Tour Divide is the most popular time of year for people to race and ride the route self-supported.

It’s about 260 miles from Banff to the U.S.-Canada border crossing, where riders then pass through Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico en route to the finish at Antelope Wells. Along the way, racers face wildlife such as grizzly bears and rattlesnakes in addition to rain, wind, snow, and trail conditions ranging from bone dry to peanut butter milkshake mud.

The first afternoon of the race, Victor Bosoni has pulled out a lead at mile 103. Bosoni won The Traka 560 earlier this spring, his second win at the race. The victory wasn’t without controversy, but Victor’s victory stands.

Alex McCormack, Xavier Chiriboga, Angus Young, and Laurens ten Dam follow a couple miles behind to make up the men’s top five.

McCormack races for the Canyon ATR squad and is coming off of a third place ride at Unbound XL. Robin Gemperle, last year’s winner of Tour Divide and this year’s winner of Unbound XL, is not in attendance. McCormack has also won the Atlas Mountain Race this year and set a new seven day distance record of 3,826.47 kilometers.

Chiriboga is an Ecuardorian who won the Colorado Trail Race in 2024. Young has won the Pan-Celtic, Dales Divide and Highland Trail 500 races and holds several FKTs. Ten Dam is the Dutch Tour de France racer turned gravel racer turned ultra cycling maestro.

Meaghan Hackinen leads the women’s category and sits in 11th place overall. She has a 20-mile lead on Karin Pocock, and Torin Lackmann, Alyssa Secreto, and Leah Goldstein round out the top five.

Hackinen just won the Hellenic Mountain Race this year and placed second at the Atlas Mountain Race. Pocock is a AMGA-Certified rock and ski guide and a program director at the famed Silverton Avalanche School. Lackmann is also from Colorado and is a former collegiate triathlete.

Secreto, the third Coloradan in the women’s top four, recently completed the Grand Loop race. Goldstein won the 2021 Race Across America.

In addition to those at the front of the race, the Tour Divide is also known for the dozens of amateurs who take on the toue as a bike tour rather than a race. The Tour also sees participants ride south to north—there are seven northbounders this year.

Follow the Tour Divide live tracking here

Life Time will also cover racers’ entry fees into the races.

Kylee Hanel leads the women’s U23 category overall after the first two races of the season, followed by Samantha Johnson in second and Lauren Aggeler in third. Oskar Stack-Michasiw leads the men’s field ahead of Jack Spang and Finn McKenzie.

Here are the full rosters:

Life Time Grand Prix U23 Women’s Roster

• Lauren Aggeler, Colorado USA

• Samantha Campbell, Colorado, USA

• Alex Charles, Utah, United States

• Ellory Clason, Michigan, USA

• Katelyn Cook, Idaho, USA

• Brooke Darby, Colorado, USA

• Kylee Hanel, Oregon, United States

• Scarlett Hardie, Colorado, USA

• Samantha Johnson, Tennessee, USA

• Courtney Merrill, Idaho, USA

• Lacie Munns, Utah, USA

• Emily Stapleton, Pennsylvania, USA

Life Time Grand Prix U23 Men’s Roster

• Isaac Allred, Minnesota, USA

• Ryker Brand, Utah, USA

• Aero Fisher, California, USA

• Jason Freihofner, California, USA

• Calvin Horner, Kansas, USA

• Jake Johansen, Arizona, USA

• Holden Krizek, CO, USA

• Finn McKenzie, New Zealand

• Luke Mosteller, Georgia, USA

• Ryder Ritchie, California, USA

• Ollie Rutberg, Colorado, USA

• Jacob Schneller, Kansas, USA

• Braeden Sellinger, Arizona, USA

• Jack Spang, Canada

• Oskar Stack-Michasiw, Canada

• Kash Steele, California, USA

• Jacob Stutz, California, USA

• Elliot Thornblade, Montana, USA

• Noah Warren, Alabama, USA

• Jonas Woodruff, California, USA

“The U23 years are a critical bridge between high school racing and the next phase of an athlete’s career, and for many riders, a program like this can be the incentive and support they need to stay on the bike, keep developing, and see a real path forward,” Michelle Duffy, Director of the Life Time Grand Prix, said in a press release. We originally planned to select 10 young women and men, but the depth of talent this year made it clear that we had an opportunity to expand.”

Last season, Griffin Hoppin and Ruth Holcomb won the U23 overall, earning rides into the full elite series for 2026.

“It’s important to have a separate category to the elite, and being able to race for the win was such an important part of my racing career and an amazing end to my time as a U23,” Holcomb said.

Get to know the field in Ryan MTB’s previous article about the U23 riders.

It’s a bit strange to go from unparalleled hype in the leadup and comedown from Unbound to…nothing for the majority of the summer. raised this point in his recent article, and he also argued that the series should expand from six to ten races. This got me thinking about what an expanded series could look like, and how Life Time could fill the hole of June and July in the calendar.

First, here’s the current calendar for reference.

• Sea Otter Classic Gravel (April 16)

• Unbound Gravel (May 30)

• Leadville Trail 100 (August 15)

• Chequamegon (Sept. 19)

• Little Sugar MTB (Oct. 11)

• Big Sugar Gravel (Oct. 17)

An obvious solution in between Unbound and Leadville is Crushar in the Tushar, which was in the Grand Prix from 2022-2024. This year’s edition takes place on July 11. The main argument against Crusher is it’s another climbing race at altitude. Is it fair to have two races in the series that favor Keegan Swenson, or another rider like him?

Another option from past editions of the Grand Prix is The Rad Dirt Fest. It’s also a climbing gravel race at altitude, and it taking place in late September doesn’t solve the June and July problem.

All of the races in the Life Time Grand Prix are owned and operated by Life Time. The publicly-traded company either created the events themselves or acquired them. I’m skeptical that Life Time would bring in additional events to the series that they don’t own—which I’ll address later in this article—but let’s take a look at some of the other events in Life Time’s portfolio.

The Lutsen 99er mountain bike race takes place in late June in Minnesota, which happens to be Life Time’s home state. The Life Time corporate offices are in Chanhassen, on the southwest edge of the Minneapolis suburbs. Lutsen is a four hour drive away, but Lutsen would fill the summer hole in the Grand Prix and allow Life Time to engage its home office executives and staffers in their metaphorical backyard.

The other mountain bike race Life Time produces is the Austin Rattler down in Texas, which takes place in November. It would certainly mix things up, but the late race date doesn’t help with calendar continuity.

Life Time also operates the Unbound and Leadville camps, multi-day experiences that allow amateur riders to prepare for the races with rides and workshops. The company also offers the Silver Rush 50 and Leadville Stage Race earlier in the summer, as well as the portfolio of Leadville run events. All of these dates could make sense to add another Grand Prix race to. Life Time is already in town so it would be cost effective for them. It would also allow interaction between the Grand Prix racers and amateurs, something that both Life Time and sponsors love.

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Life Time Grand Prix Fantasy Calendar

With all of that in mind, here’s my stab at a Life Time Grand Prix Fantasy Calendar that is ten rounds, has an equal split of mountain biking and gravel, uses existing races in Life Time’s portfolio, and fills the summer gap. My additions are highlighted.

• Sea Otter XCO - Before the Grand Prix, Sea Otter included an XCO race that was a stop on the national MTB calendar. It was held on the hill near the corkscrew, and attracted riders like Nino Schurter and Kate Courtney. A 60-90 minute XCO would lead to increased fan engagement (hold it at happy hour time on Friday night) and serve as a leg opener for the gravel, which would have to be moved from its Thursday slot. Organizers could add technicality with rock gardens and jumps, adding a punchy challenge to start the season.

• Sea Otter Gravel

• Unbound Gravel Crit - A similar concept to above, but this time we’re on drop bars. Capitalize on the massive amount of fans at the Unbound expo and hold this race right after the Unbound XL rollout on Friday afternoon. This will also allow fans to actually watch the pros race, which doesn’t really happen at Unbound if you are a participant in the amateur ranks.

• Unbound Gravel

• Lutsen 99er - Yep, we’re going north for more mountain biking for all of the reasons mentioned when I addressed Lutsen earlier in the article.

• Crusher in the Tushar - It just makes too much sense to not add Crusher back into the calendar. With a series of ten races, the impact of another climbers’ race at altitude will be more diffused throughout the season.

• Leadville Trail 100

• Chequamegon

• Little Sugar

• Big Sugar

What about outside races, I hear you ask. Laverick mentions events like SBT GRVL and The Mid South, gravel classics in their own right. I’d add that events like Whiskey Off-Road (any of Epic Rides’ events, really) and Park City Point To Point would make for good MTB additions to a series.

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Could Life Time add outside races?

There would have to be equal incentives on each side for Life Time to collaborate with another race organization. Life Time and the Grand Prix’s presence could bring increased media exposure as well as increased race registrations from both pros and amateurs. For Life Time, the value would be in adding new venues and terrain to the Grand Prix and expanding their brand reach to new markets. Both sides would have to give up some level of control, as in any collaboration. For Life Time, a brand that reports to shareholders, I’m not sure the risk is worth the reward.

Another factor is community buy-in. As any race promoter knows, keeping local residents, businesses, and government entities on side is critical. I’m not sure how a corporation like Life Time coming in and partnering with a locally-loved independent event would go over in some communities, no matter how much PR is done.

Two smaller events recently vanished from Life Time’s portfolio. This gives me pause about whether we’ll see Life Time acquiring or starting their own new events any time soon. The Tahoe Trail 100 was a qualifier event for Leadville and had been around since 2011. Earlier this year, Life Time shut down the race with little explanation.

In 2025, Life Time launched a race in Alabama called the Coldwater Trail. It was the only Leadville qualifier east of the Mississippi. This year, Life Time distanced themselves from the event just months after founding it. Northeast Alabama Bicycle Association now owns the event, according to a social media post, and will presumably run a similar race in fall 2026.

Both events likely did not make sense anymore, whether financially, politically, or corporately, but we don’t have an exact answer as to why. If it was a financial decision, Life Time could invest their savings back into existing races or into expansion races. Life Time abandoning the Alabama race so soon makes me think that new races from the company are not in the cards.

Expansion race ideas

However, it’s a fun thought experiment to look at which markets Life Time could expand its mountain bike and gravel events into. It’s lesser-known among the off-road community that Life Time owns and operates several road running events in Miami and Chicago. Florida has gravel and mountain biking (believe it or not) so a Florida event could make sense. Chequamegon is kind of close to Chicago, but an off-road event closer to the metro area would certainly draw a big crowd.

Look at the map of Life Time’s event presence and it’s obvious that the majority of the East Coast and the Pacific Northwest are missing from its portfolio. Asheville and the Pisgah area of North Carolina seem like a natural fit for an event, as does Tennessee with the state’s recent interest in cycling as a tourism initiative. Vermont would be a dreamy race locale—combine some New England races with cyclocross season. Oregon and Washington bring access to large population centers, bucket list destinations and terrain, and an established cycling culture. Whether Life Time starts an event from scratch or buys an existing one, they could make it work for those in Sasquatch country.

How did I do with my fantasy calendar and analysis of the situation? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

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The three men selected are Martins Blums, Skyler Taylor, and Matthew Wilson.

Blums previously raced World Cup XCO for the KMC-Ridley team. In his last year as a U23, he won the World Cup overall competition and as an elite, the Latvian’s best results include a seventh in XCO and a third in XCC. This year, Blums will race both mountain bike and gravel with support from Velo Express and Scott bikes.

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Taylor earned a wild card spot last year and rode to a 17th overall finish in the series. His best result came at Little Sugar, where he finished 11th. Taylor finished in 20th at last weekend’s Unbound, where he was the best placed wild card contendor.

Wilson also rode to a wild card entry last season, finishing 13th overall. His best results were a sixth at Sea Otter and ninth at Chequamegon. This spring, he won both the fat tire crit and backcountry race at the Epic Rides Whiskey Off-Road.

A fourth wild card spot opened for the women’s field after Sarah Sturm deferred her entry into the Grand Prix due to pregnancy. The four women’s wild card winners are Danni Shrosbree, Jenna Rinehart, Charlotte Clarke, and Hannah Shell.

Shrosbree has focused on the Gravel Earth Series in recent years and secured several top-5 finishes. At Unbound, she most recently placed 9th. As a racer with a road background, the British woman understands tactics and European-style race dynamics.

Rinehart has rode in the Grand Prix three times, with her best being a 6th overall in 2023. She is a 7x winner of Chequamegon and owns a bike shop in Mankato, Minnesota.

Clarke is a newcomer to the North American off-road scene. The Kiwi has extensive experience racing road in New Zealand and in Europe, and until Sea Otter hadn’t raced in the U.S. as far as I can tell. Her best result is a third place at the Gravel and Tar La Femme event in 2024.

Shell is also a familiar name on the Grand Prix, having competed in 2022 and 2023. Her best finish in those years was a 9th place at Unbound in 2022. At this year’s Unbound, she finished 23 to clinch the wild card spot.

The overall leaderboard for the Grand Prix has not yet been updated online to reflect the wild card athletes. The next race in the series is the Leadville Trail 100 in August.

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The 200km gravel race was a part of the Nature is Bike gravel cycling festival near the city of Angers, located in western France in the Loire Valley.

Several reports say that Goyard was riding downhill and passing through an intersection when he was hit by the car, however it’s unclear if there were any stop signs or traffic signals at the intersection. A police investigation has been opened.

Goyard ran the French YouTube channel Gravel & Bike, which has more than 65,000 subscribers. He recently produced a 39-minute video about the 660km Bordeaux-Paris ultra event.

“Gravel & Bike is the YouTube channel for anyone who experiences cycling differently,” the channel describes itself. “From tarmac to white gravel roads, from mountain passes to deep forests, from bikepacking to athletic challenges: here, we explore every form of freedom on two wheels.”

Nature is Bike first announced the incident with Goyard on Saturday.

“A serious accident occurred this morning in the commune of Bois d’Anjou during the 200 challenge, resulting in the death of one participant,” the event organizer posted on social media. “At this moment, all our thoughts go to our loved ones.”

The next day, the festival posted a tribute on social media.

“A lover of Gravel, he had it in his heart to pass on his passion, to share, and to let live the spirit of adventure that unites us.

Today, on the village, a minute of silence was observed, in tribute to Stéphane.

Teams and participants are deeply affected by this drama.
All of our deepest thoughts are with his family and loved ones 🖤”

Goayrd left behind a wife, three children, a brother, and his parents.

Deaths are unfortunately not unheard of in gravel events. In the United States, several deaths have been reported over the years. Races are often held on open roads, so the risk of getting hit by a car exists and has happened. Riders have also died in races because of crashes not involving cars and because of medical emergencies such as cardiac arrest.

Schurter finished the seven day stage race in 11:18:37, becoming the first European to win the race. He was challenged plenty of times by a bevy of Canadians, including second-place Peter Disera and third-place Carter Nieuwesteeg. Justin Peck and Tobin Ortenblad placed in fifth and sixth, holding it down for the United States.

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The plan for Keegan Swenson, Matt Beers, and Mads Wurtz Schmidt was to make the race hard on Texaco Hill. In Kansas, any hill with a name is a hard hill, says multi-time Unbound winner Dan Hughes, and the watts of Specialized can make it even harder.

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Unbound Gravel XL Results 2026

Results are based on the live dot tracker as of 7:25 p.m. local time on Saturday, May 30. Life Time’s results link for the XL is currently inaccurate.

1. Robin Gemperle - 21:20:05

2. Max Agut - 22:12:42

3. Alex McCormack - 23:34:52

4. Josh Amberger - 24:03:42

5. Matthew Lefthand - 24:12:57

6. Kevin Benkenstein - 26:40:47

7. Oskar Hertz - 26:41:00

8. Everett Werner - 26:42:00

9. Svenja Betz - 27:13:00 - Women’s First Place Winner

10. Chris Mehlman - 27:24:00

11. Madeleine Nutt - 27:48:00 - Women’s Second Place

12. Tobias Midderhoff - 28:09:00

13. Nathan Stayrook Hobbs 28:09:01

14. Antonio Marquina - 28:19:00

The race set off from Emporia, Kansas at 3:00 p.m. local time under sunny skies. Dry and fast conditions defined the evening, but rain and mud slowed things down overnight. An Instagram post by racer Chris Mehlman showed riders hiking through mud-saturated roads.

Pete Stetina, who was racing his first-ever ultra distance gravel event, was racing in the top 10 before pulling out after a late night crash. The Canyon racer was riding with Alex McCormack, Robin Gemperle, and Victor Bosoni, when a crash gashed his right leg below the knee.

“With my headlamp I could see fascia under globs of mud,” Stetina said. “I knew it would be a guaranteed infection and lasting damage to continue with my injury.”

“While the crash and midnight stitches are a bummer, what really hurts is I didn’t actually get to explore the ultra space, only got an appetizer,” he said. “I didn’t get the do THE thing, the riding from sunrise to sunset and hopefully finding out more about myself. Will need to try again somewhere, someday, somehow.”

Read: Why Pete Stetina is racing Unbound XL

Ted King, a 2x-winner of the 200-mile Unbound Gravel distance, also pulled out with a leg injury. Ironically, he visited the same hospital as Stetina.

“Nothing good happens after 9pm,” King said. “I’m relatively okay. Couple stitches and I’ll be back swinging in no time. Apparently I didn’t want @pstetina to be lonely in the hospital.”

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The U23 category rules stipulate that racers must compete in either Sea Otter Gravel or Unbound Gravel, however most top contenders will race both. Another rule to note is the U23 athletes compete in the Unbound 100-mile distance. At the end of the series, the overall winners in each gender category earn a spot in the elite field of the 2027 Grand Prix series.

There are thirteen U23 women signed up for Unbound Gravel on Saturday. Here’s a little bit of information about each of them.

• Kylee Hanel - Hanel won the U23 race at Sea Otter Gravel and races for the Aegis team on the road and is supported by Cervelo for gravel.

• Lauren Aggeler - Aggeler comes from a background of racing World Cup XCO but is focused on a mixed calendar of road and gravel this season with Speedblock-Terun.

• Samanth Johnson - A multi-discipline Milligan University racer, Johnson’s Instagram bio describes herself as a “gravel noob,” which I found funny.

• Ellory Clason - Clason placed 3rd at Unbound last year and rides for the Bissel-ABG team.

• Alexandra Charles - The second place finisher at Unbound last year, Charles races for the well-resourced ENVE Mog program.

• Emily Stapleton - Stapleton is on the Bear National Team and is a collegiate mountain bike national championship winner.

• Samantha Campbell - Campbell races collegiately for Colorado Mesa University and is a previous marathon mountain bike national championship age group winner.

• Scarlett Hardie - Hailing from Grand Junction, Colorado, Hardie races for the Pas Normal development team.

• Lacie Munns - Munns is a mountain bike and gravel racer from Utah.

• Brooke Darby - Darby is from Asheville, North Carolina and now attends Fort Lewis College. She is on the Mach1 Performance.

• Courtney Merrill - Merrill has a background of racing XCO but I couldn’t find much else about her. Let me know if there’s anything else we should know about Courtney.

• Terese Martens - Bear National Team rider.

• Julia Allred - Also on the Mach1 team, Allred won the True Grit Epic overall earlier this year.

There are a lot more men, so I’ll focus on ten rather than going through the full list. Sorry, boys.

• Isaac Alred - Allred placed 2nd at Unbound last year. Check out my podcast interview with Isaac where we discuss his ride at Unbound and his FKT on the Durango Death Ride Route.

• Luke Mosteller - A Bear National Team rider, Mosteller won Sea Otter Gravel in April.

• Elliot Thornblade - Thornblade placed 2nd at Sea Otter amid a strong collegiate road season with Fort Lewis College.

• Jonas Woodruff - Jonas rounded out the podium last year at Unbound and comes from a road background, from what I can tell.

• Oskar Stack-Michasiw - Another Mach1 team member, Stack-Michasiw’s best result is a 2nd in the U23 category at Leadville last season.

• Braeden Sellinger- A recent graduate from Northern Arizona University, Sellinger races road for Landis-Trilogy and off-road for Dark Sky Devo.

• Ryder Ritchie - A Speedblock-Terun racer, Ritchie recently won the Merced Crit in California.

• Jack Spang - Spang races for the Voler Factory Racing road team while attending Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

• Jacob Stutz - Stutz is a mountain bike and gravel racer from Los Angeles, California.

• Noah Warren - Warren already has a strong endurance racing palmares with multiple appearances at the Cape Epic and mountain bike world championships.

In case you missed it: Stories I’m watching at Unbound Gravel 2026

In case you missed it: Why Pete Stetina is racing Unbound XL

In case you missed it: Sea Otter Gravel analysis: Bradyn Lange opens season with victory over Keegan Swenson

I’ve followed Unbound from numerous roles inside the cycling industry since 2022, with a couple trips to Emporia thrown in to check out the action for myself. As the annual hype cycle kicks into gear, it’s a good time to take stock of the narratives that really matter this week on the prairie.

A greatest hits course

Traditionally, the Unbound Gravel course switches between a predominantly southern route and a predominantly northern route every two years. This year is the 20th anniversary of the race, and the race organizers chose to celebrate that by putting together a 200+-mile lap of some of the races most celebrated and feared sections from the past two decades. There are even a couple new sections of course, and some sections from previous years are being raced in reverse.

Since the course mixes three different cardinal directions, wind could be a factor in the race, especially if wind patterns don’t stick to the norm. Winds typically blow from the south to the north in the area, but like all matters of mother nature, you just never know what could happen. If there are particularly strong winds, watch for altered race dynamics and even the threat of race-splitting echelons if cross winds hit on wider sections of road.

Aside from tires and high-carb fueling, everyone’s other favorite topic at Unbound is what the weather will do. As 2015 and 2023 demonstrated, mud at Unbound can cause chaos and endless debate online. As I write this on Tuesday night, there are thunderstorms forecasted for Friday and light rain scheduled for most of the day on Saturday. However, anybody who experienced the weather last year knows that mid-week rain doesn’t always translate to race day mud. You just never know until you line up on Commercial Street bright and early Saturday morning.

Will team tactics work?

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Stetina announced his retirement and ensuing farewell tour at the beginning of 2026. The gravel pro would visit the races that are most meaningful to him. At the races, he would give up chasing personal podiums and instead serve as a spielertrainer for his Canyon-DT Swiss All-Terrain Racing teammates like Bradyn Lange.

This looks like reconning courses, advising on strategy on tactics, cooking meals, testing products, and a wide array of additional duties as assigned. As Stetina enters the twilight of his career, he can use his collection of experience as a professional bike racer to benefit Canyon’s younger athletes.

“I’m still a privateer and an ambassador for Canyon,” Stetina said, “but then I also have this other part of my job which is helping all of Canyon’s current and future pros try to excel in their career.”

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Puck Pieterse was punchy, but it wasn’t enough in the XCO

Puck Pieterse can always be expected to put on a show when she shows up to mountain bike races. Her spring form was unbeatable in the short track race, but the Dutch woman fell off the pace in the XCO. Perhaps it was her early efforts during the first laps or a need to work on her technical skills, but Pieterse has shown that she can improve as the season goes on.

Liv Factory Racing is a team to watch

Three weeks after Madigan Munroe took a breakout third place in South Korea, Liv Factory Racing is continuing its campaign. Ronja Blochlinger defined the opening laps of the race, using her supreme technical skills to open gaps on the descents. She faded down to seventh by the end of the race, but I’ll be watching for more performances by the women in purple the rest of the season.

Alessandra Keller faces lousy luck

A touch of wheels sent Alessandra Keller to the ground during the XCC, and the domino effect sent Jolanda Neff into the barriers as well. Both riders were OK, but Keller had to mount a battle during the XCO to move through the pack. She rode up to fifth by the end of the day, but will be looking for a drama free race at Leogang.

Specialized women continue their reign

The Specialized duo of Laura Stigger and Sina Frei are keeping The Big S in the limelight this spring. Frei’s double win last round was followed up by Stigger, who went solo in the women’s XCO today to beat Jenny Rissveds. Frei placed third to put two Specialized women on the podium.

Mathis Azzaro outsprints Pidcock

Tom Pidcock got off to an intentionally slow start in yesterday’s XCC race before sprinting his way to the front of the field. However, the likes of Mathis Azzaro, Dario Lillo, and Luca Schwartzbauer kept him in check. A last lap attack from Pidcock still couldn’t shake the competition, and Azzaro powered ahead to take a comfortable win ahead of the Olympic Champion.

Luca Martin shows off his XCO talents

While Pidcock won the day on Sunday, Luca Martin was the next best man, showcasing his speedy combination of fitness and skills. The Frenchman even got within five seconds of Pidcock on the sixth lap but couldn’t close the gap all the way. Still, the Cannondale rider finished 42 seconds ahead of Filippo Colombo in third.

Young Americans continue to shine

Riley Amos and Bjorn Riley finished eighth and ninth respectively in the short track, great results for the second-year elites from the United States of America. Riley was then in the podium chase during the XCO before suffering a catastrophic flat and broken wheel. In the U23 category, Makena Kellerman took her second XCC win in a row, while Bailey Cioppa finished fifth. Vida Lopez de San Roman placed 8th in the U23 XCO, and Nicholas Konecny finished in 10th in the U23 men’s XCO.

Scott-SRAM had a Sunday to remember

Scott-SRAM landed two elite men in the top five with a third place ride from Filippo Colombo, who entered the chat late in the race, and a fifth place from Fabio Puntener. We can only dream what the results would have been if Bjorn Riley didn’t flat.

Injury and illness report

Specialized’s Haley Batten did not start the XCC or XCO due to a stomach bug, another blow to Batten after a crash in South Korea. Her teammate Christopher Blevins is still on the mend after collarbone surgery, and Victor Koretzky is still recovering from a broken arm in April. Finn Treudler also did not race in Nove Mesto due to an unspecified illness. In the women’s XCO, Evie Richards took a hard crash just off camera and was taken to the hospital. She later said she took a hard hit to the head and neck but nothing is broken.

The XC Racers will next line up at the Leogang World Cup taking place from June 11-14.

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Stetina is on a farewell tour this year before hanging up his wheels as a full-time racer next year. So, why is the Californian jumping into a race that travels through the dark Kansas night and takes a minimum of 18 hours?

“It felt like this was something that I had to explore for myself,” Stetina said over the phone. “I don’t really think I have the desire to do the multi-day stuff, like when it becomes a sleep deprivation test, but I can totally get behind an all nighter. I always kind of planned to do it, I just didn’t know when and where and how.”

After two decades racing on-road and off, Stetina said he began to feel the pull toward going the distance and trying a new format. It was an itch he had to scratch.

“I started thinking about it, and I found myself just being really nervous, like the kind of nervousness of a new scary thing that I haven’t felt before, or in a long, long time.”

Just over a week from finding himself on the start line, Stetina said he is most nervous about the mental side of the race. He’s never pedaled all night before, and he doesn’t know where his mind will take him.

During the adventure, Stetina is open to all possibilities and outcomes.

“I might be able to go really fast and find some mantra or meditation out there and pull out a fast ride. But I also may end up being like totally over it and eating pizza at a gas station and taking a nap on a picnic bench, and I mean they’re both fine with me.”

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Stetina’s longest race day was the Traka 360K in 2024, when mud made for a finish time of just under 12 hours. At Unbound XL last year, Rob Britton finished in 17:49:51, setting a course record.

In preparation for the journey, Stetina went to last year’s second place finisher, Lachlan Morton, for advice.

“I was so technically oriented, and Lachy was really helpful in that he spoke about almost like the game of riding ultras, the mindset shifts and stuff. It was almost a bit—I wouldn’t say coaching—but more mental tips in how to perceive things. He’s the best in the world at that kind of stuff, so it was pretty nice to get to pick his brain on that.”

Stetina describes his bike setup as “a fun one,” keeping the exact details close to his chest. Stetina races for Canyon, and a new aero gravel bike has been spotted at recent races. However, long-distance races like Unbound XL are a balance between speed and comfort.

“It’s this ultimate balance between speed and aerodynamics over such a long day, but also comfort and bodily fatigue matters so much more than just having a quick setup. So I’m trying to look at speed with a very practical eye.”

He will be using Exposure lights and frame bags from ALMSTHRE. As for nutrition, he’ll go for a mix of performance nutrition like gels as well as solid food and guilty pleasures like Red Vines—which we agreed are totally different from Twizzlers.

Stetina will arrive in Emporia on Tuesday, and spend the days ahead of the week previewing the course and advising on strategy for his Canyon ATR teammates like Bradyn Lange, Carolin Schiff, and Jasper Ockeloen. Then Stetina’s time in the saddle on Friday into Saturday will be a bonus.

“Maybe something sweet comes. I mean, I know something will come of it, that’s the thing. It’s just a new adventure, right.”

Tom Pidcock

This is the obvious one. When Pidcock is at a race, he’s an instant favorite for the win, and he is a back-to-back-to-back winner at Nove Mesto. The only question is how fast he will move up from the back of the start grid on Sunday as he won’t be racing XCC on Saturday due to a lack of UCI ranking points. The answer to that question is usually quite fast.

Dario Lillo

Lillo has proven at South Korea that he can win in the mud. Last round was so mud effected with so much running that we don’t know how Lillo will fare in a drier race this season. His win will bring some confidence, but Nove Mesto always seems to throw some curveballs.

Joshua Dubau

Dubau has gone well at Nove Mesto in the past, but the 2025 season wasn’t kind to him. The Frenchman got 6th in the South Korea XCO and will be hunting for a podium in the Czech woods.

Mathis Azzaro

Another Frenchman to watch is Mathis Azzaro. He won the XCC last round. Now he’ll be looking to prove himself in the longer XCO format.

Finn Treudler

Treudler was another player last round who did well in the XCC but suffered mechanical troubles in the XCO. He could be a familiar name this season if his chain stays on the cogs.

Puck Pieterse

Pieterse makes her mountain bike debut for 2026 at Nove Mesto. It will be interesting to see how she slots into the World Cup bunch this season after an Spring road racing campaign.

Sina Frei

Frei will be coming off the confidence of double wins in South Korea. Could the Specialized rider continue her winning streak in a similar style to her teammate Christopher Blevins last season?

Haley Batten

Batten had a race to forget in South Korea when she crashed in the XCC taking a loose outside line. It looks like she is OK though and has been training in Europe in preparation for the rest of the season.

Madigan Munro

The American had a breakout ride last year and landed on the podium. She’s another one to watch and see how she does in a race that isn’t as impmacted by running and mud.

Evie Richards

Richards is a favorite for the XCC as a former World champion in the discipline. She was set back in the XCO last round by a crash so she will want to have a clean race.

As of Tuesday, it’s still unclear if Mathieu van der Poel will take the start line. The UCI Mountain Bike World Series posted on Instagram that Van der Poel has “entered the race.” That Instagram post is still up, but Pinkbike and a Dutch journalist are claiming that he will not race. Who knows at this point.

We knew that Pidcock was likely to attend, as Ryan MTB reported in our article looking at the Briton’s four-year winning streak at the classic cross-country mountain bike venue.

This season, Pidcock won Milano-Torino, placed second at Milano-San Remo, and won a stage of the Tour of the Alps after making a quick recovery from a knee injury. Next week, we’ll see how his form is on the mountain bike course.

In comparison, the Dutch Pieterse has raced less often and stuck mostly to Italy and Belgium. She placed third at the Tour of Flanders before a pair of second places at the Ardennes Classics. Pieterse has won 10 World Cup rounds, including an XCO and XCC at Nove Mesto.

Pieterse will face off against Sina Frei, who showed her fitness and grit at the first round in South Korea by winning both the XCC and muddy XCO. In the men’s field, Dario Lillo was victorious in Sunday’s XCO while Mathis Azzaro came out on top of the podium in the XCC.

Tune in to Ryan MTB on Sunday at 10 a.m. Mountain Time to check out my video interview with gravel and ultra racer Chris Mehlman on Substack live.

The schedule of races was revealed by PianetaMTB, and Italian mountain bike news website. RyanMTB has not independently obtained a copy of the calendar.

Leaks are not uncommon from both the UCI and the Mountain Bike World Series, which is why RyanMTB is publishing the news. In 2024, leaked documents about proposed changes for the 2025 season turned out to be largely accurate.

Leaked UCI Mountain Bike World Series Calendar 2027

• April 17–18: UCI MTB World Series XCO/XCC #1 | Europe

• April 30 – May 02: UCI MTB World Series XCO/XCC/DH #2 | Non-Europe

• May 15–16: UCI MTB World Series XCO/XCC #3 | Europe

• May 22–23: UCI MTB World Series XCO/XCC #4 | Europe

• June 11–13: UCI MTB World Series XCO/XCC/DH/EDR #5 | Europe

• June 18–20 OR June 25-27: UCI MTB World Series XCO/XCC/DH #6 | Europe

• July 02–04: UCI MTB World Series XCO/XCC/DH/EDR #7 | Europe

• July 10–11: UCI MTB World Series XCO/XCC #8 | Europe

• August 20–22: UCI MTB World Series XCO/XCC #9 | Europe

• September 10–12: UCI MTB World Series XCO/XCC #10 | Europe

• September 25–26: UCI MTB World Series XCO/XCC #11 | Non-Europe

• October 08–10: UCI MTB World Series XCO/XCC/DH #12 | Non-Europe

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The schedule, if authentic, would begin for XC racers in mid-April with a round in Europe. Exact venue locations are not divulged in the calendar. Then, XC and gravity racers would head to a non-Europe round, which would be consistent with this season’s start in South Korea. From there, races would take place in Europe from mid-May until mid-September before finishing the season at two non-Europe races.

My best guess is the penultimate round is at Soldier Hollow, Utah (debuting on the World Cup circuit this fall) and the other is at another North American venue such as Whistler (also new this year) or the classic Mont-Sainte-Anne.

Media reports also say that one of the European rounds could take place in Spain or Portugal.

Notably, XC racing is included at all 12 rounds while there are only 5 downhill rounds and 2 enduro races. It’s unclear if this is intentional, or if the schedule is simply incomplete. However, there has been fears and rumors of the decline of enduro racing in the modern World Series era with several top riders and brands pulling back from the discipline.

In a recent podcast interview, top enduro athlete Charlie Murray—who is stepping away from the race series this season—said that his sponsor Specialized no longer had interest in investing in enduro racing sponsorships.

If this calendar pans out, it will be interesting to see how teams and riders respond. On one hand, more races is in line with Warner Bros.’ vision for the sport, however, more races means more expenses for the teams and riders.

One thing that is clear is that the calendar groups races together geographically (i.e., spending the entire summer in Europe), which teams and riders have called for to make logisitcs easier.

Here’s what a representative from Warner Bros. said.

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Pidcock has hinted at his participation, and Nove Mesto race organizers posted a criptic message on Instagram along with a reel of footage featuring Pidcock.

“Sparrows around Vysočina Arena heard gossip today about a British lad asking if he could come again? He said he would probably return to racing sooner after his injury and that he had always enjoyed it here.”

Who else could that be?

With that news, Ryan MTB looked back at some of the Olympic Champion’s top moments at the venue, where he won races annually from 2020-2024.

A rising star - Nove Mesto 2020

The mountain bike season got a late start in 2021 thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic, and the condensed season saw a double-header at Nove Mesto. Pidcock won both of the Under-23 XCO races, besting Alexandre Balmer in the first and beating Christopher Blevins two days later. Pidcock would go on to win the U23 World Championships that year, and he signed for the Ineos Grenadiers for the following season.

Pidcock vs. MVDP - Nove Mesto 2021

Pidcock’s first year racing the elite category saw him joined in the Czech race with Mathieu van der Poel. the Dutchman outsprinted the Brit in a photo finish to a muddy XCC race, and the two rivals etched out a lead in the XCO. Pidcock had the better climbing legs and technical skills on the day to win his first elite World Cup race.

After the race, Pidcock spoke one of his most legendary quotes: “I think I was born to do mountain bike, to be honest. It sounds stupid, but I think it’s what I’ve done since I was little and what I’ve enjoyed the most. Coming here and winning an elite World Cup…is pretty insane really.”

Later that year, Pidcock would go on to win the XCO Olympic gold medal in Tokyo, Japan.

A sprint against Dascalu - Nove Mesto 2022

Dry and dusty conditions set the stage for Nove Mesto in 2022, and Pidcock immediately found the front of the race alongside the likes of now-retired Nino Schurter. The Swissman suffered a flat tire, but chased back to the leading group of 5 by the last lap. Coming into the finish, Vlad Dascalu led Pidcock into a headwind for a sprint finale. Pidcock powered ahead of Dascalu to take another victory for Ineos.

Doing the double - Nove Mesto 2023

Until 2023, Pidcock had never won a World Cup short track race, but he beat Luca Schwarzbauer and Sam Gaze to top off a rain-soaked 20 minutes and place another feather in the cap of his palmares. Then, a last-lap attack in the XCO dropped Joshua Dubau to make it a perfect weekend.

Pidcock vs. Schurter - Nove Mesto 2024

At his last appearance at Nove Mesto, Pidcock was threatened by an early attack of Schurter and Victor Koretzky. The leaders came back together though and Pidcock led the group. The following lap, Pidcock launched an attack and got a gap. He held steady to beat Schurter by 32 seconds.

Pidcock only raced on the mountain bike twice in 2025 at the European Championships and the Andorra World Cup. It will surely be a treat to see what he does this season.

Hatherly signed with Jayco for the 2025 season to race road as well as mountain bike with the Giant Factory Off-Road team. He got off to a good start riding to two stage podiums at the early-season AlUla Tour before racing in several World Tour stage races throughout the season. He participated in several World Cup rounds—as well as the MTB World Championships in Switzerland—but did not travel to the last rounds in North America.

This season, Hatherly did not finish Strade Bianche but went on to find solid results at Tirreno-Adriatico and Coppi e Bartali. He heads to the Giro in support of Jayco team leader Ben O’Connor. Hatherly will be a key climbing domestique, with particular talents on punchy climbs as he makes his Grand Tour debut.

Hatherly’s mountain bike schedule has not been announced, but he has said that he is targeting the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

“The biggest thing I’m trying to achieve by bridging the two disciplines is obviously to become a better athlete in general, and specifically targeting the LA Olympics,” he said. “Obviously, it takes quite a few years to build on the road, to just lift that base level that little bit higher, and then to go back to the mountain bike in a big way for 2028. I think to be world champion, World Cup overall winner, and the Olympic champion would be an absolute dream career for me.”

Fellow cross-discipline athlete Tom Pidcock will not race the Giro for his Pinarello-Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team. He has not announced his mountain bike plans for 2026, but he is usually at a couple of World Cup rounds. Last season, he won the Andorra round.

Mathieu van der Poel has his sights on the mountain bike World Championships, but the Tour de France is a key goal for him this summer as well.

“We’re preparing my program for the Tour de France, which I will definitely be participating in,” he said. “We need to see which races I’ll do before I go there, and it’s likely that some of them will be mountain bike races. Obviously, the Tour is the main focus in the coming weeks.”