2025 World Cup calendar announced
Series includes 15 rounds across XC, DH, and enduro
The 2025 UCI Mountain Bike World Series calendar has been announced, boasting 15 rounds at venues both old and new. The calendar is similar on its face to the 2024 season, but there are a few changes that I’ll detail here. First, here’s the full breakdown:
The season begins in April with two cross country rounds in Brazil, just like in 2024. However, both races will be in Araxa rather than at different venues. Hopefully this means there will be different courses each weekend so the racing doesn’t get stale.
The gravity season kicks off in May with an enduro race in Pietra Ligure, Italy, and then a combined enduro and downhill weekend in Poland the following week.
The middle portion of the calendar includes classic venues like Nove Mesto for cross country and combined weekends in Leogang, Val di Sole, and Les Gets. The new Italian venue of La Thuile will host downhill and enduro in July, and Lenzerheide is back on the list for both downhill and cross country after being skipped this year.
Interestingly, Fort William is not on the calendar after hosting more than 20 World Cups over the years, including this year and the downhill portion of 2023’s ‘Super Worlds’ in Glasgow. The enduro schedule is also 100% Europe-based, which is a disappointment for those that enjoyed the Oceania, North American, and South American races in past years.
The season ends in North America with Lake Placid and Mont-Sainte-Anne. Notably, Lake Placid gets downhill after only hosting cross country this year. The rumor is that Whiteface Mountain could host the DH track, but nothing has been confirmed.
Cross country marathon and e-enduro have also been left off the schedule. I’ve reached out to Warner Bros. Discovery to find out if these disciplines are gone for good.
So far there is no indication on if any of the proposed changes to the World Cup will take place, but I’ll post about them when news comes one way or the other.
Leaked MTB World Cup doc reveals proposed racing reforms
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How an invisible rock deflated the hopes of Mathis Azzaro at Lake Placid
The rock was almost invisible to the naked eye. Poking out of Lake Placid’s loamy soil and covered in shadows, racers during the elite men’s XCO race almost certainly did not see it.
Dispatch from Lake Placid
Mt Van Hoevenberg, New York — It’s been raining all morning in Upstate New York. Two riders make their way down Main Street, peeling out of Lake Placid and hooking a left over to the World Cup venue. The dripping rain and road spray from passing vehicles does not seem to bother them.