What to know about the Enduro World Cup
Round one is this weekend in Pietra Ligure, Italy
World Cup racing is back on tap this week with the first round of the Enduro World Cup in Pietra Ligure, Italy. The race kicks off the start of the gravity side of World Cup racing and begins a 5 week block of racing that includes enduro, DH, and cross-country.
Pietra Ligure has hosted enduro races before and is close by to the Finale Ligure enduro venue. The seaside mountains of Liguria offer loose, rocky trails that have served up some of the sport’s most iconic images.
Like XC and DH, enduro is governed by the new rules implemented this year by the UCI and Warner Bros. Discovery. One of the main changes this year for enduro specifically is the elimination of e-bike enduro racing at the World Cup. Otherwise, one of the most prominent changes is the new team system that is made up of 20 top tier teams. These 20 gravity teams encompass both enduro and DH and are listed below.
If riders aren’t on one of these teams, they can still qualify to race, but they must enter through their national federation or meet one of several qualification criteria.
Pietra Ligure Course
New for 2025, Pietra Ligure is one of several World Cup rounds to offer two days of racing.
Day 1 features three stages over 57.78km and 1420m of climbing. That’s 35.9 miles and 4600 feet of climbing. The next day has four stages over 42.9km and 1698 meters of elevation gain (5,500 feet and 26.6 miles).
Who to watch
Last year, Richie Rude and Harriet Harnden won the overall series titles. Harnden is racing for the new AON Racing team this year and just won the IXS Cup at Fort William. She’ll be racing both DH and enduro this year. Rude has also been mixing DH with enduro in recent years and has rode to a few podium places this season so far.
Last year was the first ever Enduro World Championship race, won by Isabeau Courdurier and Alex Rudeau. Despite holding the rainbow jersey, Courdurier is taking a break from racing this year.
Together, Rude, Hardenden and Courdurier dominated the calendar last season, all with multiple wins to their names. There are several others who are proven race winners though. Keep an eye on Charlie Murray, and Jack Moir in the men’s field and Morgan Charre in the women’s field.
Two time series overall winner Jesse Melamed is a perennial favorite. Sławomir Łukasik rode to an impressive 2nd place overall last year, and veteran Greg Callaghan, and Jack Menzie are others in the top 10 from last season to watch.
In the women’s field, Ella Conolly placed fourth overall in 2024, and Bex Baraona is a 2x World Cup winner. Estelle Charles is the e-enduro World Champion but is also fast on a pedal bike. Andréane Lanthier Nadeau just won the Squamish Enduro, a good sign as she stepped over a new Commencal bike this season after leaving Rocky Mountain.
Where to watch
Enduro races are not live streamed, but there should be live timing on the UCI Mountain Bike World Series website. The race will also post updates to YouTube and Instagram. Otherwise, rider and team profiles on social media are good ways to follow the race weekend. Many riders post POV videos of the stages on YouTube—Jesse Melamed is my favorite.
Tune in here for more coverage by Ryan MTB. After Pietra Ligure, the World Cup heads to Poland for both downhill and enduro racing.