UCI Mountain Bike World Series explained: What is the schedule? What are the different disciplines? How can I race?
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Updated 07/06/2023 at 12:51 GMT
The inaugural UCI Mountain Bike World Series is underway. For the first time, the biggest mountain bike disciplines have come under the same roof – with cross-country, short track, marathon, downhill, enduro and E-enduro set to unite in 2023. So what are the different disciplines? What is the race schedule? And how can you watch the action? Read on and have all your questions answered…
Mountain Bike World Series: Everything you need to know about cross-country
The biggest MTB World Cup events have united to form a bumper new competition: the UCI Mountain Bike World Series.
The series features the biggest disciplines in the sport – cross-country Olympic, cross-country short track, cross-country marathon, downhill, enduro and E-enduro – with 13 meetings slated on a packed calendar for 2023.
The likes of Tom Pidcock and Pauline Ferrand-Prevot have already featured, with the Ineos stars using the inaugural series to tune-up for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
All the disciplines are set to feature at a single event in Les Portes du Soleil from September 7-17 as France hosts a festival of mountain biking.
Excited? Here’s everything you need to know about the series...
How can I watch the UCI Mountain Bike World Series in 2023?
UCI World Cup cross-country Olympic, cross-country short track and downhill events from the UCI Mountain Bike World Series will be available live and on-demand on discovery+, GCN+ and the Eurosport App.
UCI World Cup cross-country marathon, enduro and E-enduro will benefit from in-depth highlights shows at every round.
Schedule for UCI Mountain Bike World Series in 2023
| Dates | Venue | Disciplines |
| March 25-26 | Maydena, Tasmania | Enduro |
| March 31 - April 1 | Derby, Australia | Enduro |
| May 11-14 | Nove Mesto na Morave, Czech Republic | Cross-Country, Short-Track, Marathon |
| June 2-4 | Finale Outdoor Region, Italy | Marathon, Enduro |
| June 8-11 | Lenzerheide, Switzerland | Cross-Country, Short-Track, Downhill |
| June 15-18 | Leogang-SalzburgerLand, Austria | Cross-Country, Short-Track, Downhill, Enduro |
| June 24-25 | Val di Fassa Trentino, Italy | Enduro |
| June 29 - July 2 | Val di Sole Trentino, Italy | Cross-Country, Short-Track, Downhill |
| August 24-27 | Pal Arinsal, Andorra | Cross-Country, Short-Track, Downhill |
| September 1-3 | Loudenvielle - Peyragudes, France | Downhill, Enduro |
| September 7-17 | Les Portes du Soleil, France | Cross-Country, Short-Track, Marathon, Downhill, Enduro |
| September 27 - October 1 | Snowshoe, United States | Cross-Country, Short-Track, Marathon, Downhill |
| October 5-8 | Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada | Cross-Country, Short-Track, Downhill |
What are the different disciplines at the UCI Mountain Bike World Series?
CROSS-COUNTRY OLYMPIC
Remember when Tom Pidcock ripped away to win Britain's first ever gold medal in the mountain bike at the Tokyo Olympics? That was in the cross-country event, the only MTB race currently on the Olympic programme.
The cross-country Olympic discipline is a mass start race over a set amount of laps, testing riders climbing and descending prowess.
CROSS-COUNTRY SHORT TRACK
The short track race takes place at the start of the weekend, on a smaller course and over a reduced distance.
It also decides the starting grid for the Olympic distance race, so expect plenty of fast-paced action!
CROSS-COUNTRY MARATHON
As the name suggests, it's a big'un. A lung-busting race takes place over 100km, testing riders' abilities on different terrains and their mental strength.
DOWNHILL
Fancy hurling yourself down mountain pistes at insane speeds, flying off ramps, navigating twisty turns and avoiding obstacles? Then the downhill, undoubtedly MTB's most thrilling event, might be for you.
Riders make death-defying charges down steep courses one by one in a race against the clock. Fastest wins!
ENDURO
Mountain bike's answer to a rally. The race is split into stages, with riders tackling multiple downhill runs. The twist is they have to pedal back up the mountain before their scheduled start time for the next stage.
The lowest time wins after all stage times are added together.
E-ENDURO
Taking place on e-bikes, the event encourages riders to push the limits riding downhill stages, with additional specially designed climbing special stages making it a unique proposition.
What about amateurs?
The UCI Mountain Bike World Series will also provide opportunities for amateurs and those seeking to break onto the elite stage.
Amateur cross-country marathon, enduro and E-enduro racing at some events will allow amateurs to compete alongside their sporting heroes, with qualifying points up for grabs to jump into the elite ranks.
Head to the official website to find out more about entry.
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