UCI MTB World Cup (All forms!)

[jmdirt]

Mens:
Great race! Congrats LM!

MvdP with a solid charge to the front group, but they were all better through the technical parts. He used a lot of energy to get there, and a lot to stay there, still impressive.

Womens:
JRiss just TAKING the race! Congrats!

 

[AmRacer]

Pidcock better on the MTB (mostly because he rides it a lot more often), but he's nowhere near the bike handler that MVDP is in CX or on the road. In CX he takes all kinds of time on Pidcock in and out of corners, over barriers, in the sand, technical power uphills sections that no one else (including Pidcock) can ride , etc. He does the same thing on the road and in races like PR...I'll give you Pidcock on mountain descents only because there's no reason for MVDP to ever push mountain descents cause he's never racing for a place.

Training is crucial to be good at something.

 

[Hugh Januss]

I would have liked to see how his times through the technical/descending sections compare with riders outside of the top 8 or so.

I watched the entire race and it appeared that from the second lap on as he got up into the top racers like Blevins and Schwarzbauer and Hatherly and Avondetto and Azzaro he was gaining on the climbs and then giving it back on the downhills. Regularly to all of them. Obviously he didn't give back the same time to the guys outside the top 20 but he still had to fight to hold on to his uphill gains.

 

[Wyndbrook]

Rissveds was pretty impressive again.
Not sure if she will repeat and dominate the worlds, or has peaked too early.
Significant gap yesterday, but some rivals may have just finished a big training block.

.

 

[senna6541]

Training is crucial to be good at something.

I get it. And there is no doubt the level on the descents has gone way up since MVDP was winning in 2019 - it's actually kind of insane how fast the younger guys descend techy stuff. That said, older guys like Fluckiger and Blevins have managed pretty much stay on level. The sport has gotten a lot more specific and it will be interesting to see if and how much MVDP can improve in just a couple of weeks. I still would argue that he's the best all-around bike handler in the world - and that CX is really a better test of bike handling than World Cup XC - even given today's highly technical courses. The MTB bikes today are doing a lot of the work vs. the rider. Now off to the ride the MTB on some techy stuff we have here in Phoenix.

 

[jono]

I get it. And there is no doubt the level on the descents has gone way up since MVDP was winning in 2019 - it's actually kind of insane how fast the younger guys descend techy stuff. That said, older guys like Fluckiger and Blevins have managed pretty much stay on level. The sport has gotten a lot more specific and it will be interesting to see if and how much MVDP can improve in just a couple of weeks. I still would argue that he's the best all-around bike handler in the world - and that CX is really a better test of bike handling than World Cup XC - even given today's highly technical courses. The MTB bikes today are doing a lot of the work vs. the rider. Now off to the ride the MTB on some techy stuff we have here in Phoenix.

Excuse my ignorance, and my going off topic, but how do humans ride outdoors in Phoenix in summer?

 

[Axel Hangleck]

I still would argue that he's the best all-around bike handler in the world - and that CX is really a better test of bike handling than World Cup XC - even given today's highly technical courses. The MTB bikes today are doing a lot of the work vs. the rider. Now off to the ride the MTB on some techy stuff we have here in Phoenix.

I'm also a MvdP fan, but he really isn't - to think CX is a bigger technical challenge isn't correct at all. CX is pretty tame, and hasn't moved on technically like all the MTB disciplines - I wish it would become a proper technical challenge, rather than who has the horse power.

 

[jmdirt]

I get it. And there is no doubt the level on the descents has gone way up since MVDP was winning in 2019 - it's actually kind of insane how fast the younger guys descend techy stuff. That said, older guys like Fluckiger and Blevins have managed pretty much stay on level. The sport has gotten a lot more specific and it will be interesting to see if and how much MVDP can improve in just a couple of weeks. I still would argue that he's the best all-around bike handler in the world - and that CX is really a better test of bike handling than World Cup XC - even given today's highly technical courses. The MTB bikes today are doing a lot of the work vs. the rider. Now off to the ride the MTB on some techy stuff we have here in Phoenix.

South Mountain? Usery? (I guess that's more Gilbert?). Its been a while, but I used to go to the PHO area to escape the Idaho winter. I usually stayed out near McDowell/Fountain Hills though. Not techy, but I remember liking loops called Black Canyon. Big loop with several 'cut off' options? I'll have to Google later to refresh my brain...

 

[jmdirt]

Excuse my ignorance, and my going off topic, but how do humans ride outdoors in Phoenix in summer?

At 2 AM when the temps drop to 85? I was there in Feb one year, and the highs were all in the upper 70s/low 80s (but slightly cooler in the mountains).

 

[senna6541]

South Mountain? Usery? (I guess that's more Gilbert?). Its been a while, but I used to go to the PHO area to escape the Idaho winter. I usually stayed out near McDowell/Fountain Hills though. Not techy, but I remember liking loops called Black Canyon. Big loop with several 'cut off' options? I'll have to Google later to refresh my brain...

South Mountain and Hawes are my favorites, but we're lucky to have a lot of good options here in Phoenix Metro and in AZ in general.

 

[senna6541]

Excuse my ignorance, and my going off topic, but how do humans ride outdoors in Phoenix in summer?

Yeah, don't spend as much time on the MTB here during the summer. But it's still plenty doable early AM. And there's some good stuff up in the mountains as close 90 minutes to the east or 2+ plus hours if you want to hit Prescott, Sedona or Flag.

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

Excuse my ignorance, and my going off topic, but how do humans ride outdoors in Phoenix in summer?

I'm guessing night lights, but even then you're still in the 90's or 100's...but at least the sun isn't melting your skin off.

We're hopefully out that way for 24 hours in the Old Pueblo in Feburary...tight window to get registered.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

XC Marathon Worlds.........

Same winners as the Leadville 100.......

 

[jono]

XC Marathon Worlds.........

Same winners as the Leadville 100.......

Is there a good site for results where you don't have to click through 6 or 7 different links to get to them?

 

[Axel Hangleck]

Is there a good site for results where you don't have to click through 6 or 7 different links to get to them?

It's been a few hours since the races finished, and nothing on Pinkbike - which is poor considering it's the MTB Worlds; but we know they are a DH focused outlet.
XC M is treated poorly by media; I think there was a live stream, but only in Switzerland.......I only saw clips on Twitter/ instagram.

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

Bad ass wins by Swensen and Courtney!!! Too bad there was no livestream. Real bummer that.

 

[jono]

Finally found some results: https://www.pinkbike.com/news/results-2025-xc-marathon-world-championships.html

Very little overlap with the XCO fields. If XCM and XCO swapped spots in the week's schedule I think that would be different.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

If you wanted the top XCO racers to do the XCM Worlds, then it needs to be moved - like it was last year, or back in 2020-2022.......after the MTB Worlds.

 

[jmdirt]

Congrats KC and KS!

 

[jmdirt]

If you wanted the top XCO racers to do the XCM Worlds, then it needs to be moved - like it was last year, or back in 2020-2022.......after the MTB Worlds.

Maybe, but how many top XCO racers would do XCM? XC is such a different beast than it used to be. While all/most of the XCO racers COULD race 6-7 hours, they are tuned for 1.5 hours.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

Maybe, but how many top XCO racers would do XCM? XC is such a different beast than it used to be. While all/most of the XCO racers COULD race 6-7 hours, they are tuned for 1.5 hours.

A few have won in recents years; Andreassen, Mitterwallner x2, PFP x2, Gaze, Courtney, Avancini, Langvad, etc I think they're more than capable of doing it - it just doesn;t fit with their programmes.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

Elite DHI Worlds were as close to predictable as it's possible to be; Holl with a 4 timer, and Goldstone fully deserving his first Elite championship.

I'm disappointed that TNT wee the only place to cover it; BBC has rights to UCI Worlds, but it wasn't live on either iPlayer, or the BBC Sport website........a far cry from 2023 when the Downhill was live on BBC 1 prime time Saturday afternoon.

You just know the Road Worlds will get full live coverage of all the races......

 

[Wyndbrook]

Short track qualifiers today, Luca Martin 24th in his heat and did not qualify and Charlie Aldridge appears not to have started.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

XCC U23 & Elites - and no comments?? Lidl-Trek & Red Bull-Bora both had wins in the U23.......Whereas the Elites were both won by MTB team riders.

Now onto the XCO races for Junior, U23 & Elites - and can we watch the non Elite races???

 

[jono]

XCC U23 & Elites - and no comments?? Lidl-Trek & Red Bull-Bora both had wins in the U23.......Whereas the Elites were both won by MTB team riders.

Now onto the XCO races for Junior, U23 & Elites - and can we watch the non Elite races???

Flobikes (Canada) did not carry the junior races today but had the U23s and elites, and will broadcast both of those categories live as well for XCO.

Jenn Jackson third in elite XCC is surely a surprise, but Isabella Holmgren U23s is definitely not. How many rainbow jerseys is that now across all disciplines?