The 2023 season was full to the brim, with exciting twists and unexpected turns. This year certainly has a lot to live up to, but with a fresh calendar, new teams and a host of incredible athletes, we do not doubt it can deliver the goods.
THE CALENDAR
The 2024 UCI Mountain Bike World Series will consist of 14 venues in nine countries on three continents. Cross-country has eight rounds, enduro six, and downhill seven. Each discipline will visit at least one brand new venue and race in the same venue as another discipline on at least three occasions.
CROSS-COUNTRY
12-14.04 : Mairipora, BRA
19-21.04 : Araxá, BRA
24-26.05 : Nové Mesto Na Morave, CZE
14-16.06 : Val Di Sole, ITA
21-23.06 : Crans-Montana, SUI
05-07.07 : Haute-Savoie, FRA
27-29.09 : Lake Placid, USA
04-06.10 : Mont-Sainte-Anne, CAN
HIGHLIGHTS
Three new venues and an Olympic year make for an extra-interesting season of XCC and XCO racing!
Brazil was a popular addition to the 2022 World Cup calendar, and riders will be happy to return to the unique hype and amazing atmosphere that racing there brings. This year it will host the opening two rounds in Mairipora and Araxá on back-to-back weekends in April. Expect festival vibe jungle fever from the fans, and riders fired up and fully focused on Olympic selection.
Crans Montana is the second new venue on the XC calendar, but it is well known for the Enduro World Series. The stunning scenery will certainly add a wow factor, and the Valais region hosting the 2025 World Championships adds another interesting element.
Lake Placid comes after the Olympics and offers riders a chance to build a solid end to the season or keep overall title hopes alive. Another new venue should keep motivation high.
ENDURO
10-12.05 : Finale Ligure, ITA
17-19.05 : Bielsko-Biala, POL
07-09.06 : Saalfelden Leogang, AUT
27-29.06 : Haute-Savoie, FRA
12-14.07 : Aletsch Arena, SUI
06-08.09 : Loudenvielle, FRA
HIGHLIGHTS
Having traditionally been a season-ender with riders descending the classic ‘Men’s DH’ trail towards the sea (and abundant pizza and gelato), Finale Ligure Region will this year host the opening round in May. Whilst the time of year will be different, the maze of brilliant trails (and the Italian cuisine) remains the same.
There will be two brand-new venues for the Enduro racers this year, the first being in Bielsko-Biala, Poland. This little-known venue in a geographically and geologically different part of Europe to normal will surely add some intrigue and excitement.
Last of the new venues will be the Aletsch Arena in Switzerland. Fresh trails to be raced but expect the same epic high-Alpine scenery as we have seen in previous Swiss rounds.
DOWNHILL
03-05.05 : Fort William, GBR
17-19.05 : Bielsko-Biala, POL
07-09-06 : Saalfelden Leogang, AUT
14-16.06 : Val Di Sole, ITA
05-07.07 : Haute-Savoie, FRA
06-08.07 : Loudenvielle-Peyragudes, FRA
04-06.10 : Mont-Sainte-Anne, CAN
HIGHLIGHTS
The 2024 season is bookended by the fearsome tracks of downhill’s most classic venues: Fort William and Mont-Sainte-Anne. Fort William will be a big test for the first race of the series. There’s nowhere to hide on the long, exposed and physical track across Aonach Mòr - who will be in form to kick start their season in style?
At the opposite end of the season is Mont-Sainte-Anne. It offers a similar challenge with its infamous rock garden and unforgiving length. We can hope for another colorful autumn vista, but we can’t completely count out the snow!
The Bielsko-Biala track is yet to be released, so round two will hold plenty of puzzling. New lines and features, unknown dirt and riders fresh off the season opener will all make for a thrilling race.
THE TEAMS
The big changes come in DOWNHILL with the birth of Mondraker Factory Racing, and MS moving to Intense bikes. All riding the legendary SAINT groupset, of course.
Mondraker Factory Racing
Dakotah Norton, Rónán Dunne, Ryan Pinkerton.
This is Mondraker’s first ever factory DH team, but the brand has a long and successful history in DH. From their very First World Cup win in Maribor in 2009, through to the triple win at the Val di Sole World Champs in 2016, there’s a lot of experience behind this new venture.
With three of the wildest riders on the circuit, this team is sure to add some spice to the 2024 season!
MS Intense Racing
Eleonora Farina, David Trummer, Jacob Dickson, Tuhoto Ariki.
Two stalwarts of the DH world, MS and Intense, are back together. It was under the MS banner that Intense last won a World Cup back in 2006, so we are excited to see the band back together!
The riders have had a rough couple of seasons with injuries, but the combination of experience and raw speed is an exciting prospect.
Santa Cruz Syndicate’s Nina Hoffman, Laurie Greenland and Jackson Goldstone had a fair few bumps last season but still pulled off three wins. With all pieces pointing in the right direction, 2024 looks set to shine for the team.
Scott DH Factory scored two World Cup wins last year with Marine Cabirou and will be looking for more podiums with their new recruit, Ethan Craik.
Canyon CLLCTV FMD are on a roll with Tahnée Seagrave back on track, Phoebe Gale following in her footsteps and Oli Zwar ready to land in the top ten again.
With the Olympics on the horizon, our CROSS-COUNTRY teams stay almost exactly the same, still XTR-equipped for max performance.
Cannondale Factory Racing’s young squad lived up to their billing in 2023, and this season they are pushing for even more. With XCC and Marathon World titles, and an impressive list of World Cup victories and podiums from last year, Alan Hatherly, Simon Andreasson, Mona Mitterwallner and Charlie Aldridge carry great momentum into the new season.
Thömus Maxon also enters 2024 with an enviable roster. Mathias Flückiger, Alessandra Keller and Lars Forster lead the Swiss squad in pursuit of more World Cup wins.
Orbea Factory Team welcome Chiara Teocchi to their 2024 roster. She joins a strong line-up including U23 podium talent Luca Martin, and European XCC Champion David Campos.
With their incredible multi-discipline talents, Alpecin-Deceuninck and INEOS Grenadiers are always ones to watch at the sharp end of racing. Pauline Ferrand-Prevot and Tom Pidcock wear the rainbow stripes for the Grenadiers, whilst Puck Pieterse and Sam Gaze have titles to defend for Alpecin-Deceunick.
For ENDURO, Mick Hannah enters his 23rd season as a pro, charging with the Yeti / SHIMANO EP8 Team, whilst Richie Rude goes into 2024 with the number 1 plate for Yeti / FOX Factory Racing Team. Martin Maes and Damien Oton continue with Orbea FOX Enduro Team and OOLAB, pushing for race results as well as working closely with the SHIMANO research and development team.
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