THE UCI MOUNTAIN BIKE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS IS THE BIGGEST EVENT OF THE YEAR
A SERIES OF ONE-OFF RACES IN DIFFERENT DISCIPLINES WHERE RIDERS PUT EVERYTHING ON THE LINE IN A BID TO EARN THE COVETED WORLD CHAMPION’S RAINBOW STRIPES. Not only is the racing furious, but there’s tons going on in the pits, too, from custom paintjobs and race kit to special tweaks and prototype parts, all designed to give riders that extra edge. And this year, we’ve got a front-row seat, because all the racing is taking place in Scotland and being broadcast by the BBC.
Not since 2007 has Britain hosted the MTB World Champs, and this year’s event is extra special, as it’s combined with the Road, Track and BMX World Champs to form the first ever UCI Cycling World Champs – the biggest bike event of all time! We’re not going to dwell on the drop-bar or small-wheeled stuff here, but suffice to say, if you’re a rabid fan of all things two-wheeled, you’re going to want to make your way to Scotland, or at least tune in to all the TV coverage.
When it comes to mountain biking, there’s downhill racing at Fort William’s Nevis Range (not to be confused with the annual round of the World Cup series usually held there), trials riding in Glasgow and a load of different cross-country events in the Tweed Valley. No enduro this time around, though, because it only became an official UCI discipline late last year. With only XCO being an Olympic sport, this is a rare chance for other MTB racers to get some prime airtime. We’ve got some top hopefuls, too, from Tom Pidcock and Evie Richards in the XC to multiple riders including 2023 World Cup winners Rachel Atherton and Jordan Williams in the DH.
Note that the racing is split into men’s and women’s events, sometimes just for Elites (18+) and sometimes with separate Junior (riders aged 17 or 18 on December 31) and/or Under-23 categories. Some races have qualifying rounds or semi-finals, too, while others have just the main event, so be sure to check the calendar carefully.
IF YOU’RE A RABID FAN OF ALL THINGS TWO-WHEELED, YOU’RE GOING TO WANT TO MAKE YOUR WAY TO SCOTLAND
ABBREVIATIONS EXPLAINED
DH: Downhill
DHI: Downhill Individual (the UCI’s term for DH)
E-MTB: Electric mountain bike (an XC discipline)
MTB: Mountain bike
UCI: Union Cycliste Internationale, aka International Cycling Union
U23: Under-23
XC: Cross-country
XCC: Cross-country short-track
XCM: Cross-country marathon
XCO: Cross-country Olympic
XCR: Cross-country team relay
WORLD CHAMPS CALENDAR
THURSDAY 3 AUGUST
DHI (Junior qualis), Nevis Range, Fort William
FRIDAY 4 AUGUST
DHI (Elite qualis), Nevis Range, Fort William
DHI (Junior finals), Nevis Range, Fort William
SATURDAY 5 AUGUST
DHI (Elite finals), Nevis Range, Fort William
SUNDAY 6 AUGUST
XCM Glentress, Tweed Valley
TUESDAY 8 AUGUST
XCC (qualis), Glentress, Tweed Valley
WEDNESDAY 9 AUGUST
XCR Glentress, Tweed Valley
E-MTB Glentress, Tweed Valley
Trials (teams), Glasgow Green
THURSDAY 10 AUGUST
XCO (Junior), Glentress, Tweed Valley
XCC (finals), Glentress, Tweed Valley
Trials (Junior men’s & Elite women’s semi-finals), Glasgow Green
FRIDAY 11 AUGUST
XCO (U23), Glentress, Tweed Valley
Trials (Elite men’s semi-finals), Glasgow Green
SATURDAY 12 AUGUST
XCO (Elite), Glentress, Tweed Valley
Trials (Junior & Elite finals), Glasgow Green
HOW CAN I WATCH THE WORLDS?
Most of.
