The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) have announced that the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup will be further extended from 2023 with the introduction of enduro and E-enduro to the calendar. This follows recent confirmation of the addition of cross-country marathon to the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup.
The existing Enduro World Series (EWS) is being elevated to UCI World Cup status and will feature alongside cross-country Olympic (XCO), cross-country short track (XCC) downhill (DHI) and cross-country marathon (XCM). All enduro events on the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup will be one-day events.
The UCI noted that… ‘Enduro racing comprises several timed special stages – predominantly downhill – and Liaison Stages to reach the start of each Special Stage. On each Special Stage, riders start individually at regular intervals, with all their recorded times added up to decide the winner.
‘To reach the start of each of the Special Stages, riders cover Liaison Stages either by bike or with mechanical assistance (chair lifts, trucks etc). Liaison Stages are not timed but riders must reach the start of the following Special Stage within an allocated time.’
New at each round of enduro racing at the 2023 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup will be a points system for each timed Special Stage. An overall classification according to points won will decide the order of riders for the last Special Stage, with the rider who has accumulated most points setting off last.
E-Enduro follows the same principle but the courses will be slightly different, including challenging technical climbs suited to the attributes of an enduro e-mountain bike.
The integration of enduro and E-enduro into the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup is another development for the discipline since the UCI’s partnership with ESO Sports and Discovery Sports Events, two of Warner Bros Discovery’s specialist sport organisations.
The integration of cross-country marathon into the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup programme and the introduction of Under 23 categories for cross-country short track were announced in September.
Another enhancement to the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup from 2023 will be increased screen time for the elite downhill competitions thanks to the introduction, at each downhill round, of a semi-final between the qualification and final. Featuring the top 60 elite men and top 15 elite women from qualifying, the downhill semi-final will see men outside the top 30 and women outside the top 10 enjoy broadcast coverage for the first time.
40 elite riders (30 men and 10 women) will qualify for the final, where the goal is to broadcast each of the 40 runs in their entirety live on Warner Bros Discovery’s platforms.
In addition, thanks to the increased participation of junior women, a qualifying run will be introduced for this category, with the fastest 10 proceeding to the final. The men junior and women junior competitions will also be broadcast for the first time.
UCI President David Lappartient said “The UCI Mountain Bike World Cup has been delighting athletes and fans for more than 30 years with multiple rounds being held worldwide throughout the season.
“I am thrilled that this international series will also include enduro, E-enduro and cross-country marathon from 2023. These formats will add a new dimension to the reinvigorated series that is taking the mountain bike discipline to even greater heights.”
He added, “Also thanks to our partnership with Warner Bros Discovery, the spectacular downhill racing will benefit from greater exposure that will enchant existing fans and attract new audiences. I cannot wait to witness this new extended UCI Mountain Bike World Cup from 2023.”
Chris Ball, CEO of ESO Sports, said “Mountain bike racing has reached an incredible level over the past few years and this evolution of the rule book will allow the sport to change gear again and accelerate towards an exciting new future, celebrating the sport in all its forms.
“With more racing in short track and a new semi-final in downhill, fans will be treated to more action than ever. The awarding of UCI World Cup status for enduro, E-enduro and cross-country marathon will also put a greater spotlight on these incredible mountain bike formats and allow us to both push the front end of racing whilst maintaining amateur participation at many of our events.
“Along with the UCI, we believe these changes will help broaden the appeal of mountain biking and enhance the race experience for athletes, teams and fans alike.”
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