MTB World Championships Les Gets 2022: where to watch, favourites and schedules

The MTB World Championships 2022 will be held from 24 to 28 August in Les Gets, France and here we bring you all the information about schedules, programme, favourites and where to watch. In total there will be 5 competitions (XCO, XCC, DH, Team Realy and E-MTB) with their respective categories, which will decide who will wear the rainbow jerseys until next year.

Favourites to become XCO World Champion 2022

The contest to win has been very open this year in the World Cup, with few riders who have managed to repeat victory. But there is a rider capable of breaking this strange balance and who will be in the XCO World Championships 2022.

British rider Tom Pidcock has won every XCO event he has entered for more than a year, has just won the European Championship with astonishing ease, and is the favourite to win the title. A World Championship is a very different race to the rest of the season and there are many variables that can influence the final result, but Pidcock's physical superiority will make him take the start as the rival to beat.

The current World Champion, Nino Schurter, comes into this race with the sole intention of retaining his title and with his experience and racing style he has already shown that he is capable of beating riders much younger than him. A duel between him and Pidcock would be a real treat for the fans.

Another rider who knows how to perform well in big races and who is having the best season of his career is the Spaniard David Valero. After winning in Snowshoe and getting back on the podium in Canada, the BH Templo Cafés rider has taken a specific preparation time to be at 100% in Les Gets, so he will surely be fighting for the podium.

Vlad Dascalu is having no luck with victory this year, but he is by far one of the most consistent and powerful riders in the peloton. Although a hard crash at Snowshoe left some scars on his leg, he seems to be fully recovered and no one would be surprised if he takes the rainbow jersey in Les Gets.

In Mont-Sainte-Anne, Frenchman Titouan Carod won his first World Cup, but he did it with one of the biggest advantages of the year. His season has been very regular and in fact he is currently number 1 in the UCI ranking, so nobody doubts that the Frenchman will be in the fight for the podium and could climb to the top with a public that plays in his favour.

Favourites to win the XCO World Championships 2022

The women's competition is also very open in 2022, but the past European Championships have cleared up some doubts and made it a little easier for us to choose the favourites for the World Championships.

France's Pauline Ferrand Prevot may not have had a good World Cup season and was second at the European Championships, but her race was a premonition. She had prepared thoroughly for this last block of the season and only a minor breakdown in Munich managed to stop her when she was leading alone and with more than enough advantage over the rest. If Pauline shows the same level in Les Gets there is no doubt that she could win the World Championship with relative ease.

Loana Lecomte also decided to skip some World Cup races to prepare specifically for the World Championships. She arrives after winning the European Championships where she showed that her level, together with Pauline's, was one point above her rivals. It remains to be seen how she manages her race, but she is another of the great favourites for the rainbow jersey.

Switzerland's Jolanda Neff won the last World Championship, in Canada, and at the European Championships she was at the front during the whole race. Although the French riders seemed to be in better form than her, Neff has shown that she can handle the big events like few others. Her gold medal at the Olympic Games is the best example.

Although in recent races her results have not been as brilliant as they were at the start of the season, it has been mechanical issues and crashes that have been holding back Australian Bec McConnell the most. Her motivation is intact at Les Gets and she is at the top of her form.

The consistency of Dutch rider Anne Terpstra and the talent of Swedish Jenny Rissveds make it impossible to leave them out of the podium favourites. Not so with reigning World Champion Evie Richards. Although she won the Commonwealth Games earlier this month, it would be a surprise to see the British rider defending her title after a season in which she has hardly competed at all due to back problems.

How to watch the MTB World Championships 2022

The broadcast of the MTB World Championships 2022 can be followed on TV or via streaming on some national media and on Eurosport Player, Eurosport 1 or GCN, depending on the rights in each region.

Schedule and full programme of the MTB World Championships Les Gets 2022

Monday 22 August

• Official trainings: XCO, E-MTB, Men and Women

Tuesday 23 August

• Official trainings: XCO, E-MTB, XCC Men and Women / XCC qualification round Women and Men
• 18:00 Opening Ceremony

Wednesday 24 August

• Official trainings: XCO, E-MTB, DH Juniors, Elite Women and Men
• 12:30 : Cross-country Team Relay World Championships
  followed by Awards Ceremony Cross-country Team Relay

Thursday 25 August 

• Official trainings DHI, E-MTB, Men and Women, Junior and Elite DH qualifications
• 15:00 Women Juniors Cross-country Olympic World Championships
  followed by Award Ceremony
• 17:00 Men Juniors Cross-country Olympic World Championships
  followed by Award Ceremony

Friday 26 August 

• 10:00 Women E-MTB World Championships
• 11:30 Men E-MTB World Championships
  followed by Awards Ceremony E-MTB World Championships
• Official trainings DH Elite Men, XCO and XCC Women and Men
• 17:00 Women Cross-country Short Track World Championships
• 17:45 Men Cross-country Short Track World Championships
  followed by Award Ceremony Cross-country Short Track

Saturday 27 August

• Official trainings DH Women Elite, Junior Women and Men, XCO Women and Men
• 09:30 Women and Men Junior Downhill World Championships
• 13:15 Women Elite Downhill World Championships
• 14:35 Men Elite Downhill World Championships
  followed by Awards Ceremony >>> Women Elite - Men Elite

Sunday 28 August

• 09:00 Women Under 23 Cross-country Olympic World Championships
• 10:45 Men Under 23 Cross-country Olympic World Championships
  followed by Award Ceremony WU/MU
• 13:00 Women Elite Cross-country Olympic World Championships
• 15:15 Men Elite Cross-country Olympic World Championships
  followed by Awards Ceremony WE/ME