New schedule for the Soldier Hollow XC World Cup: favourites, key points and where to watch

The XCO World Cup returns this weekend after a long break during which the World Championship was held, and it does so with one of the major novelties of the calendar. Soldier Hollow, in Utah, debuts as the championship venue to host the penultimate event of the season on September 19 and 20, opening the final block of races in North America.

The arrival at a completely new circuit adds uncertainty to a weekend in which the overall standings are entering their decisive moment. There will also be significant changes in the schedules, absences among the men, and a completely different situation in the women's category, where Laura Stigger and Sina Frei will debut their respective rainbow jerseys won just days ago at the World Championship in Val di Sole.

Soldier Hollow debuts a circuit in the midst of the World Cup battle

This will be the third occasion this season where riders will have to face a completely new circuit. Soldier Hollow also offers a different setting compared to many of the usual World Cup venues.

According to the organizers, the terrain in Utah will allow for the construction of numerous areas with various possible lines and will feature a large section of natural rock as one of its highlights. The configuration of the course will also allow spectators from certain areas to see a good part of the circuit.

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The lack of references will be one of the important factors of the weekend. The riders will have to discover during training which lines are truly fast before facing the Short Track on Saturday and the XCO on Sunday.

The event comes after the last World Cup held in Les Gets and the subsequent World Championship in Val di Sole. And it does so with very little margin to recover points. Soldier Hollow is the penultimate round of the championship, and several of the overall standings could be practically decided here.

Schedules for the Soldier Hollow 2026 XCO/XCC World Cup

All schedules listed below are expressed in Spanish peninsular time (Madrid, CEST). 

Saturday, September 19 – XCC

• 19:20 – XCC Women Under-23
• 20:10 – XCC Men Under-23
• 21:00 – XCC Women Elite
• 21:50 – XCC Men Elite

Sunday, September 20 – XCO

• 17:00 – XCO Women Under-23
• 19:00 – XCO Men Under-23
• 21:30 – XCO Women Elite
• 23:30 – XCO Men Elite

Where to watch the Soldier Hollow 2026 XCO World Cup

As usual, in Spain, the races can be followed through HBO Max and Eurosport, but additionally, Brujulabike will provide minute-by-minute coverage of the Elite XCO events. In the coming days, we will add the direct links here.

• Saturday 19 – XCC Women Elite: 21:00
• Saturday 19 – XCC Men Elite: 21:50
• Sunday 20 – XCO Women Elite: 21:30
• Sunday 20 – XCO Men Elite: 23:30

All times are Madrid times.

Absences and favorites to win in Soldier Hollow

Luca Martin is left without his main rival in the overall battle

The main news before the men's race is the absence of Adrien Boichis. The Frenchman arrived at this stage of the season as the leader of the XCC and second in the overall XCO, but he has decided not to compete in the last two North American rounds after starting his transition to the road with Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe.

His absence leaves Luca Martin in a privileged position. The Frenchman is the current leader of the XCO World Cup, and Soldier Hollow could allow him to mathematically secure the title before the final round.

Martin also arrives after finishing second in the XCC and fourth in the XCO in Les Gets. Without Boichis, among his main rivals in Utah are names like Martin Vidaurre, Charlie Aldridge, Simone Avondetto, Mathis Azzaro, Bjorn Riley, or David List. 

Jofre Cullell will also be absent. And although the BH Coloma Team rider still appears in the provisional start lists for both XCC and XCO, a fracture in his hand will prevent him from competing in the end of the World Cup.

There will be no rainbow jersey among the men

Soldier Hollow will also see the circumstance that none of the two male elite world champions will be on the starting grid.

Tom Pidcock won the XCO World Championship in Val di Sole, but he will not return to compete in MTB this season and will now focus on the road World Championship.

In Short Track, something similar will happen. Adrien Boichis was crowned XCC world champion in Val di Sole, but his aforementioned transition to the road will also mean he will not be in Soldier Hollow.

Laura Stigger and Sina Frei will debut their rainbow jerseys

In the women's category, the exact opposite will happen. Soldier Hollow will be the first World Cup where we will see the two new world champions competing with the rainbow.  Laura Stigger arrives as the new Short Track world champion after her spectacular comeback in Val di Sole and will be one of the references for Saturday.

On Sunday, it will be the turn of Sina Frei, the new XCO world champion. The Swiss rider arrives after dominating the last World Cup in Les Gets, where she achieved a double victory by winning both XCC and XCO.

Precisely Frei, Jenny Rissveds, and Savilia Blunk occupied the top three positions in both races in Les Gets. In the XCO, Frei won with only two seconds over Rissveds and 30 over Blunk, while Alessandra Keller finished fourth.

Rissveds arrives in Soldier Hollow as the leader of the women's World Cup, so she will again be one of the major references. Martina Berta, Alessandra Keller, and Laura Stigger also appear among the top positions in the championship standings in the provisional list.

Complete provisional start lists for Soldier Hollow 2026 XCC Elite

XCC Men Elite

*Confirmed absence despite appearing in the provisional start list.

XCC Women Elite

Complete provisional start lists for Soldier Hollow 2026 XCO Elite

XCO Men Elite