New venue in XCO, La Thuile debuts in the World Cup this weekend: favorites, schedules, and how to watch

The MTB World Cup continues its alpine tour and this weekend lands in one of the most spectacular venues on the calendar. La Thuile (Italy) will host the fifth round of the XCC and XCO season in a very special event, as it will be the first time that Cross-country is part of the competition program at this Italian venue, which has so far been mainly known for its downhill and enduro events.

Schedule and how to watch the La Thuile XCC and XCO World Cup 2026

Friday, July 3 - XCC

• 10:35 AM - XCC Women Under 23
• 11:25 AM - XCC Men Under 23
• 5:30 PM - XCC Women Elite
• 6:20 PM - XCC Men Elite

Sunday, July 5 - XCO

• 9:00 AM - XCO Women Under 23
• 11:00 AM - XCO Men Under 23
• 1:30 PM - XCO Women Elite. WATCH FOR FREE
• 3:30 PM - XCO Men Elite. WATCH FOR FREE

How to watch the La Thuile World Cup

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The elite XCC and XCO events will be broadcast live through Warner Bros. Discovery platforms, including Eurosport and Max, as well as the official broadcast services of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series.

La Thuile 2026: a new venue for everyone and the possible return of Alan Hatherly

After the rounds held in YongPyong, Nové Město, Leogang, and Lenzerheide, the World Cup arrives at one of the most unpredictable weekends of the entire season. La Thuile debuts on the XCO and XCC calendar, so no rider will have the advantage of previously knowing the competition circuit.

Additionally, the big news of the week could be the return of the reigning world champion Alan Hatherly. The South African recently announced that he will return to compete in the World Cup after several months focused on road cycling, and all signs point to him making his comeback in Italy.

Meanwhile, there is still uncertainty about the presence of Victor Koretzky. The Frenchman continues to recover from his physical issues, and for now, it is unclear whether he will return this weekend or delay his comeback for a few more weeks.

La Thuile: downhill opens the door to Cross-country

Located in the Aosta Valley, very close to the border between Italy and France and under the shadow of Mont Blanc, La Thuile is one of the most spectacular venues in the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series.

The Italian venue debuted last year as a downhill and enduro location, but 2026 will mark the arrival of XCO and XCC to a location traditionally associated with the gravity disciplines.

The organization has designed a course very different from the artificial circuits that currently dominate the World Cup. According to the first details provided by the UCI and Warner Bros. Discovery, the layout will be especially natural, with long alpine climbs, fast descents utilizing part of the bike park terrain, technical rock sections, and several iconic points such as the main rock garden, the area known as “The Meteorite,” or a BMX-style section through the forest.

Unlike other modern circuits filled with artificial obstacles, here it is expected that the terrain and altitude will play a much more significant role in the race's development.

What happened in the last round

The World Cup arrives in Italy after the intense weekend in Lenzerheide, where several trends that are marking this season were once again confirmed.

In the women's category, Jenny Rissveds added her second consecutive victory in XCO and reinforced her lead in the overall standings. The Swede is showing the dominant level she exhibited in some of her best seasons and seems to arrive in La Thuile as the woman to beat.

In the men's category, Luca Martin achieved the first elite victory of his career in the World Cup after defeating Adrien Boichis and Bjorn Riley. The young Frenchman also extended his lead at the top of the overall standings.

Male favorites: Martin and Boichis arrive as the references

The men's category once again presents one of the most competitive fields in recent years.

If there are two names that stand out above the rest, they are Luca Martin and Adrien Boichis. The Frenchmen have dominated the last rounds and have proven to be a step ahead of most of their rivals in both fast and technical circuits.

Martin arrives as the clear leader of the overall standings after achieving four consecutive podiums and his first elite victory in Lenzerheide. Boichis, winner in Leogang and second in Switzerland, has established himself as his main rival for the lead.

Also, keep a close eye on Dario Lillo, Filippo Colombo, Bjorn Riley, Martin Vidaurre, Fabio Püntener, Simone Avondetto, Charlie Aldridge, David List, Simon Andreassen, or Luca Schwarzbauer.

And of course, all attention will be on Alan Hatherly. The reigning world champion has recently confirmed his return to the World Cup, and if he finally takes the start, he will be one of the major attractions of the weekend.

The other big unknown will be Victor Koretzky. The Frenchman continues to recover, and his presence in Italy is still not guaranteed.

This is how the men's overall standings look

Luca Martin's victory in Lenzerheide allowed him to extend his lead at the top of the World Cup.

1. Luca Martin (Cannondale Factory Racing) – 1,002 points
2. Adrien Boichis (Specialized Factory Racing) – 734 points
3. Dario Lillo (Giant Factory Off-Road Team) – 693 points
4. Filippo Colombo (SCOTT-SRAM MTB Racing Team) – 659 points
5. Bjorn Riley (Trek Factory Racing) – 583 points

Female favorites: Rissveds seeks to extend her dominance

The women's category arrives in La Thuile with practically all the contenders for the overall present.

Jenny Rissveds is likely experiencing her best moment of the season. The Swede has consecutive victories in Leogang and Lenzerheide and has managed to open a significant lead at the top of the standings.

However, the opposition will be enormous. Sina Frei remains one of the most consistent riders on the circuit and already knows what it is to win this year after triumphing in YongPyong. Laura Stigger continues to be a constant threat after her victory in Nové Město, while Nicole Koller, Savilia Blunk, and Ronja Blöchlinger are very close in the fight for the overall podium.

Don't lose sight of Puck Pieterse, Alessandra Keller, Martina Berta, Gwendalyn Gibson, Madigan Munro, Mona Mitterwallner, Jolanda Neff, Rebecca Henderson, Anne Terpstra, or Candice Lill.

This is how the women's overall standings look

Jenny Rissveds approaches La Thuile with an increasingly solid lead after stringing together two consecutive victories.

1. Jenny Rissveds (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) – 1,072 points
2. Sina Frei (Specialized Factory Racing) – 895 points
3. Laura Stigger (Specialized Factory Racing) – 737 points
4. Savilia Blunk (Decathlon Ford Racing Team) – 682 points
5. Nicole Koller (Ghost Factory Racing) – 669 points

With a completely new circuit, a spectacular alpine environment, and the possible return of world champion Alan Hatherly, La Thuile brings together all the ingredients to become one of the most unpredictable and attractive events of the season.