The 2026 UCI World Cup calendar unveiled: the first post Nino Schurter

The dates, venues and rounds of the 2026 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Cup have just been officially unveiled. 14 weekends of competition over six months, with stops at four Olympic venues, the arrival of the legendary downhill venue in Whistler and the return of some fan-favorite venues.

MTB Calendar 2026: UCI World Cup continues to open countries

The International Cycling Union (UCI) and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) Sports have confirmed the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Cup calendar for the 2026 season. This will be the fourth year with the current revamped organization of the event in which almost all major mountain bike disciplines (XCO, XCC, DH and EDR) are united under one brand for the first time. The competition will visit three continents and nine countries in 14 events between May and October.

• 01-03 May - Race of South Korea - XCO, DH
• 22-24 May - Nové M?sto Na Morav? (Czech Republic) - XCO
• 28-31 May - Loudenvielle-Peyragudes (France) - DH, Enduro
• 11-14 June - Saalfelden-Leogang Salzburgerland (Austria) - XCO, DH, Enduro
• 19-21 June - Lenzerheide (Switzerland) - XCO, DH
• 26-28 June - Val di Fassa - Trentino (Italy) - Enduro
• 04-06 July - La Thuile - Valle d'Aosta (Italy) - XCO, DH, Enduro
• 08-12 July - Pal Arinsal (Andorra) - XCO, DH
• 17-19 July - Aletsch Arena - Bellwald, Valais (Switzerland) - Enduro
• 14-16 August - Haute-Savoie (France) - XCO, DH
• 21-23 August - Haute-Savoie (France) - Enduro
• 19-20 September - Soldier Hollow, Midway (Utah, USA) - XCO
• 25-27 September - Whistler Mountain Bike Park (Canada) - DH
• 02-04 October - Lake Placid Olympic Sites, New York (USA) - XCO, DH

The series will kick off with a historic Cross-country and Downhill weekend in South Korea at the Race of South Korea at MONA YongPyong. This will be the first Asian rounds of the UCI XCO and XCC World Cup, and the first UCI Downhill World Cup on the continent in 25 years.

After that, the action will move to Europe for the summer, with Nové M?sto Na Morav? (Czech Republic) hosting XCO/XCC and Loudenvielle-Peyragudes (France) hosting Gravity, the first time since 2023 that the UCI Enduro World Cup starts outside Italy.

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The following weekend will see the first of two quadruple XCO/XCC/DHI/EDR events at the Saalfelden-Leogang Salzburgerland (Austria) venue, before riders have a week off to make way for the start of five consecutive weekends of WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series racing.

Lenzerheide (Switzerland) and Pal Arinsal (Andorra) will host both the Cross-country and Downhill events, while Val di Fassa - Trentino (Italy) and the 2025 UCI Enduro World Championship venue, Aletsch Arena-Bellwald, Valais (Switzerland), will be the venues for the Enduro. In the middle of that five-week streak is La Thuile - Valle d'Aosta (Italy), which will host the second quad event of the series. Cross-country has also been added to the program following a successful debut of the venue in 2025, which saw the steepest Downhill course in the history of the competition and the world's first Enduro night stage.

After a summer break, the European part of the season will conclude with two consecutive weekends in Haute-Savoie (France), one for Cross-country and Downhill, and the other as the Enduro finale, before the competition returns to North America for three rounds and two new venues. The first will see the Cross-country competition take place on the Soldier Hollow trails in Midway, Utah (USA). With the region preparing to co-host the 2034 Winter Olympics, Soldier Hollow brings Olympic pedigree and world-class credentials to the final stretch of the season.

The Downhill will then travel to one of its most iconic venues, the Whistler Mountain Bike Park in British Columbia, Canada, fulfilling decades of expectations with a stage set to deliver unforgettable racing. The iconic venue, which hosted the Winter Olympics 15 years ago, will host the world's best downhillers for the first time for a UCI World Cup. The final weekend will see both the UCI Cross-country and Downhill World Cups decided at the Lake Placid Olympic Sites, New York (USA).

Chris Ball, Vice President of Cycling Events at Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe, explained the calendar for next year:

"The WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series 2025 was about cementing the major reforms we introduced at the start of this year, and the competitiveness and excitement of each mode proves that the changes are working. For 2026, we are redoubling our bets and pushing the sport even further into new territory.

The 2026 calendar will feature 14 exciting events taking place in the world's best destinations, including four contrasting Olympic venues, with half returning under multi-year agreements that reflect our sustained investment in growing the sport. Each venue we have added since 2023 has quickly become a favorite among athletes, underscoring WBD's commitment to pushing performance to the limit while prioritizing safety and expanding a world-class global calendar. We continue to expand the reach of the sport by bringing Olympic Cross-country to Asia for the first time, growing our presence in the U.S. and fulfilling a long-desired wish of fans, teams and athletes by adding Whistler, one of the world's most iconic mountain bike destinations, to the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series calendar starting next year."

For his part, UCI President David Lappartient said:

"Bringing together three different UCI World Cups, the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series will see many storylines unfold in 2026 as the race weekends progress. The succession of races throughout the season means athletes will have to strive for consistency, and there will understandably be ups and downs along the way. The experience of the veteran racers and the sheer daring of the younger ones always provides exciting competitions in the various rounds.

In 2026, the UCI World Cups for Olympic Cross-country, Cross-country Short Track, Downhill and Enduro will span 14 weekends over the course of six months, with new hosts joining some of the series' favorite venues. I am particularly pleased that the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series will expand to Asia in 2026, adding a new dimension to the series and providing a prestigious opening to the season."