The rainbow jersey will return to the XCO World Cup: Alan Hatherly announces his comeback

Alan Hatherly is ready to return to the XCO World Cup. The reigning world champion has announced through his social media that his priority is back to mountain biking after the first six months of 2026 marked by road cycling, his personal life, and new business projects.

Alan Hatherly announces his return to the World Cup and all signs point to him reappearing in Andorra

“The first half of 2026 has been the wildest and most beautiful chapter of my life. I became a father for the first time. I raced my first grand tour in the Giro d'Italia. And we launched a new business, ESP Stellenbosch. Three things I will never forget. Three things that took me to the limit in the best possible way,” wrote the South African before delivering the message that MTB fans were most waiting for: “Now is the time to return to mountain biking. The World Cup is calling me. Let's go!”

The announcement ends several months of uncertainty about when he would return to compete on the international XCO circuit. Although he has not yet officially confirmed his schedule, all signs point to his return being this week at the La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta World Cup (Italy) from July 4 to 6.

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Hatherly's trajectory changed completely after winning his first XCO World Championship in 2024, and it was then that he decided to leave Cannondale and opt for a mixed program that would allow him to combine road and mountain biking. To do this, he joined Giant Factory Off-Road for MTB and Jayco AlUla for road.

The South African quickly demonstrated that he could perform at the highest level on the asphalt as well. Among his most notable results are third place in the overall classification of the Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali 2026, thirteenth place in the overall of the Tirreno-Adriatico 2026, and several partial podiums in both races. In 2025, he had already shown signs of his potential with a second place in a stage and a sixth place overall in the AlUla Tour.

While developing that facet as a road racer, Hatherly did not completely neglect MTB. Although his XCO schedule was much more reduced, he achieved the most important thing: successfully defending the rainbow jersey and remaining the world champion of the discipline.

However, 2026 has marked another step in his commitment to road cycling. His debut in the Giro d'Italia, combined with the birth of his first child and the launch of his new business project in South Africa, caused him to postpone his return to the World Cup for the entire first half of the season.

This absence has had a noticeable impact on the UCI ranking. Hatherly reached the number one spot in the world ranking after his extraordinary 2024 season, but he currently appears in position 39 due to his limited participation in XCO events in recent months.

Despite this, his return will be one of the major attractions of the second half of the season. He remains the reigning world champion and one of the few riders capable of competing for victories against the new generation that has dominated the early rounds of the World Cup.

Furthermore, all indications are that Hatherly will compete with a completely customized Giant Anthem Advanced SL 2026 in the colors of the world champion. The South African successfully used the model during the last season, including his victory at the World Championship, although it was still a prototype at that time. The bike was officially presented by Giant last winter, and La Thuile could become its competitive debut in the World Cup with the final version and a special decoration matching the rainbow jersey.