The XCO World Cup 2026 kicks off with complicated schedules in Europe: first images of the circuit in Korea

The XCO World Cup 2026 begins on Friday, May 1, and it does so with a change of scenery that marks a before and after. The season kicks off in Asia, specifically in Mona YongPyong, South Korea, a completely new location on the calendar that will require European fans to adapt from the very first weekend.

The XCO World Cup starts early in the morning in South Korea

The debut of the UCI Mountain Bike World Series 2026 will take place between May 1 and May 3 in South Korea. It will be the first time that an XCO and XCC event is held in Asia, on a circuit located in the PyeongChang region, known for hosting the 2018 Winter Olympics.

Regarding the schedules, there is a seven-hour difference between Europe and South Korea, which translates to competition days that start early in the morning in our country. As always, the organization has maintained the usual World Cup schedules considering the local time, which leaves a demanding program for those who want to follow the races live.

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The Short Track on Friday will be the most accessible within the complicated. The elite events will be viewable mid-morning in Europe, while on Sunday, the XCO races will start at 02:00.

Thursday, April 30 (XCO Training)

• 02:00 – 04:00 XCO training for elite women and under-23
• 04:00 – 06:00 XCO training for elite men and under-23 along with elite and under-23 women
• 06:00 – 08:00 XCO training for elite men and under-23

Friday, May 1 (Short Track and XCO Training)

• 03:00 – 03:20 Short Track training for men and women under-23
• 03:35 – 04:00 World Cup Short Track for women under-23
• 04:25 – 04:50 World Cup Short Track for men under-23
• 06:00 – 07:00 XCO training for elite women and under-23
• 07:00 – 08:00 XCO training for elite men and under-23 along with elite and under-23 women
• 08:00 – 09:00 XCO training for elite men and under-23
• 09:40 – 10:00 Elite Short Track training
• 10:15 – 10:40 World Cup Short Track for elite women
• 11:05 – 11:30 World Cup Short Track for elite men

Saturday, May 2 (XCO Training)

• 01:45 – 02:30 XCO training for elite women and under-23
• 02:30 – 03:15 XCO training for elite men and under-23 along with elite and under-23 women
• 03:15 – 04:00 XCO training for elite men and under-23

Sunday, May 3 (XCO Races)

• 01:00 – 01:30 XCO training for all categories
• 02:00 – 03:20 World Cup XCO for women under-23
• 04:00 – 05:20 World Cup XCO for men under-23
• 05:30 – 07:00 World Cup XCO for elite women
• 07:30 – 09:00 World Cup XCO for elite men

First Images of the Circuit

The organization has already shown a first glimpse of the circuit, although still in a very limited way. It is a completely new layout within the World Cup calendar and, from what has been seen so far, has at least been adapted for the occasion.

 

 

 

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The images hint at a course that combines several areas with fast wide track sections, tighter sections among trees, and a long artificial rock garden that, at least visually, does not seem particularly technical.

Everything points to a generally fast circuit that favors continuous overtaking and a constant and numerous fight at the front of the race. However, the information is still partial, and it will be during the training sessions this week that the real character of the layout, its key areas, and the technical level it will demand from the riders can be analyzed in more detail.

For now, YongPyong presents itself as an attractive unknown. In the coming days, we will update this preview with favorites and a deeper analysis of the course.