The UCI and Mountain Bike World Series organizers have issued a press release confirming what we were pretty sure was already happening, thanks to the leaked document we told you about last month. We haven’t had a chance to sit down and read the detailed settlement letter, but it appears the document we showed you has been adopted. Again, no details on the promised Continental Series are available – which seems pretty critical to the career paths of future racers. We will keep you updated as soon as we know more, for now, here is the official PR:

KEY DEVELOPMENTS UNVEILED FOR UCI WHOOP MOUNTAIN BIKE WORLD SERIES

Important updates to the UCI Regulations for the 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike Word Series have been confirmed by the Union Cycliste Internationale.

These changes aim to elevate the sport, create a clear path for athletes and strengthen fan engagement beyond the core mountain biking community.

The new regulations aim to make UCI World Cups more competitive while providing teams and athletes with greater opportunities for growth and visibility.

Cycling’s governing body, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and global promoter of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) Sports today announced changes to the UCI Regulations for professional mountain biking. The 2025 season will see the biggest overhauls to the sport since the creation of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in 1991.

The driving force behind the changes is desire to elevate the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Seriess. The series, launching in 2023, brings together the main formats of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cups under one roof, to ensure that each round is contested by the best riders and teams in the world, reinforcing its position as a world leader. the pinnacle of mountain biking.

The reform will bring significant changes to the qualification system for UCI World Cups, looking at the number of riders competing at the pinnacle of the sport while creating a clear pathfor teams and riders to progress from national level to continental level including the UCI World Cup. This provides new opportunities for emerging talent and ensures that the best riders can demonstrate their skills on the world’s biggest stage.

INCREASED COMPETITION

One of the biggest changes concerns the qualification process for a UCI World Cup. The new regulations will revise the number of runners competing, focus on the best riders and teams to create more competitive races.

Although the registration of UCI MTB teams will continue to be managed by the UCI, from 2025, UCI Mountain Bike World Series Teams (formerly known as UCI ELITE MTB teams) will register under two categories: Gravity (downhill and enduro) and Endurance (cross-country and short track). This streamlined structure will increase visibility and engagement across all formats. A maximum of 20 gravitational teams And 20 endurance teams will become UCI Mountain Bike World Series teams for the entire season. For both categories, 15 invitations to join this top tier of teams will be based on the annual UCI team rankings, with an additional five teams receiving wildcard invitations for the season.

UCI Mountain Bike World Series teams will benefit from multi-year commitments from 2026, supporting long-term planning and development. The UCI and WBD Sports will work closely with teams to provide increased visibility and marketing rights. Teams will register official brand colors for promotional purposes, helping to create a consistent and recognizable presence at events and media.

In addition to the UCI Mountain Bike World Series teams having full-season licenses, at each round of the series up to eight additional UCI teams will have the opportunity to race as wildcard teams. National federations will retain their designated quota. Qualification will not be limited to teams: individual riders may qualify if they meet specific ranking criteria, or if they are reigning national, continental or UCI champions in their format, or Olympic champions (for cross -Olympic country).

There will also be the introduction of a new multi-round continental seriesin close collaboration with the five continental cycling confederations, which will serve as a springboard for a place in the UCI World Cups and give riders from different continents the chance to qualify for the UCI World Cups, thereby promoting global participation and competitiveness . More details on these new Continental Series will soon be revealed by the UCI.

NEW QUALIFICATION SYSTEM FOR UCI DOWNHILL WORLD CUPS

A new UCI Downhill World Cup qualification system for Elite riders will simplify the qualification process and ensure the highest level of competition.

From 2025, all Elite Downhill riders will compete in a Qualifying Round 1 (Q1), with the top 20 elite men and top 10 elite women advancing directly to the finals. All remaining riders will compete in the second qualifying round (Q2), where the top 10 elite men and top 5 elite women will secure their place in the final. Protected status will be removed, meaning riders will no longer receive preferential treatment based on their results from the previous or current season. Only the best riders from each venue will qualify for the final, with the number of Elite Women qualifying for the final increasing from 10 to 15.

INTRODUCTION OF CAREER NUMBERS

As well as changes to the team hierarchy and qualification systems, the 2025 reform will also bring about changes to the way riders and teams present themselves, with the aim of fostering fan engagement.

All former Elite winners of a UCI World Cup round (in Olympic cross-country or downhill) who are still competing will be required to select their personal colors and a unique career number adding individuality and a sense of heritage to the competition in addition to helping build the identity of the riders and bringing fans closer to the sport.

The number 1 will be exclusively reserved for the current leader of the UCI World Cup ranking for each of the two formats, replacing their unique career number. The leader’s jersey and the number 1 plate will be returned to the podium after each UCI World Cup.

ENDURO AND BREAK FROM E-ENDURO

A joint decision has been made, in agreement with all stakeholders involved in the UCI E-Enduro World Cup format, to suspend the UCI E-Enduro World Cup in order to work with the industry towards a future format. However, E-enduro will retain its UCI World Championship status and remain an Open Racing category in the UCI Enduro World Cup.

Additionally, the Men’s Junior and Women’s Junior categories will be introduced for Enduro at the UCI World Championships, providing young athletes more opportunities to shine on the world stage.

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

The 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series will mark a bold step towards the future of mountain biking, fostering greater competitiveness and fan engagement.

Chris Ball, vice president of cycling events at Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe, said: “These new developments mark a major turning point for the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series and reflect our continued commitment to growing the sport, making it easier for fans around the world to follow their favorite teams and riders. I am confident that this will further cement the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series as the pinnacle of the sport.“.

UCI sports director Peter Van den Abeele said: “The introduction of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series two years ago led to significant growth in mountain biking and an increase in its popularity. In collaboration with WBD Sports, the UCI wishes to continue this momentum with these changes which will simplify certain processes, promote globalization and make competition formats easier to follow and therefore even more exciting for fans..”

The 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series will mark a a bold step towards the future of mountain bikingpromoting greater competitiveness and fan involvement. These modifications to the UCI Regulations will come into force on 1^st January 2025. All details are available on the UCI regulations page.

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