UCI confirms changes to the 2025 MTB World Series – Singletrack World Magazine

The organizers of the UCI and Mountain Bike World Series have issued a press release confirming that 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 letter of the regulations yet, but it looks like the document we showed you has been adopted. Again, no details are available on the promised Continental Series – which seems pretty crucial for the career path of future racers. We will keep you updated as soon as we know more about this, for now here is the official PR:

KEY DEVELOPMENTS REVEALED FOR THE WHOOP UCI MOUNTAIN BIKE WORLD SERIES

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

These changes are intended to take the sport to the next level, create a clear path for athletes and increase fan engagement outside of mountain biking’s core community.

The new regulations are intended to make the UCI World Cups more competitive while offering teams and athletes more opportunities for growth and visibility.

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

The driving force behind the changes is the desire to take the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series to the next levelS. Launched in 2023, the series brings the main formats of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cups under the same umbrella, ensuring that every round is contested by the best riders and teams in the world, strengthening the series’ position the pinnacle of mountain biking.

The reform will have significant consequences changes to the qualification system for UCI World Cups, which assesses the number of riders competing at the top of the sport and at the same time a clear pathso that teams and riders can make progress from national to continental to UCI World Cup level. This offers new opportunities for emerging talent and ensures that the best riders can showcase their skills on the biggest stage in the world.

IMPROVED COMPETITION

One of the biggest shifts is the change in the qualification process for a UCI World Cup. The new regulations will revise the number of participating riders, focusing on the best riders and teams to create more competitive racing.

Although the registration of UCI MTB teams will be handled 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. Maximum 20 gravity teams And 20 endurance teams become UCI Mountain Bike World Series Teams for the entire season. Across both categories, 15 invitations to join this top team will be based on the annual UCI Team Ranking, with a further five teams benefiting from 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 greater exposure and marketing rights. Teams register official brand colors for promotional purposes, creating a cohesive and recognizable presence at events and media.

In addition to the UCI Mountain Bike World Series teams with seasonal licenses, up to eight additional UCI teams will have the opportunity to race as wildcard teams during each round of the Series. National federations retain their allocated quota. Qualification will not be limited to teams: individual riders can qualify if they meet specific ranking criteria, or if they are the reigning national, continental or UCI world champion in their format, or Olympic champion (for Olympic cross-country).

There will also be the introduction of the new multi-round Continental Seriesin close cooperation with the five Continental Confederations of cycling, which will act as a springboard for a place in the UCI World Cups and will give riders on different continents the opportunity to qualify for the UCI World Cups, thus promoting global participation and competitiveness . More details about this new Continental Series will be revealed by the UCI soon.

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 Men Elite and top 10 Women Elite advancing directly to the final. All remaining riders will compete in Qualifying Round 2 (Q2), where the top 10 Men Elite and top 5 Women Elite will secure their final places. The protection status scheme will be abolished, which means that riders will no longer receive preferential treatment due to the results of their previous or current season. Only the top riders at each location will make it to the final, with the number of Women Elite qualifying for the final increasing from 10 to 15.

INTRODUCING CAREER NUMBERS

In addition to changes to the teams’ hierarchy and qualification systems, the 2025 reform will also bring changes to the way riders and teams present themselves, with the aim of increasing fan engagement.

All former Elite winners of a UCI World Cup round (Olympic Cross-country or Downhill) who are still competing must wear personal colors and a unique career number adding individuality and a sense of heritage to the competition, helping build riders’ identities and bringing fans closer to the sport.

Number 1 will be reserved exclusively for the current leader of the UCI World Cup classification for each of the two formats, replacing their unique career number. The leader’s jersey and number 1 plate are awarded on the podium after each UCI World Cup.

ENDURO AND PAUSE OF E-ENDURO

A joint decision has been made, in consultation with all stakeholders involved in the UCI E-Enduro World Cup format, to pause the UCI E-Enduro World Cup to work with the industry on a future format. However, e-enduro retains its UCI World Championship status and remains an Open Racing category at the UCI Enduro World Cup.

In addition, the UCI World Championships will introduce the Men’s Junior and Women’s Junior categories for Enduro, giving young athletes more opportunities to shine on the world stage.

LOOKING FORWARD

The 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series marks 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 has led to significant growth in mountain biking and an increase in its popularity. Together with WBD Sports, the UCI aims to build on the momentum with these changes that 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 marks a bold step towards the future of mountain bikingthus promoting greater competitiveness and fan engagement. These changes to the UCI regulations will come into effect on 1^st January 2025. All details are available on the UCI regulations page.

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