One thing is already certain before the start of the seventh UCI World Cup for artistic cycling: there will be a new UCI World Cup overall winner in the Single Men category. Seven-time UCI World Champion and undefeated UCI World Cup overall winner Lukas Kohl (Kirchehrenbach/GER) retired at the end of last year, so it’s time for a new chapter to be written in the sport’s history.
The chapter begins with the first round of the 2025 UCI Artistic Cycling World Cup in Praha, Czechia, on Saturday 1 March. Spanish reigning UCI World Champion Emilio Arellano has also ended his career. The successor is therefore likely to be another German athlete as the three top-seeded athletes in this weekend’s competition all belong to the German team.
The top favourite is now Philipp-Thies Rapp (Tailfingen/GER). The third-placed overall finisher in the 2024 UCI World Cup season and two-time silver medallist at the UCI World Championships wants to be at the top for the first time on Saturday.
“Philipp goes into the UCI World Cup as the favourite, of course. We don't need to beat around the bush,” says German national coach Dieter Maute, who is also Rapp's trainer. But the competition is fierce. Second overall in the 2024 UCI Artistic Cycling World Cup, Simon Köcher (Öschelbronn/GER) is the first pursuer behind Rapp. Jonas Beiter (Trillfingen/GER) is the third seed.
The closest to the German trio is the newly crowned Hong Kong champion, who claimed fifth position at the last UCI World Championships, Yat Nam Chan (South China Athletic Association/ HKG). He competes with outsider chances, as does the fourth-placed rider at the 2024 UCI World Championships, Csaba Varga (Romhany/HUN), along with Christopher Schobel (Höchst/AUT) – sixth at the UCI World Championships – and eighth-placed Jakub Mašek (Brno/CZE).
Single Women: three UCI World Champions go head-to-head
In the Single Women competition, there will be a summit meeting of the UCI World Champions from the past three years. At the head of the women's field is the winner of the 2022 UCI rainbow jersey and defending UCI World Cup overall winner Jana Pfann (Bruckmühl/GER).
She is closely followed by the reigning UCI World Champion Lara Füller (Poppenweiler/GER) and the gold medallist from 2023, Ramona Dandl (Bruckmühl/GER). And behind her are last year's UCI World Championships fourth-placed athlete Alessa Hotz (Baar/SUI), and bronze medallist Lorena Schneider (Höchst/AUT), respectively.
Top actors in ACT4
There is a three-way fight in ACT4. As in the previous year, the defending UCI World Cup winners Tijem Karatas, Milena Schwarz, Stella Rosenbach, Annika Rosenbach (Mainz-Ebersheim/ GER) will compete with the UCI World Champions Stefanie Haas, Valerie Unternährer, Selina Niedermann, Sarah Manser (Uzwil/ SUI). But the quartet of Nadine Jechen, Hannah Schulze, Anna Kathleen Buchwald and Charlott Boden (Wiednitz/GER) want to change this. In addition, there will be the welcome participation of a team from Hungary for the first time.
Pairs Open and Pairs Women: Germans favourites
The UCI World Champions in Pairs Open, Nico Rödiger and Lea-Victoria Styber (Langenselbold/GER), are top seeds and aiming for success. Two other German teams follow in the fight for podium places: brothers Alexander and Daniel Stark (Bernlohe) and the UCI World Championships runners-up Niklas Kreuzmann/ Celine Stapf (Soden).
In the Pairs Women, UCI World Cup title defenders Annice Niedermayer/ Jessie Hasmüller (Denkendorf/ Magstadt – GER) are no longer in competition. The UCI World Champions Antonia Bärk/ Henny Kirst (Bonn-Duisdorf/GER) are the favourites, followed by the UCI World Championships silver medalists Kim Schlüter/ Neele Jodeleit (Knetterheide/GER) and bronze medallists Larissa Tanner/ Simona Lucca (Stäfa/Dürnten – SUI).
The second round of the UCI World Cup in July in Langenselbold (Germany) will be followed by round 3 in Puteaux (France) in August. The host of the UCI World Cup final – with double points on offer – is the municipality of Gäufelden-Öschelbronn (Germany) with Simon Köcher as local hero.
2025 UCI Artistic Cycling World Cup calendar:
1st March, Praha, Czechia
5 July, Langenselbold, Germany
3 August, Puteaux, France
15 November, Gäufelden-Öschelbronn, Germany.
Start list for the first round of the UCI Artistic Cycling World Cup Praha, Czechia.