The UCI Indoor Cycling World Championships taking place in Göppingen, Germany, from 7 to 9 November, will see two titles awarded in cycle-ball (men’s and women’s) and five for artistic cycling.
We take a look at some of the main contenders and hopeful outsiders for the three days of competition uniting 150 athletes from 24 countries. More than 90 percent of the tickets have already been sold, meaning up to 4,000 fans are expected to pack the competition hall each day.
Single Women: rainbow jersey to change hands
There are surprises in artistic cycling even before the UCI Indoor Cycling World Championships begin… not least the absence of reigning UCI World Champion Lara Füller. The German athlete from Poppenweiler did not make it through the German qualifying series this year, finishing fourth. Just five points separated the top four, with only the two top athletes qualifying to compete in Göppingen.
Meanwhile, German Champion and 2023 UCI World Champion Ramona Dandl has to be content with the role of reserve for Germany’s two qualified riders: her Bruckmühl club mate Jana Pfann (2022 UCI World Champion) and newcomer to the German squad Veronika Koch (Hausham).
Other medal contenders in the women's event are last year’s bronze medallist Lorena Schneider (Höchst/AUT) and fourth-placed Alessa Hotz (Baar/SUI). The fifth- and sixth-placed riders from 2024, Saskia Gerber (Dürnten/SUI) and Italian Magdalena Müller, have outsider chances for the Final four.
Single Men: who will replace Arellano?
The reigning UCI World Champion in Single Men will also be missing from the competition. Emilio Arellano, who competed for Spain, announced his retirement shortly after winning his UCI world title last year.
Arellano’s victory in 2024 came after three bronze medals (2021-2023), and although he admits to missing competition - and he continues to train every week -, he has stood fast to his decision. He will, however, attend the 2025 UCI Indoor Cycling World Championships as the event’s ambassador.
The favourite to succeed him in the rainbow jersey is two-time silver medallist Philipp-Thies Rapp (Tailfingen/GER), who has dominated the season, and shown few weaknesses.
His fiercest competition comes from his own German camp. Linus Weber (Kirchdorf) is a rookie in the Elite class, having won the Under 19 European Championships in 2024. Other medal contenders in the men's event are Yat Nam Chan from Hong Kong, and the Hungarian Czaba Varga. Meanwhile, Marcel Schnetzer (Höchst/AUT), who is making his UCI World Championships comeback after a two-year break, is also aiming to make it into the Final four.
Pairs: UCI World Champions return to defend
In the Pairs competitions, the Germans are clear favourites. The same teams that won the titles and silver medals last year will compete in the Women’s and Mixed Pairs.
The defending UCI World Champions Antonia Bärk/Henny Kirst (Women - Bonn-Duisdorf/GER) and Nico Rödiger/ Lea Styber (Mixed – Langenselbold/GER) are programmed for gold, while last year’s silver medallists Kim Leah Schlüter/Neele Jodeleit (Women – Knetterheide/GER) and Niklas Kreutzmann/Celine Stapf (Mixed – Soden/GER) are ready to capitalise on any mistakes, but must not make any mistakes themselves either.
In the Pair Mixed category, two couples from Hong Kong are snapping at the heels of the Germans: two-time bronze medallists Jeff Lim/Ron Lim and Wai Hui/Yin Hui, who have also been in the fight for bronze on previous occasions.
In the Pair Women competition, there are two duos from Switzerland competing for bronze - or higher - with last year's bronze medallists Simona Lucca and Larissa Tanner (Stäfa/Dürnten) better positioned than Julia Stäheli/Tanisha Tanner (Amriswil), who are making their UCI World Championships debut.
Act-4: last dance for reigning UCI World Champions
The duel between the Act-4 teams promises great excitement. The reigning UCI World Champions Stefanie Haas, Valerie Unternährer, Selina Niedermann and Sarah Manser (Uzwil/SUI) will compete in their last competition. They have announced the end of their careers and want to complete it by securing their second UCI rainbow jerseys.
The top seeded German women from RV Mainz-Ebersheim also want to put on that iconic jersey. Last year’s silver medallists Milena Schwarz, Tijem Karatas, Stella Rosenbach and Svenja Kraus have their sights firmly set on gold after achieving many best scores this season.
Cycle-ball: more teams in a new format
In cycle-ball, the men’s title holders have also announced their departure. Bernd Mlady and Raphael Kopp (Stein/GER) are part of a new tournament format at their last UCI World Championships. The A group, which previously comprised six teams, will be expanded by two teams and divided into two preliminary round groups for the first time. The group winners of the new ‘Elite League’ qualify directly for the Final 4, while the second and third-placed teams go into a play-off round.
Apart from the absence of Austria, the women's cycle-ball competition will feature largely the same teams as in 2024: defending UCI World Champions from Germany, Judith Wolf/ Danielle Holzer (Hofen/Prechtal), runners-up Sava Baumann/ Chiara Dotoli for Switzerland, and bronze medallists Czechia again represented by Veronika Kripnerová/ Blanka Adamovaá. Meanwhile, last year’s fourth placed team from Japan sees Nana Yamashita playing with Sayaka Tokuhiro, who replaces Natsumi Noda.