The 2025 WES UCI E-Mountain Bike Cross-country World Cup starts next weekend with the first two of seven rounds, and there’s plenty new in the exciting, young discipline.
Races this season will feature more technically demanding circuits, including shorter, multi-line loops and wider, varied tracks to showcase the power and versatility of E-bikes and the skills of their riders.
With the exception of the last weekend of racing in October, there will be two rounds per race weekend: one on Saturday, then another on Sunday when riders will tackle the same course in the opposite direction. Women and men race together on the same purpose-built courses. All circuits are between 2km and 6km, which are usually completed seven or eight times depending on the circuit length. Typically, riders cover a total distance of between 20km and 30km with between 1,000 and 1,400m of climbing.
A first in Romania
The WES UCI E-Mountain Bike Cross-country World Cup was planned to start in the Monaco - Alpes Maritimes, in late April, but had to be postponed due to severe snowstorms. It means that the opening rounds are now at the newest host venue, in Romania.
Cheile Grădiștei is in the Carpathian Mountains, between Moieciu de Jos and Fundata, 30km from Brașov. Sitting at 1,300 metres altitude, it has hosted numerous high-profile cycling and other sports events but joins the WES UCI E-Mountain Bike Cross-country World Cup for the first time.
The event is organised by ACS Pro Cycling, led by former Romanian National Champion Tudor Oprea, which organised the 2024 UEC Mountain Bike European Continental Championships - XCO/XCC/XCR .
After the two rounds in Romania, the schedule heads to Monaco – Alpes Maritimes in July – the traditional season opener. September is given over to participation in the UCI E-Mountain Bike Cross-country World Championships in Switzerland before the 2025 UCI E-Mountain Bike Cross-Country World Cup reconvenes in Italy in October with two rounds in Olbia, and the 7th and final round in the Massa Marittima Trail Area.
Women Elite: battle of the champions
The woman who won most UCI World Cup races last year is Anna Spielmann. With five victories, including the last four races, the Austrian’s end-of-season dominance earned her the overall title. Anticipating this season, the Haibike Team rider celebrated ‘new bike day’ like all cyclists!
Germany’s reigning UCI World Champion Sofia Wiedenroth (Specialized Enduro Team) and Switzerland's 2023 UCI World Champion Nathalie Schneitter (Trek Bosch Team) each won races in Italy last year, which could make for an interesting finale. The pair finished 2nd and 4th overall respectively.
Consistency was rewarded for French rider Solene Bouissou (Team Oise Organisation) with third overall: despite no victory, her six podium finishes put her right in contention.
Men Elite: five in a row for Gilloux?
In the men’s field, Jérôme Gilloux (Lapierre Overvolt Team) was dominant in 2024, winning six of the eight rounds and confirming the overall title to go with his reclaimed UCI World Champion’s rainbow jersey. The Frenchman will look to maintain momentum in the results just as he does on the course – and make it five consecutive overall UCI World Cup titles to match his five French national crowns.
But other riders have other ideas, not least Switzerland’s 2023 UCI World Champion, Joris Ryf (Specialized Enduro Team), winner of two UCI World Cup rounds and 2nd overall in 2024. Regular podium finisher Mirko Tabacchi (ITA, Leynicese RDR Italia Factory Team) and 4th overall Jeroen van Eck (NED, GHOST Bikes Racing Team) are also amongst the men to keep a close eye on. They will all need to adapt to the new courses and the emphasis on tougher tracks.
2025 UCI E-Mountain Bike Cross-Country World Cup calendar
14-15 June: Rounds 1 and 2, Cheile Grădiștei, Romania
26-27 July: Rounds 3 and 4, Monaco Alpes-Maritimes, Monaco
4-5 October: Rounds 7 and 8, Olbia, Italy
11 October: Round 9, Massa Marittima Trail Area, Italy.