The 2026 HERO UCI Cross-country Marathon World Cup is almost upon us, with this year’s season kicking off early in Spain at the HERO Costa Blanca in Calpe, the opening event of the six-race series, on Saturday, 21 February.
It’s the first time the Costa Blanca course at Calpe‑Benissa has featured in the series. On paper, the course’s 82 km distance is close to the season’s average, while its 2,700m of climbing falls a little below the 3,116m average, which may give the impression that this is a gentle start to the season. However, with cooler temperatures and key climbs at approximately 40km, 50km, and 65km, riders will be pushing to their absolute limit, with each ascent offering an opportunity to attack and challenge their rivals.
Challengers set to make their mark
For Germany’s Andreas Seewald and the Netherlands’ Rosa van Doorn, last year’s overall men’s and women’s winners, Costa Blanca is an early opportunity to start defending their crowns. Seewald, 34, won two of last year’s five rounds, while Van Doorn, 24, took three victories, with no other rider in either field claiming more than one win. Challengers will therefore have plenty of motivation to shake up the standings
Among the women’s title contenders, look out for Poland’s Paula Gorycka-Kurmann, who won round 5 in Girona (Spain) last year on her way to third overall in the series, to put on an impressive performance. She recently logged a serious training block in Gran Canaria, Spain.
Likewise, Italy’s Sandra Mairhofer, who triumphed at her home race in the Dolomites (Selva Val Gardena - round 2) and who finished second in the overall rankings last year, will be sure to challenge for the win.
In the men’s competition, Seewald’s challengers include 2025 race winners Héctor Leonardo Páez (COL), double UCI World Champion (2019 and 2020) who claimed victory in round 3 in Andorra (Sant Julià De Lòria - La Rabassa), Belgium’s Wout Alleman, winner of round 1 in Capoliveri-Elba Island (Itlay), and Switzerland’s Casey South, who took round 5 at Sea Otter Girona. Also in contention for the title are 2024 overall winner Fabian Rabensteiner, as well as his other Italian compatriots Samuele Porro and Gioele De Cosmo, and Switzerland’s Marc Stutzmann.
Race by race
Expanded to six events — one more than in 2025 — this year’s series begins and ends in Spain, with the final event taking place in Girona on 20 September, just one week after the 2026 UCI Mountain Bike Marathon World Championships in Primiero San Martino di Castrozza, Italy (12 -13 September). La Tramun Sea Otter Europe in Girona will not only confirm the 2026 HERO UCI Cross-country Marathon World Cup overall standings, but will also be the first opportunity for the newly crowned UCI World Champions to race in their rainbow jerseys.
Following the Costa Blanca in February the season’s second race, the Capoliveri Legend Cup in Italy— the 16th edition on Elba Island and one which features 72km and 2,700m of climbing — takes place on May 9, swiftly followed by the series’ third round at Naturland, in Andorra. Of the six UCI World Cup events, Naturland features the shortest course and least climbing, with 63km and 2,190 m of ascent, making it a relative sprint compared with other rounds.
The series then moves to the Dolomites for the fourth race of the season on 13 June, marking its second stop in Italy. The HERO Südtirol Dolomites is the only event in the 2026 UCI World Cup with different distances for the men and women — 60km with 3,200m of climbing for the women, and 86 km with 4,500m of climbing for the men.
Germany then hosts its only stop of the 2026 series with the Black Forest ULTRA Bike Marathon in Kirchzarten on July 26. This penultimate round, at 118km, is the longest of the season and provides a true test before the final race. Riders will then have some time to recover before preparing for September’s 2026 UCI Mountain Bike Marathon World Championships in Italy.
The series will then conclude in Girona on 20 September. As Wout Alleman described last year: “It’s super technical with really steep climbs. It’s really hard for the whole body, you have to work with your arms and your core.” Covering 82km with 2,969m of climbing, the course will test every rider; who will come out on top?
Check out the best of 2025’s action here.
2026 HERO UCI Cross-country Marathon World Cup Calendar
21 February: HERO Costa Blanca, Calpe (Spain)
9 May: Capoliveri Legend Cup, Isola d'Elba (Italy)
31 May: Naturland Andorra, Andorra (Andorra)
13 June: HERO Südtirol Dolomites, Selva Val Gardena (Italy)
26 July: Black Forest ULTRA Bike Marathon, Kirchzarten (Germany)
20 September: La Tramun Sea Otter Europe, Girona (Spain)