The final round of the 2024 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada, last weekend crowned the overall series winners in cross-country and downhill.
We talk to the athletes who were rewarded for their season-long consistency in cross-country Olympic (XCO) and downhill (DHI).
Men Elite XCO: Alan Hatherly’s “dream season”
The 28-year-old South African combined the UCI World Cup overall with an Olympic medal and the UCI World Champion’s rainbow jersey. He told us all about it!
How does it feel to be UCI XCO World Cup overall winner this year?
Alan Hatherly (AH): It really is a cherry on the cake for me! It’s been a dream season for me and this World Cup overall title has also added me to the list of very few, who have done the double taking the World title and [UCI World Cup] overall in the same season, which I’m proud of.
How does the UCI World Cup overall stack up alongside all the other achievements this season?
AH: The overall title is something that I’ve targeted at achieving in my career. You need to have an incredibly consistent season which makes it so difficult to achieve. This makes it even sweeter for me that I was able to achieve it in an Olympic-focused year. It’s hard for me to rank my achievements this year as they all carry their weight for different reasons.
What are you most proud of in 2024?
AH: I would have to say claiming my first UCI World Champion XCO title in Andorra. It was one of those dream days where everything fell into place and the rainbow bands will stay with me forever now.
Women Elite XCO: Alessandra Keller on winning for second time
As well as winning the cross-country short track (XCC) overall UCI World Cup, 28-year-old Alessandra Keller’s performance in Canada clinched her the XCO overall UCI World Cup win – the second time the Swiss has achieved this special double!
How does it feel to be UCI World Cup overall winner this year?
Alessandra Keller (AK): Well I feel very proud to be the overall winner, especially in both specialities. What it means to me is consistency, which is a big philosophy of mine. I’m very proud to make it in 2022 and then two years later again.
You need a healthy body, mindset and to perform at every race. The consistency in general is an honour for the whole season.
Doing the XCO and XCC double - again - is an amazing achievement. How do you prioritise preparing for such a dominant display?
AK: To me the XCC is like the small crystal globe, and then XCO and XCC together is the big one. You can be even more proud of it because you need the XCC to be good in the XCO! In general I’m pretty happy that I can win the big one because you win the podiums in the XCO.
What are you most proud of in 2024?
AK: I enjoy racing at home [Switzerland] and I am proud of the short track win I got this year, and proud about all the podiums.
I still see improvements in general of what I can do better but to be on top, for example at the World Champs or the Olympics I can perform even better there but I’m proud of the progress I’ve made. Also if I look back to where I stood a few years ago it’s not all about 2024, it’s about a process and the overall is about a process.
Men Elite DHI Loïc Bruni “couldn’t be happier”
The 30-year-old Frenchman now has four UCI World Cup overall titles to go with his five Elite UCI World Champion’s jerseys. And in 2024, for the first time, Super-Bruni confirmed the overall with a race to spare!
With the overall title already wrapped up, how was racing in Mont-Sainte-Anne?
Loïc Bruni (LB): Yeah it’s not the best way to finish, I really wanted more. I think I had a big battle to find motivation. I rode well but being slow, going nowhere, and when I crossed the line I was surprised, a bad one [26th]!
But still an amazing season! I couldn’t be happier with the overall. Let’s go home and relax now!
What is your highlight of 2024?
LB: Winning Fort William [Scotland, Great Britain], the first one of the season. That race, I had always struggled, and I kicked off the season the best way possible, and from there I never looked back really!
I kept the [leader’s] jersey all season and stayed focussed and confident as good as I could because from Val di Sole [Italy] onwards it was just rain, rain, rain every race - not so easy for me. But I held on, barely, but I did, and now I can be happy.
Women Elite DHI: Valentina Höll on the importance of consistency
At just 22 years of age, Austria’s Valentina Höll has won three Elite UCI World Championships and now three Elite UCI World Cup overall titles.
How does it feel to be UCI World Cup overall winner this year?
Valentina Höll (VH): This year was the first year with all the big names, no-one missing. I only won two UCI World Cup rounds this year [Fort William andLeogang, Austria], but consistency is playing a big part and every year I’m maturing more and it works out better. I’m pretty happy with where we are, especially with the new team, YT Mob.
How was racing in Canada knowing you already had the title?
VH: I was really trying to push for the win and I was just so sketchy on the track… I thought ‘bring it home safe, I don’t want to have a cast on the beach because it would be a weird tan line so be safe, don’t crash’.