The now traditional opening rounds of the UCI E-Mountain Bike Cross-country World Cup in Monaco, taking place this year on 20 May, will be followed by a further 13 rounds including some exciting new venues.
New additions in 2023 include two rounds each in Val Seriana (Italy), and Bielstein (Germany).
The additions mean that there are 15 rounds planned for the 2023 UCI E-MTB Cross-country World Cup. The series had already grown from nine rounds in 2021 – double-headers in Monaco, Bologna Appennino (Italy) and Charade / Clermont-Ferrand (France), followed by three Spanish rounds, two in Costa Brava-Girona and the final in Barcelona – to 11 in 2022 with the addition of a weekend of racing in Spa-Fancorchamps (Belgium).
Defending champions gear up
Last year’s overall winners and UCI World Champions Nicole Göldi (SUI) and Jérôme Gilloux (FRA) are among the pre-season favourites. Gilloux will aim to repeat his impressive double-victories in Monaco from both 2022 and 2021. This year’s course and venue are new, in the Breil-sur-Roya area, on a beautiful mountainous area north of the Principality of Monaco. The opening two rounds take place on 20 and 21 May.
“We are delighted to host the opening round of the UCI E-MTB World Cup, an event combining a top-level sports competition and an attraction for our local E-bikers community,” said Sébastien Olharan, Mayor of Breil-sur-Roya. “It will be a great opportunity to help discover our territory in a sustainable and exciting way and get closer to the protagonists of global E-mountain biking”.
Göldi will be looking to put good points on the board as soon as possible: last year it was the third race, in Bologna Montana, Italy, where the 2021 and 2022 UCI World Champion picked up her first UCI World Cup win of the year. The races will once again take place at the E-xplora facilities in the ‘ BO.M.B.A.’ (Bologna Montana Bike Area), on 10-11 June.
After the two new rounds in Val Seriana (15 and 16 July) in the Bergamo Province of northern Italy, the fourth destination of the 2023 UCI World Cup will be at the famous F1 Circuit of Spa-Francorchamps on 29 and 30 August. It was a happy hunting ground for both Göldi and Gilloux in 2022’s inaugural event in Belgium.
Welcome to Germany!
Then comes the new event in Germany on 2-3 September. It is to be hosted in the facilities of the Bielsteiner Waldkurs MX track, one of the oldest motocross tracks in Europe, founded in 1951. The venue is situated in the beautiful Bergisches Land region, 40km east of Cologne, and promises to bring a tough new challenge to all the riders in the 2023 UCI World Cup.
“We are very much looking forward to presenting the UCI E-MTB Cross-country World Cup to our German audience for the first time”, said Jörg Steinhausen, Chairman MSC Drabenderhöhe-Bielstein e.V. in the ADAC. “With the event, we are also beginning a new chapter for our club and the region.
Showcasing world class skills
Next come four rounds on consecutive weekends, the first two in Costa Brava-Girona on Friday 22 and Saturday 23 September (most races are on Saturdays and Sundays), where the world’s best E-MTB talents will reach a wide public attending the Sea Otter Europe, Girona 2023.
Then just a week later comes the French round. Last year, the event at Charade / Clermont-Ferrand saw victories in the men’s racing go to Gilloux and Joris Ryf (SUI), second in the overall UCI World Cup standings in 2021 and 2022. Göldi again dominated both women’s races.
The final round will be on 21 October in the regular closing venue of Barcelona, where in 2022, spectators witnessed strong performances from their home rider Ismael Esteban, whose 2nd place saw him take third overall in the 2022 UCI World Cup. Race wins in Barcelona went to Ryf and Germany’s Sofia Wiedenroth, who was third overall in 2021, 2nd overall in 2022… and could go one better in 2023?
2023 UCI E-Mountain Bike Cross-country World Cup:
Rounds 1 and 2: 20-21 May, Monaco
Rounds 3 and 4: 10-11 June, Bologna Montana (Italy)
Rounds 5 and 6: 15-16 July, Val Seriana (Italy)
Rounds 7 and 8: 29-30 August, Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium)
Rounds 9 and 10: 2-3 September, BIelstein (Germany)
Rounds 11 and 12: 22-23 September, Costa Brava-Girona (Spain)
Rounds 13 and 14: 30 September-1 October, Charade / Clermont-Ferrand (France)
Round 15: 21 October, Barcelona (Spain).