WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series: doubles, debuts and a clean sweep

Cross-country opener in Brazil

The 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series got off to a stunning start in Araxá, Brazil, with back-to-back weekends of dramatic cross-country racing.

Women XCC: Richards rips it up

Cross-country short track (XCC) UCI World Champion Evie Richards rode a savvy race in round 1. After sitting tight in the lead group the British rider attacked on the final climb to pull out a gap then outsprint New Zealand’s Samara Maxwell, with Alessandra Keller (SUI) 5-sec back

“I’m obviously super happy I won!” said Richards. “I’m a racer, this is what I love doing, so I just gave it everything.”

Richards made it two out of two a week later. She narrowly beat Switzerland’s Nicole Koller and Sweden’s Jenny Rissveds to take her seventh UCI XCC World Cup win, breaking Pauline Ferrand-Prevot's record.

“It’s weird having riders looking at me now, because it hasn’t happened all too often,” said Richards.

Richards leads the overall standings with 500 points from Koller (350) and Maxwell (310).

In the Women Under 23 XCC races, Canada’s Isabella Holmgren won both rounds. She beat Katharina Sadnik (AUT) and Ella Maclean-Howell (GBR) in the first round, and in round 2 outsprinted Valentina Corvi (ITA) and Sadnik.Holmgren leads the overall standings with 250 points from Sadnik (180) and Corvi (170).

Women XCO: New Zealand’s history-maker

The bang in-form Samara Maxwell [Decathlon Ford Racing Team] made history, taking her first Elite UCI cross-country Olympic (XCO) World Cup victory in round 1, New Zealand’s first Elite woman to do so. She maintained a narrow lead on the final lap over Nicole Koller and Savilia Blunk (USA).

“The team has been so incredible for me,” said Maxwell. “I’ve had a hard time the last two years and the team stood by me.”

In round 2, 2016 Olympic Champion Jenny Rissveds powered into the lead on lap four and kept a relentless pace that saw her finish 28-sec ahead of Maxwell, with Richards a further 6-sec back.

“I feel very happy and comfortable,” said Rissveds. “I’m enjoying my new team [Canyon Cllctv XCO] environment and the people around me.”

Maxwell leads the overall with 550 points from Rissveds (445) and Koller (425).

Isabella Holmgren underlined her dominance in the Women Under 23 category, winning both XCO races as well as the XCC. Nineteen seconds further back, Ella Macphee (CAN) was closest in round 1, and at +50 seconds, Valentina Corvi (ITA) was second in round 2. Holmgren leads the XCO overall with 330 points from Corvi (229) and Macphee (216).

Men’s XCC: Blevins on fire

Christopher Blevins looked sublime in the season-opening Men Elite XCC race. In what’s shaping up to be an enthralling in-team rivalry, the American beat his French teammate (Specialized Factory Racing) and UCI XCC World Champion Victor Koretzky (FRA) by just one second. Another Frenchman, Mathis Azzaro, finished a further second back.

“Victor’s Victor, he’s a champion, I love having him as a teammate,” said Blevins. “It’s one of the best feelings in the world when you battle with a teammate who you live this with.”

Blevins bossed round 2, with Koretzky second again, this time five seconds adrift. Thirty-eight-year-old Nino Schurter (SUI) led the rest of the pack home just two seconds behind the Frenchman.

“Everyone knows where the move’s going to go, you kinda have to be leading there!” said Blevins.

Blevins leads the overall standings with 500 points from Koretzky (400) and Schurter (270).

Araxá saw wins for Norway’s Sondre Rokke and Italy’s Elian Paccagnella in the Men Under 23 XCC. With 180 points Paccagnella has the narrowest overall lead. He has three chasers each lying on 175 points: Rokke, Switzerland’s Finn Treudler and Denmark’s Gustav Heby Pedersen-

Men XCO: dream team

Round 1 saw a podium clean-sweep for Specialized in the Men Elite XCO, with Koretzky going 10 seconds clear of Blevins ahead of the final lap. As the pair celebrated together after the line, their teammate, Chilean Champion Martín Vidaurre Kossmann came into view for third.

“Chris was super strong at the beginning of the race, he did a super high pace and it was difficult to follow him,” said Koretzky. “But we did one lap each [in front] just to pull each other.”

Blevins backed up his XCC round 2 victory by winning the XCO for a ‘perfect weekend’. And it was perfection for Specialized… with Blevins’ teammates Vidaurre Kossmann and Adrien Boichis (FRA) second and third.

“I love that kind of racing where everything’s just a blur and you have to stay locked in,” said Blevins. “Adrian Boichis, when he passed me on that climb… I’ve never met a kid with more exuberance than him. He’s just brilliant. It’s a cool feeling doing it with the team!”

It’s a Specialized 1-2-3 in the overall standings after two rounds: Blevins 610, Koretzky 510, Vidaurre Kossmann 420.

Finn Treudler is setting the pace in Men Under 23 XCO. After winning both of the first two races he leads the overall standings on 300 points from Paccagnella and Pedersen, each with 201.

The 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series continues with the enduro racers facing back-to back fixtures in Italy (Pietra Ligure – Finale Outdoor Region on 9-11 May) then Poland (Enduro Trails – Bielsko Biała on 16-18 May), where they will be joined by the downhill specialists. The next cross-country fixture is in Nové Město Na Moravě, Czechia, on 23-25 May.