After three of the six consecutive weekends of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series, all formats meet in La Thuile – Valle d'Aosta (Italy) for the second event of the season, bringing together the four disciplines of the World Cup.
The Aosta Valley resort made its debut in the UCI World Cup circuit in 2025 by hosting the races Downhill and Enduro. This year, with the arrival of Olympic Cross Country (XCO) and Short Track (XCC), La Thuile becomes the second venue of the season to host all formats of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series.
Here's everything you need to know about the La Thuile – Valle d'Aosta stage: when the Cross Country, Enduro and Downhill, who will be the protagonists and how to follow all the action.
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When?
The Italian stage of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series 2026 will start on Friday 3 July at 10:35 (UTC+2) with the UCI race Cross-country Short Track (XCC) Women Under 23 and will end on Sunday 5 July at 15:30 (UTC+2) with the UCI race Cross-country Olympic (XCO) Men Elite.
Below are the main events of the race weekend (all times are in UTC+2 / CEST).
Friday July 3th
10pm – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Women U23
11pm – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Men U23
17pm – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Elite women
18pm – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Elite men
12pm – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualifying 1 Women Elite
13pm – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualifying 1 Men Elite
14pm – UCI Downhill World Cup | Junior Women's Qualifying
14pm – UCI Downhill World Cup | Junior Men's Qualifications
15pm – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualifying 2 Women Elite
15pm – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualifying 2 Men Elite
Saturday 4th July
11:30 – UCI Enduro World Cup
11pm – UCI Downhill World Cup | Junior Women's Final
12pm – UCI Downhill World Cup | Junior Men's Final
13pm – UCI Downhill World Cup | Elite Women's Final
14pm – UCI Downhill World Cup | Elite Men's Final
Sunday July 5th
09pm – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup | Women U23
11pm – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup | Men U23
13pm – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup | Elite women
15pm – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup | Elite Men
Where to watch the races on TV and streaming?
For the UCI Enduro World Cup, coverage will include a course preview hosted by UCI World Champion Richie Rude, who will guide fans through the course and its key sections. Highlights of practice and race day will be posted on the official YouTube channel, while key moments of the action will be shared on the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series social media channels. Live timing, updates, and live blogging will be available on the official website and the series app.
For UCI races Downhill World Cup and UCI Cross-country World Cup action will be available across multiple international channels, with TV and streaming coverage in major territories around the world.
In Italy, the Elite finals of XCO, XCC and Downhill will be broadcast on:
HBO Max
Eurosport
Rai Sport / Rai Play
The Gazzetta (XCO Elite races only)
The Junior races of Downhill The men's and women's qualifiers will be broadcast live on HBO Max in available territories and on MTBWS TV via subscription. Downhill Instead, they can be followed via live timing and social updates.
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The most anticipated protagonists
Enduro: the challenge is more open than ever
After the intense Val di Fassa stage, the UCI Enduro World Cup arrives in La Thuile with the standings still wide open. Among the men, the spotlight is on leader Alex Rudeau, who will be tasked with defending his lead from the main rivals, while reigning champion Sławomir Łukasik, winner in La Thuile in 2025, will try to relaunch his position. In the women's race, Ella Conolly will once again be the woman to beat, but Frenchwoman Mélanie Pugin, fresh from her victory in Val di Fassa, has shown she can challenge the British rider's dominance.
DownhillIles seeks hat-trick, Höll wants to return to winning ways
After a week's break, the Downhill restarts from La Thuile. Canadian Finn Iles arrives in great form thanks to two consecutive victories, while defending champion Jackson Goldstone returns to the track where he achieved success in 2025. Among the women, Valentina Höll remains the big favorite despite the stop of Lenzerheide, with Anna Newkirk ready to confirm herself among the main rivals.
Cross Country: All the big names are coming
All the World Cup stars will be present for the Cross Country debut in La Thuile. In Olympic Cross Country, all eyes will be on season leader Luca Martin of France and world champion Jenny Rissveds, who has had an extraordinary start to the year. Two world-class athletes, Victor Koretzky and Alan Hatherly, will also be returning to the races, ready to debut in the 2026 season.
Short Track: twenty minutes of pure spectacle
Short Track will officially open the race weekend on Friday afternoon. A fast, spectacular, and unpredictable discipline, where a few seconds can completely change the course. All the top specialists on the international circuit will be on the starting line, ready to deliver one of the most intense events of the entire weekend.
Italians to follow
Italy will be at the start of the home stage with a strong presence in all disciplines: there will be over 80 Italian athletes competing on the tracks Downhill, Enduro and Cross Country, ready to play a leading role in front of the home crowd.
In Downhill the spotlight will be on Gloria Scarsi (MS-Racing, bib no. 3), fresh from the third place achieved in the last World Cup race in Lenzerheide, and Veronika Widmann (UNNO Factory Racing DH, no. 19), a leading figure on the world circuit for years. Among the Elite men, watch out for Stefano Introzzi (no. 42), who has already achieved two top-20 finishes this season.
In Olympic Cross Country, the Italian team will field some of its most iconic names, starting with Wilier-Vittoria Factory Team athletes Simone Avondetto (no. 17) and Juri Zanotti (no. 23), the latter a consistent presence in the top fifteen in the World Cup. Also to watch are Luca Braidot (no. 444), who finished fourth at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Martina Berta (Origine Racing Division, no. 15), a regular among the top ten in the world, and Chiara Teocchi (BH Coloma Team, no. 32), an athlete with strong ties to La Thuile and one of the most experienced figures in the Italian scene. Among the Under 23s, all eyes will be on Gabriel Borre (no. 62), from the Aosta Valley, who has been preparing for this season on the trails of La Thuile with the national team camp, and Valentina Corvi (Canyon XC Racing), considered one of the most promising young athletes in the Italian scene.
The Enduro will also be Italian-speaking, with a field of 35 athletes. The most anticipated are Tommaso Calonaci, Tommaso Francardo, and Mirco Vendemmia, all fresh from excellent performances in the Val di Fassa World Cup. Among the women, the Aosta Valley crowd will cheer on local favorite Camilla Martinet, along with Sophie Riva, a regular on international special stages.
Tickets and pre-sales online
Pre-sales are already available on the event's official website:
www.lathuileworldcupmtb.com
Chairlift tickets
- Lift tickets can be purchased online at a discounted rate until 18:00 PM on Thursday, July 2nd. After that, they will be available exclusively at the event ticket offices for €20.
Show Ticket – Prato Area
- Tickets for access to the Prato Area can also be purchased online during race days (until the day the ticket is valid) for €10, as well as at the on-site ticket offices.
Free entry
- Admission is always free for children up to 8 years old.
