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Road racing aces take on mountain bike specialists for coveted rainbow jerseys at the 2026 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships on Thursday and Sunday in Val di Sole.
Mathieu van der Poel, Puck Pieterse, and Tom Pidcock will be in action in short track and cross country events alongside the likes of Victor Koretzky, Alessandra Keller, and defending XCO world champions Alan Hatherly and Renny Rissveds.
Christopher Blevins and Hayley Hatten give the USA strong hopes for MTB medals.
The Italian Val di Sole course they’ll be shredding this week is one of the OGs of the European circuit.
The loop features two huge climbs, technical rocky descents, and tight singletrack. It’s a course with something for everybody, but one that leaves no room for mistakes.
Elite women’s and men’s short track races blast off late afternoon on Thursday, August 27. The marquee cross country races follow on Sunday, August 30.
A total of seven U.S. athletes will be chasing medals across the four events.
The full Val di Sole world championship program also includes downhill, relay, and E-mountain bike racing.
You can find the start lists for the cross country races and check out more information on the course here.
How to watch the 2026 MTB world championships
- USA: FloBikes
- Canada: FloBikes
- UK: TNT Sports / HBO Max
- Australia: Stan
- Worldwide: Eurosport, L’Equipe, VRT, RTBF, TV2, RAI, NOS, TVE, SuperSport, DirectTV
The racing will also be available to watch live on the UCI YouTube channel, subject to geo-blocking.
Race schedule
Thursday August 27:
- Elite women’s short track: 17:45 CET
- Elite men’s short track: 18:30 CET
Sunday August 30:
- Elite women’s cross country: 13:00 CET
- Men’s elite cross country: 15:15 CET
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