Everything you need ahead of Round 1 in South Korea, including how to watch and course previews
The Mountain Bike World Cup kicks off this weekend, nearly seven full months after the end of the 2025 season. If you thought Trek-Unbroken XC and DH would be eased into the proceedings … lol no. Riders will be racing a brand new venue in South Korea, which will be a tricky time zone adjustment for European and North American riders while also facing an unfamiliar course. (Not so bad on the body clock if you’re an Aussie or a Kiwi, though!)
The competition will be fiercer than ever. It seems like more great riders emerge every year, making podium finishes ever more precious, but Trek-Unbroken is well-equipped for the task.
Lachie Stevens-McNab returns to a Trek-Unbroken DH team loaded with young, top-step potential.
On the XC side, Evie Richards is the reigning short track overall champion, a two-time World Champion, and among the favorites to win every race she enters. She’s joined by four riders who all have podium ambitions. Riley Amos and Gwendalyn Gibson are two of the fastest elite American riders in the field. Nina Graf, a newcomer to the team, and Vlad Dascalu, making his return from a one-season hiatus, are itching to give statement performances.
In DH, Oisin O’Callaghan joined one of the youngest and most energetic squads on the circuit, bringing a World Cup win with him, as well as more fuel for the team’s impeccable vibes. Like O’Callaghan, Lachie Stevens-McNab and Sacha Earnest also had podium finishes last season, and Earnest was considered one of the breakout riders of 2025 after a strong closing stretch. Matt Walker and Ollie Davis are coming off injury-riddled seasons, but they flashed enough top-end speed to expect big bouncebacks in 2026.
With that, let’s dive into the race details.
Evie Richards leads the charge in a supremely-talented trio of women's XC racers.
What are the courses like?
Details are scant; we’ll likely learn a lot alongside the riders. Video did emerge of a lap down the downhill course, and it’s one of the most unique tracks we’ve seen in years. Watch for yourself. Highlights include a wide open ski hill at the start, loose turns on rocky terrain, and wood sectors with trees peppered in a way that will make line choices very interesting. It’s fast and flow-y, but with lots of potential for race-changing decisions along the way.
No footage of the XC course yet, but by the UCI’s description, riders will face many of the same technical challenges as the DH riders.
On the Cross-country course, we can expect to see a course that really utilises the natural terrain of the area, meaning lots of steep climbs and shoots, multiple line choices and off-camber descents. It’s going to be one that favours the more technical riders.
It sounds like a helluva a sight-reading challenge, and a tremendous way to begin World Cup racing.
Trek-Unbroken DH is one of the youngest teams on the circuit, and that's going to make them a blast to watch.
How can I watch?
First, you need to determine which streaming service is right for your viewing location. Click here for every option based on country. If you live in the United States, you’ll need an HBO MAX subscription. Canada? That’s Flosport. UK? HBO MAX, discovery+, Eurosport, or TNT Sports all work. Australia is HBO MAX and Stan. New Zealand is MTBWS TV.
Phew.
As for when to watch, here’s the complete elite racing schedule with local and Eastern (United States) times listed.
Friday, May 1
- DH Women’s Elite Qualifying 1 – 12:30 p.m. local / 11:30 p.m. ET (Thursday)
- DH Men’s Elite Qualifying 1 – 1 p.m. local / Midnight ET
- DH Women’s Elite Q2 – 3 p.m. local / 2 a.m. ET
- DH Men’s Elite Q2 – 3:30 p.m. local / 2:30 a.m. ET
- XC Women’s Elite short track – 5:15 p.m. local / 4:15 a.m. ET
- XC Men’s Elite short track – 6:05 p.m. local / 5:05 a.m. ET
Trek-Unbroken XC is locked and loaded with a prototype bike that has already been turning heads this offseason.
Saturday, May 2
- DH Women’s Elite Final – 1 p.m. local / Midnight ET
- DH Men’s Elite Final – 2:10 p.m. local / 1:10 a.m. ET
Sunday, May 3
- XC Women’s Elite XCO – 1:30 p.m. local / 12:30 a.m. ET
- XC Men’s Elite XCO – 3:30 p.m. local / 2:30 a.m. ET
You’ll need to be a night owl if you want to watch the action live in the U.S. If you can’t stay up late, you’ll be able to watch free highlights on the UCI MTB World Series YouTube channel.
Catch us if you can.
Did you have a ton of great offseason content to help me catch up?
Yeah, tons!
- First, you should know that we have a newtitle sponsor this year. Meet Unbroken.
- We also have new riders. Oisin O’Callaghan is making a homecoming of sorts to Trek after racing on a Session as a junior. Nina Graf might be the most upbeat person you’ve ever met.
- Speaking of Oisin, this documentary by Sleeper is a fantastic look at the Irishman’s at-home life and gnarly trails.
- Speaking of Nina, she’s already formed a close bond with new teammate Gwendalyn Gibson, and the two are out to prove that friendship makes you faster.
- The XC team is taking the unconventional approach of racing on a fully-custom prototype this season. We dove into the bike’s engineering process, and why Trek isn’t selling it. (In short: Stay tuned.)
- And finally, you should make time to watch our preseason videos. First up, another banger from Sleeper on the DH squad:
- And our XC video on how our riders are preparing body, bike, and mind for the World Cup:
Follow Trek-Unbroken XC and Trek-Unbroken DH on Instagram to keep up with results from race weekends, plus lots of behind-the-scenes action. It’s going to be an incredible year.
