EWS Crans Montana, Switzerland. Photo: Sven Martin

Sven Martin

2023 mountain bike race schedule

What’s coming up in DH, XC and enduro – with big changes, well-known classics and the British Nationals, it’s set to be an awesome season!

Save 35% on every issue, just £4 a month by monthly Direct Debit when you subscribe to MBUK magazine!

Rachel Bennet

Published: February 17, 2023 at 2:51 pm

Now that we’re finally getting back to some semblance of normality after the past couple of years, the race calendar is jam-packed with exciting stuff to look forward to. Whether you’re an avid spectator, a die-hard competitor or you like to dip your toe into both pools, there’s plenty to sink your teeth into.

Along with the well-known classics – including the Megavalanche, Ard Rock Enduro and Tweedlove – the British National Series dates are out, which will showcase the best homegrown talent, and the UCI schedule has had a shake-up, with Discovery taking over the broadcasting rights. Red Bull are still heading up some big-hitting mountain bike events, though, and legendary mountain biker and commentator Rob Warner will hopefully still be gracing us with his on-mic magic.

Pauline Ferrand-Prevot at the XCO World Cup in Val di Sole, Italy. Photo: Bartek Wolinski/Red Bull Content Pool - Red Bull Content Pool

This season, the Enduro World Series (EWS) becomes the UCI Mountain Bike Enduro World Cup (EDR). All races will be one-dayers and a new points system will be introduced. E-bike enduro (EDR-E) has also been given a revamp with World Cup status and will follow the same format, but with additional technical climbs. As with the EWS, amateur races will run alongside some of the EDR events throughout the year, giving anyone the opportunity to take on these world-class tracks and cheer on the pros. It remains to be seen exactly how the new format will work, but it’s sure to provide us with some entertaining racing from the best riders in the world.

In other news, semi-finals will be introduced at the Downhill World Cup rounds, with just the top-30 men and top-10 women going through to the final. Cross-country Marathon (XCM) will gain World Cup status, too, and XC Short Track races will include under-23 categories for the first time. With all these changes, we’re keen for it all to kick off and to see how it plays out.

Loic Bruni at the 2023 DH World Championships in Les Gets, France. Photo: Bartek Wolinski/Red Bull Content Pool - Red Bull Content Pool

We’ve compiled the main events into an easy-to-digest format, so get them in your diary and let’s get psyched for the race season!

2023 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup Calendar

Array

Key: EDR-Enduro, EDR-E-E Bike Enduro, XCO-Cross Country Olympic, XCC-Cross Country Short Track, XCM-Cross Country Marathon, DHI-Downhill

2023 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships

Array

2023 British Mountain Bike National Championships

Array

2023 Crankworx World Series

Array

MBUK’S Top Picks

3-9 July – Alpe d’Huez, France

Array

Big Hitters TBC

Red Bull Rampage - 15-16 July - Dyfi Valley, Wales

Red Bull Formation

Red Bull District Ride

Robin Goomes sends a sui into the snake pit at Red Bull Formation. Photo: Emily Tidwell - Redbull content pool

Rachel Bennet

Staff writer

Rachel is a staff writer for Mountain Biking UK and a regular contributor to BikeRadar. Hailing from the north east of Scotland, you can usually find her out in the mountains running the rule over bikes and gear. She has worked all over the mountain bike industry, including on shop floors, digging fresh trails for national races, and fixing mountain bikes of all shapes and sizes. Most recently, she worked as a mountain bike mechanic and suspension specialist, further developing her knowledge of all things tech. Rachel is well-versed on what works and what doesn’t, and is no stranger to racing, competing in enduro and endurance events across the world. She’s even picked up a few podium spots along the way.
This website is owned and published by Our Media Ltd. www.ourmedia.co.uk
© Our Media 2024