The 2026 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships will begin this Wednesday, August 26, in Val di Sole, Italy, with a day that will mark the start of five days of competition and the awarding of 17 rainbow jerseys across five disciplines. The first event will be E-Mountain Bike Cross-country (E-XC), a discipline that combines the physical and technical demands of cross-country with the particular challenge of managing the power of an electric bike. Both the Elite women’s and men’s categories will face a course of approximately 3.5 kilometres and 200 metres of elevation gain, designed to test riders on steep climbs, root sections, technical descents and stretches that will require the perfect balance between speed, control and energy.
In the women’s competition, attention will be focused on Austrian Anna Spielmann, the reigning UCI world champion and leading contender for the first rainbow jersey of this edition. Her victory in Bellwald, Switzerland, in 2025, was a commanding performance: she led from the opening laps and finished 35 seconds ahead of Kathrin Stirnemann. At 27, Spielmann also arrives with a strong record supporting her candidacy, including the 2024 UCI E-XC World Cup overall title and several victories on the circuit. Challenging her will be riders such as compatriot Tamara Wiedmann, Italian Anna Oberparleiter, an eight-time national champion, and internationals Roberta Kelly Stopa and Patrycja Jeziorska. In the men’s race, all eyes will be on Frenchman Jérôme Gilloux, a four-time UCI E-XC world champion and dominant figure in the discipline since its first championships. After winning the French national title in July, he will be looking for a fifth world title in Val di Sole and a third consecutive victory. Swiss rider Joris Ryf, Italians Daniele Braidot and Mirko Tabacchi, as well as Stephane Tempier, Wyn Masters and Lukas Dennda, are among those looking to prevent him from doing so.
Spielmann and Gilloux start as favourites
The women’s race will feature Spielmann, a rider who knows well what it means to compete under the pressure of defending a world title. Her 2025 championship was defined not only by the result, but also by the way she built her race, taking control from the start and progressively extending her advantage over her pursuers. In Val di Sole, she will face a different setting and a field arriving with strong credentials of its own. Tamara Wiedmann represents a threat thanks to her experience in XCO, while Anna Oberparleiter will have an additional advantage: her knowledge of the terrain and the support of the home crowd. The 35-year-old has four national E-XC titles and came close to adding another in July, when she finished second. They will be joined by Stopa, a former national cross-country marathon champion, and Jeziorska, completing a group of riders capable of turning the World Championships opener into an open contest.
In the Elite men’s category, the recent history of E-XC places Gilloux in a unique position. The Frenchman has been one of the discipline’s leading figures since the first UCI world titles were introduced, with his four rainbow jerseys reflecting a dominance built over the years. In 2019, he finished second behind Alan Hatherly, while in 2020 he again took second place, this time behind Tom Pidcock. Since then, Gilloux has established himself as a reference point in the discipline and arrives at this edition after once again winning the French national championship. His ability to overcome steep climbs, control the bike through technical sections and conserve energy for an acceleration in the final metres will be tested by Joris Ryf, the 2023 world champion and runner-up in 2025, as well as Italians Braidot and Tabacchi. The latter arrives particularly motivated after winning the overall UCI E-XC World Cup classification in 2025.
A course that will demand much more than power
The Val di Sole course will be one of the main protagonists of the opening day. Measuring around 3.5 kilometres with approximately 200 metres of elevation gain, the circuit will force riders to complete several laps combining climbs and technical sections where physical fitness must be complemented by precise motor management. The steep gradients will require constant cadence adjustments, while the low-speed climbs covered in roots will place the focus on traction and the ability to deliver controlled power. In E-XC, having an electric motor does not eliminate the need to manage effort: it makes that management a central part of race strategy.
One of the most demanding sections is Bosco dell’Orso, a stretch that runs through a dense alpine forest and features exposed roots and slippery surfaces. Choosing the right line will be essential to maintain speed without compromising control, particularly on terrain where a small loss of stability can quickly translate into seconds. The course will also feature rock gardens, natural jumps, large boulders, off-camber root sections and steep technical descents. Each of these elements will force riders to make quick decisions while managing the power of their bikes. On a compact course where the Elite categories will complete multiple laps, the ability to combine endurance, technique, precision and motor control will be crucial from the opening metres of the competition.
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