The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) Sports today announce the names of the 2025 UCI Mountain Bike World Series Teams (1st division).
A total of 40 teams across the endurance (cross-country and short track) and gravity (downhill and enduro) formats have secured the status of UCI Mountain Bike World Series Team, which replaces that of UCI Elite MTB Team. This status guarantees their participation in every round of the 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series featuring their respective specialty.
The full lists of UCI Mountain Bike World Series Teams and UCI MTB Teams (2nd division) – which keep the same name as previous years – are published on the UCI website.
Fifteen of the first-division teams (per category) were selected on the basis of the annual team ranking, in accordance with article 4.18.002 of the UCI Mountain Bike Regulations. A further five teams per category obtained a wild card, based on a wide range of criteria, enabling them to acquire UCI Mountain Bike World Series Team status for the season.
For teams that haven't secured UCI Mountain Bike World Series Team status, eight wild card spots per format are available at each WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series round. Teams granted wild cards will be chosen at the discretion of the UCI and WBD Sports, considering factors such as UCI Team Rankings and the profiles of the teams’ individual athletes.
The following individual riders will also be eligible to enter rounds of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series:
Champions: current Olympic Champions, UCI World Champions, Continental Champions and National Champions
Cross-country: any Elite athlete ranked in the top 100 or any Under 23 athlete ranked in the top 200 of the last UCI Cross-country Olympic (XCO) Individual Ranking before the event entry closing date.
Downhill: any Elite athlete ranked in the top 50 or any Junior athlete ranked in the top 100 of the last UCI Downhill (DHI) Individual Ranking before the event entry closing date.
In addition, Golden Tickets will be available for the top five riders in any Elite or Under 23 race (cross-country) or Elite or Junior race (downhill) at any round of a Continental Series (with the exception of riders registered with a UCI Mountain Bike World Series Team). A Golden Ticket enables the rider to enter one round of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series during the season.
The Continental Series will provide an important qualification pathway for the following season, with the top five riders from the standings of each category (cross-country and downhill) from each Continental Series qualifying to compete in all rounds of the next year’s WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series. This qualification possibility applies only to riders who are not already registered with a UCI Mountain Bike World Series Team.