Die Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) und Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) geben bekannt, dass der UCI Mountain Bike World Cup ab 2023 durch die Aufnahme von Enduro und E-Enduro in den Kalender weiter ausgebaut wird. Zuvor war bereits die Aufnahme des Cross-Country-Marathons (XCM) in den UCI Mountain Bike World Cup angekündigt worden.

Die bestehende Enduro World Series (EWS) erhält den Status eines UCI World Cups und wird neben Cross-Country Olympic (XCO), Cross-Country Short Track (XCC), Downhill (DHI) und XCM ausgetragen. Alle Enduro-Rennen im UCI Mountain Bike World Cup werden als Eintagesrennen ausgetragen.

Die Integration von Enduro und E-Enduro in den UCI Mountain Bike World Cup ist ein weiteres Ergebnis der Partnerschaft zwischen der UCI und ESO Sports sowie Discovery Sports Events. Die Integration von XCM in das Programm des UCI Mountain Bike World Cups und die Einführung der U23-Kategorie für den XCC wurden bereits im September angekündigt.

Eine weitere Neuerung im UCI Mountain Bike World Cup ist die Verlängerung der Sendezeit für die Elite-Downhill-Wettbewerbe durch die Einführung eines Halbfinales zwischen Qualifikation und Finale bei jeder Downhill-Runde. Die besten 60 Männer und 15 Frauen aus der Qualifikation bestreiten das Downhill-Halbfinale, in dem dann zum ersten Mal auch Männer außerhalb der Top 30 und Frauen außerhalb der Top 10 übertragen werden. Vierzig Fahrer:innen (30 Männer und 10 Frauen) qualifizieren sich für das Finale, bei dem jeder der 40 Läufe in voller Länge live auf den WBD-Plattformen übertragen wird.

Der vollständige Kalender des UCI Mountain Bike World Cup 2023 wird in der kommenden Woche veröffentlicht.

UCI-Präsident David Lappartient: "Der UCI Mountain Bike World Cup zieht seit mehr als 30 Jahren Athlet:innen und Fans in seinen Bann. Ich freue mich sehr, dass diese Serie ab 2023 auch Enduro, E-Enduro und Cross-Country-Marathon umfassen wird. Diese Formate verleihen der neu gestalteten UCI Mountain Bike World Cup eine neue Dimension, die dem Mountainbike-Sport zu noch größeren Höhenflügen verhelfen wird. Auch dank unserer Partnerschaft mit Warner Bros. Discovery werden die spektakulären Downhill-Rennen von einer größeren Aufmerksamkeit profitieren."

Chris Ball, CEO ESO Sports: "Der Mountainbike-Rennsport hat in den letzten Jahren ein unglaubliches Niveau erreicht. Die jüngsten Entwicklungen ermöglichen es der Sportart, noch einmal einen Gang höher zu schalten und eine spannende Zukunft anzusteuern, in der sie in all ihren Formen gefeiert wird. Gemeinsam mit der UCI sind wir davon überzeugt, dass die eingeführten Neuerungen dazu beitragen werden, die Attraktivität des Mountainbike-Sports zu steigern und das Rennerlebnis für Athlet:innen, Teams und Fans gleichermaßen zu verbessern."

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Notes to Editors

Media Contacts

UCI:
UCI Communications 
communication@uci.ch  

Warner Bros. Discovery Sports:
Steve  Stammers 
Communications Director, Sport
Discovery, Inc
steve_stammers@discovery.com

ESO Sports:
Kate Ball
Head of Communications
kate.ball@eso-sports.com

Discovery Sports Events:
Laura Bilman
Head of Communications
+33 7 60 96 94 41
Laura_Bilman@discovery.com 

About the UCI
Founded on April 14, 1900, in Paris, France, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) is the worldwide governing body for cycling. It develops and oversees cycling in all its forms and for all people: as a competitive sport, a healthy recreational activity, a means of transport, and also just for fun. The UCI manages and promotes the ten cycling disciplines of road, track, mountain bike, BMX Racing, BMX Freestyle, cyclo-cross, trials, indoor cycling, cycling esports and gravel. Five of these are featured on the Olympic Games programme (road, track, mountain bike, BMX Racing, and BMX Freestyle), two in the Paralympic Games (road and track), and four in the Youth Olympic Games (road, mountain bike, BMX Racing and BMX Freestyle). For more information: www.uci.org. 

About ESO Sports
ESO Sports are specialists in major global mountain bike races and festivals. Formed in 2012, ESO Sports are the owners and operators of the Enduro World Series (EWS), which now includes a network of over 80 events in 35 countries. EWS is sanctioned by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) including EWS-E, the first UCI sanctioned international E-mountain bike enduro series. In 2021, Warner Brothers Discovery invested in ESO Sports, strengthening the organisation’s relationship with Play Sports Network and further cementing their commitment to developing mountain biking globally. 

About Discovery Sports Events
Discovery Sports Events is the Discovery-owned event management division that oversees 55 events per year across 5 continents. With 15 years of experience as Eurosport Events, it offers a wealth of expertise on two and four wheels with a focus on electric car racing, motorbike racing and track cycling. It acts as the global promoter and commercial rights-holder for 5 global Championships under long-term relationships with governing bodies including the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) and Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). On four wheels it promotes the WTCR – FIA World Touring Car Cup and FIA ETCR eTouring World Cup from, the world’s first all-electric touring car championship. Launching in 2023, it will also promote the ground-breaking FIA Electric GT Championship, a new long-term platform for manufacturers to showcase their flagship GT cars and innovative technologies. On two wheels, its 10-year alliance with FIM will see it promote Speedway events way globally, including FIM Speedway Grand Prix, starting in 2022 in addition to its promotion of the FIM Endurance World Championship for motorbikes since 2015. Launched in November 2021, it promotes the UCI Track Champions League, the innovative new series that opens a new chapter in the history of track cycling. Discovery Sports Events delivers a full spectrum of event management services including promotion, television production, media rights distribution, press office management, sponsorship acquisition and client servicing.

About Warner Bros. Discovery
Warner Bros. Discovery (NASDAQ: WBD) is a leading global media and entertainment company that creates and distributes the world’s most differentiated and complete portfolio of content and brands across television, film and streaming. Available in more than 220 countries and territories and 50 languages, Warner Bros. Discovery inspires, informs and entertains audiences worldwide through its iconic brands and products including: Discovery Channel, discovery+, CNN, DC, Eurosport, HBO, HBO Max, HGTV, Food Network, Investigation Discovery, TLC, TNT, TBS, truTV, Travel Channel, MotorTrend, Animal Planet, Science Channel, Warner Bros. Pictures, New Line Cinema, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Turner Classic Movies and others. For more information, please visit www.wbd.com

About Warner Bros. Discovery Sports
Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe represents WBD’s portfolio of sports brands, channels and platforms in Europe. It collectively reaches 130 million people every month, engaging fans and broad audiences in more than 200 markets and in over 20 languages across all platforms where consumers are spending time -free-to-air TV, pay-TV, streaming, online and social. Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe includes the much-loved consumer brands Eurosport, Global Cycling Network (GCN), Global Mountain Bike Network (GMBN), Golf Digest and GOLFTV powered by PGA TOUR, as well sports programming and content on discovery+ and Discovery’s free-to-air TV networks. They connect audiences with the greatest sporting events in the world. This includes being the Home of the Olympics Games in Europe; tennis’ Grand Slams; cycling’s Grand Tours, more than 600 cycling broadcasts per year and the UCI Track Champions League; the PGA TOUR year-round; the best new and existing electric racing series with ABB FIA Formula E World Championship and FIA eTouring Car World Cup; and every major winter sports World Championship and World Cup event. Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe completes a full 360° offer with its events management and promotion arm, Discovery Sports Events.