Wilier-Vittoria: UCI MTB World Series 2026, Round 4 Lenzerheide - Preview

No sooner had they recovered from the demands of Leogang than the riders of the Wilier-Vittoria MTB Factory Team were already turning their attention to the fourth round of the UCI Mountain Bike World Series, set to take place in the prestigious Swiss venue of Lenzerheide from 19 to 21 June.

A fixture on the international mountain bike calendar since 2015, Lenzerheide has hosted some of the sport’s most important events, including the 2018 UCI Cross-country and Downhill World Championships. Today, the area is known as Bike Kingdom, linking the destinations of Arosa, Lenzerheide and Chur to form Switzerland’s largest mountain bike region. Nestled beneath the Lenzerhorn in the canton of Graubünden, the venue offers a spectacular alpine setting within easy reach of iconic destinations such as Davos and St. Moritz.

The course remains one of the toughest on the World Cup circuit: rough terrain, rocks, technical descents and very few opportunities to recover. It is a track that rewards riders capable of producing sustained power and consistent performances from start to finish. For 2026, the course has been slightly shortened compared to previous editions, a change that could make the racing even closer and more unpredictable.

Wilier-Vittoria heads to Switzerland with the same line-up that raced in Leogang. XCO World silver medallist Simone Avondetto, fourth in Austria and currently third in the UCI XCO rankings, and Italian champion Luca Braidot will once again lead the team in the elite men’s race. They will be joined by Juri Zanotti, fresh from successfully defending his Italian XCC title, while Sofie Heby Pedersen will represent the team in the elite women’s field.

In the U23 categories, Gustav Heby Pedersen will be aiming for a strong result in the men’s competition, while Canada’s Ella MacPhee will be targeting another top performance in the women’s race. Elian Paccagnella remains sidelined as he continues his recovery from mononucleosis.

WHERE TO WATCH THE LENZERHEIDE WORLD CUP?

CLICK HERE to find out which channels/platforms are broadcasting the World Cup in your country. Here are the local start times for the XCC and XCO races, so you won’t miss a single pedal stroke from the Wilier-Vittoria riders!

Friday June 19th

10:35 - 11:00 – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Women U23 (MacPhee)

11:25 - 11:50 – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Men U23 (G.Pedersen)

18:00 - 18:25 – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Women Elite (S.Pedersen) 18:50 - 19:15 – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Men Elite (Avondetto, Braidot, Zanotti)

Sunday June 21st 09:00 - 10:20 – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup | Women U23 (MacPhee) 11:00 - 12:20 – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup | Men U23 (G.Pedersen) 13:30 - 15:00 – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup | Women Elite (S.Pedersen) 15:30 - 17:00 – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup | Men Elite (Avondetto, Braidot, Zanotti)