Wilier-Vittoria - UCI MTB World Series 2026, Round 9 Lake Placid - Preview

The last dance! In Lake Placid, USA, it’s time for the final round of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup, bringing the racing season of the Wilier-Vittoria MTB Factory Team to a close. Tomorrow and Saturday, 2–3 October, the riders will put on one last show, looking to end the year on a high before enjoying a well-earned winter break.

The Lake Placid Olympic Region is located in the northern part of New York State, around 460 kilometres north of Manhattan and not far from the Canadian border. Best known for its rich winter sports tradition and for hosting two editions of the Winter Olympic Games, the region has also increasingly developed its summer outdoor offering in recent years.

The cross-country course at Mt. Van Hoevenberg draws inspiration from the venue’s bobsleigh heritage, featuring huge berms and a distinctive lakeside section. Among the most spectacular and popular features are the jump section and the long descent through the woods, where riders can choose between multiple lines.

Wilier-Vittoria is aiming to finish the season with a strong position in the team standings and heads into the final World Cup round determined to build on the results from Soldier Hollow. Leading the Elite squad will be Italian XCO champion Simone Avondetto, who is still fighting for a top position in the overall standings. Alongside him will be Juri Zanotti, fresh from his double European silver, and Luca Braidot, who returned to the sharp end of World Cup racing two weeks ago with an excellent fourth place.

In the Elite women’s field, all eyes will be on Sofie Heby Pedersen. Among the U23s, Gustav Heby Pedersen will look to build on his strong weekend at Soldier Hollow, where he was once again one of the team’s standout performers.

Ella MacPhee, currently fifth in the overall standings, heads into the final round dealing with some shoulder pain that will prevent her from racing at 100%, but with all the motivation to give everything she has in the last World Cup battle of the season.

Friday October 2nd

09:20 - 09:45 LOCAL | 15:20 - 15:45 CEST – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Women U23 (MacPhee) 10:10 - 10:35 LOCAL | 16:10 - 16:35 CEST – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Men U23 (G. Pedersen, Paccagnella) 11:45 - 12:10 LOCAL | 17:45 - 18:10 CEST – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Women Elite (S. Pedersen) 12:35 - 13:00 LOCAL | 18:35 - 19:00 CEST – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Men Elite (Avondetto, Braidot, Zanotti)

Saturday October 3rd

09:00 - 10:20 LOCAL | 15:00 - 16:20 CEST – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup | Women U23 (MacPhee) 11:00 - 12:20 LOCAL | 17:00 - 18:20 CEST – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup | Men U23 (G. Pedersen, Paccagnella) 14:00 - 15:30 LOCAL | 20:00 - 21:30 CEST – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup | Women Elite (S. Pedersen) 16:00 - 17:30 LOCAL | 22:00 - 23:30 CEST – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup | Men Elite (Avondetto, Braidot, Zanotti)