With Cornèrcard testimonials, Nino Schurter and Filippo Colombo, two top Swiss athletes are ready to make history on home turf. The whole of Switzerland is keeping its fingers crossed.
For the first time, the UCI is bringing together all mountain bike disciplines in a two-week mega event – right in the heart of the Swiss Alps. From 30 August to 14 September 2025, Valais will be the centre of the international cycling world.
The 2025 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships mark a historic milestone: for the first time, events in all eight UCI-recognised disciplines will take place within a single region – a sporting highlight that will shape the history of mountain biking and generate huge excitement among fans.
Valais as host region: the perfect setting for a world championship
With its alpine topography, existing infrastructure, and experience in hosting major sporting events, Valais offers ideal conditions for a decentralised event. The individual competitions will take place at a total of eight locations: Crans-Montana, Zermatt, Verbier, Champéry, Monthey, Aletsch Arena/Bellwald, Verbier/Val d’Anniviers, and Sion (opening ceremony).
The Valais 2025 organisation has deliberately opted for a regional distribution with a view to utilising existing resources and maximising the tourist benefits for the entire region.
24 world championship titles – all at one mountain bike festival
A total of 24 world championship titles will be awarded in the Elite, U23, and Junior categories over the two weeks – a first in mountain biking. The format is based on the ‘Super World Championships’ concept, which the UCI successfully implemented for the first time in Glasgow in 2023. The aim is to achieve greater visibility, stronger media presence, and a wider reach for all disciplines – from classic Cross-Country Olympic (XCO) to the increasingly popular E‑Mountain Bike (E‑MTB) event.
The eight disciplines at a glance:
- Cross-Country Olympic (XCO) and Relay – in Crans-Montana, the stronghold of cross-country sport.
- Downhill (DHI) – on the legendary track in Champéry, known for its demanding technical character.
- Cross-Country Short Track (XCC) – a fast-paced race in Zermatt, set against a breathtaking Alpine backdrop.
- Cross-Country Marathon (XCM) – a challenging 100-kilometre route from Verbier to Grimentz.
- Enduro (EDR) and E‑Enduro – the mountain bike equivalent of a car rally in the Aletsch Arena/Bellwald.
- Pump Track (PUM) – on a variable course in Monthey.
Course characteristics: specific, demanding, competitive
The choice of venues is closely linked to the requirements of each discipline. Champéry, for example, offers one of the steepest and most technically demanding downhill tracks in the world, with an average gradient of over 33%. Crans-Montana, on the other hand, with its altitude and selective course, is ideal for the endurance discipline of Cross-Country Olympic. In Monthey, the pump track will be ridden in several different layouts – a novelty in international comparison.
This choice of tracks not only influences the sporting drama of the event, but also impacts the performance requirements of the professionals – especially in terms of altitude acclimatisation, riding technique, and tactical load management.
Valais 2025 – Who will take the world championship crowns?
Looking at the results of the 2024 season and the current UCI rankings, initial favourites are emerging:
Men’s Elite Cross-Country:
- Victor Koretzky (FRA), 2024 Short Track World Champion and current world number one in cross-country
- Nino Schurter (SUI), 10-time world champion and Olympic champion
- Filippo Colombo (SUI) – Swiss champion 2024/2025, winner of the prestigious Cape Epic 2025 in South Africa, together with Nino Schurter
- Mathias Flückiger (SUI), multiple Swiss champion in cross-country
- Alan Hatherly (RSA), 2024 Cross-Country World Champion, and Christopher Blevins (USA), 2024 Pan American Champion in Cross-Country XCO and Relay XCR
- Tom Pidcock (GBR), two-time Olympic champion
Men’s Downhill:
- Loic Bruni (FRA), multiple French Downhill Champion, and Loris Vergier (FRA), 2022 Downhill World Championship bronze medallist
- Jackson Goldstone (CAN), four-time World Cup winner in 2025
- Andreas Kolb (AUT), 2022 European Champion and 2024 Austrian National Downhill Champion
Women’s Elite Cross-Country:
- Puck Pieterse (NED), 2024 European and World Cross-Country Champion
- Alessandra Keller (SUI), 2023 Swiss XCO and XCC Champion
- Jolanda Neff (SUI), Olympic champion 2021 and multiple Swiss champion Cross-Country XCO
- Loana Lecomte (FRA), multiple French champion Cross-Country XCO
- Evie Richards (GBR), Short Track World Champion 2024
Women’s Downhill:
- Vali (Valentina) Höll (AUT), 2024 Downhill World Champion
- Marine Cabirou (FRA), two-time French champion
- Camille Balanche (SUI), 2024 MTB Downhill World Championship silver medallist and multiple Swiss champion
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