Press Release

EWS Becomes a UCI World Cup Event + Changes to World Cup DH Format Announced 27

Big changes at the World Cup level announced for 2023.

iceman2058
12/16/2022 5:41am
uci logo

The much-anticipated changes to the World Cup have now been made public. The main bullet points have been listed out below, followed by the full press release:

  • The EWS becomes the UCI Mountain Bike Enduro World Cup (EDR), and all races will be held as single-day events. The E-EWS is also elevated to World Cup status. The overall event classification is still determined based on a rider's cumulative time on the timed stages, but there is also a new points system now that will be used to determine the start order for the last stage (we have not been able to find any details on the points system so far).
  • The DH World Cup sees some big changes with the introduction of a semi final between the qualifying round and the final for the Elite Men and Women categories (the junior categories remained unchanged). 60 men and 15 women qualify for the semi final, and the top 30 and top 10 women then move onto the final. The semi-finals will take place earlier in the day on finals day. This means junior racing will now take place the day before elite finals, and thanks to an increase in participation, the junior women's category will now also feature a qualifying round as opposed to the current seeding round.
  • The points system is changed, with the majority of points being awarded in the semi final and final. The winner of the qualifying round now gets only 50 points. The winner of the semi-final round gets 200 points, while the final is worth 250 points. No points will be awarded for qualifying and semi-finals at the last World Cup of the season. An extract of the new points table is provided below.
  • Protected riders: the top-10 men and top-5 women from the previous year's overall standings are protected with regards to the semi-finals throughout the entire season. Among them, the top-5 men and top-3 are also protected for the finals throughout the season. In addition, up to 20 men and 10 women from the current World Cup standings are protected for each semi-final (included those with full season protection). This means that there are only 40 "open" semi-final spots for the men and 5 for the women to fight for among the non-protected riders.
  • The stated goal is to broadcast the semi-finals as well as the full 30+10 runs of the men's and women's elite finals. The junior categories will also be broadcast for the first time.
  • Changes to the text regulating apparel, to move away from definitions based on type of fabric used ("lycra" was previously banned) towards definitions based on intended use: "Jerseys used in downhill events should be of a type specifically designed and sold for use in BMX Racing or Mountain Bike downhill events. Jerseys designed for road cycling, skinsuits, or one-piece suits comprising the jersey and the pants/shorts are not permitted for use in downhill events. The jersey must be either close fitting around the waist or must be tucked into the pants before the start to not cause interference. Long pants or short pants combined with suitable knee and shin protection are allowed. Such long or short pants should be of a type that is specifically designed and sold for use in BMX Racing or Mountain Bike downhill events. Long pants of the type described above must be of one-piece construction and made of tear-resistant material. They should cover the entire length of both legs until just above the shoe or ankle. Short pants of the type described above must be of one-piece construction and made of tear-resistant material. They should be worn together with suitable leg protection, that covers the entire knee and the entire shin until just above the ankle."

Updated World Cup DH Points Table (extract)

points.jpg?VersionId=fqA
 

Full Press Release:

The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) are pleased to announce that the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup will be further extended from 2023 with the introduction of enduro and E-enduro to the calendar. This follows the recent announcement of the addition of cross-country marathon (XCM) to the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup.

The existing Enduro World Series (EWS) is elevated to UCI World Cup status and will feature alongside cross-country Olympic (XCO), cross-country short track (XCC) downhill (DHI) and XCM. All enduro events on the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup will be one-day events.

Enduro (EDR) racing comprises several timed Special Stages - predominantly downhill - and Liaison Stages to reach the start of each Special Stage. On each Special Stage, riders start individually at regular intervals, with all their recorded times added up to decide the winner. To reach the start of each of the Special Stages, riders cover Liaison Stages either by bike or with mechanical assistance (chair lifts, trucks etc). Liaison Stages are not timed but riders must reach the start of the following Special Stage within an allocated time.

New at each round of enduro racing at the 2023 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup will be a points system for each timed Special Stage. An overall classification according to points won will decide the order of riders for the last Special Stage, with the rider who has accumulated most points setting off last.

E-Enduro (E-EDR) follows the same principle but the courses will be slightly different, including challenging technical climbs suited to the attributes of an enduro E-mountain bike.

The integration of enduro and E-enduro into the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup is another development for the discipline since the UCI’s partnership with ESO Sports and Discovery Sports Events, two of WBD’s specialist sport organisations. The integration of XCM into the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup programme and the introduction of Under 23 categories for the XCC were announced in September.

Another enhancement to the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup from 2023 will be increased screen time for the Elite downhill competitions thanks to the introduction, at each downhill round, of a semi-final between the qualification and final. Featuring the top 60 Elite Men and top 15 Elite Women from qualifying, the downhill semi-final will see men outside the top 30 and women outside the top 10 enjoy broadcast coverage for the first time.

Forty Elite riders (30 men and 10 women) will qualify for the final, where the goal is to broadcast each of the 40 runs in their entirety live on WBD platforms.

In addition, thanks to the increased participation of Junior Women, a qualifying run will be introduced for this category, with the fastest 10 proceeding to the final. The Men Junior and Women Junior competitions will also be broadcast for the first time.

The amendments to the UCI Regulations for mountain bike which will come into force on 1st January 2023 can be consulted on the UCI website.

The full calendar of the 2023 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup will be published next week.

UCI President David Lappartient said: “The UCI Mountain Bike World Cup has been delighting athletes and fans for more than 30 years with multiple rounds being held worldwide throughout the season. I am thrilled that this international series will also include enduro, E-enduro and cross-country marathon from 2023. These formats will add a new dimension to the reinvigorated series that is taking the mountain bike discipline to even greater heights.

“Also thanks to our partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery, the spectacular downhill racing will benefit from greater exposure that will enchant existing fans and attract new audiences. I cannot wait to witness this new extended UCI Mountain Bike World Cup from 2023.”

Chris Ball, CEO of ESO Sports, added: “Mountain Bike racing has reached an incredible level over the past few years and this evolution of the rule book will allow the sport to change gear again and accelerate towards an exciting new future, celebrating the sport in all its forms.

“With more racing in short track and a new semi-final in downhill, fans will be treated to more action than ever. The awarding of UCI World Cup status for enduro, E-enduro and cross-country marathon will also put a greater spotlight on these incredible mountain bike formats and allow us to both push the front end of racing whilst maintaining amateur participation at many of our events.

“Along with the UCI, we believe these changes will help broaden the appeal of mountain biking and enhance the race experience for athletes, teams and fans alike.”

Related:
UCI Mountain Bike World Cup
UCI Enduro World Cup (EDR)
Downhill
Enduro
27 comments

View replies to: EWS Becomes a UCI World Cup Event + Changes to World Cup DH Format Announced

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adamdigby
1 year ago

Rules relating to UCI World Cup Teams--

4.18.001 Elite teams that have athletes of multiple disciplines under their tent are limited to 10 racers, which is the same as teams with singular event focus. Seems odd to keep that the same and could be tough for a Yeti Factory team trying to have all three disciplines under a singular entity. Elite teams can also have temporary replacement riders to fill in for sick/injured riders, this could lead to a possible upset again like Josh Button in Cairns 2016 filling in on Kona for a 5th. Teams may also "request" the UCI to allow a single guest racer at a single event to compete in any class, this could be great for a racer that is chummy with a UCI Elite MTB Team manager to get their foot into the WC without UCI points.

 

4.18.016 Registering a UCI Elite MTB Team "involves a registration fee" which was difficult to track down and is separate from the rule book. If I read it correctly, this number is set at 11k euro for single discipline teams and 23k euro for EDR/XCO/DHI teams up from the 3500 euro single discipline team fee this year.

 

4.18.018 UCI Elite MTB Teams must have identical overall outfit look, with only allowance being a color change for women vs. men.

 

4.18.019 UCI Elite MTB Teams are obligated to participate with at least 1 racer at every WC event, if they fail to do so their team status is immediately removed and may not apply for team status the following season with no refund of registration. Sure would suck to have all your riders injured with no fill ins, seems harsh.

 

4.19.016 UCI MTB Teams, not the above mentioned "Elite" teams, must have matching outfits EXCEPT for downhill teams, so regular UCI dh teams may rep different clothing brands. Doesn't specify this exception for mixed discipline teams, so maybe someone will get DQed in dh thinking they can wear different overall look/color clothing from their XC teammates.

 

Fortunately there were no changes to the gameplay rules like allowance of two missed markers before pulling back on track or something like that. Only organizational and structural rule changes, however the addition of the semi-finals and it's large number of series points may change the way riders train and approach each race weekend.

 

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adamdigby
1 year ago

Rules that apply to UCI World Cup--

4.11.001 You can now be apart of a registered UCI Elite or registered normal team and be qualified to enter the race, no points required. I hope young Americans take full advantage of this.

4.1.002-003 Top 10 last year have perma numbers for the season and it seems that racers may no longer need to wear a jersey pinned number plate, that'll save the solo privateers some hassle with the safety pins.

4.11.013 Qualifiers, semi-finals, and finals all offer World Cup points, however, only the semi-finals and finals offer UCI points. The final round no longer takes the pre-finals WC points and add them to the final like the past couple years. Racers will just earn no WC points in both pre-finals and get normal WC points in the finals. Doesn't really matter for the guys struggling to get UCI points, but it does mean the top guys have three runs in which they are fighting for the title, with the semi-finals being rather heavily balanced in points compared to what I would have chosen with a max of 125 or so for the win.

 

4.11.14 The biggest changes I think considering the introduction of the semi-finals. Riders in top 10 previous year and top 10 current year that are not included in last years' top 10 are guaranteed a semi-finals position as long as they start finals and last years' top 5 go straight to finals... as long as they start the qualifying round. Doesn't specify whether the finals protected riders must start the semi-final as well to get into finals, but I assume because of it's ommission that they only need to break the beam in qualies. I would say this is over powered for the top 5 last year, but with the large number of points available in both pre-finals I'd wager very few people will feel good missing them.

 

4.11.015 This rule states the start order for semi-finals and finals and it is difficult to understand exactly how the protected riders slot into start list. I think it means the top 5 men in the previous pre-final timed run will always be the last 5 starting, but the protected riders are also guaranteed at least spots 6 and back determined by their times against each other or ranking if no time is placed. So if you are top 5 last year and racing, you are always going to be in the last 15ish to drop regardless of your times even if you are putting in poor performances all year.

 

I don't understand how the UCI scaled their finals start numbers, with:

25 Junior men and 10 Junior women which have much smaller entries, especially the junior women, compared to Elite. I realize they have one less pre-final but I'd prefer to see a much more open opportunity to get into the finals to allow young racers' parents to not be thrown away and for the racer's to get an opportunity to make up for a pressure driven mistake filled qualifier. Either that or a severely limited finals where only the top 10 boys and top 5 girls get in to enforce the best-of-the-best image that the UCI is trying to move towards.

30 Elite Men 10 Elite Women seems like a whole lot more men are going to get cut, but I'd be interested to see somebody run the numbers to find out percentage wise if my feeling line up to the reality. Either way, 10th woman is waaaaaay off pace of the top 3, while 30th man isn't more than a couple brake taps or missed backsides from the top 3.

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adamdigby
1 year ago

I spent a lot of time combing over the rule book changes till late last night.  I'll run down the list from my notes:

Rules that apply to all UCI events, not just the World Cup--

4.1.001 Enduro is no longer abbreviated END, it is now EDR

      Dumb name tbh

 

4.1.007 bis   "Enduro events are open to riders aged 17 or over. No separate results MUST be submitted for the juniors, under 23, or elite categories"

      It is not a requirement for UCI EDR events to list results separately by age group, I find that noteworthy but expect events to do so anyway.

 

4.3.011 details the changes to clothing regulations.

      I've always said the previous wording should have had everyone DQed every race, it didn't specify outerwear and I assume most people were running lycra elastane based tight fitting undies. The new rule also has issues in wording. For tall people without the ability to get custom fitted jerseys and pants (Ben Cathro, me, etc.) how can you find a anything long enough that isn't way too wide which have sleeves to the wrist and pants/knee and shin pads down to just above the shoe or ankle? Also, the motocross pants/cut-to-short pants and jerseys I've only ever ridden in seem to be banned now in favor of clothing "specifically designed and sold for use in BMX Racing or Mountain Bike downhill events." What I wore at 2021 National Champs, an O'neal jersey with my wrists exposed and too wide around the waist but also too short Royal Racing shorts paired with knee/shin pads in XL but still 6-7in above my ankles would have put me against the UCI rules. The rule also says shorts "should" be worn with knee/shin protection but doesn't say definitively that you MUST wear that protection. There is also a problem with the UCI not stating what breaking this new rule wording will mean for punishment. DQ? 10 positions? Fine? It seems pretty clear that a company could create a mountain bike downhill event specific two piece lycra elastane based tear resistant form fitted outfit to be running within the rules and with minimal air drag.

 

4.1.038 "The use of radio links or other means of remote communication with riders is forbidden EXCEPT at UCI World Cups and subject to UCI authorisation"

       Looks like Aaron and Troy can get mid-run motivational speeches from Eric Carter sent straight to their helmets lmao

 

4.1.044 Chains AND one piece belts may be used to drive the bike in downhill events. I can't be fussed to look up if last year's rules didn't specify the belt as well as the change, but I assume it did not.

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human powered suicide machine
1 year ago

It's pretty much a 2 runs format like back in the day. But pre-2000, the winner was the fastest racer from any of the 2 runs.
It made sense at the time because mechanicals and crashes were much more prevalent. It is also in the spirit of Dh to try to get the fastest on the given track.
With this new version, it's a complete change of dynamic. The world cup winner could be somebody that never podium, consistency is going to be really important. We might see faster time in the semi than in the finals. Bikes development and athletes training will need to adapt to the new formal.. It's definitively a new era and it might change who will be the top performers.
I love DH to death but is it not going too much to watch with Junior, Women, Semi, and finals? I can see myself only watching finals and some highlights and maybe cherry pick some runs from some riders of my personal interest! 

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Aye
1 year ago

The DH track will be smashed to piece by the end of the races. Man that will be alot of runs, 

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Oakhills
1 year ago

Two race runs on the same day….  Seems a tall order for the athletes.  Viewers will have to carve out more time to watch the races intstead of going for a ride…..  I’d rather see more venues, more tracks than “double headers”

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jayracer7474
1 year ago

Has discovery sports even been created yet? Will it be part of Discovery+ or something entirely new?

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mickey
1 year ago

Discovery Sports has operated the defacto track(velodrome) World Cup for the last two years, Track Champions League(TCL).

It’s an invite only, high production value thing that requires an Olympic Standard indoor Velodrome.

 It’s worth a watch, if you like bike racing, they try to make the esoteric 125 year old discipline of track cycling somewhat more understandable to people not steeped in the history and lore of the sport, but man. it’s hella euro.

This whole corporate roll up means Warner owns/is/Eurosport, which is on every euro cable system, like ESPN in ‘merica.

TCL is also on GCN+ like almost all the decent road and cx races.

 

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phillemaistre
1 year ago

I'm super excited about this. More racing, and more coverage? Sign me up, monthly fee be damned. It will be so interesting to see how the strategy and race day plans change as a result of the semis being worth so many points. Historically it seems like the older generation of riders know how to be patient and keep a bit in the tank, and the young guns try to go all out in every race run; will they ride the same way with the new format? How will the tracks hold up over that much racing in a weekend? Will my family renounce me if I watch that much more DH racing in 2023? Only time will tell...

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kcy4130
1 year ago

200 for semi and 250 for final? Almost feels like an adaptation of the double header races they had in 2020. It'll be interesting how it works out. I think 60 for semi is kinda low, seems like 80 or even 100 might have been better. 

Edit: 80 or 100 semi with an added day for finals. 

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sspomer
1 year ago

two race-pace runs in one day down VDS, MSA or any of those DH tracks?

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Jason_Schroeder
1 year ago

I'm very eager to see what the full weekend schedule will look like. That was my first thought, will there even be practice on the semi-finals/finals day? Maybe just a parade lap before finals to see how track has evolved that day?

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Jason_Schroeder
1 year ago

Upon further analysis, I'm retracting what I said.

Previous format was four races on finals day: Junior Women(~10-15), Junior Men (25), Elite Women (15), Elite Men (60). Around 110-115 racers.  

New format is still four races on semi/finals day: Elite Women Semi-Finals (15), Elite Men Semi-Finals (60), Elite Women Finals (10), Elite Men Finals (30). Around 115 racers (not factoring in the chance of protected riders)

I'm curious how the days before finals days will stack up and I do think two points-paying runs in one day is going to be stressful for racers.

 

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bizutch
1 year ago

Only need one to basically shut down the entire broadcast.  This format makes that 33% more likely (not even sure that's the right math)...but considering exhaustion from qualifying AND a semi...that means injuries won't just uptick for finals.  They'll most likely exponentially increase.

Everyone is 100% accurate in that I have NO idea how time will allow for injuries, weather, lifts, timing errors.

Oh...and seeding errors.  Missing your start time, times, times x times = MOAR

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sspomer
1 year ago

re: race day schedule - it sounds like junior men/women finals will be run and broadcast (sweet) the day before elite finals (i saw a piece of a doc, not sure if it's included in today's announcement?), so if that's the case, elite-only semi and race day should be manageable.

questions

- when does EDR happen on the triple weekends if in theory, junior DH, elite DH and XC are taking up 3 days?

- if you're not protected and qualify 1st and then flat/crash in semi final, you won't race finals, right?

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Stiksandstones
1 year ago

It is as if someone from the UCI BMX commission said "pffff, we do multiple motos/semis/mains....DH can do it too?". But ya, seems a bit much, for the 'track' and the 'riders' but certainly for the already pinned technicians to get bikes ready.

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bizutch
1 year ago

That's a LOT of work for the production crew isn't it?  Sounds like the camera crew will be maxed out! Also sounds like a LOT of repetitive demographic specific ads are gonna chunk down my throat in between.

The thing that will destroy this entire format is a single injury extraction.

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