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If I were a betting man, it's because they thought that dropping something like that just before a race would leverage WBD/UCI into giving in. If you air a grievance too early they could have used it against the teams in selection of wildcard teams. If they waited until after those teams were announced but did it any earlier than now they'd have basically given the WBD/UCI folks enough time to just not make a statement and make the athletes sweat about what the response would be. At least at this point the athletes can posture like "without us there's no race" while WBD and the venue have already started spending real money on pulling it together hoping that WBD/UCI and the venue would be too pot-committed to refuse. It seems like it didn't work anyway.
I'm not an athlete, but if I were an athlete that ended up on the podium I'd have just waved the fourth and fifth place finishers up to the podium during the event and made sure they were up there for pictures even if they didn't get announced to the crowd. Kind of a "we're still going to do the sport the way it 'should' be done" rather than "we are asking you to let us do the sport the way it 'should' be done" thing. My opinion on "should" doesn't matter. The athletes - the only reason the racing is as interesting as it is - want it a certain way and they should have a significant say in it in my mind.
Why didn't they bring it up in November? Because the teams are in an abusive partnership with WBD/UCI.
This is textbook abusive relationship stuff. Hold something over the victims' head (are you going to be in or out of the UCI MTB Team list? The only people you can complain about are the only people who have a say in it. They wouldn't retaliate, would they? What would that mean for the team? The bike brand?) and then define how the relationship is going to exist making sure to get all the agreements while you're in control of a severe power imbalance. Later - when problems arise - you can say "you agreed to this back when we discussed the details" leaving out the obvious power imbalance you were taking advantage of.
This guy unionizes
Looks like the XC racers waited until the week of their first race to "protest". And then the DH riders meekly followed along the next day .
Shame this riders union thing doesn't have more power or influence, if it did they wouldn't need a social media post.
Doesn't really cut it as an explanation. The top 15 teams were decided on ranking not on a whim.
The top teams and riders could and probably did lobby to keep the five rider podium for elites but without any actual legal clout or power or unified front they won't get far .
Tough one to argue too when 95% of the podiums in all mtb disciplines are three rider.
Five rider podium looks sick I think, sad to see it go. But at least semi finals is also gone
Trying to do anything a few days before the race is never going to work and they will never boycott a race because they want the $$$. Which is also the reason they want to keep the 5 place podium..... $$$. You would think that atheletes or their managers would be doing more about it before the racing season started.
As for the riders union, what a joke that was. they realised in means F'All and they couldnt organise a root in a brothel. There is a lot of talking about the problems but not many solutions from the racers.
Here's an interesting chat, Jesse Melamed on Remy Metailler's pod channel - they get into racing and the current evolution of both enduro and DH from sort of 15 minutes to 45 minutes (then there's a big section on bike setup you can nerd out on as well):
This just in from the UCI MTB World Series:
SHIMANO CONFIRMED AS MAIN PARTNER OF THE WHOOP UCI MOUNTAIN BIKE WORLD SERIES
Iconic Japanese bicycle components manufacturer signs four-year deal as the Official Drivetrain & Electric Drive Unit Components partner
5th April 2025 – Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) Sports Europe and SHIMANO are proud to confirm a four-year partnership agreement for the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series.
The Japanese manufacturer becomes a main partner of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series and is the Official Drivetrain & Electric Drive Unit Components partner.
The partnership builds on a strong legacy that both WBD Sports and Shimano share within the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series. Shimano’s strong relationship with the UCI goes back more than 25 years, and this new partnership will build on this foundation, with both WBD Sports and Shimano eager to explore exciting new opportunities.
The partnership means that Shimano will be involved at every round of the 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series, providing technical support and assistance to all athletes and ensuring that everyone is ready to take to the start line or start hut – from the opening Brazilian Cross-country double header in Araxá, Minas Gerais, through to the season finale in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada.
Chris Ball, Vice President of Cycling Events at WBD Sports, said: “Shimano is synonymous with quality and reliability, and has been at the forefront of mountain bike drivetrain and electric drive unit component development for decades.
“Already a mainstay in the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series, the new four-year partnership enables WBD Sports and Shimano to build on our historic success and develop new, innovative ways of working together and supporting athletes and teams at every round of the series.”
Yuzo Shimano, Senior Executive Officer, Vice President, Bicycle Marketing Department and Planning Department at Shimano, said: “We are proud to be part of this ground-breaking technical partnership with WBD Sports and the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series. Shimano wants to support mountain biking racing at all levels, while we continuously innovate alongside these fantastic athletes taking part in the series.
“By providing our technical expertise at every round, we are ensuring that all athletes have access to the captivating products and reliability that has defined Shimano for generations.”
For over 100 years, Shimano has been committed to crafting industry-leading cycling components and accessories. A key focus of their efforts is a system engineering approach, where products are designed to work together seamlessly for the ultimate on-bike experience. Founded in 1921, Shimano now operates offices and factories worldwide.
For more information on the 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series, visit www.ucimtbworldseries.com.
What does it mean to be the drivetrain and electric drive unit components provider for UCI MTB events? Is that like neutral support for athletes? Or does that mean everyone in the E-EWS has to use a Shimano motor and parts? Or does that mean when someone like Josh Carlson does a track preview they're on a Shimano-equiped bike?
You are describing how a strike works. When workers go on strike they don’t get paid. They accept short term risk and hardship for long term gains.
Watched a guy at the Monster Pro DH in Cat 1 snap his top tube ripping through a 90 degree berm. Irony being he didn’t realize it. I heard it clear as day & was telling people around me “I just heard his bike snap”. He hits the 3 flat hucks Neko built to “break test frames” & on the 3rd one the down tube made a crunch sound & that was it.
Said he’s had it for 2 weeks. JRA !
Sounds like a pure "product placement" sponsorship: Shimano gets plugged on signs & every time WBD mentions sponsors. And maybe someone in broadcast team like Josh Carlson occasionally rides Shimano parts on camera. Come to think of it, the one place e-bikes make sense near professional, televised competition would be to transport course marshals & other organizational staff around the track, but would that be the responsibility of the event organizer or the UCI?
Pretty sure this is just the same sponsorship from Shimano as always, they've been a main partner of World Cup racing since forever. I imagine their existing contract with the UCI was up, and now they had to negotiate with the world series directly, so we get the same thing but with a press release full of buzzwords and mid-level management speak.
At least, if nothing else the series has commitment from brands mid to long term.
What a race from Specialized and a nice touch that Forster and Schurter ran up to podium aswell.
What did the riders end up doing for the podium? Was it the same for all disciplines or just the established riders who did something?
I wonder if the UCI will fine them.
xco race highlights
It's only Elite men and women's XCO that had five rider podiums. So two categories.. every other category/discipline was always three riders anyway.
Looks like they did three riders for official ceremony and TV and then Schurter and Lars Foster climbed up on the podium to "protest" . Not sure if the women also did a five rider one or "protest".. anyone else know?
Elite men/women DH has been 5 riders for many many years.
Well aware of that, the post I was replying to specifically spoke about the other XC races in Araxa (at least that's how I read it)
Results from the first iXS Cup in Portugal last weekend. Pretty stacked Elite fields.
Also here is a recap vid from the weekend -
Complete results - https://www.racement.com/assets/uploads/general/Rennen/2025/EDC_1_Santiago/RL_FN_EDC_1_Santiago.pdf
Was there a weather change mid race?
Great coverage on YouTube for the Rock Creek event. Maybe there's something to be learned for the EWS in how these events are filmed and put on YouTube.
I'm killing time in an airport bar so here's a pedantic jersey question regarding Asa's jersey for his race run at Rock Creek.
I believe that Asa is the USA junior DH champ, so he has the Stars n Bars sleeve. He's also the Junior world champ, so he has the rainbow stripe jersey. He raced Rock Creek in the world champs jersey. Chat GPT (not the definitive source of course) tells me that if Asa is racing in an elite race, he can't wear the junior world champs jersey. Chat GPT also tells me that if he's racing a junior race, he must wear the world champs jersey if he has it, and it's a sizeable fine if he doesn't. But (apparently) it's actually a sizable fine if he wears the Junior world champs jersey in an "adult" race.
Do any of you race nerds have any comment on this? I thought it was sweet to see the world champs stripes at this race, and if it was my decision, I'd let the racer decide what to wear. If I was that fast, and I had the choice, I'd wear the sleeve for qualies and the rainbows for the race. But as a proud Canadian, I might want to wear the sleeve for the race run.
Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk
So the TLDR is, "UCI love rules to enforce on people, this is at the core of their suckiness"?
Wyn Masters posted video of Samara Maxwell coming into the finisher's corral after taking the victory in XCO with the caption along the lines of "Come on UCI, let them celebrate." because the UCI officials very awkwardly start bustling around her, shepherding her and the other finishers elsewhere, making them pick up their bikes, etc.. etc.. when the team/family is trying to hug them at the finish line. I wish I had the video still, as it's pretty uncomfortable to watch.
All of that is correct. For Asa junior race=rainbows, elite=sleeve. Similar rule goes for a rider that is a national champion+euro champion+worlds etc, rider must wear the higher ranking jersey/sleeve for the category they are racing. Oceana champs was also awarded to a junior (Tyler Waite) so we just missed out on the Oceana sleeve+Aussie sleeve (would have to wear Oceana over Aussie sleeve). Riders can't pick and choose and will be fined accordingly.
Guess that's a yes.
I think because he was racing the continental series as a junior and they were lumped in with the elites then he should be able to wear the stripes. At the end of the day he won juniors and Luca Shaw won elite as far as points and golden tickets go. In the latest rankings Luca is marked down for winning and 90 points. Asa 1st with 30 points.
Tyler Waite would have to wear the New Zealand under Oceana, being that he is a kiwi. Luke Meir Smith is Aussie champ
I'm aware LMS is Australian...Oceania and New Zealand national champs are two different races mate. Tuhoto won New Zealand champs back in February.
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