PR from Whoop about World Cup rider career numbers9th April 2026 – The 2026 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series is less than a month away...
PR from Whoop about World Cup rider career numbers
9th April 2026 – The 2026 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series is less than a month away and all 40 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series Teams and riders have been confirmed for what’s set to be a thrilling 14-round season. But amongst the new team line-ups and kit reveals, lies another set of key updates to spotlight: the UCI International Elite Numbers and a brand-new way to present and celebrate the overall leaders throughout the season. UCI INTERNATIONAL ELITE NUMBERS: HOW THEY WORK AND WHAT THEY REPRESENT Introduced at the start of last season as part of a broader set of reforms across the sport aimed at helping teams build greater value, career numbers were brought in to add a sense of legacy to the competition. They help strengthen rider identities, bring fans closer to the athletes, and are quickly becoming an integral part of each WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series round, making it easier to spot at a quick glance who’s battling it out at the front of an Endurance race or laying down an impressive race run in the Gravity formats. Only Elite riders who had earned the privilege by winning a round of their respective UCI World Cup (Cross-country Olympic, Cross-country Short Track, Downhill or Enduro) were invited to select a UCI International Elite number (2–999). Ahead of the 2025 season, riders were ranked in order based on the number of UCI World Cup wins in their respective formats, with the rider with the most wins getting to select their number first. As the 2025 series played out and riders picked up their first UCI World Cup wins, they were also rewarded with getting to choose their career numbers, as seen with Slawomir Lukasik (Yeti / Fox Factory Race Team) selecting 5 in the UCI Enduro World Cup or Gracey Hemstreet (Norco X adidas Race Division) picking 17 in the UCI Downhill World Cup. Cross-country rider Charlie Aldridge (Cannondale Factory Racing) also selected the number 321 after his first UCI World Cup win at the 2025 season finale in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada. WHO GETS TO USE THE NUMBER ONE PLATE? While there are 998 potential numbers for riders to choose from, the number 1 plate is reserved for the current leader of each format’s UCI World Cup standings. In the instance where the rider leading the series also has a unique career number, the number 1 plate will supersede the career number. In a change from past seasons when overall leaders wore a distinct red or green number 1 jersey depending on the format, this year’s leaders will continue to race in their standard team kits or UCI World Champion, Continental Champion or National Champion jerseys but with the number 1 added. In addition to this, overall leaders will be presented with a commemorative number 1 plaque during the podium ceremonies. This update is designed to maximise visibility for teams and enhance their brand building opportunities throughout each event.
THE FULL LIST OF CAREER NUMBERS
DOWNHILL
Men
2. Loris Vergier (COMMENCAL/MUC-OFF by Riding Addiction) 3. Troy Brosnan (Canyon DH Racing) 4. Amaury Pierron (COMMENCAL/MUC-OFF by Riding Addiction) 5. Danny Hart (Norco X adidas Race Division) 6. Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) 7. Aaron Gwin (Frameworks / TRP) 8. Ronan Dunne (Mondraker Factory Racing DH) 9. Benoit Coulanges (Scott Downhill Factory) 11. Reece Wilson (AON Racing) 13. Greg Minnaar (Norco X adidas Race Division) 15. Matt Walker (Trek - Unbroken DH) 17. Jordan Williams (Specialized Gravity) 18. Luke Meier-Smith (Giant Factory Off-Road Team – DH) 22. Rémi Thirion (Giant Factory Off-Road Team – DH) 23. Laurie Greenland 25. Martin Maes (Orbea / FMD Racing) 29. Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity) 51. Thibault Dapréla 66. Andreas Kolb (Santa Cruz Syndicate) 88. Alex Fayolle 99. Finn Iles (Specialized Gravity) 100. Oisin O’Callaghan (Trek - Unbroken DH) 256. Samuel Blenkinsop
Women
4. Camille Balanche 7. Myriam Nicole (COMMENCAL/MUC-OFF by Riding Addiction) 11. Valentina Höll (Commencal Schwalbe by Les Orres) 12. Marine Cabirou (Canyon DH Racing) 17. Gracey Hemstreet (Norco X adidas Race Division) 57. Tahnée Seagrave (Orbea / FMD Racing) 81. Eleonora Farina (MS-Racing) 96. Nina Hoffmann (Santa Cruz Syndicate)
This is cool...should be a lot easier to watch practice videos and know who we are looking at! Will you all update when the rest of...
This is cool...should be a lot easier to watch practice videos and know who we are looking at! Will you all update when the rest of the field fills-in?
No more filling in unless there are new winners this season
Maybe I missed someone else posting it? But Dan Atherton on some British podcast says Red Bull hardline Wales postponed for 2026 so they can build a new track for 2027
Maybe I missed someone else posting it? But Dan Atherton on some British podcast says Red Bull hardline Wales postponed for 2026 so they can build...
Maybe I missed someone else posting it? But Dan Atherton on some British podcast says Red Bull hardline Wales postponed for 2026 so they can build a new track for 2027
in the recent hardline BC press release, the final paragraph says
Hard by name, hard by nature, Red Bull Hardline isn’t for the fainthearted. Hailed as the toughest and most progressive downhill mountain bike race in the world, Red Bull Hardline returns to Tasmania and the hills of Dyfi Valley in the north of Wales in 2025. The intense course, built by Dan Atherton, combines tricky technical downhill features with huge freeride-style jumps. Red Bull Hardline is two stand-alone events. It is not a series.
so with Tasmania done and BC to come, looks like 2 only this year.
Maybe I missed someone else posting it? But Dan Atherton on some British podcast says Red Bull hardline Wales postponed for 2026 so they can build...
Maybe I missed someone else posting it? But Dan Atherton on some British podcast says Red Bull hardline Wales postponed for 2026 so they can build a new track for 2027
in the recent hardline BC press release, the final paragraph saysHard by name, hard by nature, Red Bull Hardline isn’t for the fainthearted. Hailed as...
in the recent hardline BC press release, the final paragraph says
Hard by name, hard by nature, Red Bull Hardline isn’t for the fainthearted. Hailed as the toughest and most progressive downhill mountain bike race in the world, Red Bull Hardline returns to Tasmania and the hills of Dyfi Valley in the north of Wales in 2025. The intense course, built by Dan Atherton, combines tricky technical downhill features with huge freeride-style jumps. Red Bull Hardline is two stand-alone events. It is not a series.
so with Tasmania done and BC to come, looks like 2 only this year.
Between a bike brand, a bike park, stewarding Hard Line, and a new location, plus riding and making crazy video projects, I'll bet the Athertons are busy enough to pause the Wales event? I think they are also so committed to progression, that returning to the old course may not have seemed that interesting to them.
PR from Whoop about World Cup rider career numbers9th April 2026 – The 2026 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series is less than a month away...
PR from Whoop about World Cup rider career numbers
9th April 2026 – The 2026 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series is less than a month away and all 40 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series Teams and riders have been confirmed for what’s set to be a thrilling 14-round season. But amongst the new team line-ups and kit reveals, lies another set of key updates to spotlight: the UCI International Elite Numbers and a brand-new way to present and celebrate the overall leaders throughout the season. UCI INTERNATIONAL ELITE NUMBERS: HOW THEY WORK AND WHAT THEY REPRESENT Introduced at the start of last season as part of a broader set of reforms across the sport aimed at helping teams build greater value, career numbers were brought in to add a sense of legacy to the competition. They help strengthen rider identities, bring fans closer to the athletes, and are quickly becoming an integral part of each WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series round, making it easier to spot at a quick glance who’s battling it out at the front of an Endurance race or laying down an impressive race run in the Gravity formats. Only Elite riders who had earned the privilege by winning a round of their respective UCI World Cup (Cross-country Olympic, Cross-country Short Track, Downhill or Enduro) were invited to select a UCI International Elite number (2–999). Ahead of the 2025 season, riders were ranked in order based on the number of UCI World Cup wins in their respective formats, with the rider with the most wins getting to select their number first. As the 2025 series played out and riders picked up their first UCI World Cup wins, they were also rewarded with getting to choose their career numbers, as seen with Slawomir Lukasik (Yeti / Fox Factory Race Team) selecting 5 in the UCI Enduro World Cup or Gracey Hemstreet (Norco X adidas Race Division) picking 17 in the UCI Downhill World Cup. Cross-country rider Charlie Aldridge (Cannondale Factory Racing) also selected the number 321 after his first UCI World Cup win at the 2025 season finale in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada. WHO GETS TO USE THE NUMBER ONE PLATE? While there are 998 potential numbers for riders to choose from, the number 1 plate is reserved for the current leader of each format’s UCI World Cup standings. In the instance where the rider leading the series also has a unique career number, the number 1 plate will supersede the career number. In a change from past seasons when overall leaders wore a distinct red or green number 1 jersey depending on the format, this year’s leaders will continue to race in their standard team kits or UCI World Champion, Continental Champion or National Champion jerseys but with the number 1 added. In addition to this, overall leaders will be presented with a commemorative number 1 plaque during the podium ceremonies. This update is designed to maximise visibility for teams and enhance their brand building opportunities throughout each event.
THE FULL LIST OF CAREER NUMBERS
DOWNHILL
Men
2. Loris Vergier (COMMENCAL/MUC-OFF by Riding Addiction) 3. Troy Brosnan (Canyon DH Racing) 4. Amaury Pierron (COMMENCAL/MUC-OFF by Riding Addiction) 5. Danny Hart (Norco X adidas Race Division) 6. Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) 7. Aaron Gwin (Frameworks / TRP) 8. Ronan Dunne (Mondraker Factory Racing DH) 9. Benoit Coulanges (Scott Downhill Factory) 11. Reece Wilson (AON Racing) 13. Greg Minnaar (Norco X adidas Race Division) 15. Matt Walker (Trek - Unbroken DH) 17. Jordan Williams (Specialized Gravity) 18. Luke Meier-Smith (Giant Factory Off-Road Team – DH) 22. Rémi Thirion (Giant Factory Off-Road Team – DH) 23. Laurie Greenland 25. Martin Maes (Orbea / FMD Racing) 29. Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity) 51. Thibault Dapréla 66. Andreas Kolb (Santa Cruz Syndicate) 88. Alex Fayolle 99. Finn Iles (Specialized Gravity) 100. Oisin O’Callaghan (Trek - Unbroken DH) 256. Samuel Blenkinsop
Women
4. Camille Balanche 7. Myriam Nicole (COMMENCAL/MUC-OFF by Riding Addiction) 11. Valentina Höll (Commencal Schwalbe by Les Orres) 12. Marine Cabirou (Canyon DH Racing) 17. Gracey Hemstreet (Norco X adidas Race Division) 57. Tahnée Seagrave (Orbea / FMD Racing) 81. Eleonora Farina (MS-Racing) 96. Nina Hoffmann (Santa Cruz Syndicate)
This is cool...should be a lot easier to watch practice videos and know who we are looking at! Will you all update when the rest of...
This is cool...should be a lot easier to watch practice videos and know who we are looking at! Will you all update when the rest of the field fills-in?
No more filling in unless there are new winners this season
So, all other riders will get distinct numbers for each event? I mean, I don't see why they wouldn't just assign an annual number? There aren't more than 999 pros, right?! Give em a number for the year, or until they win an elite race...would make fanning-out a lot easier.
So, all other riders will get distinct numbers for each event? I mean, I don't see why they wouldn't just assign an annual number? There aren't...
So, all other riders will get distinct numbers for each event? I mean, I don't see why they wouldn't just assign an annual number? There aren't more than 999 pros, right?! Give em a number for the year, or until they win an elite race...would make fanning-out a lot easier.
Non career number riders get plates according to their rank at each round at accreditation. The whole point of a career number is to award a rider that has won an elite round with a cool perk.
So, all other riders will get distinct numbers for each event? I mean, I don't see why they wouldn't just assign an annual number? There aren't...
So, all other riders will get distinct numbers for each event? I mean, I don't see why they wouldn't just assign an annual number? There aren't more than 999 pros, right?! Give em a number for the year, or until they win an elite race...would make fanning-out a lot easier.
Non career number riders get plates according to their rank at each round at accreditation. The whole point of a career number is to award a...
Non career number riders get plates according to their rank at each round at accreditation. The whole point of a career number is to award a rider that has won an elite round with a cool perk.
It also helps them build a brand around their number and makes them more marketable.
Only a couple of weeks until UCI Downhill World Cup kicks off. I'm stoked for it, especially considering the ultra-talented riders who are graduating to Elite from...
Only a couple of weeks until UCI Downhill World Cup kicks off.
I'm stoked for it, especially considering the ultra-talented riders who are graduating to Elite from Juniors.
Let's go.
Same , keen for round 1! Still no idea where we will watch it here in Australia , (apart from the traditional backup plan 😉 )
Only a couple of weeks until UCI Downhill World Cup kicks off. I'm stoked for it, especially considering the ultra-talented riders who are graduating to Elite from...
Only a couple of weeks until UCI Downhill World Cup kicks off.
I'm stoked for it, especially considering the ultra-talented riders who are graduating to Elite from Juniors.
Only a couple of weeks until UCI Downhill World Cup kicks off. I'm stoked for it, especially considering the ultra-talented riders who are graduating to Elite from...
Only a couple of weeks until UCI Downhill World Cup kicks off.
I'm stoked for it, especially considering the ultra-talented riders who are graduating to Elite from Juniors.
Danny Hart course preview from iXS EDC Cup #1 in Portugal. Track looks super challenging and rad!
Downhill Southeast Windrock course preview. Looks fun, fast and rough
No more filling in unless there are new winners this season
Maybe I missed someone else posting it? But Dan Atherton on some British podcast says Red Bull hardline Wales postponed for 2026 so they can build a new track for 2027
Good battle in dusty Toowoomba for the Oceania title🤙.
in the recent hardline BC press release, the final paragraph says
Hard by name, hard by nature, Red Bull Hardline isn’t for the fainthearted. Hailed as the toughest and most progressive downhill mountain bike race in the world, Red Bull Hardline returns to Tasmania and the hills of Dyfi Valley in the north of Wales in 2025. The intense course, built by Dan Atherton, combines tricky technical downhill features with huge freeride-style jumps. Red Bull Hardline is two stand-alone events. It is not a series.
so with Tasmania done and BC to come, looks like 2 only this year.
here's the ride companion pod with Dan and Gee
Between a bike brand, a bike park, stewarding Hard Line, and a new location, plus riding and making crazy video projects, I'll bet the Athertons are busy enough to pause the Wales event? I think they are also so committed to progression, that returning to the old course may not have seemed that interesting to them.
Vital RAW from Downhill Southeast Windrock Practice
Jenna Hastings and Jordan Williams win iXS #1
https://www.racement.com/en/season-kick-off-in-portugal
Dylan Maples & Tilly Melton put their new rides on the top step at the NW Cup race today:
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/62869768a8310405c3fcbfaf/t/69dc2b9ee64f087355775e9c/1776036766964/Sunday+Results+2601.pdf
Just a question about categories, I get the age thing (u 19, 40-49,...), the "pro" one but what are categories 1-2-3 ?
Different levels you would work your way up through by gaining points. Cat3 being for those that have never or are new to racing
French regional cup in Lourdes France results:
https://my.raceresult.com/392466/#0_C0AF30
Marine Cabirou and Henri Kiefer took the wins.
Race Replay - Downhill Southeast windrock
Aaron looking smooth and impressive.😀
Back when I raced they were called Beginner, Sport and Expert. Then there were Semi Pro and Pro.
Vali Holl and Danny Hart videos by Five Ten - The RACER series
Aletha Ostgaard with a DNS.. hopefully nothing serious or just illness.
So, all other riders will get distinct numbers for each event? I mean, I don't see why they wouldn't just assign an annual number? There aren't more than 999 pros, right?! Give em a number for the year, or until they win an elite race...would make fanning-out a lot easier.
Non career number riders get plates according to their rank at each round at accreditation. The whole point of a career number is to award a rider that has won an elite round with a cool perk.
It also helps them build a brand around their number and makes them more marketable.
That's what I meant by "perk" but didn't want to derail the thread.
Only a couple of weeks until UCI Downhill World Cup kicks off.
I'm stoked for it, especially considering the ultra-talented riders who are graduating to Elite from Juniors.
Let's go.
Same , keen for round 1! Still no idea where we will watch it here in Australia , (apart from the traditional backup plan 😉 )
Bad news - Dunne is out. Insta link to his post - https://www.instagram.com/p/DXSQlCNDFuX/?igsh=aGhhZHFvMjIxcno1
Did you spend zero time searching?!?
Stan Sport has the rights again and it on their calendar already.
I wish we could stan sport stand alone, such a rip off. Stan itself is average
Looks like Ronan Dunnes out for a good while with a seriously snapped tibia. Huge bummer.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DXSQlCNDFuX/?img_index=16&igsh=a2V5cnkxa2Rs…
Agree. We have 3 of us splitting the standard subscription which makes it a little more palatable.
Kayo would have been perfect.
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