2023 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships: Preview, schedule, how to watch watch live Paris 2024 Qualifying action
Glentress Forest in Scotland is hosting the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships, featuring the cross-country Olympic discipline. Both women's and men's elite races are scheduled on Saturday 12 August, offering opportunities to secure Paris 2024 spots and earn qualifying ranking points.
Cycling Mountain Bike
The biggest cross-country mountain bike stars will be competing for the iconic rainbow jersey on a technical route in Scotland on Saturday 12 August.
Nino Schurter, arguably the greatest cross-country racer of all time, claimed his tenth World Championships last year. Will the 37-year-old Swiss continue to make history by adding yet another world title to his name? Or will Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion Tom Pidcock or recently crowned road world champion Mathieu van der Poel knock him off the throne?
In the women's race, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot of France is targeting her fifth rainbow jersey but will face a tough challenge from one of this season's revelations, Puck Pieterse from the Netherlands.
Read on to find out everything you need to know about the elite cross-country Olympic races at the 2023 UCI World Championships.
2023 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships: When and where will the mountain bike Olympic competition take place?
Both the men’s and women’s elite cross-country Olympic race are scheduled for Saturday 12 August at Glentress Forest, Scotland.
The route is predicted to offer a fast and intense race, featuring well-groomed forest trails, two steep main climbs, rock gardens, jumps and twisted descents.
What is the impact of the World Championships on Olympic qualification?
At the 2023 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships, two Paris 2024 quotas are up for grabs in both the elite and under-23 races for riders who have not secured a quota place through the UCI Mountain Bike Olympic Qualification ranking or the 2023 Continental Championships.
Each National Olympic Committee (NOC) is limited to a single spot during the event, and NOCs that have qualified through the elite race are ineligible to secure qualification through the under-23 race.
Stars to watch at the 2023 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships
The winner of the last two World Championships is Nino Schurter, and once again the Swissman looks like the rider to beat in the men's race.
This year, the 2016 Olympic gold medallist has secured victories in two out of four World Cup events, including the most recent one in Val di Sole, Italy, where he finished in front of his compatriot and 2020 Olympic silver medallist Mathias Flückiger.
Olympic cross-country champion Tom Pidcock of Great Britain has divided his focus between road and mountain biking throughout the season.
Following a win in the Strade Bianche and podium finishes in the Ardennes classics Amstel Gold Race and Liège-Bastogne-Liège, the 24-year-old Yorkshireman participated in the World Cup event in Nové Město, Czech Republic, where he triumphed ahead of Joshua Dubau and Schurter.
Mathieu van der Poel is another rider worth keeping an eye on. His dominant win in the road race World Championships suggests that he's in excellent form. The question remains whether he can translate that strength to mountain biking as well.
Cycling icon Peter Sagan is also featuring on the start list as he aims to qualify for Paris, where he potentially seeks a medal next year.
France's multi-talented phenomenon Pauline Ferrand-Prevot stands out as the favourite for the women’s race, vying for her fifth world title as the defending champion.
Newcomer Puck Pieterse has made a sensational debut in the elite cross-country scene, claiming three out of four World Cup victories this season. The 21-year-old Dutchwoman even outpaced Ferrand-Prevot in the first World Cup of the year in Nové Město.
Despite a comparatively challenging season thus far, last year’s worlds runner-up and 2020 Olympic champion Jolanda Neff of Switzerland, along with 2022 overall World Cup winner Alessandra Keller, should also be counted among the favourites.
2022 European champion Loana Lecomte of France and 2022 European bronze medallist Anne Terpstra of Netherlands stand among the outsiders with potential to secure podium finishes.
2023 UCI Cross-Country Mountain Bike World Championships: Full schedule
All times below are British Summer Time (UTC / GMT +1 hours) and subject to change.
Saturday 12 August
11:30: Women Elite Cross-country Olympic
15:30: Men Elite Cross-country Olympic
How to follow and watch the mountain bike world championships 2023
The BBC has the full broadcast rights for the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships in the United Kingdom with live coverage on its linear channel and on BBC iPlayer.
In the United States and Canada, the event will be streamed by FloBikes, while Eurosport will broadcast in most of Europe.
SBS will stream the competitions on SBS On Demand for free in Australia.
Global coverage and highlight can also be found on the UCI channel on YouTube.
Please check local listings for coverage in your area.