2024 UCI Cross Country World Cup Lake Placid: preview, schedule and how to watch

The UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in Lake Placid, NY will run from 27 to 29 September.

This marks the penultimate seventh stop of the UCI Cross-country Olympic (XCO) World Cup and UCI Cross-country short track (XCC) World Cup as well as the final round for the Cross-country Marathon (XCM) World Cup races.

The World Cup has been on a hiatus since the 4 to 7 July competition in Les Gets, France ahead of the Olympic Games Paris 2024, which saw France’s Pauline Ferrand-Prevot and Great Britain’s Thomas Pidcock bringing home gold in cross country mountain biking.

The UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Pal Arinsal, Andorra, followed with many Olympians lining up at the start. South Africa’s Alan Hatherly earned the first world title of his career and Puck Pieterse likewise secured her first elite world title.

This race marks the international mountain biking debut for Lake Placid, which will see world class athletes tackle course on the trails of Mt Van Hoevenberg. Lake Placid is famed for hosting the Winter Olympic Games in both 1932 and 1980.

Lake Placid leads right into the final stop of the 2024 World Cup at Mont-Sainte-Anne in Quebec, Canada, set for 4 to 6 October.

Switzerland’s Alessandra Keller leads women’s lineup with top-ranked riders out

Switzerland’s Alessandra Keller comes into this World Cup ranked second after two consecutive XCO second place finishes and a third. There will an opportunity for movement at the top of the women’s rankings as the number-one ranked world champion Pieterse and Olympic gold medallist Ferrand-Prevot will not be on the starting line, opting instead for the 2024 UCI Road World Championships in Zürich, Switzerland.

Among the top ten, look for the American’s Savilia Blunk and Olympic silver medallist Haley Batten to capitalize on the home team advantage at Lake Placid. South Africa’s Lill Candice, currently ranked fourth, will also look to move up the rankings as she continues a great season following two recent third place XCO finishes, as will Sweden’s Jenny Rissveds, the bronze medallist from Paris 2024, currently at sixth in the rankings.

South Africa’s Alan Hatherly and France's Victor Koretzky to go head-to-head

South Africa’s Alan Hatherly, the Paris 2024 bronze medallist, leads the standings. The newly-minted world champion is in top form coming into the weekend, following his incredible performance at Pal Arsinal. He will have competition from France’s dominant Victor Koretzky, currently ranked second, who arrives in Lake Placid as the Paris 2024 silver medallist, following on a World Championships XCO win.

Great Britain’s Thomas Pidcock will not be at the starting line, he has turned his attention to the road, as he races in the 2024 UCI Road World Championships in Zurich.

Also look for Switzerland’s Nino Schurter and Fillippo Colombo, as well as the American Christopher Blevins to make a podium push.

Speaking of the American riders, Riley Amos and Bjorn Riley, currently first and second in the rankings, will look to continue their streaks in the U23 men’s category.

Elite and U23 Schedule at Lake Placid

Legend: XCC – cross-country short track; XCO – cross-country Olympic discipline; XCM - cross-country marathon

Friday, 27 September

14:00: Women’s U23 XCC
14:35: Men’s U23 XCC

Saturday, 28 September

11:30: Women’s Elite XCC
12:05: Men’s Elite XCC

14:30: Women’s U23 XCO
16:00: Men’s U23 XCO

Sunday, 29 September

7:45: Women's Elite: XCM
8:55: Men's Elite XCM

11:30: Women’s Elite XCO
14:00 Men’s Elite XCO

The complete schedule is available here.

How to watch the UCI World Cup Lake Placid

Viewers can watch the UCI Mountain Bike World Series on Max, Eurosport channels, discovery+ and Max (in selected markets), and across several local and national broadcasters. Viewing information specific to each market can be found here.