The UCI Mountain Bike World Series hosts the first cross-country competition in Europe for 2025 at the famed course in Nové Mĕsto na Moravé, the quaint mountain sports resort in the Czech Republic.
After a double round in the steamy climes of Brazil, the XCO competition heads back to Europe with cool conditions and some rain forecast.
It also begins six rounds in Europe, followed by two in North America, with a New Zealand rider at the top of the world cup rankings.
After her win in the opening round and podium in the second stop in Brazil, Sammie Maxwell is at the top of the series points, although the Decathlon Ford professional is not putting too much pressure of expectations on her young shoulders.
“Coming into that first World Cup in Brazil if I was told I would win it, I would not have believed them. To get your biggest dream in the first world cup race was pretty incredible,” said Maxwell.
“I want to keep my No 1 plate at Nove Mesto,” said the Decathlon Ford professional. “I want to win but if not, then I have faith in my ability to kind of look at what is happening and with the team to support me, that we can get back to the top eventually.”
Maxwell, eighth in her Olympic debut in Paris, had a recent shakedown in a Shimano Super Cup series race in Spain.
“I felt I had good legs in Spain so I did an extra lap to simulate more of a World Cup race. I had some good feelings on the bike – I was composed and hit my lines.”
Maxwell will be joined by fellow kiwi pro riders, Sam Gaze and Anton Cooper in the elite field.
Gaze, sixth in the Paris Olympics, is not placing too much expectation in his mountain bike season debut after his early months this year on the road with his Alpecin- Deceuninck pro team and then sidelined with illness.
“I’ve had a slower start after falling ill following the Tirreno Adriatico World Tour road race and as a result I could not return to the level needed to race in the Classics,” said Gaze.
“It has been a slow recovery physically and to also mentally refresh. I’ve had a stable build up and I can take confidence into my first World Cup of the season.
“Realistically I would like a nice result but the primary goal is to produce a performance pressure-free and leaving the weekend with some momentum behind me.”
He is joined by Cooper, who is making a long awaited European return to the world series after illness sidelined him for much of 2024.
Now with the much-vaunted Lapierre Racing United pro team, Cooper had two mid-field finishes in Brazil after starting near the back of the field, with limited ranking points after his significant time out last year.
Cooper is looking to consistently move up the rankings, and accordingly improve his start position, which is a vital ingredient to establish a competitive race.
“I would like to think I can push up into the top 20 this weekend,” he said of a course which has been one of his favourites, finishing second in 2017, seventh in 2020 and eighth in 2021.
Christchurch rider Ethan Rose returns to the under- 23 elite competition for his Trek Future professional team, joined by two strong prospects in Whakatane’s Bailey Fredericksen and Taupo’s Coen Nicol, who are both supported by the Mondraker NZ Academy.
Also returning is Amélie Mackay (Christchurch) who will compete in the women’s under-23 competition, with the national champion earning a top-10 finish in a Swiss Cup race in her build-up.
The short-track races are on Saturday from 8pm NZT, and cross-country races on Sunday with the elite women from 8pm (NZT) though to under-23 men from 2am Monday (NZT).