The tight competition in the overall rankings of the different disciplines increases the excitement at the Andorran event 

Official training sessions marked Thursday’s events at the 11th edition of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup at Pal Arinsal. The Fontanals area, hosting the downhill (DHI) events, and Caubella, venue for the Cross-country (XCO/XCC) races, welcomed the world’s best riders today, who were able to take a first look at the courses where, between tomorrow and Sunday, crucial points will be at stake for the overall standings before the summer break on the WHOOP UCI MTB World Series calendar. 

The courses designed in Pal for the World Cup, often praised by the riders themselves, remain virtually unchanged from previous editions, with only minor modifications, so most athletes already know what they’ll face when it really counts. In the case of the downhill, the event will once again take place between Cubil peak and the finish at Fontanals, with a 1.9 km course and a 458-meter drop. The riders have always highlighted the importance of maintaining very high speed throughout the course, with hardly any rest, to shave off as many thousandths as possible before the finish, where minimal time differences are again expected in the fight for the top spots. 

As for the Cross-country events, Pal’s altitude will once again be a key factor in testing riders’ fitness and, consequently, determining the winners, as the competitors themselves have repeatedly pointed out. The short track circuit will be 1 km long, while the XCO course will stretch to 3.8 km. 

Race Schedule 

Today, Pal Arinsal has hosted all the riders for official UCI Mountain Bike World Cup training sessions, starting from 8:30 a.m. and throughout the entire day. Tomorrow, it’s time for competition with the short track (XCC) finals and downhill qualifying rounds. U23 events kick off the program at 10:35 a.m., while the Elite finals will be held in the afternoon (6:00 p.m.). In between, the downhill qualifiers will take place, beginning with the Elite women’s Q1 at 12:30 p.m. 

On Saturday, the action shifts to Fontanals with the downhill finals, starting at 11:00 a.m. with the junior women’s race, followed by the junior men’s final (11:30 a.m.). The Elite finals are scheduled for 12:30 p.m. (women) and 1:40 p.m. (men). 

Finally, on Sunday, the Olympic Cross-country races will be held, beginning with the U23 events (women at 9:00 a.m. and men at 11:00 a.m.) and concluding with the Elite races (1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., respectively). 

The detailed schedule for the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup at Pal Arinsal can be found here.

Riders to Watch: Favorites Before the Summer Break 

XCC (Short Track) 

In the men’s category, all eyes will be on Adrien Boichis, coming to Andorra after securing his first two World Cup victories in Lenzerheide (Switzerland) and La Thuile (Italy), beating his fellow countryman Luca Martin both times. Even so, Mathis Azzaro still leads the overall standings, although his 55-point advantage is dwindling. 

In the women’s category, the competition is far more open and unpredictable. Jenny Rissveds won in La Thuile and became the fourth different winner in five races. Also worth watching are Sina Frei, Savilia Blunk, and the reigning world champion, Alessandra Keller, who is still chasing her first win in the rainbow jersey. 

XCO (Cross-country Olympic) 

In the men’s race on Sunday, Luca Martin comes in as the rider to beat after taking two consecutive victories. He was also second last year in Pal Arinsal, only behind Olympic champion and Andorra resident Tom Pidcock, who won’t be competing at home this year as he’s racing in the Tour de France. Other main contenders include Boichis, who has achieved three consecutive XCO podiums, Azzaro, world champion Alan Hatherly, and Bjorn Riley. Andorra will be represented by Roger Turné in the U23 event. 

In the women’s category, Rissveds holds a solid lead in the general standings, but Martina Berta’s victory in La Thuile confirms the fight for the win is more open than ever. The Italian became the fourth different winner this season, joining Rissveds, Frei, and Laura Stigger. Blunk keeps improving, while Puck Pieterse and Keller are always contenders for victory. 

Downhill (DHI) 

The battle for the men’s title is more open than ever. Amaury Pierron leads the standings by just 12 points ahead of Finn Iles. Although the Frenchman has yet to win in 2026, he will be looking to claim his first victory at Pal Arinsal, his team’s (Commencal’s) home race. Iles comes in after winning twice this season, though his 20th place in La Thuile broke his streak. Jordan Williams, who won at La Thuile and is just 19 points behind Iles overall, and Asa Vermette, winner of the opening round and 65 points off the lead, are also in contention. 

In the women’s category, Valentina Höll is dominating after extending her lead to 363 points over her teammate Lisa Baumann, with four races still to go. At Pal Arinsal she’ll be looking for her fifth win of the season, arriving with the best track record on this circuit with two previous victories. Baumann and Anna Newkirk, the only other winner this year in 2026, will try to prevent another show of dominance from the Austrian. 

Public Transport, the Most Convenient Way to Get Around 

To reach the Pal Mountain Bike World Cup facilities, the bus is one of the most efficient and convenient options. From Andorra la Vella, it’s recommended to use regular lines L5, L6, and L7, which connect to the parish of La Massana. These are an alternative for sustainable mobility and easily grant access to the connection point for the rest of the services set up for the event. 

From La Massana, attendees can choose between two options to access the competition: taking the La Massana cable car up to the station or using the shuttle buses provided, which will leave from the center of the parish and run to the two main competition areas: Caubella (cross-country events) and Fontanals (downhill). 

These options will be available exclusively to holders of a valid ticket and a Grandvalira Resorts Season Pass, which is essential to use any transport services or access the facilities. Likewise, more active visitors can walk or cycle to the sports area. The organizers have provided a supervised bicycle parking area at both venues, located next to the paddock entrance.