Preview: 2026 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships

A big week looms in Val di Sole, Italy, for the 2026 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships. Racing begins on August 26 in the Trentino region and continues through to August 30, featuring cross-country, downhill, and E-MTB world championship events. Val di Sole is a well-known destination for international mountain biking, having hosted the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in 2008, 2016, and 2021, as well as the UCI World Cup and 2025 UCI Mountain Bike World Series. An ARA Australian Cycling Team of 28 athletes will compete over the five-day event, including cross-country star Rebecca Henderson, who will race at her final World Championships. Henderson reflects on her experience: 'My first World Championships were in Val di Sole. To do my last Mountain Bike World Championships at the same place where I started is special.' Her season bests were 11th in XCO and fifth in XCC, both in Leogang. On the downhill side, reigning elite national champions Elleni Turkovic and Luke Meier-Smith will compete, alongside veteran Troy Brosnan, who will be at his 16th World Championship. Brosnan is ranked eighth in the Downhill World Cup standings. Western Australian Connor Wright, with two Junior XCO Series wins, will also compete in Thursday’s Junior XCO event. Tilly Boadle has shown promise in Junior Downhill, finishing third in Mona YongPyong, fifth in Pal Arinsal, and sixth in Haute-Savoie. The full schedule includes events on August 26–30, with times listed in Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST). Select events will be live-streamed on Stan Sport, and results can be viewed on Tissot Timing. The event is a significant milestone for both local and international riders.