Round 2 of the 2026 WHOOP UCI MTB World Cup heads to the Czech Republic this weekend as the series makes its first European stop at the iconic Vysočina Arena in Nové Město na Moravě. After the drama and mud of the Korean opener, the Bohemian pine forests offer a very different challenge — loamy trails, tight technical sections and the kind of atmosphere that has made this venue the most beloved on the calendar.
Full Schedule
Friday 22 May
17:15 - XCC Women U23
18:05 - XCC Men U23
Saturday 23 May
09:00 - UCI Junior Series Race: Men
11:20 - XCC Women Elite
12:10 - XCC Men Elite
14:00 - XCO Women U23
16:00 - XCO Men U23
Sunday 24 May
10:00 - UCI Junior Series Race: Women
12:00 - XCO Women Elite
15:00 - XCO Men Elite
All times Central European Time (Prague).
The Big Story - Pieterse Returns
The headline news ahead of this weekend is the confirmed return of Puck Pieterse. The Dutch rider has not competed in an XCO event since Lenzerheide last September, spending the intervening months on the road and in cyclocross. Her return generates enormous anticipation after the level she has shown in recent months, and recent experience suggests she will be competitive from the very first moment.
Pieterse herself said she was very excited to race again in Nové Město, calling it one of the most iconic and exciting places on the MTB calendar, and adding that after focusing on the road for the past few weeks, she was looking forward to getting back on the MTB.
Her presence transforms the Women Elite XCO into one of the most intriguing races of the season so far. Sina Frei swept both XCC and XCO in Korea and arrives as the clear form rider of 2026. A head-to-head between Frei and Pieterse at one of the sport's great venues is exactly what the series needed heading into its European summer.
Women Elite - Frei vs Pieterse
Sina Frei arrives off the back of a perfect Korea weekend - XCC and XCO victories in difficult muddy conditions. She will be the rider to beat. But Pieterse changes everything. The former world champion won the XCC here in 2025 and has an explosive style that suits this fast, technical circuit.
Jenny Rissveds - reigning World Champion and pre-season title favourite - will be eager to make her presence felt after Korea. Evie Richards, second in the Korean XCC, is another name to watch on terrain that suits her aggressive riding.
Men Elite - Backing Up Korea
Dario Lillo announced himself to the elite World Cup in emphatic fashion at the Korean opener, winning in the mud for what was reportedly Switzerland's 80th elite men's XCO World Cup victory. The 23-year-old Giant Factory rider now faces a very different test - a dry, fast circuit where the field will be closer and the margins smaller.
Mathis Azzaro won the XCC in Korea before a disastrous tyre change in the XCO cost him all his time. He arrives with a point to prove. Charlie Aldridge took a brilliant third in Korea for Britain and will be looking to build on that result.
Tom Pidcock and Mathieu van der Poel - both absent from Korea - are among the big names the Nové Město crowds typically attract. Defending overall champion Christopher Blevins does not start, having broken his collarbone in a training crash before the Korean XCO.
Junior Racing
Nové Město is the only World Cup venue to also host Junior XC racing, making it a landmark weekend for the next generation. Junior Men race on Saturday morning with Junior Women on Sunday morning - both integrated into the full World Cup programme alongside the elite fields.
The Venue
The Vysočina Arena and its surrounding pine forest trails sit just outside Nové Město na Moravě in the Czech Highlands. The circuit is renowned for its loamy, rooty character - grippy in the dry, unforgiving when wet. Several signature technical sections have become famous among regular visitors, and the course's natural flow makes it one of the best for spectating anywhere on the calendar. The 2025 edition attracted 24,000 spectators over the weekend.
How to Watch
Coverage is available via the UCI MTB World Series website and app, with full broadcast details by country at ucimtbworldseries.com/watch Full results, reaction and reports will be published on XCOMTB.COM throughout the weekend.