Chainsaw noise on the downhill course, loud cheering and balustrade drumming in the cross-country race: The memories of the 2018 World Championships in Lenzerheide still give me goosebumps. And the anticipation for the coming weekend, when the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup returns to Lenzerheide, grows with it.

One year after the best-attended mountain bike world championships of all time, the World Cup is once again well worth a visit. The great atmosphere during the races is sure to infect you once again and the side events offer plenty of entertainment between and after the races.

Two premieres

With the return of the World Cup, the short track races, which are part of the World Cup, will also be coming to Lenzerheide for the first time. Fans of fast and tactical racing should not miss these competitions, which last around 20 minutes.

The short and fast lap around the start/finish arena is not only a battle for World Cup points, but also for the starting position for the cross-country competitions on Sunday.
The women's short track race starts at 5.30 pm, the men's race at 6.15 pm.

There will also be a small premiere in the downhill. For the first time, the infamous Rock Garden in the first quarter of the course will be omitted. Instead, an open meadow curve will challenge the riders' steering skills. Spectacle is once again guaranteed. This is also the case in the middle section, on the approach to the infamous section with the Plunge, a nasty drop in the middle of technical root passages.

This section is now tackled through the forest, which shortens the distance of the bike park route. This means that downhill riders have even more natural terrain to master than before. The spectacular jumps, however, remain the same.

Party, cheer on the kids and do something good

The first important item on the program away from the races is the Social Ride on Friday evening. For #PumpforPeace, the trails, the cross-country course or the bike park in Lenzerheide will be taken under the wheels at 7.15 pm. The groups will each be led by a mountain biking personality. Regardless of the type of mountain bike, the focus is on having fun together and the entry fee also supports a project by #PumpforPeace.

Don't run away after dinner! This will be followed by the film premiere of #pumpforpeace in the Kingdom of Lesotho, which will be musically rounded off with the #pumpforpeace concert with Claudio Caluori and Friends - certainly a party to remember.

Speaking of parties: if you're still not tired enough from cheering on the racers, you can get rid of the rest of your energy at the parties on Friday and Saturday evening - with one condition: On Sunday, all fans will be needed at full volume from 09:00 for the women's U23 race.

Loud cheers are not to be begrudged to the youngsters either. Because the little ones can take part in the Steinböckli bike races themselves and emulate their idols. These take place on Saturday between 11.00 am and 12.15 pm and on Sunday between 10.30 am and 11.20 am.

Full program

Who are the favorites

In the short track, victory will hardly go to Mathieu Van der Poel. The Dutchman is seemingly unbeatable in this discipline. Or will the European champion meet his match on Friday in Lenzerheide?

In the women's race, Kate Courtney and Jolanda Neff have two wins each. However, the two are not the only favorites, as Pauline Ferrand-Prevot also has great potential in the short track.

In the cross country on Sunday, Mathieu Van der Poel, Mathias Flückiger and Nino Schurter form the favored trio. However, Schurter has the highest power density here, while Van der Poel and Flückiger were not at the front in Les Gets.

Jolanda Neff, Pauline Ferrand-Prevot or Kate Courtney again? The latter will start with the fondest memories of the 2018 World Championships as the reigning world champion. And even if she didn't get going at all in Val di Sole, with three World Cup victories she is definitely one of the top favorites in Lenzerheide.

Neff has also never won in Lenzerheide. Will the European champion make it on Sunday?
Still at U23 age, Sina Frei is riding her first season at elite level and has already fought for a top 3 place twice. Each time she finished in fourth place, which was almost as important. Both Frei and Jenny Rissveds are among the extended circle of favorites.

It's going downhill...

And that's always a positive thing for the downhill athletes. Frenchman Loic Bruni is also wearing the world champion jersey he won here. As the World Cup leader, he is clearly one of the contenders for victory in Lenzerheide. This also includes Laurie Greenland, who won a World Cup for the first time in Val di Sole. Bruni's compatriots Amaury Pierron and Loris Vergier are also not to be ignored.

No top result can be expected from the Swiss on Saturday. Although they are closer than they have been for a long time, the decisive jump is still some way off. Perhaps in Lenzerheide?
Lutz Weber is considered the safest bet. Only once this season has he failed to make it into the final of the top 60 and has shone with very good qualification results. If everything works out, he is likely to achieve a top 20 result.

The best Swiss athlete at the World Championships was Basil Weber. Lutz's teammate, but not brother, was plagued by bad luck during the last three races. All good things come in threes, as we all know, and so not only a return to the final but also a good result is possible for him in his home race.

Elia Saurer is something of a newcomer for the Swiss: at his first Elite World Cup last weekend, he rode straight into the final and finished 53rd as the best Swiss. These are good prerequisites for Saurer's start at his home World Cup.

The Swiss downhill ladies have a better chance. Camille Balanche, the Swiss up-and-comer of the year, came an excellent third in Val di Sole, and of course she would like to repeat this result in Lenzerheide.
Emilie Siegenthaler has overcome her run of bad luck and shone at the last World Cup with fifth place. But she also knows what it feels like to ride into the top three in Lenzerheide.

Not to be forgotten is Swiss champion Carina Cappellari. Although the racer from Chur has ridden below her value so far, that could change on Saturday in front of her home crowd.

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