The 2022 World Cup season begins in the pilgrimage town

The countdown to the eagerly awaited 2022 Mercedes-Benz UCI Mountain Bike World Cup is on. This weekend, the world's best downhill mountain bikers will open the 2022 season in the French pilgrimage town of Lourdes, including the overall winners of the 2021 Mercedes-Benz UCI World Cup Loïc Bruni (FRA) and Valentina Höll (AUT). Over 20,000 spectators are expected to cheer on their favorites. As usual, all the action can be followed live and on demand on Red Bull TV.

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The exceptional French talent Myriam Nicole will also be at the start and will be doing everything she can to prove herself against Vali Höll. Myriam narrowly missed out on the title last year by 50 points after crashing in the very last race in Snowshoe (USA). "Lourdes is only four hours away from my home. Family, friends and sponsors will be there. So yes, that means a lot of pressure," says the reigning world champion. "My biggest goal is always to get through a whole season without injury. There have been far too many years where I've had to end the season early due to injury. This goal is not an easy one when you're doing an extreme port."

Valentina Höll says: "The key to Lourdes is to be prepared for the unexpected. It will be a close race. You have to approach it relaxed and mentally strong."

But Höll and Nicole are by no means alone. Switzerland's Camille Balanche and Germany's Nina Hoffmann each have a World Cup victory in their palmares and both have the potential to repeat this.

Lourdes is known for its wonders as well as unpredictable riding conditions - so anything is possible. The last time a Mercedes-Benz UCI World Cup race was held here five years ago, Alexandre Fayolle (FRA) took his first and only victory in the UCI series. Can Loïc Bruni continue France's winning streak with his first victory on home soil? He certainly has the talent to do so.

Course preview

What the athletes can expect in Lourdes is shown by Swiss rider Loris Michelod from the Gamux Factory Racing Team.

Cross-country kick-off in Brazil

Two weeks after Lourdes, the cross-country riders will be back on the start line in Petrópolis, Brazil, for the one and only stop in South America. The city is located in the district of Rio de Janeiro and is the hometown of Henrique Avancini, the first Brazilian mountain biker to win a UCI World Championship title (UCI Mountain Bike Marathon World Championships 2018).

The cross-country season will be full of surprises. Last year's overall Mercedes-Benz UCI World Cup winners Mathias Flüeckiger (SUI) and Loana Lecomte (FRA) are aiming to do the double. While Mathias will be racing with a similar team to 2021, the young Frenchwoman, who turned 22 last summer, is starting her third elite season with a new team, Canyon CLLCTV. But Nino Schurter is also hungry. The reigning world champion wants to win at least one more World Cup race to catch up with record winner Julien Absalon.

The sequel

The next downhill race will take place on May 21 and 22 in Fort William, Great Britain. In total, the 2022 season of the Mercedes-Benz UCI Mountain Bike World Cup comprises eight downhill races and nine cross-country races. As in previous years, the final races will take place as a double event in Val di Sole, Italy, in September.

The entire 2022 season of the Mercedes-Benz UCI Mountain Bike World Cup can be followed live and free of charge on Red Bull TV.