It’s normal to expect drama at the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series coming to Lake Placid October 3 through 5. After all, the world’s best riders on challenging courses are super exciting to see. But this year, it’s all going to be cranked up even higher. Our 2025 races will be energized to the extreme as top Canadian and American athletes vie for the biggest of all the wins – season championship titles.
Last week in France, Canadian downhill riders Jackson Goldstone and Gracey Hemstreet flew down mountains in the Alps in unbelievably filthy, muddy, slippery conditions. The biggest crowds of the season were looking on as both riders held precariously onto their positions in the overall standings. After a nightmare of a first run with every second offering chances to lose ground, Goldstone survived holding onto a slim lead in the overall standings, just ahead of France’s Loïc Bruni. In the women’s standings, the battle remains between Hemstreet and Austrian Valentina Höll as the two are riding at a level above all the others, with Hemstreet just seconds off snagging the first place position away from Höll. A total of just 25 points currently separate the two top men and 59 points separate the women.
When they come to Lake Placid, the downhill races on the steep slopes of Whiteface Mountain will be incredibly intense. The extreme effects of gravity combined with the potential of season championships being either clinched or slipping away will produce radically raw moments for spectators and racers alike.
Just 12 miles away at Mt Van Hoevenberg, we’ll have a similar scene as American Christopher Blevins gives it his all to clinch the season champion status in the Cross-Country Olympic (XCO) World Cup. The current leader, ahead by a massive 361 total points, Blevins did not finish his last three races the way he wanted and will be pushing hard in Lake Placid to lock his first overall championship. That makes the XCO a race not to miss.
These World Cup races are always thrilling to witness anytime throughout the season. But now, with things as tight and tenuous as they are for these elite Canadian and American athletes, the results at Lake Placid are sure to be major, and the excitement will be reverberating throughout the High Peaks’ fall foliage.
Time is drawing near, so gear up for a weekend of major thrills and the unparalleled fall scenery around Lake Placid. And if you haven’t already, get your tickets here today.