Press Release

There is Now an E-Bike Mountain Bike World Cup Series 16

The UCI has partnered with the World E-bike Series for a World Cup series of e-bike racing.

BHowell
2/18/2020 7:48am
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The mountain bike series strictly reserved for electric bikes, launched in 2019, steps up onto the world stage thanks to a long-term agreement.

The World E-Bike Series Management (WES) and the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) are pleased to announce that the first UCI World Cup in the history of E-mountain bike cross-country will be held in 2020.

Global organizer WES has been working closely with the world governing body of cycling to develop E-mountain bike racing and support the improvement and promotion of this modern mountain bike format.

The UCI World Cup will also provide an ideal platform to help achieve two major aims of the WES-UCI partnership: to continue working on the technology applied to bike controls and to involve the industry in supporting the sport's evolution.

WES CEO and Founder, Francesco Di Biase: "We are delighted to unveil the first-ever UCI E-MTB XC WORLD CUP as a result of the hard work done in collaboration with the UCI over the last couple of years. We hope that this prestigious title will encourage both well-known and young athletes to challenge themselves in this fascinating discipline".

UCI President David Lappartient: “It gives me great pleasure to launch the inaugural UCI E-Mountain Bike Cross-country World Cup, and I am thrilled that the UCI can bank on the recognized expertise of World E-Bike Series for its organization. The discipline now has a World Cup to go with the UCI World Championships, and I have every confidence in the development of E-MTB at the elite level and among amateur and recreational riders.”

E-mountain bikes make use of two energy sources: leg power and an electric motor that offers assistance while the rider turns the pedals. The motor has a maximum continuous rated power output of 250 watts and stops providing assistance at a speed of 25 km/h.

The WES format will this year see top-level competition which will be the perfect scenario for amateurs to get closer to this sport and have the chance to ride the UCI E-MTB XC WORLD CUP trails.

The 2020 UCI E-MOUNTAIN BIKE CROSS-COUNTRY WORLD CUP Calendar follows the WES World E-Bike Series Calendar previously announced:

  • Monaco (P.ty) 6-7 March
  • Switzerland, Ascona-Locarno 17-18 April
  • Italy, Bologna 5-6 June
  • TBA, 11-12 September
  • Spain, Barcelona 2-3 October

Learn more at worldebikeseries.com

Related:
UCI
E-Bike
16 comments

View replies to: There is Now an E-Bike Mountain Bike World Cup Series

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styriabeef
4 years ago
This has been asked on this other site and it's a very valid question:
Is there a natural demand or push for it? And I'd really like to know the opinion of an industry insider.. @eric @stik
I've been lying awake puzzling about the same thing last night.
I haven't seen or heard of a local ebike race pop up anywhere. But that happens in every sport people are passionate about. But there have been WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS last year in EBike racing, where 5 people finished in the women's class!!!!?????
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erik saunders
4 years ago
i dont think there is some dark industry cabal organizing behind ebike racing to force ebikes into the market... the industry does not cooperate at that level internally... and certainly they dont cooperate with the UCI... the ebike thing is out there.. the momentum is real because of consumer demand... not the machinations of "the industry"... some of what we see is people seeing the way things are moving and trying in their way to get a hold of it as to not lose out and be left behind... mostly by aggressive following, hedging as they hide, and taking up a shit useless positions just to not cede the space to others... sometimes though, i think in the case of TLD and Electric Boogaloo, there are some events really trying something new based on entrepreneurial people being legitimately excited about it... in CES, we had been asked and begged to allow eMTB by actual riders who own actual bikes that they bought (not sponsored riders)... so we did... it is small and growing... still would rather ride Harescramble than an EWS on an ebike... but thats just me...
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styriabeef
4 years ago
Thx for weighing in.
I'm not a tin foil hat guy I understand that ebikers want to participate and I get the supply and demand thing.
I participated in and organized regional racing that a few EWS Elite Racers cut there teeth in. And I can say it's all grassroots - riders for riders. Then I see someone like Anneke Beerten getting 4th out of 5 in EBike world championships and I can't believe she does it because she passionately races eBikes. And then FIM organizing and broadcasting a race then UCI jumping the bandwagon. So it appears that people responsible for marketing budgets see great opportunities there.
Maybe it's the fear of being late to the show like you said. And I understand that there is a market. But I'm still intrigued if it's really so much bigger, more lucrative or less fought over that they tend to put it there.
E.g. Bosch is huge compared to specialized, but is the money for marketing ebike racing really that much bigger than the big Ss? Or is it because of Bosch having a different viewing angle by descending from outside the bike world?
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erik saunders
4 years ago
that is an interesting question.... i couldnt say how Bosch or Spec view their promotion of Ebike racing... in any case i dont think anyone is throwing big money at it yet... as far as AB, who i know, i can say confidently that she is a person who enjoys the lifestyle of riding and racing bikes... she is happy to line up in any race on any bike, so for sure if she is at an event, and can line up for an ebike race, she is gonna be stoked to do it and be a part of something new... i did the ebike race at sea otter one year in the same spirit... but no real commitment to it either... just fun... the opportunities though, as you probably agree, are long term... not near term, at least in the US market...
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erik saunders
4 years ago
if i could get 30 dudes to show up at an ebike race that was like 2hrs long going up and down a course made of DH tracks in both directions i would put it on...
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matmattmatthew
4 years ago
So who races these? Washed up XC racers? People that aren't good enough to race XC? Washed up Enduro racers? People missing a leg? Serious question...
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erik saunders
4 years ago
I've talked about how to best organize ebike racing A LOT in the past 5 years and I keep coming back to it needing it's own format since no current format really provides any angle for the "e" part of it... in the end the bottom line is the dudes just seem to want to do the normal race, just on their ebike... uninteresting... i know... it will evolve when more dudes have ebikes... and I am not sure really the future of any bike racing at this moment...
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geoff.waugh
4 years ago
It needs to be long and hard enough so the riders have to monitor their battery output carefully and wisely. No tech zones (although that may be a tough one go back to). Steep, very technical climbs as opposed to fire roads. Even some tiring pushing sections - not hike a bike obvs. Sections where they will be pedalling a 45-50lb bike against the ''gearbox' because they have hit the limiter. These will still favour the very fit, and physically strong, rider. Just thoughts
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geoff.waugh
4 years ago
Take a look at Anneke Beerten's reports on her 2019 World Champs eBike race and what the track was like. Anneke isn't XC or washed up and has two legs.
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Scrub
4 years ago
They should have an "unlimited" (skunkworks/black box) class from manufactures. You know to show people the potential of these machines, good or bad. This may sway the view of how people see them in the present or future and what direction the industry goes.
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