Pinkbike Primer: Everything You Need to Know Ahead of the Bielsko-Biala EDR World Cup 2024
Poland is making its UCI World Cup debut this week when it hosts both downhill and enduro rounds in Bielsko-Biala. Here is everything you need to know before the first round of racing kicks off this weekend.
Race Briefing
The second round of the 2024 EDR World Cup series heads to the brand new location of Bielsko-Biala, Poland. This part of the world has never seen international-level mountain bike racing and so riders will be facing a completely new network of trails and getting to terms with a new building style and dirt. We're looking forward to seeing who can tame the unfamiliar terrain.
For the racing in Bielsko-Biala, the enduro course will be 36.5km long with 12.5km of racing over the course of 5 stages and 2074m of descending. These stages are much shorter than the ones we saw in Finale Ligure last weekend, with stage 2 being the longest at 3.7km and 524m of elevation loss.
Last weekend, riders battled across technical stages with tight liaison times and Finale Ligure proved again why it is a mainstay of enduro racing as it produced some incredible racing with Bailey Christie, Lily Planquart, Hattie Harnden and Richie Rude taking the round one victories.
We hope that helps get you prepped for this weekend's racing and keep scrolling to gather more details to get you ready for the second round of Enduro racing in Bielsko-Biala.
What Happened at the Last Round?
After what riders said was one of the most physical enduro racers ever, it was Richie Rude and Harriet Harnden that took top honours on a gruelling day in Finale Ligure. 2023 overall champion Isabeau Courdurier started the season off strong with a second place ahead of a consistent Ella Connolly in the Elite women's race, while Charlie Murray and Martin Maes took the final two steps on the Elite men's podium. In the U21 races, it was Bailey Christie and Lily Planquart that finished on top.
Who's Leading the Overall?
In 2023, it was Isabeau Courdurier and Richie Rude who were crowned as the EDR series champions, both taking the overall enduro crowns for the third time in their careers. With the scores wiped for 2024, it's Richie Rude and Harriet Harnden who are currently leading the series after the first of six rounds.
Elite Women:
1st. Hattie Harnden: 462
2nd. Isabeau Courdurier: 412
3rd. Ella Conolly: 372
4th. Morgane Charre: 341
5th. Rae Morrison: 287
Elite Men:
1st. Richie Rude: 470
2nd. Charlie Murray: 397
3rd. Martin Maes: 363
4th. Mirco Vendemmia: 317
5th. Slawomir Lukasik: 299
U21 Men:
1st. Bailey Christie: 234
2nd. Jt Fisher: 212
3rd. Marius Tenet Berrat: 177
4th. Wei Tien Ho: 167
5th. William Brodie: 143
1st. Bailey Christie: 234
2nd. Jt Fisher: 212
3rd. Marius Tenet Berrat: 177
4th. Wei Tien Ho: 167
5th. William Brodie: 143
U21 Women:
1st. Lily Planquart: 240
2nd. Elly Hoskin: 174
3rd. Simona Kuchynkova: 138
4th. Delia Da Mocogno: 94
5th. Lacey Adams: 66
1st. Lily Planquart: 240
2nd. Elly Hoskin: 174
3rd. Simona Kuchynkova: 138
4th. Delia Da Mocogno: 94
5th. Lacey Adams: 66
What are the Stages?
The enduro trails are located in the Beskidy Mountains. The trail network was established in 2015 and has since continued to grow year-on-year and is now home to an established riding community.
 | We’ve gone from physicality in Finale to all out speed in Poland. This course is short and sharp, but will provide a massive challenge for our riders. With the speeds being so high, mixed with the technical stages, multiple line choice, and loose conditions, the riders bouncing off the limiter all day. |
Stage 1: Kamieniolom / 2km / -275m
Stage 2: Dziabar / 3.7km / -524m
Stage 3: Debowiec / 2.5km / -336m
Stage 4: Cygan / 2.5km / -305m
Stage 5: DH+ / 1.8km / -283m
Quick Stats:
Total Distance (Incluing Liasons): 36.5km
Total Stage Distance: 12.5km
Total Descending: 2,074m
When and What Racing is Happening this Weekend?
Here is a look at what you can expect to find happening this weekend.
All times CEST
Thursday, May 16
• 09:00 - 17:00 // Practice
Friday, May 17
• 8:30 // EDR Race Start
• 17:30 // EDR Race Finish
Saturday, May 18
• 08:30 // E-EDR Race Start
• 17:30 // E-EDR Race Finish
• Offical WBD race coverage is expected to release in the evening on May 19
Note: All times are local and subject to change by the UCI/event organizer.
Who's on the Entry List?
Check out who will be getting between the tape this weekend for the 2024 EDR World Cup opening round.
Elite Men
Elite Women
U21 Women
U21 Men
The entry lists were correct as of May 15 according to the organizers.
What's the Weather Expected to be?
It looks like there's a threat of rain in Bielsko Biala for Friday, which could make things interesting after a perfectly dry and beautiful day for practice on Thursday. Although cloud cover could just make for perfect riding conditions if the rain holds off. For the E-EDR, it looks like there's a high chance of rain in the morning.
Thursday, May 16 (Practice)
Nice and warm with times of clouds and sun // 22°C // 1% probability of precipitation // wind 11km/h
Friday, May 17 (EDR Race)
Cloudy in the morning, then intervals of clouds and sunshine in the afternoon with a shower; not as warm // 18°C // 70% probability of precipitation // wind 13km/h
Saturday, May 18 (E-EDR Race)
On-and-off rain and drizzle in the morning; otherwise, mostly cloudy // 21°C // 60% probability of precipitation // wind 11km/h
Weather forecast as of Wednesday, May 15 from Accuweather.
How to Follow the Racing?
To follow the racing live there will be live timing on the UCI MTB World Series site and Pinkbike will be posting results shortly after the racing.
We expect racing to kick off at 8:30 local time on Friday, May 18 (7:30 BST // 23:30 PDT). Race coverage from the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series will be available the following evening after the E-EDR on Sunday, May 19.
Author Info:
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But; we'll let Tracey Mosley & Fabian Barel know you think they suck. That should put an end to ebiking & we can all hug & smile & laugh again.
It will be very physical, lots and lots of pumping.
That’s what she said
Love both genres, but still more of an Enduro fan.
:P