180 Professional Mountain Bikers Protest Against UCI and Warner Bros
Following a protest by over 120 World Cup XC racers against this year’s shift to three-rider podiums, 61 downhill racers have now added their voices in opposition to the new UCI and Warner Bros. Discovery rules.
The latest update to the UCI mountain bike rulebook reduced podiums to just three riders across all World Cup disciplines. In response, a large group of top XC athletes launched a protest at the opening round of the 2025 Mountain Bike World Series in Brazil, calling for a return to five-rider elite podiums.
(1)-768.webp?alt=media&token=38410b8a-d482-4ebe-bb62-520b66f4b951 "2025 UCI podium changes")
Their statement, originally addressed to Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), has now gained backing from some of the fastest downhill racers, including Loic Bruni, Vali Höll, Myriam Nicole, and Amaury Pierron.
With support from over 120 XC racers, 10 Endurance World Series teams, and 61 downhill riders, the statement criticizes the rule change, stating that it was made “despite strong pushback from the athletes who are the very heart of the sport.
From Mountain Bikes Canada, we hope that the riders' opinions will be taken into consideration and that the five-rider podium will continue.