The cross-country season is back. It’s time for fast machines, bunch racing, and some epic courses. The year kicks off in Mairiporã, Brazil this weekend, U23 short track underway on Friday, and the Elite racing beginning on Saturday. Last year Tom Pidcock and Puck Pieterse took the first round win in Nove Mesto – both of whom are missing the first round this year to focus on their road seasons. Of course, there will be plenty of time for epic battles with those two – and remember, it’s Olympic year so there’s even more to fight for than usual.

The Mairiporã course looks like it’ll be fast-flowing, with the track being built into a bike park. There will also be tight corners, plenty of steep climbs and some seriously big rock features. Hopefully all of these features will make it harder for riders to build a big lead margin. So, where can you watch it and who’s looking likely to take the first World Cup victory of the year?

The full list of races across the UCI calendar this year – Cross-country gets 8 rounds in 2024

Where and when can I watch the racing?

Since Eurosport/Discovery+ bought the rights to the racing last year, it unfortunately means that the XC World Cup remains behind a paywall. For us Brits we can watch it via Discovery+ or Eurosport. Subscriptions to these begin at £6.99 a month for the mid-tier Discovery+ package which includes cycling. If you want the big screen experience, make sure you’ve got Eurosport as part of your TV subscriptions.

It’s important to note that the U23 short track racing is only available via the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series’ YouTube channel (for free).

So when is the racing? Short track begins on Friday 12th with the U23 men’s and women’s in the afternoon. Elite short track begins on the Saturday, deciding the starting grid for Sunday’s Elite Olympic races. The full timings for Discovery+ coverage are below:

13th April

• Women’s Elite short track – 15:30
• Men’s Elite short track – 16:30
• Men’s U23 Olympic – 18:25

14th April

• Women’s U23 Olympic – 13:55
• Women’s Elite Olympic – 15:45
• Men’s Elite Olympic – 18:00

Which British riders are racing?

We’ve got two in the men’s elite and two in the women’s for the first round – with Tom Pidcock notably absent as he focuses on his road racing. Charlie Alridge and Cameron Orr lead the charge for the Elite men’s races, while former world champion and British champion Evie Richards lines up alongside Isla Short for the women’s Elite races.

Inspired by the capabilities of a cross-country bike and want to give one a go? Read our guide to the best XC mountain bikes to be inspired.

How to watch from anywhere in the world with a free VPN

If you’re not in the UK then live streaming the events is still an option – all you have to do is download and install a VPN and use a location inside the United Kingdom to watch the broadcast live as if you were back home.

Setting up a VPN is simple – just download, install, open the app and select your location.

Try out Express VPN for its speed, security and simplicity to use. It is also compatible with a range of devices and streaming services (e.g. Amazon Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Xbox, PS4, etc.), giving you the option to watch wherever you want.

A VPN is a piece of software which offers both online privacy and ability to change your IP address, meaning that you can access on-demand content or live TV like you would back at home while in another country. There are other great options out there, of course, and plenty of free VPNs but our sister site TechRadar recommends the paid-for ExpressVPN, which it consistently rates as the best VPN provider.

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