The European leg of the 2026 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series is officially underway, and FOX-supported athletes are already making their presence felt across every discipline. From the legendary XC circuits of Nové Město to the steep and technical terrain of Loudenvielle, FOX riders delivered wins, podiums, and top results throughout the opening European rounds.
The opening Enduro World Cup round delivered one of the closest races of the weekend, with less than five seconds separating the top four Elite Men.
Leading the charge for FOX was French rider Alex Rudeau, who returned to the top step of the podium on home soil after an incredibly consistent five-stage performance. He claimed victory with a total time of 23:30.038, winning by less than a second. Rudeau and other athletes elected to equip the FOX Podium fork for the conditions, and were well rewarded.
Ryan Gilchrist finished just 2.295 seconds off the win in 3rd place, while Fisher narrowly missed the podium in Fourth - both riders representing the Yeti / FOX Factory Race Team. FOX-supported riders also claimed multiple stage victories throughout the day, highlighting the speed and consistency of FOX-equipped programs across the entire event.
Episode 3 of The Setup took us behind the scenes of the second stop on the DH World Cup as athletes and their teams puzzled with dry conditions, rough terrain, and tight margins throughout the weekend.
FOX athletes landed podiums across Elite and Junior categories - Hemstreet continued her strong start to the season with a 2nd place Elite Women's podium finish aboard her FOX-equipped Norco race bike. Coulanges finished just a tenth of a second behind Luca Shaw in one of the tightest Elite Men's finals of the season, giving FOX another Downhill World Cup podium.
Elite Women
2nd - Gracey Hemstreet - Norco Race Division
Elite Men
2nd - Benoît Coulanges - Scott Downhill Factory
The Junior categories produced two of the biggest FOX results of the weekend, with both Williamson and Zierl claiming World Cup victories in Loudenvielle.
Junior Women
1st - Rosa Zierl - Cube Factory Racing
Junior Men
1st - Jonty Williamson - Yeti / FOX Factory Race Team
FOX athletes continue to show strength across Cross-Country, Downhill, and Enduro as the 2026 World Cup season builds momentum.
