UCI and Warner Bros. Discovery Reveal Wildcard Teams for 2025 WHOOP UCI MTB World Series in Bielsko-Biała

The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) Sports have officially announced the five wildcard teams selected for Round 4 of the 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series. The downhill event is set to take place in Bielsko-Biała, Poland, from May 16 to 18.

These wildcard entries spotlight the sport’s rising talent, featuring both elite newcomers and experienced riders. The new system also opens the door for familiar names to return to the UCI Downhill World Cup spotlight.

Leading the wildcard list is French rider Thibaut Daprela (Rogue Racing), a UCI World Cup round winner in Pal Arinsal, Andorra (2023). Joining him is Thomas Estaque (Goodman - Santa Cruz), who secured a top-five finish in Les Gets, Haute-Savoie, in 2024.

The lineup also includes Kye A’Hern (Kenda - NS Bikes), the 2019 Junior UCI Downhill World Champion, and his sister Sian A’Hern, Australian National Champion and part of the newly introduced YT Racing Development team.

Goodman - Santa Cruz’s roster also features French National Champion Lisa Bouladou and Nathan Pontvianne, a 2024 World Cup finals qualifier. Rogue Racing adds further strength with Italian National Champion Davide Palazzari, a consistent top-10 World Cup finisher.

High Country completes the wildcard list, bringing a trio of promising southern hemisphere riders, including 16-year-old New Zealander Malik Boatwright, who is set to make his series debut in Poland.

Wildcard Teams

- Rogue Racing

- High Country

- Goodman - Santa Cruz

- YT Racing Development

- Kenda - NS Bikes