While all eyes are on the 2025 world championships – and Canada’s sensational performances there already in downhill and in cross country – one Canadian team just confirmed it earned its first Wildcard invite of the 2025 season.
UCI announced the Wildcard spots for World Cup rounds 15 and 16, the only two North American stops this year. Lake Placid, NY will host cross country racing. Then Mont-Sainte-Anne will host the combined downhill and cross country World Cup one last time. Both events take place in October, with Lake Placid running from the 3rd to 5th and MSA the 9th to 12th.
At Mont-Sainte-Anne, the small-but-mighty Forbidden Dunbar Racing Team will make its first Wildcard appearance of the 2025 season. With Forbidden Dunbar’s very Canadian roster, the final MSA will be a little more maple-flavoured than the rest of the World Cup season.
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Forbidden Dunbar’s invite opens up spots for the eight-rider team to return to World Cup racing. The rider’s spent most of this year racing closer to home, at Crankworx, Canada Cups, Dunbar Summer Series and NW Cups. The team has also dealt with way more than its fair share of injuries. Emmy Lan and Ryder Wilson did race the La Thuile DH World Cup. Wilson was 18th in the junior men’s race while Lan finished made Q2 but just missed finals.
For the rest of the team, which includes Canadians Jon Mozell, Rhys Verner, Anthony Poulson and Magnus Manson as well as Australia’s flat-pedal wildman Connor Fearon and GB’s Alex Storr, MSA could be the first appearance this year. That depends on injury status, of course. Hopefully we’ll see as many Canadians between the tape as possible come October.
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Whistler-based Future Frameworks also earns another Wildcard spot, opening the door for Canadian riders Benny and Landon De Vall and Jack McCredie. Michael Delsalle gets an invite with Gwin Racing, alongside boss Aaron Gwin. Kenda NS Bikes UR Team also gets another Wildcard entry, giving Canadian Tegan Cruz another shot at his home-nation World Cup alongside his teammates.
Outside of the Wildcard scene, newly-minted Canadian world champion Jackson Goldstone’s quest for the World Cup overall will wrap up at Mont-Sainte-Anne, too. He has two more rounds to try secure a lead over French downhill icon Loic Bruni. Those…
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