After what felt like a long off season, World Cup mountain biking is finally back! The 2026 season kicks off with a bang, as both downhill and cross country teams converge on a brand new venue in a country the World Cup has never visited before. Teams have landed in The Republic of South Korea and are already checking out the venue at Mona Yongpyong.
Here’s how and, crucially, when to watch the start of the 2026 World Cup mountain bike season this week in South Korea.
When to Watch: Time zone shuffle
The first World Cup of 2026 runs from Friday, May 1 to Sunday, May 3. With the conversion from the Seoul time zone to North American time zones, 16 hours different from Pacific Time and 13 hours off of Eastern Time the schedule lines up for some late night viewing, just one day earlier. Check out the schedule below and be sure to double check what day you need to watch your favourite event here in Canada.
Day 1 – UCI World Cup – South Korea
Short Track Cross Country (XCC) – Under-23 women – 10:35-11:00 KST May 01 / 18:35 – 19:00 PST April 31 / 21:00 EST April 31
Short Track Cross Country (XCC) – Under-23 men – 11:25-11:50 KST May 1 / 19:25-19:50 PST April 31 / 21:25-21:50 EST April 31
Downhill – Elite Qualifying 1 – 12:30 – 14:00 KST May 1 / 20:30-22:00 PST April 31 / 23:30-00:00 EST April 31
Downhill – Qualifying 2 – 15:00 – 16:30 KST / 03:00-04:30 PST May 1 / 06:00-07:30 EST May 1
Elite women – Short Track Cross Country (XCC) – 17:15-17:40 KST May 1 / 05:15-05:40 PST May 1 / 08:15-08:40 EST May 1
Elite men – Short Track Cross Country (XCC) – 18:05-18:30 KST May 1 / 06:05-06:30 PST May 1 / 09:05-09:30 EST May 1
Day 2 – UCI World Cup – South Korea
Downhill World Cup – Junior women – 11:30 – 12:00 KST May 2 / 19:30-20:00 PST May 1 / 22:30-23:00 EST May 1
Downhill World Cup – Junior men – 12:00 – 12:45 KST May 2 / 20:00-20:45 PST May 1 / 23:00-23:45 EST May 1
Downhill World Cup – Elite women – 13:00 – 14:00 KST May 2 / 21:00-22:00 PST May 1 / 00:00-01:00 EST May 2
Downhill World Cup – Elite men – 14:10 – 15:45 KST May 2 / 22:00-23:45 PST May 1 / 01:00-02:45 EST May 2
Day 3 – UCI World Cup – South Korea
Cross Country World Cup (XCO) – Under-23 women – 09:00 – 10:20 KST May 3 / 17:00-18:20 PST May 2 / 20:00-21:20 May 2
Cross…
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