UCI World Cup Downhill Heads to Whistler for First Time in 2026

This week, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) confirmed that Whistler Blackcomb’s legendary bike park will officially host a stop on the UCI World Cup Downhill circuit beginning in 2026.

Home to the world's most famous mountain bike park, Whistler holds an almost mythical status in mountain biking. From epic top to bottom runs on Top of the World to the loamy goodness on neighboring Whistler Blackholmb, every downhill mountain biker dreams of making their pilgrimage to Whistler. The bike park regularly hosts world class races and freeride events, including an annual Crankworx stop.

Even for diehard mountain bikers, Whistler's lack of UCI status is surprising. Despite its reputation, the town has never hosted a UCI World Cup race Come summer 2026, that's all about the change.

The UCI World Cup race will go down on Whistler Blackholmb's 1199 trail. The trail is built in memoriam of the late Canadian downhill racer Steve Smith and is specifically tailored to meet World Cup standards. While the RockShox Canadian Open DH runs on it during Crankworx, this will be 1199's first time under the World Cup spotlight. Riders and fans can expect a brutally technical track with little room for error.

For skiers too, Whistler rings a familiar pavlovian bell. Vast, rugged terrain, bottomless pow, and B.C's consistent coastal storm cycles make powder-junkies salivate. When all that snow melts, the mountain returns to its seat on the throne of global mountain biking. Hosting a UCI stop is the final step for Whistler as a global hub for summer mountain bike tourism.

For context, the UCI World Cup Downhill series is the top flight of mountain biking racing. But historically, most of that racing took place in Europe. North American World Cup stops were limited. Whistler's addition marks a major investment in Canadian racing and a huge win local business in the off-season.

The Whistler World Cup stop is locked in for at least three years, running 2026 through 2028. The first showdown is set for September 26–27, 2026, and if past Crankworx crowds are any indication, it’s going to be an absolute heater. Get out your cowbells.