RECAPPED

THE 2026 WHISTLER WORLD CUP

Words & Photos by Ethan Revitch

September 29, 2026

The Whistler Mountain Bike Park hosted its first UCI World Cup Downhill race this past weekend. The 1199 track – built in memory of Stevie Smith – has previously hosted the 1199 Crankworx Downhill, but this weekend marked the first time the World’s best downhill racers have raced the track.

The weekend began with heavy rain throughout most of Friday’s practice and timed training, making bike setup tricky. By race day, the sun was shining, and the temperatures were in the upper 50s.

I spent Friday walking the pits to check out the bikes, before heading up the hill on Saturday to watch qualifying. On Sunday, I hiked the track to watch riders during their final runs.

There was no shortage of muddy bikes this weekend, with many riders opting for front and rear rotor guards to keep mud away from their brakes and maintain consistent braking performance. As the track began to dry out, tire selection became increasingly difficult. Maxxis Shorty, Schwalbe Dirty Dan, and Continental Argotal tires were among the most common choices for both front and rear wheels, but some riders opted to run full dry tires to stick to the prevalent roots and rock.

Walking the pits, prototype components were a common sight. Shimano riders were running what is rumored to be the new Saint groupset. TRP and Hayes both had updated brake designs of their own. I found plenty of custom rear ends, with Pivot, Nukeproof, and Orbea all having lugged or tweaked rear triangles.

With the increase in speed and risk that World Cup riders are taking, many are opting for the new Alpinestars Tech-Air MX body protector. This is an airbag package inside a chest protector designed to inflate when a rider crashes. We saw an airbag inflate firsthand during Henri Kiefer’s crash off the final drop into the finish.

One thing I didn’t realize until after the time was fully posted was that his clock actually stopped while he was still on the ground, due to the bike bouncing and landing with the timing chip across the finish line. Sadly for Henri, this didn’t count as his final time, and while his bike was sixth across the line, his final position was 23rd.