The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) has awarded the Swiss region of Valais the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships scheduled for September 2025. Eight Valais destinations will host the various events, including Crans-Montana for the ‘blue ribbon’ Cross-Country race.
The opening ceremony will take place in the Valais capital city of Sion, with other events taking place in the Dents du Midi Region (Downhill), Grächen (E-Bike), Leukerbad (Enduro), Verbier with Val d’Anniviers (Marathon), Monthey (Pumptrack) and Zermatt (Short Track).
It’s the first time in the history of the UCI World Championships that all seven events are taking place in the same region.
Switzerland is a popular mountain biking destination and also has an excellent reputation as a large-scale event organiser. With this in mind, Swiss Cycling then submitted an application, along with the Fédération Cycliste Valaisanne (FCVs) and Valais / Wallis Promotion that proposed the whole of the 2025 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships should take place in the canton of Valais.
Pierre-Henri Mainetti, Sales and Marketing Manager for Crans-Montana Tourism, said:
We are delighted that Valais has been chosen for the 2025 Mountain Bike World Championships and of course that Crans-Montana is hosting the main event. We have developed a strong mountain bike offering here, including for this year a new red downhill trail. There’s a lot of options in Crans-Montana for all sorts of mountain bikers including downhill, Enduro and classic cross country alongside the road cycling and gravel biking opportunities we have. Having been awarded the cross country race is recognition of what we have to offer here.
Thomas Peter, Sport Director of Swiss Cycling, said:
With its ideal topography and its experience in large-scale events, Valais is the ideal playground for innovative mountain biking events in the same region.
David Lappartient, President of the UCI, also said:
It is with great joy that the UCI awarded the organization of the 2025 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships to Valais. The canton is perfectly suited to host major cycling competitions. We remember the 2011 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Champéry very well. Switzerland is a great mountain bike nation and we were seduced by the formula proposed by the committee application, this unique combination of all specialties in one event.
This allocation is a further step towards positioning Valais as a destination benchmark in Switzerland for cycling. Valais, through the CM MTB Association Valais 2025, was chosen among several applicants.
Frédéric Favre, Valais State Councillor, said:
To welcome the seven disciplines of mountain biking in the same region is a unique opportunity to showcase the diversity of the offering we have in Valais, also both for sports and travel. This is an important asset for the development of a four-season tourism policy.
