The WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series continues to take steps to strengthen the role of professional teams. Starting this season, a new award called The Summit will be up for grabs, a trophy that will recognize the best team of the year in each of the three main disciplines of the circuit: cross-country, downhill, and enduro.
Until now, the focus has been primarily on individual titles and overall classifications, but for the first time in the history of the MTB World Cup, there will be a specific award to recognize the collective work of the teams.
The initiative was presented by Warner Bros. Discovery Sports during the Leogang World Cup, the first event of the season, which simultaneously brings together cross-country, downhill, and enduro competitions.
The objective of this new trophy is to recognize the fundamental role that teams play in the performance of their riders, rewarding not only sporting results, but also organizational skills, innovation, and consistency throughout the entire season. According to the organizers, The Summit aims to highlight the collaborative work of riders, mechanics, coaches, technical staff, and sports organizations that maintain the high competitive level of the World Cup.
This is how the team rankings will be calculated:
The rankings will be updated after each round of the World Cup and will take into account the results obtained by riders registered with official WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series teams and UCI MTB teams.
The scoring system will combine the points earned by the four best riders on each team, adding up both male and female results.
In downhill and enduro, points earned in competition will be counted directly, while in cross-country, the rankings will combine the results of the Short Track (XCC) and the Olympic Cross-country (XCO).
Furthermore, the system will integrate both elite and junior/U23 categories, reinforcing the importance of athletic development within each organization.
At the end of the season, the team that accumulates the most points in each discipline will be the winner of The Summit.
A trophy crafted from sustainable materials
The Summit also stands out for its design. The trophy has been crafted using sustainable materials such as oak wood, recycled aluminum, recycled carbon fiber from the cycling industry, bio-based PLA, stainless steel, and acrylic.
Its most striking feature is a carbon sphere at the top, inspired by the prestigious Globe trophy awarded to the overall winners of the World Cup.
The first Summit champions will be crowned at the end of the season. The enduro prize will be awarded in Morillon, France, while the cross-country and downhill trophies will be presented during the final round of the season in Lake Placid, USA.
Source: www.brujulabike.com