British Cycling can announce the 11-strong squad that will represent Great Britain at the 2025 UCI MTB World Championships in Valais, Switzerland from Tuesday 2- Sunday 14 September.
At the multi-discipline, two-week event the mountain-bike XCO and XCC events will kick off from Monday 8 September, with European silver medallists Evie Richards and Charlie Aldridge leading the talented squad of British riders contesting that coveted rainbow jersey.
Having enjoyed a stormer of a season so far with five world cup top 10s overall, before picking up a silver medal in a GB 1-2 at last month’s European championships, Charlie Aldrige will look to leverage this form to make his way onto another podium.
Leading the elite women will be Evie Richards who also picked up a European silver medal earlier in the season and has proven herself to be on fine form time and time again. Having taken the XCC title last year, Richards will be looking to make it a double whammy and pick up more silverware to add to her impressive collection.
Joining her will be three-time and current XCO national champion Isla Short who will be taking the confidence of a top-10 finish at last month’s UEC European MTB Championships, onto the world stage.
After concussion prevented her from competing at the Europeans, under-23 rider Ella Maclean-Howell will be back firing on all cylinders and keen to achieve her first world champion jersey, having taken nine top-10 world cup finishes this season.
Experienced riders Corran Carrick-Anderson and Max Greensill will be looking for any opportunity to take the edge in an increasingly competitive under-23 men’s field, with rainbows on their mind in both the short-track and cross-country races.
Evie Strachan will lead the junior women’s squad, with a fourth-place finish in March’s Junior World Series race, and European Championships short-track 10th place under her belt so far this season, putting her in a good position ahead of these world championships. She will be joined by up-and-coming riders Zoe Roche, who has been developing her skills in cyclo-cross and on the road, and Freya Mowbray, who both make their MTB world championship debuts in Valais.
Having just come off the back of his season’s best result, a second place at last weekend’s Junior World Series event in France, Max Standen will be taking that form forward in a bid to make his mark at world championship level. Having taken a fantastic fifth place at the Junior World Series round in June in Lons le Saunier, Innes McDonald will also contest the junior men’s title.
Performance Director for the Great Britain Cycling Team, Stephen Park CBE, said:
“This is a team that is going from strength to strength, both in terms of podium results and individual development markers. Across the board there are high-quality performances being regularly delivered and I know the riders have been motivated by the trio of medal wins at the recent European Championships."
“Being able to provide medal-hunting opportunities for our experienced riders, to showcase their skills and continue to build their names and achievements in the sport is obviously one of our clear focuses. But being able to do that and incorporate learning and development opportunities for our young riders who are taking their first steps into elite sport, and may well become the stars of Brisbane 2032 and beyond, is just as vital to the ongoing success of this programme.”
The Great Britain Cycling Team squad for the 2025 UCI MTB World Championships:
Elite men
Charlie Aldridge
Elite women
Evie Richards
Isla Short
Under-23 women
Ella Maclean-Howell
Under-23 men
Corran Carrick-Anderson
Max Greensill
Junior women
Freya Mowbray
Zoe Roche
Evie Strachan
Junior men
Innes McDonald
Max Standen
Photo credit: Rodrigo Rodrigues
