Shattering of electric dreams, short-circuiting a lost cause, or refusing to get behind a different kind of bike racing and the industry that fuels it?
A couple of days ago, the UCI flipped the switch – but didn’t fully rip out the fuse – on the World E-Bike Series (WES). The series has been around since 2021 and comprises a varying number (around six) two-day rounds, mostly Eurocentric geographically and in terms of competitors. The reason it has decided to pause and re-evaluate the discipline and the series is said to be due to its lack of international growth. It’s also been stated that for this year, at least, there will still be a World Championship title race for e-MTB. The UCI press release on this has been posted and noted on various platforms, so I won’t delve into that.
Was it a shock?
When it comes to eMTBs, especially racing them, it can be a touchy subject to say the least. In the past, I have written before on the EXC World Championships, and indeed, sparks flew in every direction at the mere mention of it. I also did follow up with a feature including insights on just how tough the discipline really is, with its first ever world champion, Alan Hatherly. Plenty of readers were rather surprised.
I would guess that the prominence of the WES announcement did come as something of a strange surprise to most, in a couple or more ways. Firstly because the series usually kicks off in early May, and it would seem something of a late call – but, then again, given that no firm dates (as far as I’m aware) had been announced by the UCI or WES, I’d guess that insiders probably had a hankering that things were looking a bit neutral.
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Though I would also guess that there was perhaps equally, if not more, surprise that a full series did still exist. This could well be a part of the conundrum, as it lacked exposure, which naturally doesn’t help the image or development of the discipline.
It’s an interesting one all round. The bike industry and associated motor brands are really championing and backing e-MTB and e-bikes of all kinds. It’s business. Naturally, this reflects in terms of sponsorship of riders and events – including the WES series, or at least I would imagine so.
Are friends really electric?
It’s a case of devil you do, devil you don’t when touching on such electrifying subjects. I don’t currently have an e-bike of any kind, but I have one on my wishlist. As for racing them? I’m all for it. Although, as with observations of last year’s World Championships, in the case of cross-country racing, with the alarmingly low competitor numbers last year, the UCI does likely have a fair point on this particular one.
Sadly, the hail and glory of the star-studded field from the first 2019 title race in Canada didn’t carry forth in subsequent years, which is genuinely surprising. It was a very good race to watch, and an image boon for the early e-MTB scene and industry. However, without those bigger racing guns, the rider numbers, and dynamic racing, the discipline will struggle to gain traction and hold attention.
Crossed lines?
That’s not to say that EXC racing isn’t worthy – it is. But perhaps its current guise as a strictly ordered discipline that prioritises athleticism isn’t the best way forward.
Could it thrive in a more varied system and format outside of the UCI? Maybe. Although, perhaps it would be fair to assess that e-MTB competitions and racing lean more to prominence in the enduro format, and there’s no reason that this couldn’t also translate to, or bridge gaps to, a special stage-based XC format.
On the e-enduro side, there are various series and events running outside of the UCI World Cup system and format. They may not hit the huge competitor numbers of regular mountain bike events, but they are solid and fun events to watch, and, I would guess, to ride.
All said and done, all too often the focus of riding bikes of any kind does fall on racing them. This overall is a very small part of the sport and industry in numbers and sales terms, though it’s also what grabs the headlines.
This is just my five watts-worth. I’d like to see e-MTB thriving, racing or otherwise. Maybe its path is yet to be wired in the ideal direction…
2 thoughts on “The UCI’s electric XC dream may be on hiatus for now – but the discipline could still thrive without cycling’s governing body”
You completely ignored a factor that makes e-bike racing a practically impossible endeavor (let alone if you should want something like that, of course): it is way too easy to cheat.
You can regulate it as much as you want – at what speeds assistance should cut off, maximum torque etc. etc., but fact simply is that those things can be worked around, tweaked, hacked, faked etc., digitally or mechanically.
After an inspection of the bike, such a tweak can be done in many ways.
Who in his right mind cares about race results when the opportunities to cheat are so abundant?
I doubt they had a hankering. Did you perhaps mean an inkling?