Mountain bike world championships are coming back to Canada! More specifically, back to Mont-Sainte-Anne. The announcement comes as part of the UCI’s big reveal during 2026 UCI road world championships in Montréal, which run all this week.
Mont-Sainte-Anne is BACK!
Today’s announcement reveals that downhill and cross country (and eMTB, if they’re still doing that then) worlds will be back in Canada for the first time since 2019. That year was again at MSA.
The announcement will be welcomed by mountain bike fans in central and eastern Canada, who have been without a World Cup this year. MSA was left off the 2026 World Cup calendar for the first time in decades this season. Mont-Sainte-Anne’s hosted World Cup and world championships continuously (cancelled 2020 excepted) since 1991. The blow that Quebec was off the calendar was softened slightly by the announcement that Whistler would be getting its first downhill World Cup. That event takes place this weekend, so follow along for all the news from B.C.
Emily Batty flying through a field of Canadian fans in 2019. Photo: Nick Iwanyshyn
When are worlds coming back to Canada?
The catch to this announcement is that Mont-Sainte-Anne is hosting world championships in 2032. That is still a good six years away. But, if the venue is hosting worlds, there’s a good chance the World Cup could come back for at least a couple years before that.
If not? Then hopefully Crankworx’s new Mont-Sainte-Anne event continues on for a few more years.
Some words on worlds from the organizers
2032 worlds will be a partnership between Corporation Événements d’été de Québec (CEEQ), Cycling Canada and Fédération québécoise des sports cyclistes (FQSC).
“Since 1991, our organization has worked tirelessly to host high-level mountain bike events that generate significant economic, sporting, tourism, and media benefits for the region, Quebec, and Canada, explains Marie-France Couture, Executive Producer of the CEEQ. Confirming the hosting of the World Championships at Mont-Sainte-Anne in 2032, right on the heels of successfully delivering the Crankworx World Tour Finals at Mont-Sainte-Anne, solidifies this continuity and opens up very exciting prospects for our organization.”
– Corporation Événements d’été de Québec (CEEQ)
“Awarding these World Championships represents an exceptional opportunity for the growth of mountain biking in Quebec,” adds Fabien Blot, Executive Director of the FQSC. “Welcoming the world’s best athletes to Mont-Sainte-Anne serves as a tremendous source of inspiration for our next generation while helping strengthen our expertise, programs, and cycling ecosystem. Beyond the event itself, our ambition is for 2032 to leave a lasting legacy for athletes, clubs, and the entire Quebec mountain bike community.”
We’re thrilled worlds are coming back to Canada! Now, off to Whistler.