2025 UCI MTB World Series – Bielsko Biala (POL)

Despite a mechanical, Benoit Coulanges confirmed his pre-season form with a blazing-fast performance and a solid P10 finish.

Racing can be brutally unpredictable — but that’s what makes it so intense, emotional, and unforgettable.

Bielsko Biala, Poland, May 18th. After a long winter of preparation, over 500 test runs, and thousands of descending meters, we rolled into Poland for the opening round of the 2025 UCI MTB DH World Series (formerly DHI World Cup) fired up and ready.
The pit setups across the paddock reflected the rising standards — bigger, more comfortable, and more dialed than ever. Everyone came to play.

 

“Pretty happy with the bike and my speed given the challenging conditions. Winter work will pay off very soon and i know i have a solid group of people around, we will achieve great things !”
Benoit Coulanges
SCOTT DH Factory

 

 

The weather? Grim — just as forecasted. Rain and even snow made for a truly wild week. Track Walk was done in the snow, followed by a productive photo/video session and a promising training day on Friday. Morale was high, even if the weather wasn’t.

Unfortunately, Ethan Craik, who made a full recovery from last season’s injury and had impressed all winter with three podiums, was hit hard by the flu right from day one. Despite some fast splits, his energy was drained, and even our physios couldn’t turn things around in time.

Dylan Levesque, coming back from injury and Goncalo Bandeira struggled to find their rhythm in qualifying. The raw speed is there — as some splits showed — but everything still needs to click.

 

And then there was BC.

Benoit came into Poland hungry — determined to show that new gear and team changes hadn’t dulled his edge. After a clean, measured qualification run, he was locked in for the final. Snow at the top, rain on track — didn’t matter. He lit up the first three splits in green, even setting the fastest second intermediate!

Then, heartbreak — a stuck chain at the worst possible moment. He still pushed to the bottom, salvaging a top 10 finish. A strong start to the season, though frustrating considering what could have been.

Still, the week was a success. The entire team showed professionalism, passion, and grit — both on track and off. We connected with fans, partners, and each other, despite the challenging conditions and mixed results.

The foundation has been set. The fire is lit. On to the next.

See you in two weeks in Loudenvielle (FRA). We’ll undoubtedly be even stronger and more present…