Škoda Auto is an official partner of the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships for the first time this year. The event runs from 30 August to 14 September across seven venues in Valais, Switzerland. Škoda is supplying 13 electrified vehicles and designing the ‘hot seat’ for downhill race leaders. Coverage will be featured on Škoda’s WeLoveCycling.com platform, with engaging content and competitions for mountain-bike fans.
The 2025 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships will take place this year in an entirely new format, bringing multiple formats together in a single two-week event: cross-country Olympic, cross-country short track, cross-country marathon, e-mountain bike cross-country, downhill, enduro & e-enduro, and pump track. In total, 27 UCI World Championship titles will be awarded. The championship opens with an inaugural weekend in the Alpine city of Sion, promising a thrilling atmosphere with a spectacular downhill showcase and a world-record attempt. The opening show will also feature unique artistic performances. Given the breadth of disciplines, the races will be held at six further locations, including the well-known resorts of Zermatt and Crans-Montana. Up to 100,000 fans are expected to attend.
The new Škoda Enyaq as well as the Kodiaq will be prominently shown at selected venues and along the course of downhill and cross-country tracks. At the same time, the new Enyaq will join the Elroq as display vehicles in the expo area. Fans with access to the Škoda hospitality area can look forward to outdoor- and mountain-bike-themed experiences, such as trying out roof tents on Škoda vehicles and taking test rides on bicycles from the Czech brand. Another highlight for spectators will be the ‘hot seat’ for the current downhill leader, finished in Škoda livery. Škoda Auto will also run competitions for mountain-bike fans on its WeLoveCycling.com platform, offering the chance to win a range of prizes, including a specialised Škoda carbon gravel bike and VIP tickets to the Škoda hospitality area at the championships.
In May this year, Škoda announced it will be partnering with two flagship UCI events for the next two seasons: alongside the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships, the UCI Gravel World Championships, which take place in October in the Dutch province of Limburg. The Czech automaker’s history is closely linked to bicycles. In 1895, Václav Laurin and Václav Klement – Škoda Auto’s founders – started with a bicycle factory in Mladá Boleslav. Cycling is one of the main pillars of Škoda Auto’s sponsorship activities, including world-renowned road events. Chief among these are the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España stage races. The carmaker also extended its partnership with organiser A.S.O. last year through to 2028, under an agreement that includes organisational support for a number of men’s and women’s competitions each year. Škoda also sponsors the women’s races Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift and La Vuelta Femenina, as well as La Flèche Wallonne and the revived Peace Race.