The 2026 HERO UCI Cross‑country Marathon World Cup’s fifth round will take place in Kirchzarten on 26 July in the heart of the Black Forest. The Black Forest ULTRA Bike Marathon boasts 118 km and 3,550 hm and is one of the season’s highlights. All eyes will be on David Valero Serrano, from Spain, and Anna Weinbeer from Switzerland: both lead the overall ranking and are ready to defend their spot in what is bound to be an incredibly technical skills-driven race.
THE FAVOURITES
Kirchzarten is ready to welcome the stars of the 2026 Black Forest ULTRA Bike Marathon, the HERO UCI Cross‑country Marathon World Cup’s main event which will provide everyone with a better picture of the ranking’s outlook.
All eyes will be on David Valero Serrano, from Spain, representing Klimatiza Orbea Team, current leader of the overall ranking and new 2026 European champion, ready to defend the red leader’s jersey in what will be an incredibly challenging race. Serrano, who won bronze in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, will have to contend with Wout Alleman from Belgium, who is currently 125 points behind, and Leonardo Paez, racing for Leecougan Basso Factory Team, who will have to overcome the 194-point gap to make it to the top. Stefano Goria, Samuele Porro (Klimatiza Orbea Team) and Dario Cherchi (Leecougan Basso Factory Racing) from Italy will be nipping at Serrano’s heels, followed by Germany’s Andreas Seewald (Singer KTM Racing) who won the 2025 Black Forest ULTRA Bike Marathon.
In the women’s race, Anna Weinbeer, representing KTM Spada powered by Brenta Brakes, leads the ranking by a clear margin. The Swiss cyclist, who was recently crowned 2026 European Champion, has a total of 900 points, followed by Spain’s Natalia Fischer (Extremadura Ecopilas) and her 695 points, and Claudia Peretti from Italy in third position after her win at the HERO Dolomites in Selva Val Gardena, with 280 points to go to make it to the top. Paula Gorycka-Kurmann, from Poland, and Rosa Van Doorn, from the Netherlands – who’d won the 2025 edition of the Black Forest – are also racing to catch up with the Swiss ranking leader.
The Black Forest’s round is a key moment during the season: the ranking can still change, and it won’t be over until the last person crosses the finish line in Germany.
The most awaited moment during the weekend, as per tradition, will be welcoming the first cyclists at the finish line at Kirchzarten’s Sport Stadium from midday onwards. The Elite and Master prize-giving ceremony will take place at 15:30.
An emotional end to a day celebrating mountain biking, making the Black Forest ULTRA Bike Marathon one of the most intense and spectacular events on the international landscape.
WATCHING THE RACE
The Black Forest ULTRA Bike Marathon is the season’s unmissable event, attracting cyclists and teams from all over Europe for a high-octane and skills-driven race.
You can follow the Elite cyclists as well as all other Black Forest ULTRA Bike Marathon using the live tracking and live timing tools on www.heroucimarathonworldcup.com, as well as follow updates from the official Instagram account @heroucimarathonworldcup.
