CALPE-BENISSA – SPAIN KICKS OFF THE 2026 HERO UCI CROSS-COUNTRY MARATHON WORLD CUP

Dear HEROes,

The official countdown for the 2026 HERO UCI Cross-country Marathon World Cup has started! All eyes will be on the first round which will take place on Saturday, 21 February at the HERO Costa Blanca presented by Millennium Luxury Properties.

The UCI World Cup qualifying track during the race will be the Marathon option, which boasts 82km and 2,700hm. It wends its way across the stunning Costa Blanca landscapes. These tracks will challenge the participant’s physical fitness as well as their cycling skills on single tracks developing across Calpe, Benissa, and the other surrounding municipalities.

The discipline’s crème de la crème will set off from the starting line, including the winners of the last HERO UCI Cross-country Marathon World Cup edition: Andreas Seewald from Germany, representing Singer KTM Racing, and Rosa Van Doorn from The Netherlands. Their race to victory won’t be a walk in the park, as they will have to face some serious competition – Wout Alleman from Belgium, Italian cyclist Samuele Porro representing Klimatiza Orbea Team as well as fellow Italian Gioele De Cosmo who, together with Leo Paez, represents Lee Cougan Basso Factory Racing. They will all put up a good fight to obtain the first position in the Men Elite’s ranking. In the Elite Women category, the reigning champion will have to watch her back, for Adelheid Morath from Germany and Sandra Mairhofer from Italy – both representing Lee Cougan Basso Factory Racing – will have their eyes on the top spot. They will be joined by Paula Gorycka-Kurmann from Poland, Lejla Njemčevic from Bosnia, Claudia Peretti from Italy, and Natalia Fischer representing Extremadura Ecopilas. The challenge won’t end there, as we have new people joining the circuit for the first time. David Valero from Spain, representing Klimatiza Orbea Team, ten-time Spanish champion and bronze medallist at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, and Anna Weinbeer from KTM Spada powered by Brenta Brakes, 2025 XCM World Champion runner-up. Sophie Johnson – European Master champion – will also show us what she’s made of, as will Alexandre Lladó, winner of the 2025 Master Licence edition.

An extraordinary line-up which promises to be an incredible race featuring two World Cup runners-up, two European champions, and a whopping 13 national champions. This weekend will be anything but boring!

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Such an international event must be seen beyond Spain. Which is why the most important sports TV broadcasters and digital platforms will broadcast the feats of the cyclists competing in the HERO Costa Blanca presented by Millennium Luxury Properties across four continents. Live broadcasting will be available between 11:00 and 13:00 (CET) on the HERO UCI Cross-country Marathon World Cup’s official website.

Follow the live streaming, the top Elite’s live tracking, and live timings of all participants on www.heroucimarathonworldcup.com