CAPOLIVERI HOSTS ROUND #2 OF THE 2026 HERO UCI CROSS-COUNTRY MARATHON WORLD CUP
Dear HEROes,
we have officially entered race week for the second round of the 2026 HERO UCI Cross-country Marathon World Cup! On Saturday, 9 May, the Italian leg of the series kicks off with the Capoliveri Legend Cup on the Elba Island.
The course valid for the UCI World Cup standings is the Marathon distance: 73 km with 2,600 metres of elevation gain. It is a demanding, relentless route with no room to recover, circling the entire promontory and requiring constant focus. A true natural playground - highly enjoyable, yet packed with technical challenges that punish even the slightest mistake.
Riders will face an ever-changing terrain: from the iron-rich red soils of former mining areas to the compact singletracks winding through Mediterranean scrub. A continuous shift in rhythm and sensations, where strong legs, sharp focus and the determination to push all the way are essential.
On the start line, the world’s top elite athletes will be ready to battle, including the winners of the opening round of the 2026 HERO UCI Cross-country Marathon World Cup: Belgium’s Wout Alleman, leader of both the overall standings and the UCI ranking, and Switzerland’s Anna Weinbeer (KTM Spada powered by Brenta Brakes), 2025 XCM vice world champion and winner in Calpe-Benissa.
They will be challenged by equally formidable names: Rosa Van Doorn, winner of the 2025 HERO UCI Marathon World Cup edition and currently third overall and first in the UCI ranking; Germany’s Adelheid Morath; and Italy’s Sandra Mairhofer, both racing for the Leecougan Basso Factory Racing Team. Also lining up are Poland’s Paula Gorycka-Kurmann, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Lejla Njemčević, Italy’s Claudia Peretti, and Natalia Fischer of Team Extremadura Ecopilas.
In the men’s field, Germany’s Andreas Seewald (Singer KTM Racing Team), second in both the UCI ranking and overall HWC standings, will be among the favourites, alongside Italy’s Samuele Porro (Klimatiza Orbea Team) and Gioele De Cosmo, as well as the iconic HERO Leonardo Paez (Leecougan Basso Factory Racing Team).
A start list that promises pure spectacle: the level is exceptionally high, and the pace will be fierce from the very beginning. One thing is certain - this will be a weekend with no room for boredom, only adrenaline, true competition and world-class mountain biking.
FOLLOW US, WHEREVER YOU ARE!
An event of this magnitude reaches far beyond Italy’s borders. Leading sports broadcasters and digital platforms will bring the action from the Capoliveri Legend Cup to audiences across five continents. Fans can watch the race live from 10:30 to 13:00 (CEST) via RaiPlay (Italian live streaming) or on the official HERO UCI Cross-country Marathon World Cup website (English live streaming).
Follow the live streaming, live timing, elite athlete tracking and full race timing at:
www.heroucimarathonworldcup.com