Red Bull TV launches Race Tapes Season 2 – take a deep dive behind the scenes of the 2023 UCI MTB World Cup season

Loïc Bruni
The 2024 season is set to be even more exciting that 2023 (Image credit: UCI)

The Whoop 2024 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup series kicks off this weekend with the best cross-country mountain bike riders starting their season in Mairiporà, Brazil.

To warm up fans for what's promised to be another exciting season of mountain bike racing, Red Bull TV has launched Season 2 of Race Tapes. Red Bull racing's six-part series gives armchair fans a unique behind-the-scenes delve into the lives of the world's best MTB riders in the thick of the action, capturing the rivalries, challenges, and personal stories of the riders including World Champion Vali Höll, Loïc Bruni, Rachel Atherton, and Red Bull Hardline winner Jackson Goldstone. 

Rachel Atherton celebrates with daughter Arna in Lenzerheide

Rachel Atherton celebrates her World Cup winning return in Lenzerheide (Image credit: UCI MTB World Series)

Whoop, the wearable training tool brand, has become the title sponsor for 2024, along with Michelin who was recently announced as a new partner brand, with a more immersive fan experience being promised for the new season. Of course, the unmissable MTB racing takes center stage but there will also be live music, movie nights, autograph sessions, and more included as part of the 2024 season thrills.

With another blockbuster schedule of downhill and cross-country races Race Tapes Season 2 perfectly reconnects fans with last season’s most dramatic moments and sets the stage for what’s to come in 2024.

From Rachel Atherton’s spectacular winning return after having a baby to the relationship between emerging superstar Jackson Goldstone and his legendary teammate the GOAT Greg Minnaar, Red Bull says no subject is off limits. The series explores the internal team rivalries, dedication, and ambition of riders at the pinnacle of the sport, highlighting both the physical and psychological aspects of elite-level mountain biking.

Evie Richards wins her world title in Val di Sole

Trek Factory Racing, Evie Richards and Jolanda Neff are the subject for the first episode (Image credit: Paul Brett)

Episode 1 "No I in Team" focuses on former World Champion Evie Richards, current Olympic XC Champion Jolanda Neff, and Trek Factory Racing, examining the impacts of a critical mistake and the integration of road cycling strategies that attempt to foster team unity.

Another episode focuses on another intense rivalry as Nino Schurter and Mathias Fluckiger battle it out against the backdrop of Swiss cross-country racing's proud tradition, as each rider strives for personal and national pride. 

Nino Schurter and Mathias Fluckiger battle it out for a nations pride

Nino Schurter and Mathias Fluckiger continue their longstanding rivalry into the 2024 XC season (Image credit: Paul Brett)

As well as exclusive interviews with the athletes, viewers will also hear from coaches, team managers, and insiders in the sport like Eliot Jackson and Chris Kilmurray. Eliot Jackson says: “The riders more than anyone else know how hard it is to show up at every single race and perform at a level that’s all or nothing. It’s dramatic.”

Race Tapes Season 2 is available to watch on Red Bull TV, and Season 1 is still available and follows all the storylines from the 2022 season. 

Paul Brett
Staff writer

Based in Edinburgh, Paul Brett is a staff writer for BikePerfect.com. He has been an avid cyclist for as long as he can remember, initially catching the mountain biking bug in the 1990s, and raced mountain bikes for over a decade before injury cut short a glittering career. He’s since developed an obsession for gravel riding and recently has dabbled in the dark art of cyclocross. A fan of the idea of bikepacking he has occasionally got involved and has ridden routes like the North Coast 500, Scotland and the Via Francigena (Pilgrim Route), Italy.

Current rides: Marin Alpine Trail 2, Ribble 725, Cube Stereo 160

Height: 175cm