2025 WES Cheile Grădiștei Round officially presented

The season opener is just 4 weeks away in Romania

Bucharest (Romania), Friday 16 May – This afternoon, the Romanian Olympic Committee served as the stage for the official unveiling of the WES 2025 Cheile Grădiștei Round, which will open the upcoming WES UCI E-MTB XC World Cup season. The event is set to take place on June 14-15 at the astonishing mountain sports complex of Cheile Grădiștei.

The press conference gathered key figures from the Romanian national sports scene, such as the Romanian National Agency of Sports President, Mr. Bogdan Constantin Matei and the Romanian Cycling Federation President, Mr. Catalin Sprinceana, who opened the presentation ceremony: “We thank WES for choosing Romania as a destination for this great racing event. For us, this is very important because, after organising the UEC European MTB Championships last year, we needed continuity and we are having it through your project, so we are grateful for this opportunity. We also hope this to be a long-term project and to host the E-MTB World Cup again in the upcoming years.”

All representatives underlined the importance of this event for the development of E-MTB in the country and as a boost to sustainable sports tourism in Romania. 

Tudor Oprea, 13-time National XCO Champion and WES event organiser by A.C.S. Pro Cycling declared: “After many years competing in XCO and then organising MTB events, it was the time for me and the bike club to start working on an E-MTB big event, as we got closer to this amazing discipline 4 years ago and we’ve been developing the scene at a national level. Approaching E-XC was a natural step forward having such a XCO background and I personally witnessed something similar in traditional MTB in the past. One of my goals now is to maintain this good vibe within this fresh E-MTB community and make the WES event a driver for cycling and sport tourism in our country. I’m sure some international athletes will choose Romania not only for racing but for training along the season as we offer an amazing territory and incomparable facilities at Cheile Gradistei.” 

After visiting Cheile Grădiștei impressive complex, and finalising the race course, WES representatives can confirm that this is one of the most demanding WES tracks ever designed and the facilities represent a true icing on the cake.

2025 WES Cheile Grădiștei Round Press Conference (Credit: Traian Olinici)

Alex Garbacea, Cheile Gradistei Venue Manager: “We’re proud to be the hosting venue of WES first-ever round in Eastern Europe and with this event we aim to consolidate the local bikers’ community and make it even bigger. The UCI E-MTB World Cup is a great opportunity for this venue and a chance to switch from winter to summer sports, confirming we are open to organising more big mountain bike events in the future.”

Francesco Di Biase, WES CEO & Founder: “We are one month to go to kick off the season and it’s fantastic to land in Romania for the first time in WES history. We look forward to bringing the adrenaline and spirit of WES to a new audience with this amazing brand-new venue and building lasting connections in Eastern Europe”.

With riders from across Europe expected to compete, the Cheile Grădiștei course promises a much technical opener to the 2025 WES calendar, and a milestone for the series.

Registrations open HERE
Download this Press Release in PDF HERE
For further info: https://www.worldebikeseries.com/