World Cup
Photos provided by Radek Kašík and Piper Albrecht
This spring, Alice Hoskins flew the stars and stripes for the United States at the UCI World Cup Mountain Bike Race held in Nove Mesto na Morave, Czech Republic. As one of only two Americans chosen by Team USA, she traveled across the Atlantic to compete in the first of nine World Cup events.
Regarded as the apex of mountain biking, the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup pits the globe's top professional riders against one another on breathtaking courses in both Europe and North America. Beyond the professional Elite Men's and Women's races, each event offers opportunities for promising up-and-comers in the sport, with U-23 (riders aged between 19 and 22) and Junior races (riders aged 17 and 18) for both genders. These young talents go head-to-head on the same demanding tracks as their professional counterparts.
Alice, a rising 11th grader, is from Charlottesville, Virginia, and is an integral part of MSA's internationally acclaimed cycling team. Her journey into mountain biking started at youth mountain bike camps held at Miller School during the summer. From there, she progressed to compete in the VAHS MTB Series, Virginia’s interscholastic mountain bike race series, while still in elementary school. Over the years, Alice has tested her mettle in an array of cycling disciplines, ranging from downhill mountain biking and cyclocross to enduro mountain biking and cross-country.
After her strong performance at the World Cup, Alice looks forward to future chances to compete with Team USA in 2024.