"Mountain biking in the X Games has been a history of trial and error - an on-and-off-again sort of relationship. It was introduced to the legendary event in 2013, with a slopestyle event. That year, Brett Rheeder stood at the top of the podium. Second and third went to Brandon Semenuk and Andreu Lacondeguy, respectively. And, just as quickly as it came, mountain biking disappeared from the X Games. But it came back in 2021 as Real MTB."
"However, Real MTB returned in 2024, with Tom van Steenbergen, Matt MacDuff, Dylan Stark, Kade Edwards, and Remy Morton submitting parts. That year, the gold went to van Steenbergen. As 2025 rolled around, we once again noticed mountain biking missing from the X Games. And it doesn't look promising for 2026. The announcement of the new XGL draft format made no mention of mountain biking."
"The X Games is introducing a new format for choosing athletes. Beginning in 2026, skateboard and BMX athletes will no longer receive invitations to participate in the event. Instead, prospective athletes will be drafted in the new X Games League (XGL) Draft. And, it doesn't appear like mountain biking will be a part of the action. What About X Games Real MTB? Mountain biking in the X Games has been a history of trial and error - an on-and-off-again sort of relationship."
Beginning in 2026, skateboard and BMX athletes will no longer receive invitations and will be drafted through the X Games League (XGL) Draft. The draft for the summer X Games will be held on March 5, 2026, in Los Angeles. Mountain biking has had an on-and-off relationship with the X Games, debuting in 2013 with slopestyle and a podium led by Brett Rheeder. Real MTB returned as a video-based format in 2021 and reappeared in 2024, with Brandon Semenuk and Tom van Steenbergen taking gold in 2021 and 2024 respectively. Mountain biking was absent in 2025 and the XGL announcement made no mention of it for 2026.
Read at Bikerumor
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