How to watch UCI Mountain Bike World Championships LIVE on SBS

The UCI Mountain Bike World Championships get underway tonight from Val di Sole, Italy and you can watch all the action LIVE, FREE and in HD via SBS On Demand.

Mountain Bikers Australian Rebecca McConnell (L) and Swiss Silver Medallist Matthias Fluckiger (R) in action. Source: Getty Images

Riders are set to take on long, steep climbs and descents in three disciplines for men and women with potential rain forecast to make the terrain even more treacherous and difficult to navigate.

The action starts with the Elite Short Track from 12:50am (AEST) on Friday morning, followed by the Cross-Country races on Saturday night before the Downhill Country races conclude the event on Sunday night, into the early hours of Monday morning.

Profile of the cross-country circuit at the UCI 2021 Mountain Bike World Championships. Source: UCI

The Women's Cross-Country will see Olympic champion Jolanda Neff (Switzerland) looking to continue her stellar year, with Australian Rebecca McConnel among other notable contenders as well as Kate Courtney (USA), Jenny Rissveds (Sweden) and Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (France).

In the men's race, Olympic Gold medallist Tom Pidcock is absent as he continues at the Vuelta a Espana with INEOS Grenadiers, and Mathieu van der Poel has been sidelined with back pain.

Meanwhile, Silver medallist Mathias Flückiger (Switzerland) and Bronze medallist David Valero Serrano (Spain) will line up at the start alongside eight-time world champion Nino Schurter (Switzerland).

The event is one not to be missed as the greatest mountain bikers in the world duel it out on a tricky track that's sure to bring fireworks.

UCI Mountain Bike World Championships - LIVE via SBS On Demand

August 26 - August 29

Friday, August 27

Elite Women's Short Track / Elite Men's Short Track

00:50 – 02:25 (AEST)