The UCI Pump Track World Championships will take place in South America for the second consecutive year, the UCI Steering Committee has announced. And this honor was reserved for Neuquén in Argentina, where the fight will begin on November 18.

As a result of a significant investment in sports infrastructure, the province of Neuquén obtained the headquarters. The Minister of Sports of the Province, Alejandra Piedecasas, affirmed that “it is an honor for us to have a World Cup in the city of Neuquén. The previous ones were in Chile and Portugal, and we had to compete for this date with Saudi Arabia, Canada and Dubai, which is not easy, we are very happy that this date takes place on the brand new track we have in the Sports City”.

She explained that “the countries that develop this sport the most are Switzerland, the Netherlands and France. In Argentina, on November 8, the Argentine championship is held on this pump track to qualify for the world championship.

“The World Cup will be free and open to the public, unlike the last World Cup that was held in Chile”, where 80 runners from more than 20 countries participated, because the best in the world compete”, the minister specified.

The pump track is a closed circuit with undulations, banked curves and jumps; its particularity lies in the fact that athletes have to perform synchronized movements to take advantage of their own momentum and the inertia that is generated. The track allows you to ride rollers, skate, bike and scooter.

Piedecasas explained that “the pump track is specifically a speed cycling event where very intense laps are done, it has a circuit of 190 meters back and has a surface area of 2,200 meters because in addition to the professional circuit for the world championships, it has an adapted circuit and for beginners, so that the youngest children from the age of 3 already begin to practice the sport, the idea is early adherence to cycling”.

In addition, she recalled that the construction of the track “is an idea of the youth; Through the Ministry of Children, Adolescents, Youth and Citizenship, the request to have this sports infrastructure was received for the first time, we went to look at others in different provinces, but this is the largest in the country”.

Lastly, she announced that “the development of the sports city has a significant impact. The sports revolution promoted by Governor Omar Gutiérrez will close with a Sports City in the best conditions where works such as the fusion soccer field will soon be inaugurated, in March or April it will be the turn of the water hockey field, we are working on the beach courts to have them finished and there are surprises when it comes to urban sports”.

This will be the second year in a row that the tournament has been held in South America after Chile hosted last year’s edition, where Christa von Niederhäusern of Switzerland and Niels Bensink won the respective women’s and men’s titles.

Source: https://www.neuqueninforma.gob.ar