The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) are pleased to announce the full calendar for the 2023 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup.
One of the highlights in this calendar is a round hosted in Haute-Savoie (France), bringing together all the major mountain bike formats for the first time in the history of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup. The cross-country Olympic (XCO), cross-country short track (XCC) and downhill (DHI) competitions will take place in Les Gets, while the cross-country marathon (XCM), enduro (EDR) and E-enduro (EDR-E) events will be held in Châtel and Morzine. Organised over 10 days, including two weekends (from 7 to 17 September), this unprecedented event will bring together the entire world mountain bike community in a festival atmosphere.
UCI President David Lappartient said: “We still have the incredible images and atmosphere of the 2022 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Les Gets fresh in our minds, and so look forward to returning to Haute-Savoie next year for the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup.
“This region has hosted the discipline’s UCI World Cup on several occasions, as well as two editions of the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships, which demonstrates its strong commitment to our sport. With the round in Les Gets, which will bring together all the major mountain bike formats, we will once again benefit from the fantastic organisation and enthusiastic welcome that characterise the Haute-Savoie region, that will also host the second edition of the UCI Cycling World Championships in 2027”.
President of the Haute-Savoie Departmental Council, Martial Saddier, said: “We thank once again the UCI and Warner Bros. Discovery for their confidence. Congratulations to the Portes du Soleil – Les Gets, Morzine and Châtel – for establishing themselves as the reference for mountain biking. We’ll meet in Haute-Savoie!”
Also included in today’s announcement is the calendar for the XCM and EDR-E rounds, two formats that will have UCI Mountain Bike World Cup status as of 2023. The XCM calendar will kick off in Nové Mĕsto Na Moravĕ, Czech Republic. Included in the schedule are Finale Ligure (Italy), Châtel/Morzine (France) and Snowshoe (USA). The EDR-E will join the XCM at the iconic enduro venue Finale Ligure to kick off its season, before moving on to Leogang, Austria. The athletes will then head to Italy for the third round, in the beautiful setting of Val di Fassa Trentino, before heading to France for the final rounds. Loudenvielle, in the Pyrenees, will host the fourth round, and the series will then conclude in Châtel/Morzine.
As part of the UCI and WBD’s commitment to mass participation events and creation of pathways to elite sport, amateur races will be offered for EDR and XCM next season. All four XCM rounds will be open to participation (no pre-qualification required). In EDR and/or EDR-E, six of the seven venues will offer amateur racing. These are Maydena and Derby in Tasmania (Australia), Finale Ligure, Val di Fassa Trentino, Loudenvielle and Châtel/Morzine. All EDR rounds will give UCI ranking points, rewarding the best placed riders with the possibility to enter the elite competition.
In June 2022, the UCI entrusted WBD with the mission of developing and promoting mountain bike within an eight-year agreement. WBD will deploy its resources and expertise, notably through Discovery Sports Events and ESO Sports, to elevate mountain bike to a new level and bring it to a global audience. This new vision will bring a stronger emphasis on the various formats within the mountain bike discipline.
Source: www.uci.org