The UCI has released more information about the first edition of the Snow Bike World Championships 2024. The event, to be held February 10-11 in the French town of Chatel, will put a rainbow jersey at stake for the winner of the Super-G and another for the winner of the Dual Slalom. Registration will open this Thursday and close on the last day of January.
The UCI shows the progress it has made on the Snow Bike World Championship since it launched the announcement of its creation in the middle of last year. The launch of this unprecedented competition raised doubts among fans, as many details about the operation and organization of the races were unknown until now.
The slopes of Chatel, in Haute-Savoie, will be the first hosts of the Snow Bike World Cup. The French town -bordering Switzerland- is covered with snow and, after the flakes that fell last week, 240 centimeters of white snow have already accumulated on the summit.
Schedules of the Snow Bike World Championships 2024
Saturday, February 10th
From 10:30 a.m.: Super-G
Sunday, February 11th
From 9:00 a.m.: Dual Slalom
The 2024 Snow Bike World Championships will feature two competitions clearly inspired by alpine skiing. The UCI will award a rainbow jersey to the winner of each race -both in the men’s and women’s categories-.
The Super-G will be contested over a course of 1,957 meters in length with a 600-meter climb. Cyclists will start every 40 seconds and must pass through red and blue gates -approximately 6-8 meters wide- arranged at least 25 meters apart. Incorrect passage through a gate will result in disqualification. In this case, there will be only one run.
On the other hand, the Dual Slalom will have a distance of 510 meters with 155 meters of slope and will last approximately 30 seconds. The operation will be as follows: each race will pit two riders against each other and each will run the course on one of the two parallel slaloms. At the end, they will switch courses and compete again. The rider with the best combined time will advance to the next round; the race will include qualifying, round of 16, round of 16, round of 16, quarterfinals, semis and final.
Registrations will open on January 25 and the only requirements to participate in both events will be to have a license from the corresponding national federation affiliated to the UCI and to be at least 17 years old. Each country may enter up to 15 male and 15 female riders, who must take part in both the Super-G and the Dual Slalom. Entries will close on January 31 and the list of participants will be published on February 1.
The same bike must be used for the Super-G and the Dual Slalom; the recommendation is that participants opt for DH bikes, although there is no rule requiring this. In addition, it has been announced that the use of studded tires will be regulated according to track conditions.
In the role of ambassador of the UCI Snow Bike World Championships 2024, Cédric Gracia, has stated that “we are going to see something totally new in the world of cycling. It’s about technique, snow analysis, reflection and strategy. It’s going to be incredible.
In his opinion those who are DH or enduro specialists, or even those who come from other downhill sports such as skiing, will start with an advantage. “But they would also need a very strong cycling base,” he explains.
Pierre Thevenard, who lives in Chatel, is one of those who will participate in a World Cup that he believes “will increase the notoriety of snow biking and its reputation”. In addition, Thevenard assures that “the competition will be tough” and that “the two-by-two races can be destabilizing, with pressure until the end. For the spectators it will be a real spectacle”.
Source: www.brujulabike.com