The International Cycling Union (UCI) presented the MTB calendar (Mountain Bike World Cup and Enduro World Series) for 2023, whose main novelty is that all the main mountain biking formats are for the first time united under a combined scheme to support the growth of the sport.
There will be 15 rounds covering 34 races in 10 countries and 3 continents (Europe, America and Australia), as ESO Sports and Discovery Sports Events partner to deliver the UCI’s new take on MTB
As mountain biking enters a new era, racers and fans can expect Olympic cross-country, short track cross-country, downhill and enduro to line up for the first time in the sport’s history. . More details about the E-mountain bike enduro and the cross-country marathon will be released in September 2022.
In the new calendar, some mountain bike formats will be combined for the first time, races will be grouped by venues to maximize sustainability, and new venues will debut, while top rated venues will retain their place on the calendar.
Olympic cross-country and short-track cross-country each have nine total rounds, while downhill and enduro each have eight. In addition to the new venues joining the fold, established venues will host new formats on their tracks.
The new structure will reflect the growth of the sport, allowing each of mountain bike’s different formats to flourish, reach new audiences and enhance the experience for fans both on-site and at home. ESO Sports, owner and operator of the Enduro World Series (EWS) and in which WBD recently invested, will drive the project to globally unify mountain biking and elevate it to new levels, in collaboration with the UCI.
Discovery Sports Events, the global promoter and event management leader, is expanding its relationship with the UCI to help promote the sport with further growth to its global audience.
UCI President David Lappartient said: “The release of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup and Enduro World Series calendar for 2023 marks an important step forward in our work to modernize mountain bike cycling. mountain, one of our five Olympic disciplines.
“With the integration of enduro, and soon also of the cross-country marathon and the E-mountain bike enduro to the events of the calendar, which already includes the XCO, the XCC and the DH, the events will acquire a new dimension, bringing together even more more athletes and fans.
“We also hope to introduce new hosts for some rounds, while also welcoming back the traditional venues that have been highly regarded over the years. The partnership between the UCI and Warner Bros. Discovery will significantly increase the international exposure of mountain biking, allowing the sport to continue to grow globally.”
Chris Ball, CEO of ESO Sports, said: “For the first time, all major mountain biking formats are aligned on one calendar, giving teams, athletes and fans new opportunities to experience their favorite races without clashing with the dates”.
“We’ve gone to great lengths to group venues by geographic proximity to reduce the carbon footprint of travel and increase efficiency for everyone on tour. We’ll be putting together new event calendars that combine formats that have never been combined before, offering visitors drivers a new and unique experience and using the best of the terrain available at each location to deliver the best racing on the planet, while of course the valued circuits remain on the calendar.”
“Calendar classics sprinkled with some new venues – 2023 is going to be an incredibly exciting first step towards our long-term plans for mountain bike racing around the world.”
Racing kicks off in March with an enduro doubleheader in Tasmania, Australia, first at the new Maydena venue, followed by Derby.
Limburg-Valkenburg in the Netherlands makes its UCI Mountain Bike World Cup debut as the cross-country season kicks off, while the classic venue Nové Misto na Morav in the Czech Republic hosts the second round of the cross-country.
Racing will continue in June, with enduro heading to its spiritual home in Finale Ligure, Italy, followed by cross-country and downhill in Lenzerheide, Switzerland. From there, a great week of racing in Leogang (Austria), in which cross-country, downhill and enduro head to the famous mountains of the region and meet in the same place for the first time. Enduro will then head to Val di Fassa Trentino, Italy, while cross-country and downhill will head to Val di Sole Trentino, Italy.
In July and August there will be an extended break in racing, allowing athletes to rest and recover mid-season ahead of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships, which will take place in Glasgow and across Scotland (Greater Brittany) in August.
Racing resumes at the end of August with cross-country and downhill at Vallnord Pal Arinsal, in Andorra. Next, all mountain bike formats meet in France.
The last racing block takes place in North America. Snowshoe in the US will be the penultimate cross-country and downhill event before the iconic environment of Mont-Sainte-Anne in Canada completes the season.
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