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XC in Brazil? Downhill in Poland? Enduro still happening? Here’s all the basic dates and places for the 2024 MTB World Cup season.
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By ben_haworth
Get the full story here:
https://singletrackmag.com/2023/10/uci-mountain-bike-world-series-2024-dates-and-venues/
Enduro still happening? <br /><br />
In Europe maybe.
Good to see some variety in locations. I believe there were three year contracts with a venue that’s been dropped after one year. They must be gutted.
Any idea where the World Champs are next year for DH guys ?
XC in Brazil?
Didn't DH World Cup visit before... I vaguely remember Peatys bike being lost by the airline?
No Tweed Valley EWS...
Bellwald, France and Leogang, Switzerland?
wrong thread
With the pretty dismal coverage of the EDR this year, less races next year, is this the slow demise of the previously known as EWS? Also, no E-EDR?
Just checked my shifts and ill miss Fort William this year :/
Well after not liking the sport this year it looks like they're really going for the jugular next year
No eedr is a definite plus point. Never saw the point of a race route that’s impossible without 3 batteries to get round
Cherry picking teh multi discipline locations so June in Italy or France looks great. Sad no Croatian racing though...
Also, no E-EDR?
No eedr is a definite plus point.
The article indicates E-EDR at the same venues as EDR.
Well surely that's potentially as much a venue/location issue though ? If they're not prepared to pay to host it, then it is only the UCIs fault ? I agree with the sentiment though, but doesn't necessarily mean it's the UCI to blame here.
My understanding from that PR is that E-EDR is in with the EDR dates? The riders’ comments on Instagram make for some interesting reading though! Many riders from across the disciplines saying they’re not happy in various ways.
Links/info/quotes ? @stwhannah ?
I don't do much in the way of Insta myself but i'm always curious to see what the Pros think
Well surely that’s potentially as much a venue/location issue though ?
Yes, I don't disagree @weeksy, but how hard can it be to find a home in one of the heartlands of mountain biking really? I mean, If you can find a race venue in Brazil and Croatia, you can race venue in California or Oregon or Washington, surely? Or for that matter Aus and NZ. The racers want it, the fans certainly want it, it jus seems like the UCI don't
I know its par for the course to moan about the suits in the organisational body in any sport, but this seems especially shabby
No Tweed Valley EWS…
Brexit innit.
EDR this year is clearly done to reduce the costs to a bare minimum for organisers and teams alike. If you've set it up so you can race off a single entry into the region, why then have a race in the country that requires a visa + a ton of paperwork to get into?
Brexit innit.
Probably part of it- but it does seem that EDR is heading towards more uplift based courses, which the Tweed Valley doesn't have.
Which sucks.
Bring back two day, unsupported epics- I find the current format dull- barely followed the World Enduro this year.
Bring back two day, unsupported epics- I find the current format dull- barely followed the World Enduro this year.
This. EDR is basically DH racing without the good TV coverage now. I want mechanicals, people with backpacks, blind racing and XC levels of fitness to get round the course in the allotted time. That is what top level Enduro should be about IMHO.
I don't mind the fact that it's transition free timing, but the courses need to be as you say, more of an Enduro/Epic feel to them, 30mins stages with sections of flat, up, accross, over, down.... Then you can chill getting to next stage start... but yes as said, tehy're basically MiniDH races now.
ocriderFull Member
@Reeksy you mentioned an Australian venue having signed a 3 year contract for WC races. A certain bike park in Tassie is now hosting a RedBull hardline race in February. I wonder what happened there?
Well I hadn’t noticed that! Maydena made a big song and dance about becoming an Ewhatever venue last year, so i expect there’s been a fair bit of investment. A Hardline event there could well be amazing.
Also, no E-EDR?
Does anyone actually GAF about ebike racing?
"I've got an eeb". It's an ebike, regardless of style of bike. I've an ebike, too. But it's a cargo bike.
Well I hadn’t noticed that! Maydena made a big song and dance about becoming an Ewhatever venue last year, so i expect there’s been a fair bit of investment. A Hardline event there could well be amazing.
Albeit to the detriment of WC enduro racing, which is a real shame. Tasmania was one of those destination venues.
Enduro is dead.
17th-18th August: enduro World champs
I'm surprised there isn't a Saudi round. It looks like a course could be developed at the Al Soudah national park as there's already a cable car and the terrain looks suitable.
Having such a concentrated EDR in just Europe could cause some potential visa issues for UK pros with no EU passport.
Looking at the dates of the races and with a couple of races happening days after the previous round, essentially creating some blocks of time spent in Europe, with very optimistic bare minimum travel plan of arriving in the country the day before the race and leaving the day after each race, this series of races would take up 40 of the allowed 90 days in every 180. Given that a lot of professional racers will spend a couple of months in the alps each summer for training, not to mention any europe holidays they may take before or after racing season, there's a real risk that someone could breach the 90 day rule.
Why do France always get multiple rounds? Surely this gives an unfair advantage to the French riders.
EDR this year is clearly done to reduce the costs to a bare minimum for organisers and teams alike.
Makes sense, and I guess they can't actually say that in a press release becuase the non-Euro fans will get even more cross.
But it seems like it's mainly helping the Euro teams obvs.
And then splitting out the XC into more separate weekends is drastically increasing costs for some stakeholders. I heard that Jordi bloke from Fox moaning about this on a podcast the other day.
UCI get the blame for a lot of things, often rightly so. However, this is nothing to do with them - they're no longer involved with the calendar; apart from rubber stamping it.
ESO/Discovery are the Promoter/organisers - they choose it. It's the same as in motorsport, with Liberty in F1, Dorna for MotoGP, etc You want a round? Get your chequebook out and pay the hosting fee to the Promoter.
However, no US Downhill round? If anything, the US warrants two rounds, especially with all the US manufacturers involved in the sport.
I understand why Enduro is staying in Europe - but so far, including it as part of the MTB World Series, hasn't worked. And as somebody earlier in the thread commented, it's become removed from what Enduro is meant to be about; long days, challenging terrain both up & down. Not the current multi stage Downhill discipline....
And, are we ever going to see a UK round of the XC World Cup?
Looks to me like a US downhill was planned but couldn’t be pulled off in time. Would explain the month gap between Loudenville and MSA.
Kind of see both sides in the Enduro argument. It’s hardly a World Series but then again big teams have already pull the plug this year due to budget concerns. Concentrating the series in Europe next year might at least give struggling teams enough breathing room to survive.
The sceptic in me says that the Enduro is becoming the E-Enduro series. The e-bikes have always been europe only I think, to stop the hassle of flying with them, and the issue with US spec ebikes being faster.