Wendy Simms racing in Windham, New York at a US National series event (Image credit: Dave McElwaine/trailwatch.net)
After a several-year absence, the UCI's mountain bike World Cup will return to the US in 2010. A ski resort in Windham, New York, which last year and this year has hosted a round of the US national series, will host a triple event, featuring cross country, downhill and four cross. The event will take place a few days before the World Championships in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Quebec, Canada.
The UCI Management Committee met in Lausanne, Switzerland, and approved the 2010 World Cup calendar on Friday. It will include six rounds for each of the three disciplines and will take place at nine venues in eight countries.
Another new venue will be Dalby Forest, in North Yorkshire, Great Britain. This region, in the north of England, is hosting a World Cup for the first time. It will open the cross country competition for the season.
Other stops will include Houffalize, Belgium; Maribor, Slovenia; Offenburg, Germany; Fort William, Germany; Schladming, Austria; Champéry, Swizerland; and Val di Sole, Italy. The latter is new to the World Cup calendar, but hosted the World Championships in 2008.
The US lasted hosted a mountain bike World Cup at Angel Fire resort in New Mexico in the summer of 2005.
The popular Mont-Sainte-Anne venue is not a World Cup stop since it will be hosting the World Championships.
2010 World Mountain Bike Calendar
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April 24-25: World Cup XCO #1, Dalby Forest, Great Britain May 1-2: World Cup XCO #2 & 4X #1, Houffalize, Belgium May 15-16: World Cup DHI #1 & 4X #2, Maribor, Slovenia May 22-23: World Cup XCO #3, Offenburg, Germany June 5-6: World Cup DHI #2 & 4X #3, Fort William Great Britain June 19-20: World Cup DHI #3 & 4X #4, Schladming, Austria June 7-10: European Continental Championships, Haifa, Israel July 17-18: National Championships Weekend July 24-25: World Cup XCO #4 and DHI #4, Champéry, Switzerland July 31 - August 1: World Cup XCO #5, DHI #5 and 4X #5, Val di Sole, Italy August 8: World Marathon Championships, St. Wendel, Germany August 28-29: World Cup XCO #5, DHI #6, and 4X #6, Windham, New York, USA August 31 - September 5: World XCO, DHI & 4X Championships, Mont-Sainte-Anne, Quebec, Canada September 25-26: National Marathon Championships weekend
Sue George is an editor at Cyclingnews. She coordinates all of the site's mountain bike race coverage and assists with the road, 'cross and track coverage.
