Durango begins celebrations for return of Mountain Bike World Championships in 2030

The UCI Mountain Bike World Championships return to Durango, Colorado in 2030, which will mark the 40th anniversary of the first-ever global contests for MTB disciplines were held in the same US mountain town in 1990.

During the Road World Championships in Kigali, Rwanda last week, the UCI announced host venues for mountain bike world championships spanning 2029 to 2031. Nove Mesto, Czech Republic, will host the 2029 MTB Worlds, with Durango following as the host in the US the next year. In 2031, the MTB competitions will be part of the third edition of the Cycling World Championships for multiple disciplines, hosted by Trentino in north-eastern Italy.

The town of Durango held a 'Sepp It Up' bike parade and film premiere with hometown hero and 2023 Vuelta a España winner Sepp Kuss (Visma-Lease a Bike) on Friday, the day following the UCI's announcement for the return of MTB Worlds to the Colorado mountain town. Other notable cyclists and community leaders on hand to celebrate the return of the world championships in five years included Durango native and three-time US Olympian in mountain biking, Todd Wells, three-time US mountain bike national champion Riley Amos, and Iron Horse Classic director Gaige Sippy.

“We are beyond proud to announce the Worlds’ return to Durango 40 years after we pioneered the event in 1990,” said Wells, a co-leader for the championships bid.

“Mountain biking and cycling are woven into Durango’s DNA; from our pioneering spirit to the incredible trail infrastructure and our renowned junior-development programming, Durango is a true heartland of cycling. The 2030 World Championships will enable us to showcase our community on a global stage once again.”

World titles will be decided in 2030 at Purgatory Resort, the same venue used in 1990. Only cross-country and downhill disciplines were part of the first Worlds that year, with Durango residents Ned Overend and Greg Herbold winning men's titles in XCO and downhill, respectively. USA's Juli Furtado won the women's XCO title.

Durango is prominent in cycling as a 55-year host for the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic road race and for establishing one of the country’s first junior development cycling organizations, Durango Devo, where Kuss started racing bikes.

“Hosting the 2030 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships is both a tribute to our past and an investment in our future. The world’s best will once again race on trails that continue to build legends right here in our backyard," added Sippy, who also served as a co-leader in the winning bid.

Leading into the 2030 MTB Worlds, Durango will also host a major international mountain bike race in 2028, according to a USA Cycling press release, and a UCI World Cup race in 2029. These events will also be held at Purgatory Resort and will include Downhill, Cross Country Olympic, Short Track and Ebike.

Additional details on event routes, community programs, and ticketing will be announced in the coming months.