The start of the men's World Cup cross country race in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa in 2009.(Image credit: Tour of Japan)
A view from the top of the cross country course in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa(Image credit: Tour of Japan)
Elisabeth Osl won the elite women's cross country World Cup in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa in 2009(Image credit: Tour of Japan)
The start of the women's World Cup cross country race in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa in 2009.(Image credit: Tour of Japan)
Jose Antonio Hermida won the 2009 World Cup cross country in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa(Image credit: Tour of Japan)
The UCI Mountain Bike World Cup will kick off in just over one month when it returns to Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, after a one-year hiatus. Organizers have been busily making progress on the construction of the course for the April 21-24 event.
Work is complete on the re-designed four cross course with changes made to keep the racing tight and action-packed. The four cross course will run 656m and drop 71m.
The bulk of the work is finished for the cross country and downhill tracks, with the finishing touches expected to be complete within the next three weeks. Both courses will be used for the first round of the Cycling South Africa National Series, the weekend prior to the World Cup. Racers who want to experience the courses prior to the World Cup will be welcome to compete in the national-level event.
The cross country course will cover 6.15km and feature 311m of climbing and descending per lap while the downhill course will run 3.12km with 416m of elevation loss.
