The UCI said on Tuesday that the mountain bike World Cup round, set for Houffalize, Belgium, will likely happen despite Belgian media reports in late December that organizers were facing significant financial shortfalls that could cancel the event. Elite mountain bike racers and fans had been left wondering if the popular Belgian World Cup would happen as scheduled on May 1, 2010.
"Peter Van den Abeele (UCI MTB coordinator) told me this morning he's confident Houffalize will host a World Cup race," said UCI Spokesperson Enrico Carpani to Cyclingnews.
Houffalize is the only round of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in Belgium. Spaniard Margarita Fullana and Frenchman Julien Absalon won the 2009 edition. The venue is a popular one among racers and historically attracts large numbers of spectators.