The XCO race begins and ends at the stadium where the winter biathlon competitions are held. The course at Nové Město meets all the requirements of the modern mountain bike enthusiast. Technical descents, steep climbs, big drops, sharp turns, and more tree roots than you can count.

Biathlon

The circuit consists of three ascents and three descents. The start is on the asphalt, in front of the stands of the biathlon stadium, and then you quickly head towards the technical area, where you can work on a broken bike.

The first singletrack, which is a stretch of track that only one rider can go through at a time, is full of rocks and the descent doesn’t get any easier either. After the second climb, the riders prepare for the big drop. Along the way, riders will also encounter a pump track, a number of jumps and more than enough corners before hitting the runway again, through the stadium. Preparing for the next round.

circular

As with cyclo-cross, the number of laps is only decided when the first times are recorded. The XCO race is usually about an hour and a half long and the short course is 20-25 minutes long.

The Short Course is a simplified and shortened version of the XCO Course. A little technical Featuresno highs and above all a huge explosion of action-packed power.

Who should you watch out for?

Cross Country’s depth of field is enormous. Add to that the fact that this is the first game of the year and the list of favorites is almost endless.

Of the women, Rebecca Henderson, last year’s McConnell, is someone to watch. The 10-time Australian champion won in Nove Mesto last year during a period when she dominated the sport.

Four rainbows

in the Alps

Austria, the other Alpine country, has a young talent (21) in Mona Metrowollner for the coming years, and Laura Steiger is also in the prime of her career at just 22 years old. From Sweden, the 2016 Rio Olympic champion should definitely not be forgotten. Her name is Jenny Risvids.

that

But the Netherlands also participates in the awards. Anne Terpstra has already had two World Cups to her credit and last year she finished third in the World Cup standings. Namesake Anne Tauber has also been a reliable mountain biking force for years.

With the guys, all eyes will be on Tom Pidcock. The Olympic and European mountain biking champion returns to mountain biking in Nove Mesto after a classic season on the road.

Shorter

The Swiss has a long-running rivalry with compatriot Matthias Fluckiger. Last year, things went wrong for the home crowd in Lenzerheide between the two after they crashed together, until France’s Victor Koretzky came back to win. Countryman Tituan Carrod showed his potential in the second half of last year’s season with wins at Mont Sainte-Anne and Val di Soleil.

MVDP

Australian Samuel Gaese won his first World Cup in 2018, but he’s been through a rough patch since then. The short track world champion signed with Alpecin-Deceunick in 2020 and thus joined Mathieu van der Poel’s team. The Dutchman is not a starter at Nove Mesto.

Where are you looking?