2015 World Cup Schedule Announced

[nigelhicks]

SO the World Cup Circus stays in the northern hemisphere for 2015 with 2 new rounds.

 

PMB and Cairns have both been dropped from the Calendar. (We knew it was happening to PMB - but its a surprise for Cairns as they will host the World Champs in 2017)

 

"The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) today published the 2015 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup calendar on its website. The world’s leading mountain bike series will comprise nine rounds: three exclusively for Downhill (DHI), two for Olympic Cross-country (XCO), and four combining the two specialties.

 

The season will kick off on April 11th and 12th with round one of the DHI in the new venue of Lourdes (France). Although new to the World Cup calendar, Lourdes has already hosted the French Cup, and will present riders with a 2.5km long course that descends 600m in altitude.

 

The other first-time destination next year is Lenzerheide, Switzerland, which will organise a double event (DHI and XCO) on July 4th an 5th. This will be the first of three consecutive rounds (2015-2017) in the Swiss resort as it prepares to host the World Championships in 2018.

 

Often voted best XCO event of the World Cup, Nove Mesto na Morave (Czech Republic) will host round one of the XCO on May 23rd and 24th. This will serve as a final rehearsal before the 2016 World Championships for XCO and Cross-country Eliminator (XCE). After the Czech Republic, the World Cup will move to Albstadt (Germany) for the third consecutive year then the downhill Mecca of Fort William (Great Britain) and the Austrian resort of Leogang, another regular World Cup venue and host of the World Championships in 2012.

 

The World Cup’s two destinations on the American continent will be held the first two weekends in August: the popular Mont-Sainte-Anne (Canada), which has hosted a round every year since the creation of the World Cup in 1991, and Windham (USA).

 

The overall World Cup winners will be crowned in Val di Sole, Italy, on August 22nd and 23rd. The Italian resort is known for its difficult DHI track, and returns to the World Cup calendar after a break in 2014."

 

2015 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup calendar

 

- DHI # 1 April 11-12 Lourdes (France)

 

- XCO # 1 May 23-24 Nove Mesto na Morave (Czech Republic)

 

- XCO # 2 May 30-31 Albstadt (Germany)

 

- DHI # 2 June 6-7 Fort William (Great Britain)

 

- DHI # 3 June 13-14 Leogang (Austria)

 

- XCO # 3/ DHI # 4 July 4-5 Lenzerheide (Switzerland)

 

- XCO # 4/ DHI # 5 August 1-2 Mont-Sainte-Anne (Canada)

 

- XCO # 5/ DHI # 6 August 8-9 Windham (United States)

 

- XCO # 6/ DHI # 7 August 22-23 Val di Sole (Italy)

[Tumbleweed]

Nige, what's the chance of us ever hosting one again?

[nigelhicks]

LOVE this comment in reply to Stretch's post on Pinkbike .... Typical reply from someone who obviously thinks we still run around in loin cloths.

http://es.pinkbike.org/sprt/f2/s/35.gif game (9 hours ago)

south africa has how many people that can afford to mtb? is how far away from the rest of the major mtb scenes in europe and north america? You guys were lucky to have a WC in the first place.

[Guest Sam Blake]

LOVE this comment in reply to Stretch's post on Pinkbike .... Typical reply from someone who obviously thinks we still run around in loin cloths.

http://es.pinkbike.org/sprt/f2/s/35.gif game (9 hours ago)

south africa has how many people that can afford to mtb? is how far away from the rest of the major mtb scenes in europe and north america? You guys were lucky to have a WC in the first place.

 

Or he was at our nationals

[Stretch]

 

LOVE this comment in reply to Stretch's post on Pinkbike .... Typical reply from someone who obviously thinks we still run around in loin cloths.

 

http://es.pinkbike.org/sprt/f2/s/35.gif game (9 hours ago)

south africa has how many people that can afford to mtb? is how far away from the rest of the major mtb scenes in europe and north america? You guys were lucky to have a WC in the first place.

 

twit...I responded to him

[Skott5]

twit...I responded to him

 

What a knob. Bamboo bikes ..LMFAO !!

[nigelhicks]

XC maybe - DH Not likely...

 

The XC riders loved Nicks course - but the DH okes (apart from the Hannah's) hated PMB ... also the DH teams didnt like it because of logistics and uplift issues. So they dont want to come back.

 

XC on the other hand would - but it may be too expensive for the teams to come out just for a single discipline round. But again we will have to wait and see.

[nigelhicks]

twit...I responded to him

 

hahahaha - i did too - I think i was a bit more diplomatic than you though. hahaha

I started getting chirpy but then took it out as i dont feel like starting an internet war with a 15 year old

[Stretch]

XC maybe - DH Not likely...

 

The XC riders loved Nicks course - but the DH okes (apart from the Hannah's) hated PMB ... also the DH teams didnt like it because of logistics and uplift issues. So they dont want to come back.

 

XC on the other hand would - but it may be too expensive for the teams to come out just for a single discipline round. But again we will have to wait and see.

 

its interesting - this year we have seen a couple of XC events happening at different dates and venues to the dh - so it is very likely we will get another XC event. It is a real pity if we dont get another DH because it is good fun to watch.....but then XC is just as entertaining

[Stretch]

hahahaha - i did too - I think i was a bit more diplomatic than you though. hahaha

I started getting chirpy but then took it out as i dont feel like starting an internet war with a 15 year old

 

ja - it was a goof response. It just amazes me how ignorant people are. In fact, if you take:

Rugby WC

Cricket WC

Soccer WC

MTB Marathon World Champs

MTB DH/XC elite and senior World Champs

BMX World Champs

Jhb2c, Sani2c, BnB, Epic, Rainbow etc etc

 

We have hosted more international events in the last 20 yrs than the land of maple syrup has ever done

[SwissVan]

Its supposed to be a world cup, but that schedule looks a bit like a european or northern hemisphere cup... Pity that teams seem to have an influence

[nigelhicks]

its interesting - this year we have seen a couple of XC events happening at different dates and venues to the dh - so it is very likely we will get another XC event.

 

This is ALWAYS the case - 3 venues will generally host a double header event with the rest seperated and split in different countries etc. Areas like Nove Mesto and Albstadt do not have gravity trails and the hills cannot support a DH event - but their XC tracks are insane.

Fort Bill can host a double header and has done so in the past - but the spectators only really show up for DH so the organisers only bid for the DH event.

 

The issue with having a single discipline event in SA or AUZ is that there needs to be a ton of infrastructure for just one event - with a double header the infrastructure costs are reduced as there is more bang for your buck. SO a single event here would be really costly for the teams to come to. And thats a negative.

 

Its supposed to be a world cup, but that schedule looks a bit like a european or northern hemisphere cup... Pity that teams seem to have an influence

 

The teams have BIG influence - and yes it does make it a bit crap - there have been events in the southern hemisphere for a while but none have lasted the length of Fort Bill or Mt St anne as the teams complain about costs getting there - in Europe and USA the teams have their big rigs and all the toys so they love going there as they have all the equipment on hand. Coming here they have very little ...so thats an issue.

 

But its happened time and time again where the UCI try to move the sport to different areas around the globe - it works for 2 or 3 years - then the pros whinge or they loose funding for the series and it reverts back to a Europe - USA series.

There has even been a year or 2 when it was only in Europe when the UCI was in deep financial crap when their sponsorship dried up.