2017 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships Schedule Released
Racing at a world level for 2017 hasn't kicked off yet, but there is certainly a lot of excitement for it to do so! But despite this, teams of people are busy planning out their events for the season and one of those is the team behind the World Champs this year, in Cairns Australia. Come September 5, the best mountain bike athletes from around the world will represent their countries in the jungle of Cairns, on the track built by none-other Glen Jacobs', World Trail.
![The final metres of sprint to the line have been cut down by 30 meters of so since 2014.]()
The racing on the Cairns track over the last few years has been eventful, to say the least, and what the weather does come race day is as good as anyone's guess, making it all the more exciting. Will the local talent of the Hannah's, Brosnon, Fearon, or even Josh Button or Graeme Mudd be able to hold off the likes of the Atherton's, Gwin, or Minnaar? Will the weather play a role the way that it did here in 2014, only to give us a complete underdog that rises to the occasion? In the XCO will Absalon be able to repeat his 2014 win, or will Schurter take it, doubling up on his 2016 World Cup win here? Eva Lechner won ahead of Emily Batty in 2014, but both were further down the results sheet in the dry, humid conditions last year. It really is wide-open in many regards!
![Gwin thrashing the pedals through a wave of lactic towards the finish arch.]()
![Josh Button boomeranging his way into the history books.]()
![All the people of Australia.]()
Regardless of what happens, it's safe to say that it will be an action-packed race and to be there would be one heck of an experience. If being there is of interest, the schedule and things like tickets for the event will be helpful. The schedule for the 2017 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Cairns has now been released and tickets to the event go on sale, Tuesday, April 4, 2017. The World Champs will be held at the Smithfield Regional Park, James Cook University between September 5–10, 2017 and will feature six days of mountain biking action.
![Graeme Mudd the second most badass privateer outta hell Australia this weekend. A great qualie backed up with a formidable 8th only 4 seconds off the pace.]()
World champs for 2017 have one notable shift in the schedule and that is moving the two disciplines more in line with most of the 2016 World Cup formats. The Cross Country (XCO) race will be held on Saturday, September 9 and the Downhill (DHI) will take place on Sunday. With over 20,000 spectators expected to attend the event, you will want to get your tickets early. Travel packages are also now on sale from Flight Centre for those traveling to Cairns for the event.
![Rachel Atherton is too good. Today she was unstoppable for the umpteenth time taking the win by 3.48 seconds.]()
The event will have significant TV and digital viewing presence including the distribution of television broadcast to a cumulative audience in excess of 6.13 million globally across 18 different nations. In Australia, SBS and Fox Sports will carry the broadcast. The Queensland Government is proud to support the 2017 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships Cairns through Tourism and Events Queensland as part of the It’s Live! in Queensland events calendar. Tickets will be available from Ticketek on Tuesday 4 April 2017.
![Mick would love nothing more than to time a big come-back with this WC stop on his home trails and was looking pinned and comfortable all afternoon.]()
For further information visit www.mtbworldscairns.com.au, or follow them on Facebook, Instagram and
Twitter @UCIMTBAustralia You can also join in the conversation with #mtbworldscairns.
The Cairns track finish line.
The racing on the Cairns track over the last few years has been eventful, to say the least, and what the weather does come race day is as good as anyone's guess, making it all the more exciting. Will the local talent of the Hannah's, Brosnon, Fearon, or even Josh Button or Graeme Mudd be able to hold off the likes of the Atherton's, Gwin, or Minnaar? Will the weather play a role the way that it did here in 2014, only to give us a complete underdog that rises to the occasion? In the XCO will Absalon be able to repeat his 2014 win, or will Schurter take it, doubling up on his 2016 World Cup win here? Eva Lechner won ahead of Emily Batty in 2014, but both were further down the results sheet in the dry, humid conditions last year. It really is wide-open in many regards!
Can Gwin take his first World Champs win on the Cairns track? He's yet to do better than a 4th.
Josh Button landed a podium result here in 2016, surprising a lot of people.
Fans at the finish line.
Regardless of what happens, it's safe to say that it will be an action-packed race and to be there would be one heck of an experience. If being there is of interest, the schedule and things like tickets for the event will be helpful. The schedule for the 2017 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Cairns has now been released and tickets to the event go on sale, Tuesday, April 4, 2017. The World Champs will be held at the Smithfield Regional Park, James Cook University between September 5–10, 2017 and will feature six days of mountain biking action.
Muddy finished in 8th last year, only 4 seconds off the pace.
World champs for 2017 have one notable shift in the schedule and that is moving the two disciplines more in line with most of the 2016 World Cup formats. The Cross Country (XCO) race will be held on Saturday, September 9 and the Downhill (DHI) will take place on Sunday. With over 20,000 spectators expected to attend the event, you will want to get your tickets early. Travel packages are also now on sale from Flight Centre for those traveling to Cairns for the event.
Rachel Atherton on her way to that perfect season.
 | With just under six months until the event kicks off in Cairns, the release of the competition schedule gives fans plenty of time to plan their full Mountain Bike World Championships experience. The revised competition format, with the switch of the XCO and DHI finals, means that spectators are in for a fantastic finish to this very special event. |
The event will have significant TV and digital viewing presence including the distribution of television broadcast to a cumulative audience in excess of 6.13 million globally across 18 different nations. In Australia, SBS and Fox Sports will carry the broadcast. The Queensland Government is proud to support the 2017 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships Cairns through Tourism and Events Queensland as part of the It’s Live! in Queensland events calendar. Tickets will be available from Ticketek on Tuesday 4 April 2017.
Mick would love nothing more to take World Champs gold on his home trails.
For further information visit www.mtbworldscairns.com.au, or follow them on Facebook, Instagram and
Twitter @UCIMTBAustralia You can also join in the conversation with #mtbworldscairns.
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If they move a DH event to Whistler then riding Mecca will be achieved and every other bike park and downhill center will close down. Do you want that really?
Not on the charitable basis of giving you a break from being punched in the face.
When will you numbskulls get it through your head that the UCI have little to nothing to do with which venues decide to host a WC??? Venues bid, then the UCI decide based upon many factors the most important being who asked first, the calender and then what is most suitable.
Sure, whistler would be great, but it's not the UCI you should lambast, try Vail Resorts....
Schladming would be great, try Planai lift operations....
Morzine would be great, well, we'll wait and see on that one.....
Champery back would be great, try Champery office de Tourisme...
This is an oooooooold story. Years ago (in the 90s!) Whistler wanted to have a WC. The UCI told them to host a large stage race event for a few years to prove they could manage it, and then they would be awarded a WC. Whistler hosted the stage race, and it went great, and the UCI awarded Whistler a WC! Woohoo! Then bad things started to happen, there was infighting with different stakeholders in Whistler with the event, and very late in the year the event was cancelled. Gestev swept in, and managed to save the event by hosting the event at Grouse Mountain in North Vancouver (saving teams tons of travel $$$). The WC was hosted at Grouse for two years, and it has never gone back to Whistler.
I know that a lot of the infighting in Whistler had to do with who gets what $$$. I highly suspect that Whistler makes a lot of $$$ of their current marquee event, Crankworx, and is hesitant to schedule a competing event which would cannibalize. From their perspective, why host a World Cup, when everyone already comes to Crankworx, which is a longer event, and they get to keep more of the revenue.
Day after Day we have pinkbikers posting awesome footage of runs from a multitude of angles and sections, yet a fully funded WC event has 20 odd secs of footage of a ~3-4min course... WTF?
One fan took a bike from rider and tried to ride it down on that track. It didn't go very.
That's the one I am referring to
I guess Red Bull has their finger on the pulse when it comes to dumbing down tracks because the audience is fickle.
I'm pretty sure the Cairns rainforest - this isn't woodlands - made it very difficult to run services to the different locations.
Kuranda is my favourite, easy access via road, can get in heaps of runs during the day....