Everything We Know About the 2020 Tokyo Olympics XCO Mountain Bike Race
With the 2020 Tokyo Olympics just over a year away, qualification will be at the forefront of riders' minds as we head through the 2019 season. Qualification criteria are starting to be released and the hype is starting to ramp up. Let's look at the challenge facing the riders when they head to East Asia next year.
Where will the race be held?
The original plan was for a purpose built, 25,000 capacity venue to be constructed on the man-made Sea Forest island in Tokyo Bay, however it was reportedly a casualty of budget cuts and the new venue of Izu was announced in late 2015. Izu is 120km south of Tokyo but is home to Japan's Cycle Sport Centre and will also host the track events in its velodrome. The athletes will be able to stay in the main village in Tokyo but there will also be satellite villages closer to the venue.
What will the track be like?
Izu currently has a mountain bike course with an elevation of 85 metres and a length of 2,500 metres, which will likely form the base for the Olympic circuit. The course was built in 2010 and features views of Mount Fuji as well as features designed for beginner and advanced cyclists.
Izu mountain bike park course map.
It was last used in a major race for both the 2013 and 2014 Japanese National championships. The men's race was won by Takeshi Keisuke while Eri Norie Erikatsu won the women's.
A highlight video of the race is below. The race was run before the venue was announced as the Olympic track and renovations will be taking place to raise it to Olympic standards before next year. Racing starts at 3 minutes.
We should know more about the course in October, after the Tokyo 2020 test event. Expect most of the top World Cup riders to be there testing out the course and starting their preparations for racing it the year after.
Plenty of renovations are due on the proposed course. A storm in Rio meant renovation was being done just hours before the race.
Extra Information
- The races are currently scheduled to take place on July 27, 2020 (Men's) and July 28, 2020 (Women's). Average temperatures for the region at the time can be higher than 30°C with humidity around 80%.
- This will be the seventh inclusion of mountain biking in the Olympic Games, the first was Atlanta in 1996.
- Reigning champions are Nino Schurter (Switzerland) and Jenny Rissveds (Sweden).
- There have been two double Olympic winners - France's Julien Absalon (Athens 2004, Beijing 2008 ) and Italy's Paola Pezzo (Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000 ).
Nino put on a masterclass in Rio.
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59 Comments
It should consist of a lot of pedaling, no big drops, no big rocks and so on.
XC races are extremely hard in their own way and they should be like they are. The only question is whether you interested in XC or not.
But maybe I misunderstood your comment.
Same things where said for London, but that WAS A GREAT RACE/EVENT!
Yes the venue needs to be TV friendly, but there are many other things that can be done to make it TV friendly.
Like there was no tape/stakes used to mark out the course, they used bright colour brush side of the course. lot better for viewing.
Also Olympics events is also about been "legacy" as in the venue to be used AFTER the Olympics to encourage people into sport/keep fit etc. So if the venue is a bit closer to a city and less in the middle of the wild wood/forest/mountain to get more people into the sport afterwards, it is fine by me.
Last thing I know of the main guy who is incharge over there in Tokyo, he has been involved in MTB ride/racing for a VERY long time, putting on & help running GREAT great events here in the UK. He was also involved with London and Rio, so I be sure the course will test the riders in fitness and skills.
The venue it self is still doing well, Army was there the other day doing skills/training, plenty of races are still there, with R1 of Eastern Region Series XC race been there a couple of days ago.
And "go-ride" events are been held there still. (Go ride are fun events for Kids)
Holy wood lied to me!
I’d sooner spin on a trainer than watch some milk toast riding with commercials every sixty seconds.
The Olympics has sucked for decades, adding sports that we like will never make it better.
So ya all need to sack up and stop complaining about stupid shite that don’t matter.... unless of course it matters to you in which case you’re a stupid shite!