The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) is pleased to announce the return of mountain bike cross-country Eliminator (XCE) to the highest level with the launch of a new UCI World Cup in 2017. All the rounds will be characterised by city-centre competitions.
The series is made possible thanks to the UCI’s partnership with City Mountainbike, organisers specialised in the staging of XCE events in urban settings. Their events have been registered on the UCI International Calendar since 2012. City Mountainbike will be responsible for all aspects of the event organisation, such as the course set-up, official timing and television production.
Raced over short and technical courses in heats of four riders at a time, XCE is a mixture of cross-country Olympic, for the type of course, and four-cross, for the format.
The discipline, which featured on the programme of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup presented by Shimano for three seasons (2012 – 2014), will now have a series in an enhanced format. XCE, present since 2015 at national and continental level and at the UCI World Championships, will set out to conquer city centres throughout the six-month season.
From May in Volterra (Italy) to October in Beirut (Lebanon), the 2017 UCI Mountain Bike Eliminator World Cup will visit eight cities in seven countries from three continents.
2017 UCI Mountain Bike Eliminator World Cup calendar
Volterra (ITA) – 5-6.05.2017*
Columbus (USA) – 3-4.06.2017
Waregem (BEL) – 24-25.06.2017
Bangkok (THA) – 29-30.07.2017*
Winterberg (GER) – 26-27.08.2017
Apeldoorn (NED) – 2-3.09.2017*
Antwerp (BEL) – 23-24.09.2017
Beirut (LIB) – 15-16.10.2017*
*Pending confirmation by National Federation
The XCE season will finish with the 2017 UCI Urban Cycling World Championships, which will feature XCE, trials and BMX Freestyle Park. The first edition of these Worlds will take place in China during the final quarter of the year, as part of the partnership signed with the group Wanda Sports [press release] for the development of cycling in China. The exact venue and date of these World Championships will be communicated at a later date.
The UCI Mountain Bike Eliminator World Cup will offer nations qualification points for the UCI World Championships, and the two events together constitute an attractive calendar that does the discipline justice.
In line with the strategy to develop women’s cycling implemented by the UCI since the election of Brian Cookson in 2013, the UCI Mountain Bike Eliminator World Cup will offer equal prize money for men and women.
UCI President Brian Cookson said: “I am delighted by this partnership with City Mountainbike, which enables us to relaunch a discipline that is spectacular and popular with fans. With this new UCI Mountain Bike Eliminator World Cup, we confirm our desire to bring our sport to where the public is, in the heart of cities. As with trials and BMX Freestyle Park, Eliminator requires minimum logistics, which fits in with the desire of cities to organise events that use temporary installations. The international character of this first edition proves that the format appeals to cities throughout the world and we are delighted by that.”
Kristof Bruyneel, Manager of City Mountainbike, declared: “City Mountainbike is proud to have been chosen by the UCI to set up this new UCI Mountain Bike Eliminator World Cup. As organisers, we will use our know-how, recognised by XCE community, and contribute further to the discipline’s expansion throughout the world.
Also there are a lot of niche Olympic events that very few people do, like horse dancing for instance.
Of course it's never going to happen, but would be a cool event and there aren't many reasons why it couldn't work well.
@alexhyland nobody you know rides 4X? That's odd, most people I know race 4X
All completely chicken an egg debates, 4X is small because not enough people ride it or not enough people ride 4X because it's too small???
4X is a great sport an deserves to be WAY bigger than it is but, 4X is also a very hard sport both physically and mentally an THATS why it's small, a lot of people just can't compete and in a sport where winning is everything...
Same stupid idea as DH in malls i guess.
Why not make an underwater event? UCI BlubbBlubb Cup?
And Greg Minaar in speedos? The horror.
I have a ground breaking new idea, how about mountain bike races in the woods? You know, like we used to do it. I don't think the UCI understands anything other than road racing, this MTB shit is just way over their heads, too much to process.
When the courses are rad, XCE rocks, when they aren't it's meh. Who is going to do them when they aren't attached to an XCO race?
Enduro has evolved into the beast that it is because there has been no uci intervention.
#banxceliminator
#make4xgreatagain
BUT THAT'S RAYSIS!!!!........
MILK IS RAYSIS!!!!..........
SJW will never understand anything. They are like children that don't get that toy, so they just sit on the floor of the store, crying.
HD has made a huge difference for all racing, I hope it improves coverage of XCE. They will need to require everyone wear a gopro so there can be POV replays shortly after the race.
Who is going to race these. XC racers will not and gravity riders (who would probably crush these) have better things to do with their time.
Do you care to elaborate? I don't follow your logic here. It's an xc course.
The training that gravity racers do makes them a lot faster in short efforts (up and down) then the training that XC racers do.
He's British.
I can't speak for the rest of the world, but there are loads of 4x riders in the UK, many actively enjoying riding 4x tracks outside of racing environments.
Why would you deliberately ride a mountainbike round a city for fun other than in a freestyle discipline?
This discipline is pointless, like riding road racing bikes round your local XC loop, and sends the wrong message about the sport.
4X called, they want their world stage back.
China is creating a super league for real football that is making offers to poach top talent from Chelsea etc. The UCI wants to bring cycling to cities in China to get a piece of those dollars. They are bringing the sport to the people. Will it work? If it does, will it lift all mtb ships? I highly doubt it, but the reasoning behind this are fairly clear.
Let's say you don't follow F1 at all. How many courses could you name? For most people it would be Monaco and that's it. That course is visually stunning, but there is NO passing, so the racing is lame . IF this works (big if) it could be a similar trade-off.