The cross-country short track rainbow jersey will debut in the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships presented by Mercedes-Benz schedule from the 2021 edition in Val di Sole (Trentino, Northern Italy). In Italy, six formats titles will be assigned for the first time in UCI Mountain Bike Worlds' history: cross-country short track, cross-country Olympic, cross-country team relay, downhill, four-cross and E-mountain bike, from August 25th to 29th, 2021
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From Leogang 2020 to Val di Sole 2021: top-notch mountain bike looks forward to returning to normality, and hopefully welcome back fans as soon as possible. After the Austrian edition, Italy will host the 2021 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships presented by Mercedes-Benz in Val di Sole (Trentino), from August 25th to 29th.
In 2021, Val di Sole and Trentino celebrate their third UCI World Championship after 2008 and 2016. And it does not stop there, as the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) has already named Val di Sole as the venue of the 2026 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships. Over the years, Val di Sole has established itself as a Classic of the Mercedes-Benz UCI Mountain Bike World Cup for many editions, that has returned to Trentino for many straight seasons before this year's cancellation due to restrictions related to the COVID-19 emergency.
CROSS-COUNTRY SHORT TRACK UCI WORLDS DEBUT IN VAL DI SOLE
The 2021 UCI World Championships in Italy will mark a first time in the event's history, as the cross-country short track (XCC) format will assign a rainbow jersey for the very first time in Val di Sole. With the new format's inclusion, first introduced in the UCI World Cup in 2018, Val di Sole will crown the new UCI World Champions of no less than six formats, an absolute record in the event's history.
After setting an E-mountain bike event for the first time in 2019 - the fun and memorable Electric Snake - Val di Sole will also welcome the UCI E-Mountain Bike World Championships' third edition. A now-leading segment in the cycling market, pedal-assisted bikes are now earning their share of attention also on the competitive side. E-mountain bike competitions feature big names from the MTB present and recent past, and deliver plenty of fun for the attending fans.
Cross-country Olympic, cross-country team relay, four-cross and downhill are the other disciplines whose rainbow jerseys will be assigned at Val di Sole 2021. In Trentino, the downhill race is the one most awaited by the fans. Val di Sole is the home of the Black Snake, one of the most iconic challenging tracks in the world. The Black Snake - to be slightly revised in view of the 2021 UCI World Championships - celebrated champions such as Gee Atherton and Danny Hart, UCI World Champions in Val di Sole in 2008 and 2016 respectively, while Rachel Atherton triumphed in Val di Sole at both 2008 and 2016 UCI World Championships.
The long-time king of the cross-country trails in Val di Sole is Nino Schurter, who has won five of the last seven UCI World Cup races in Val di Sole, but Dutchman Mathieu Van der Poel, the winner in 2019, is expected to pose a real threat and put on an enticing generational duel.
OC PRESIDENT LUCIANO RIZZI: "WE ARE WORKING FOR A SPECIAL EDITION
"Val di Sole is home for the best bikers in the world – explained the President of Val di Sole Tourist Board and Grandi Eventi Val di Sole Luciano Rizzi – and we can't wait to welcome them again after a tough season. We hope that the 2021 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships presented by Mercedes-Benz will return to the exciting display of joy and energy that MTB has always been for both the riders and the fans, so sorely missed in 2020. We are working at a very special edition of the UCI World Championships, and we can't wait to share it with all the world MTB family."
The 2021 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships race programme and logo will be disclosed in the upcoming weeks.
