Mountain bike racing is incredibly thrilling for riders and spectators alike. Especially at the World Cup level we are going to see September 27-29 at Mt Van Hoevenberg!

The first mountain bike racing event was held in Colorado in 1978. Since then, the sport has advanced through recent decades with the International Cycling Union (UCI) elevating it to a global phenomenon. As you can imagine, this evolution has been a journey, and high level international racing now requires some rather specific rules and regulations to keep it fair and safe for everyone.

So here we offer a list of 20 important, interesting, and even fun examples of UCI World Series racing facts. Many of these are official rules that riders, officials, spectators, and organizers must follow at UCI World Cup events:

  1. In creating the racecourses, trail designers use natural materials from the site to create a variety of features, including berms, turns, jumps, drops, rock gardens, and flow sections. Though organizers and racers alike want the course to be challenging, they all insist there not be any obstacles that could cause a crash inside the start and finish zones.
  2. B-Zones are buffer zones alongside the racecourses. Spectators are not allowed inside B-Zones, which are narrow restricted areas between the inner and outer layers of tape on the downhill track and some of the cross-country track. The inner layer marks the racecourse. The outer layer indicates where spectators can stand. B-Zones are intended to provide racers room to run off the course slightly without crashing into spectators while also giving race organizers, volunteers, and official photographers a safe place to fulfill their duties.
  3. The Olympic Authority is committed to maintaining the pristine Adirondack forest environment in which Mt Van Hoevenberg trails. So although riders are required by UCI rules to respect nature and make sure that they do not pollute the venue, we ask that spectators and all visitors do likewise.
  4. Radios and other remote means of communication between riders and their coaches or teams is not allowed, except at UCI World Cup races.
  5. The use of tires with metal spikes or screws is not permitted (except for racing on snow bikes).
  6. Riders racing both cross-country Olympic (XCO) and cross-country short track (XCC) races must use the same bike.
  7. Riders are generally only allowed to receive technical assistance inside the designated feed/technical assistance zone. Beyond these zones, technical help is permitted only between riders who are members of the same UCI ELITE MTB TEAM, UCI MTB TEAM or of the same national team.
  8. Technical or mechanical assistance during a race may include repairs to or the replacement of any part of the bicycle other than the frame. Unlike the Tour de France or other major road races, bike changes are not permitted at UCI mountain biking World Cup races. The rider must cross the finish line with the same handlebar number plate they had at the start.
  9. Riders often need water during racing both to drink and to douse themselves to cool their bodies. Water bottles must be passed by hand in the feed/technical assistance zone, and no one is allowed to run alongside riders to provide food or water.
  10. No one is allowed to spray riders with water to cool them down. Riders must use a water bottle to do this themselves. The best way for riders to accomplish this is to take two bottles in the zone. One to hydrate themselves and the other to pour over their head and down their backs.
  11. A smaller wheel in front can provide a tighter, more responsive turning and a small (some might say tiny) aerodynamic advantage. However, they’re also potentially hazardous riding highly technical trails. In cross-country Olympic (XCO) and cross-country short track (XCC) races, both bike wheels must be the same size. Mixed wheel size bikes are not allowed.
  12. Glasses can be important for riders not only to see better but also to keep insects and debris from hitting their eyeballs at high speeds. Eyewear can be changed in the feed/technical assistance zones. An area where glasses may be exchanged may be set up at the end of the zone.
  13. Riders get time to familiarize themselves with the course prior to the first races. Since these will be the first World Cup cycling races at Mt Van Hoevenberg, that time will be especially important for riders. To help, directional signs with arrows are located 10 meters before each trail junction, at each junction, and 10 meters after junctions to confirm that the correct route has been followed.
  14. If you’ve ever crossed a wet wooden bridge or ramp on a mountain bike, you won’t forget the experience of the bike sliding out from under you. Wooden structures on the course can be extremely slippery when wet and by UCI rules must be covered with non-slip surface (carpet, chicken wire or special anti-slip paint).
  15. Lengthy single-track sections of the racecourse must offer riders periodic passing sections.
  16. Competitors can’t just ride any bike on the course. For UCI competition, all bicycles must be certified by an official UCI Technical Delegate. This process involves a careful review of the bike’s design and specifications against the UCI standards. Physical testing of the bike is also required to ensure it meets specific performance criteria.
  17. In cross-country Olympic (XCO) and cross-country short track (XCC) races, any rider whose lap time is 80% slower than the race leader’s first lap is pulled out of the race. They are required to leave the race at the end of their lap in the zone provided for the purpose (the “80% zone”). An important exception is when the rider is on their final lap.
  18. Most people are familiar with bike chains. You may also have seen a belt driven bike, too. For downhill racing only, a bike may be driven by a belt rather than a chain. A bike may not be belt driven in any other UCI Mountain Bike World Cup race.
  19. A racer who wins the World Championship race holds lofty and highly sought-after the title of World Champion. A racer who wins the overall series title with the most World Cup points is the World Cup Champion.
  20. If a racer wins their country’s national championship, they will ride UCI World Cup races with one arm decorated with their country’s flag colors.

As the local organizer of the UCI Mountain Bike World Series, the team at the New York State Olympic Regional Development Authority is dedicated to providing you information and inspiration to get the most from your experience at these races and throughout your stay in Lake Placid. Our experts are uniquely qualified to bring you not only this incredible event but also important insights into the sport of mountain biking in the Adirondacks.

Get ready for the excitement of this inaugural UCI World Series at Mt Van Hoevenberg. Find other event details and get your tickets here.