It is said, “You can’t be sad while riding a mountain bike.”

Anyone who’s every ridden one will understand this truth. Every ride is an adventure requiring total focus, lightning fast decision making, and intense determination to overcome obstacles. There’s simply no left-over brain capacity for sadness.

That’s especially true in elite mountain bike racing, and soon, we will all see for ourselves exactly why when the best riders in the world come to Mt Van Hoevenberg in Lake Placid.

At the WHOOP UCI (International Cycling Union) Mountain Bike World Series – the most prestigious competition in mountain biking – a variety of different race formats challenge riders in different ways. They also give spectators incredibly fast, action-packed excitement in different shapes and sizes.

Each of the 16 World Cup racing locations offers a selection of UCI’s five different race disciplines. The races at Mt Van Hoevenberg September 27-29 will include these three:

    • Cross-Country Olympic (XCO)
    • Cross-Country Short Track (XCC)
    • Cross-Country Marathon World Cup (XCM)

Cross-Country Olympic (XCO)

As the only mountain bike racing format in the Olympic Games, the XCO discipline at Mt Van Hoevenberg will see many riders just coming off the 2024 Paris Summer Games. The race’s mass start will send a pack of the world’s best riders going hard and fighting for position on a track that will put their amazing abilities to the test. A set number of laps with strikingly steep climbs made to induce pain followed quickly by downhill stretches that will test the full range of bike handling skills.

Cross-Country Short Track (XCC)

Put a pack of the world’s most highly motivated, highly skilled racers on a condensed track over a shorter distance, and watch excitement shoot sky high. XCC races are scheduled at the start of a race weekend, and the results decide the start order for the XCO races to come. It’s extremely fast-paced with loads of action.

Cross-Country Marathon World Cup (XCM)

At 100km in length over challenging terrain, the XCM is an extreme mountain bike challenge. Endurance is priority here, yet the ability to handle different terrain types and stay focused over a long race in the middle of a fast moving pack of riders are paramount, too. Are you ready to see how grueling this sport can get?

Over all these disciplines, the big unknown for the racers is the course and its multitudes of nuances. For that reason, the field of riders will arrive early to train on the courses Thursday and Friday morning before their races. During that time, spectators can come see close up how they handle it all. Then, the XCO races begin Friday afternoon.

This is a first here in the Adirondacks, so come experience the thrills and high level competition at Mt Van Hoevenberg. You’ll discover an experience like the riders, and find it just as impossible to be sad. Get details, the full schedule, venue details and tickets here.