Cycling Mountain Bike

Emotions from the start

In cycling mountain bike most popular competitions are: cross-country XCO, downhill DH, short race XCC, enduro END, marathon XCM, eliminator XCE, team relay XCR and four cross 4X. During the European Games Kraków-Małopolska 2023, women and men will compete only in cross-country (XCO), which is the only Olympic competition. Bikers compete in a race from a mass start, and this guarantees a lot of emotions from the beginning of the competition. The order in the UCI ranking determines the seeding on the starting line.

Nearly 160 athletes will take part in cycling mountain bike races. They will face each other on June 25 in Krynica Zdrój on a specially prepared route within the Parkowa Mountain. The competition will at the same time hold the rank of the European Championships, and the points earned will strengthen the athletes’ chances of participating in the 2024 IO.

In 1996, cross-country competitions officially became a competition held at the Summer Olympics.

Fast down the hill

Cycling Mountain Bike or MTB, from mountain bike, had its origins in the 1970s in the USA, where it was at that time that the fashion for cycling on very difficult terrain was born. Gary Fisher is considered to be the founder of the sport, who in 1979 was the originator of the production of mountain bikes, which featured a thicker and shorter frame than on road bikes. Fisher also got rid of unnecessary things that were part of the classic bike – fenders and guards.

Initially, cycling mountain bike was an informal extreme sport, and the first competitions consisted of descents on narrow and winding forest paths – today’s popular DH. It wasn’t until 1990 that the International Cycling Union (UCI) took notice of the sport and included it in its official competitions, which took place in Durango, Colorado, USA. A year later the first World Cup series was held. In 1996, cross-country competitions officially became a competition held at the Summer Olympics.