Jump straight to section:<\/strong><\/p> Sunday 28 July, 2pm:\u00a0<\/strong>Women\u2019s cross-country<\/p> Monday 29 July, 2pm: <\/strong>Men\u2019s cross-country<\/p> Keep an eye on https:\/\/tickets.paris2024.org<\/a> for tickets. The racing will be televised on the small screen by the BBC (UK), NBC (USA), the Nine network (Australia), Sky (New Zealand) and other broadcasters, and by Warner Bros Discovery in 47 markets across Europe on Max, discovery+ and Eurosport.\u00a0 <\/p> XCO (Cross-Country Olympic) racing sees riders set off en masse and complete a set number of laps on undulating terrain, battling to be the first across the finish line. There are separate races for men and women. <\/p> Compared to a World Cup round or even a World Championships, the start numbers at the Olympics are skimpy \u2013 just 72 riders, split between the two events. This makes for a very different and less congested style of racing.<\/p> This year\u2019s title bouts will take place on the wooded trails of \u00c9lancourt Hill (Colline d\u2019\u00c9lancourt) \u2013 at 231m tall, the highest point in the Paris area. The course is just a few minutes\u2019 ride from the famous Palace of Versailles, and around 21 miles south-west of the centre of Paris. <\/p> At the time of writing, the track was still in the final tweaking stages, but it\u2019ll be based on the one used for the test event last autumn \u2013 a 4.35km loop on a mix of purpose-built and existing trails, with lots of ups and downs, a good amount of fast singletrack, and some root and rock gardens. <\/p> Race durations should be between 1hr 20mins and 1hr 40mins. The riding will be fast and intense but not extremely technical, and the weather is likely to be warm and dry, so should suit riders who mix up their flat-bar racing with drop-bar cyclocross and\/or road events.<\/p> Although two slots remain to be filled (see below), in the woman\u2019s event, France\u2019s multi-disciplinarian ace Pauline Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot<\/strong> will surely start as odds-on favourite. The reigning champ, Jolanda Neff<\/strong> of Switzerland, has pulled out, due to breathing trouble, but Dutch star Puck Pieterse<\/strong> will likely also be a serious contender. Britain’s Evie Richards<\/strong> is also a serious contender \u2013 she has a knack of producing magic when there are gongs up for grabs.<\/p> In the men\u2019s race, it\u2019s Tom Pidcock<\/strong>, Britain\u2019s first and only Elite male XCO world and Olympic champ, who\u2019s the favourite, after his nemesis, road world champ Mathieu van der Poel<\/strong>, of the Netherlands, announced he\u2019d be skipping the XC in Paris to focus on the road racing. However,\u00a0Pidcock is \u2018doing a Bradley Wiggins\u2019 and aiming to compete in the Olympics immediately after riding the Tour de France, which may either seal or soil his chances. <\/p> Other riders who could upstage them include France\u2019s Victor Koretzky<\/strong>, riding with a home tailwind and confidence from winning the test event, and all-conquering Swiss veteran Nino Schurter<\/strong>, who can never be discounted, especially given that this will likely be his last Olympics, and possibly his final season of racing.<\/p> The Olympic qualification system is based largely on national points gained and the resulting rankings in World Cups and Continental Championships between May 2023 and late May 2024. <\/p> The top eight nations get two slots in each race (one fewer than in Tokyo, where the Swiss took all three women\u2019s medals), while the following 19 get just one. As hosts, France get an extra pair of slots. Add to this two \u201cuniversality\u201d slots drawn at late notice, and you have the full Monty. <\/p> Unfortunately, this means some of the best riders don\u2019t make the cut, and many smaller nations are excluded entirely.<\/p> Here are the teams and athletes confirmed so far:<\/strong><\/p> Australia \u2013 Rebecca Henderson<\/p> Austria \u2013 Maximilian Foidl, Mona Mitterwallner, Laura Stigger <\/p> Belgium \u2013 Ememeline Detilleux, Pierre de Froidmont, Jens Schuermans<\/p> Brazil \u2013 Ulan Bastos Galinski, Raiza Goulao Henrique<\/p> Canada \u2013 Gunnar Holmgren, Isabella Holmgren<\/p> Chile \u2013 Martin Vidaurre-Kossmans<\/p> China \u2013 Zhifan Wu<\/p> Colombia \u2013 Jhonatan Botero Villegas<\/p> Czechia \u2013 Ondrej Cink, Ad\u00e9la Holubov\u00e1<\/p> Denmark \u2013 Simon Andreassen, Caroline Bohe, Sofie Pedersen<\/p> Estonia \u2013 Janika Loiv<\/p> France \u2013 Pauline Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot, Victor Koretzky, Loana Lecomte, Jordan Sarrou<\/p> Germany \u2013 Nina Benz, Julian Schelb, Luca Schwarzbauer<\/p> Great Britain \u2013 Charlie Aldridge, Ella MacLean-Howell, Tom Pidcock, Evie Richards<\/p> Israel \u2013 Tomer Zaltsman<\/p> Italy \u2013 Simone Avondetto, Martina Berta, Luca Braidot, Chiara Teocchi<\/p> Latvia \u2013 Martin Blums<\/p> Mauritius \u2013 Aur\u00e9lie Halbwach<\/p> Mexico \u2013 Adair Zabdiel Guti\u00e9rrez Prieto, Erika Monserrath Rodr\u00edguez Su\u00e1rez<\/p> New Zealand \u2013 Sam Gaze, Samara Maxwell<\/p> Netherlands \u2013 Puck Pieterse, Anne Terpstra<\/p> Norway \u2013 Knut Rohme<\/p> Poland \u2013 Paula Gorycka, Bartlomiej Wawak<\/p> Portugal \u2013 Raquel Quieros<\/p> Romania \u2013 Ede-Karoly Molnar<\/p> Slovenia \u2013 Tanja Zakelj<\/p> South Africa \u2013 Alan Hatherly, Candice Lill<\/p> Spain \u2013 Jofre Cullell, David Valero<\/p> Sweden \u2013 Jenny Rissveds<\/p> Switzerland \u2013 Mathias Flueckiger, Sina Frei, Alessandra Keller, Nino Schurter<\/p> Ukraine \u2013 Yana Belomoina, Oleksandr Hudyma<\/p> USA \u2013 Riley Amos, Haley Batten, Christopher Blevins,\u00a0Savilia Blunk <\/p> Downhill and enduro mountain biking arguably have a bigger following than cross-country racing \u2013 in the English-speaking world, at least \u2013 so why aren\u2019t they Olympic sports? <\/p> The biggest issue is that most Games are effectively city-based, and major popular centres don\u2019t often have mountains on their doorstep. This is OK for XC racing, which can be run on a short and relatively mellow course, but not for MTB disciplines that require steeper, rougher terrain and long descents. <\/p> In Paris, for example, you\u2019d end up with a 30-second run in the \u00c9lancourt woods, or a long trip south to the mountains, and it would\u2019ve been similar at London 2012. Rio and Tokyo are exceptions, of course \u2013 a descent from the Christ the Redeemer statue or a blast down the barren slopes of Mount Fuji would have been spectacular!\u00a0<\/p> Ultimately, mountain biking is just one fiddly piece of the world\u2019s greatest sporting jigsaw, and opening up the Games to include DH and EDR would bring huge financial and logistical issues for the hosts. It would also cause disputes with other sports that don\u2019t have Olympic status due to their inherent requirements. <\/p> Plus, other cycling events would likely have to be sacrificed to make way for these disciplines \u2013 something we can\u2019t imagine national bodies such as British Cycling being keen on, given how much money they\u2019ve invested in track and road racing to ensure Olympic success (which is what much of their funding is based on).<\/p> Then there\u2019s the elephant in the boardroom. The International Olympic Committee is a huge, older-than-old-school organisation, which can be slow to embrace newer sports, especially if that means abandoning older, long-established ones. <\/p> While the adventure sports boom of the 1990s saw no fewer than five snowboarding disciplines included in the Winter Olympics, the only X Games-style addition to the Summer Games has been BMX racing. There\u2019s no skateboarding, inline skating or wakeboarding, nor any BMX park, vert, trails or flatland, so it\u2019s no surprise that the more \u2018extreme\u2019 end of mountain biking isn\u2019t represented either.\u00a0<\/p> Another reason given in the past for DH, in particular, not being included was that certain bikes gave riders an unfair technological advantage. However, that\u2019s no longer so valid, now that the sport is more mature, the pace of innovation has slowed and brands have coalesced around similar geometry and suspension designs.\u00a0<\/p> One thing\u2019s for certain \u2013 DH and EDR aren\u2019t going to be included anytime soon. That\u2019s not necessarily a bad thing, though. Top riders we\u2019ve spoken to over the years have expressed fears that adding gravity racing to the Olympics would take mountain biking away from the mountains and get more blazers and badges involved, taming the sport and losing some of its soul.\u00a0<\/p> Bart Brentjens (NED)<\/strong> \u2013 Gold, Atlanta 1996\u00a0<\/strong><\/p> \u201cFrom the moment I heard about mountain biking becoming an Olympic sport, I was focused on that, and as I came closer to potentially becoming an Olympic champion, the more I focused. It did change my life. It doesn\u2019t matter what kind of Olympic champion you are, or in what sport, you\u2019re a national hero, a celebrity. It means a lot for the country you live in.\u201d<\/p> Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesj\u00e5 (NOR) \u2013 Gold, Athens 2004<\/strong><\/p> \u201cAs an athlete who won a gold, you reach people who aren\u2019t even interested in sport. It\u2019s about sponsorship and attention, so it has great value for your career. But, at the same time, you have limited riders on the start line and it\u2019s not showing people what we want them to know about the sport, not at all.\u201d<\/p> Julien Absalon (FRA)<\/strong> \u2013 Gold, Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008\u00a0<\/strong><\/p> \u201cIn mountain biking, when you\u2019re world champion, you\u2019re just [famous] in a small world \u2013 your own sport. The Olympics is different, because when you become Olympic champion, it\u2019s a lot bigger, it\u2019s all around the world. Also, you\u2019re an Olympic champion for life, but world champion for just one year.”<\/p> Nino Schurter (SUI)<\/strong> \u2013 Gold, Rio 2016\u00a0<\/strong><\/p> \u201cWorking for many years towards the goal of winning the gold at the Olympics sure made it extremely satisfying when I finally reached my dream. I knew I was best prepared and in excellent shape. In moments like these, I focus on myself and not on who else is there or what they do.”<\/p> Pics: Getty Images<\/a><\/p> Bicycles are inextricably linked with the modern Olympics. It all goes back to 1850, when stern-faced men with big moustaches and long shorts raced the original big-wheelers (penny farthings) around Much Wenlock in Shropshire, England, as part of the inaugural Wenlock Olympics. <\/p> Believe it or not, this event would go on to inspire the eventual reincarnation of the then-defunct ancient Olympics as the modern-day Games in 1896 (which is why the London 2012 mascot was named Wenlock). And cycling has been included ever since.<\/p> It would be another 100 years until mountain biking would make its Olympic debut, though. While people had been riding off-road for decades, the first recognisable \u2018mountain bikes\u2019 emerged in the mid 1970s and thriving race scenes had become established across the globe by the mid 1980s, it wasn\u2019t until 1990 that the UCI (International Cycling Union) deigned to take this scruffy young sport under its wing. Which is when the racing side of things got a whole lot more serious.<\/p> Usually, it takes many years, and at least a demonstration event, before a \u2018new\u2019 sport makes the Olympic roster, and yet \u2013 perhaps because of its huge popular appeal, with a bike on every kid\u2019s Christmas list \u2013 mountain biking made the cut as a title event at Atlanta 1996, in the form of men\u2019s and women\u2019s cross-country (XC) races.\u00a0<\/p> That first race was perhaps the all-time pinnacle of the sport \u2013 or of XC, at least \u2013 in terms of popularity, with the flat-bar gold rush being led by lofty flying Dutchman Bart Brentjens and glitzy Italian star Paola Pezzo. <\/p> Interestingly, 1996 was the first time when professional cyclists were allowed to compete in the Games. Had that not changed, the start line and podium of the MTB race would have looked wildly different, and the sport might have gone on to develop along different lines.<\/p> Mountain biking has been included at every Olympics since \u2013 and is on the schedule once again this summer. Unlike in Tokyo, where, due to the pandemic, the racing was all but held behind closed doors, this time around the course will be lined with cheering fans \u2013 with plenty more of us urging them on from our sofas. <\/p> The Olympic MTB races are something we can all get behind and be proud of, as off-road riders of all kinds. After all, it\u2019s not often we get to see our countrymen and women take on the world\u2019s best in front of a global audience, on live TV.<\/p> British mountain bikers have represented their country at the Olympics from the beginning, with Gary Foord and David Baker finishing 12th and 15th, respectively, at Atlanta ’96 and Deb Murrell taking 22nd. (Caroline Alexander was also on the team but didn’t finish.) <\/p> UK riders have raced at every Games since, with Oli Beckingsale and Liam Killeen tying for the greatest number of appearances \u2013 three apiece. However, while British track cyclists came to dominate the Olympic bling haul, the best result by one of our mountain bikers remained Liam\u2019s superb fifth place in Athens in 2004. <\/p> That all changed at Tokyo 2020 (or 2021, as it turned out, due to COVID-19), when Yorkshire lad Tom Pidcock dominated the men\u2019s race and took our first ever Olympic MTB title, while the Malvern Hills\u2019 Evie Richards bagged a fine seventh place in the women\u2019s. <\/p> It was a huge day for British mountain biking \u2013 a day that elevated the status of the sport on home turf, put fat-tyre fun and thrills in front of the whole nation, and, who knows, may even have inspired the odd youngster to ditch YouTube and PlayStation for two wheels and fresh air. <\/p> When late July comes around, both Tom and Evie should be out to make good on their Japanese results, while Charlie Aldridge and Ella MacLean-Howell will be making their Olympic debut in Paris. <\/p> By Published: Wednesday, 17 July 2024 at 10:26 AM With the 2024 Olympics in Paris fast coming around, we explain what to expect, how to watch and who to keep an eye on this year, plus take a quick dive into the history of mountain biking at the Games. Words Steve Thomas Opening pic Bartek […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":37577,"template":"","categories":[1],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"12"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2024\/07\/mountain-biking-at-the-2024-paris-olympic-games-your-unofficial-guide.jpg",1440,958,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2024\/07\/mountain-biking-at-the-2024-paris-olympic-games-your-unofficial-guide-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2024\/07\/mountain-biking-at-the-2024-paris-olympic-games-your-unofficial-guide-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2024\/07\/mountain-biking-at-the-2024-paris-olympic-games-your-unofficial-guide-768x511.jpg",768,511,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2024\/07\/mountain-biking-at-the-2024-paris-olympic-games-your-unofficial-guide-1024x681.jpg",800,532,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2024\/07\/mountain-biking-at-the-2024-paris-olympic-games-your-unofficial-guide.jpg",1440,958,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2024\/07\/mountain-biking-at-the-2024-paris-olympic-games-your-unofficial-guide.jpg",1440,958,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/mbuk\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"By Published: Wednesday, 17 July 2024 at 10:26 AM With the 2024 Olympics in Paris fast coming around, we explain what to expect, how to watch and who to keep an eye on this year, plus take a quick dive into the history of mountain biking at the Games. Words Steve Thomas Opening pic Bartek…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/mbuk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/37576"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/mbuk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/mbuk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/mbuk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/mbuk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/37577"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/mbuk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37576"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/mbuk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37576"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}When is the Olympic mountain biking?<\/a><\/h2>
How can I watch?<\/a><\/h2>
How does it work?<\/a><\/h2>
What’s the course like?<\/a><\/h2>
Who are the riders to watch?<\/a><\/h2>
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/44\/2024\/07\/GettyImages-1330867726.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/44\/2024\/07\/GettyImages-593230010-1.jpg\")
<\/a>Who gets to race?<\/a><\/h2>
![\"Britain's](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/44\/2024\/07\/thumbSI202405260683_hires_jpeg_24bit_rgb.jpg\")
What about enduro and downhill?<\/a><\/h2>
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/44\/2024\/07\/SI202407060843_hires_jpeg_24bit_rgb.jpg\")
Why do the Olympics matter to mountain biking?<\/a><\/h2>
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/44\/2024\/07\/GettyImages-51976492.jpg\")
<\/figure>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/44\/2024\/07\/GettyImages-1135948541-edited.jpg\")
<\/figure>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/44\/2024\/07\/GettyImages-990558548.jpg\")
<\/figure>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/44\/2024\/07\/GettyImages-593231902.jpg\")
<\/figure>A brief history of mountain biking at the Olympics<\/a><\/h2>
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/44\/2024\/07\/GettyImages-1135948541-edited-1.jpg\")
What about the Brits?<\/h2>
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/44\/2024\/07\/GettyImages-1330670058.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/44\/2024\/07\/GettyImages-1686942657-edited.jpg\")
","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"