Vallnord will host the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup for the second consecutive year in 2009. The world’s mountain biking elite will meet in Vallnord, the first bike park in the Pyrenees, on May 16th and 17th, to compete in the spectacular downhill and 4X disciplines.
The event organisers Ocisport, together with the Vallnord resort and with the support of the public institutions, are working to ensure that both athletes and spectators can derive maximum enjoyment from the races. The competition zones will be as accessible as possible so that the crowds watching the event can appreciate the live action to the full.
The downhill slope will be similar to last year’s, but with certain changes to make it more attractive and allow easier public access. If the Vallnord downhill track is famous for any single feature, it’s for the difficulty of its wooded zone, rendered particularly slippery due to a myriad of roots and rocks. This section has been clearly improved, given that the surrounding woods have been cleaned to optimize visibility for the spectators. Furthermore, the circuit has been widened to encourage the creation of multiple tracks and give the riders a chance to recuperate during their descent. The finish has also been modified. Riders will now leave the woods much higher up before heading for the finish area, thus enabling spectators to see the participants emerge earlier on and to follow the racing right up to the finish line.
The 4X track is in the same location as in 2008, next to the Carbonera chairlift. A few changes have been made here as well, most noticeably in the start area and on the lower part of the track. The start and the first few metres of the circuit will be ridden on a platform. The end of the circuit is also new, with a right-hand bend, followed by a zone of steps and trunks, at an oblique angle for added difficulty, a left-hand camber and a final step up that will lead the riders into the finish area.
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