4X ProTour 2013

2013 will see season 2 of the 4X ProTour visiting 5 venues to see who will become the overall 4X ProTour Champions.

After what can only be described as an amazing first season of racing, 4X bounced back bigger and better than ever after the UCI removed it from the World Cup Series at the end of 2011. 4X ProTour organisers Chris Roberts and Scott Beaumont worked all the way through last winter to create the 4X ProTour and inject a new feeling of passion and enthusiasm for the sport that had not been seen before.

Full support from all the riders and teams in 2012 gave the 4X ProTour a perfect start and for the second year it is back with a great line up of venues and tracks that will challenge the riders at every stop.

About 4X…

4X racing is the only head to head Mountain Bike race format that continues to deliver the action and excitement that the general public can engage with. TV companies continue to love the simple format and action that the sport delivers. Races consist of 4 riders, and see them racing on a track full of jumps, banked corners and natural terrain. The top 2 riders in each race move onto the next round. A process of elimination from 64 riders whittles them down to the final where the winner is crowned.

Riders…

The 2012 4X ProTour Champions will be back in 2013 to defend their titles. Tomas Slavik and Anneke Beerten were the king and queen of the tour in 2012 with consistent results that gave them the overall crowns. Who will they be up against in 2013?

In the men’s Michal Prokop will be hungry to get his hands on the title, David Graf has committed to the entire Tour after riding BMX for the last 2 years and will be a huge threat. The old guys Joost Wichman and Scott Beaumont bring experience and are always in contention. European Champion Felix Beckeman will wow crowds with the biggest MTB whips once again. Finally the Mechura brothers bring raw horse power to every round and always battle for the finals.

In the women’s there is some great news from Caroline Buchanon. The BMX Olympian and USA Pro women’s number 1 in 2012 will compete at a few ProTour rounds in 2013. Katy Curd will be looking to add consistency for next year as will Lucia Oetjen. Celine Gros rode amazing in 2012 and will be confident of even better in 2013.

4X ProTour 2013

Venues:

The season will kick off at one of the finest 4X tracks in the whole world. ‘Sunny Meadow’ in Szczawno Zdroj is set in parkland in the centre of a town in western Poland. The entire town supports 4X and on race night, be prepared to see over 8,000 spectators lining the course screaming for the riders.

Round 2 in Fort William is one of the best stops. If you haven’t been to Fort William before, then believe the hype. It is an awesome weekend and is one of the venues that simply have to be included on the 4X ProTour.

A week later we will be in Val Di Sole in northern Italy at the longest track on the Tour. Since the track was first used for the World Championships in 2008, this track has provided more passes and action than most other venues. Look out for plenty more fireworks at this, one of the rider’s favourite tracks.

Round 4 will be the first of 2 new venues for the ProTour. JBC Bikepark has been developed and built by 2012 4X ProTour Champion, Tomas Slavik. The track looks awesome and includes a section of the track that will run through the trees over roots, grass and off cambers. Close to a city, this race will be huge.

The finals will take place in Leogang, home of the 2012 World Championships. Guido Tschugg built this track and it features some of the biggest jumps on the Tour. A real challenge for the riders with multi lines, huge jumps and a bridge. A fitting venue for the finals.

Of course as most of you will now know, the 4X World Championships in 2013 will be held in Leogang on the weekend of September 21st/22nd. Working with Leogang for the past few weeks, this event will now become a week long 4X festival with the 4X ProTour finals taking place on September 15th, then rider clinics, practice sessions, media sessions and filming taking place throughout the week with all the stars of 4X in the build up to the World Championships.

So with a mixture of tracks on the calendar for 2013, consistency, bravery and skill are going to be rewarded with the overall titles. Here are the venues and dates for the 4X ProTour 2013:

Round 1 – Szczawno Zdroj, Poland – 4th May –
Round 2 – Fort William, Scotland – 8th June
Round 3 – Val Di Sole, Italy – 15th June
Round 4 – Jablonec, Czech Republic – 4th August
Round 5 – Leogang, Austria – 15th September

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