The 2014 UCI World Cup calendar has been announced. With the first round taking place on 05-06 April in Pietermaritzburg. The dates are subject to change at the moment but the 2014 calendar will comprise of nine rounds, in nine different countries:
2014 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup presented by Shimano
Event/Discipline Date Venue
UCI XCO/XCE/DHI Round 1 05-06 April Pietermaritzburg (RSA)
UCI XCO/XCE/DHI Round 2 26-27 April Cairns (AUS)
UCI XCO/XCE Round 3 24-25 May Nove Mesto na Morave (CZE)
UCI XCO/XCE Round 4 31 May-01 June Albstadt (GER)
UCI DHI Round 3 07-08 June Fort William (GBR)
UCI DHI Round 4 14-15 June Leogang (AUT)
UCI XCO/XCE/DHI Round 5 02-03 August Mont-Sainte-Anne (CAN)
UCI XCO/XCE/DHI Round 6 09-10 August Windham (USA)
UCI XCO/XCE/DHI Round 7 23-24 August Méribel (FRA)
There are only seven downhill rounds to be held next year, Pietermaritzburg, Cairns, Fort William, Leogang, Mont-Sainte-Anne, Windham and Méribel, other rounds are coinciding with XCO and XCE events with Nove Mesto na Morave and Albstadt being just XCO and XCE rounds.
There are two new World Cup destinations for 2014, they are Cairns, Australia, and Méribel in France, both hosting a triple event (Olympic Cross-country, Cross-country Eliminator and Downhill). The second round in Cairns will prepare the way for the 2017 UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships.
Méribel will provide the stage for the final round of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup and will be the last chance for the athletes to confront each other before the World Championships which will get under way in Hafjell, Norway, 10 days later. Which will be the first time that Norway has hosted the Mountain Bike Worlds since 1990.
After it’s debut in 2013, Albstadt (Germany) features on the calendar for the second time with Olympic cross-country and Cross-country Eliminator competitions. Meanwhile Windham (USA) returns after a one-year absence.