The cross-country mountain bike competitions at the Paris Olympic Games take place on the opening weekend of the global sports extravaganza, with cycling events spanning July 26 to August 11. Elite women begin the XCO competitions on Saturday at Élancourt Hill, located 25km outside Paris, with the elite men following the next day, July 27.
There are 36 riders on the start list for each contest, balanced fields for women and men. Cross-country mountain biking made its debut in the Olympic Games in 1996 in Atlanta, where Bart Brentjens of the Netherlands took the first-ever gold medal for men. Only one man has ever won two gold medals in the XCO race and Frenchman Julien Absalon went back-to-back in 2004 and 2008.
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