After a long, long, long time away, mountain bike world championships are headed back to where it all began. In 2030, worlds are going home. Durango, Colorado, which hosted the first-ever UCI world championships in 1990, will host again 40 years later.
The grand homecoming will be the culmination of a series of escalating events, including a World Cup, in the years leading into the world championships event.
Durango will be the first North American city to host world championships since Mont-Sainte-Anne, Que. in 2019.
Worlds returning to Durango will hold special significance for Canadian bike fans, beyond just having the event return to North America. Cindy Devine and Elladee Brown finished a historic 1-2 in the elite women’s downhill, with the two Canadians dominating the podium in the U.S.A. That, among her other remarkable successes, earned Devine spots in both the mountian bike and Canadian cycling hall of fame.
While Canadians stole the show in the women’s downhill, the home country captured the bulk of the titles back in 1990. Ned Overend won the men’s XCO, Greg Herbold won the men’s downhill, both Durango locals, while Julie Furtado won the women’s cross country race.
American’s are on the rise again across the board in mountain biking, from cross country to downhill. Worlds heading back to the U.S. for the first time in a long time will surely only add to the motivation of those athletes, and the many younger riders already following in their footsteps.
Durango will host 2030 UCI mountain bike world championships from August 28 to September 1, 2030.
Full Durango 2030 press release:
The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) announced today that Durango, Colorado, will be the host city of the 2030 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships. The event. marks the 40-year anniversary from when the town of Durango and Purgatory Resort hosted the very first UCI mountain bike world championships races in 1990.
Leading into the World Championships in 2030, the “Worlds,” Durango will also host a major international mountain bike race in 2028 and a UCI World Cup race in 2029. All events will be held at
Purgatory Resort and will include Downhill, Cross Country Olympic, Short Track and Ebike.
“We’re thrilled to once again host the World Championships at Purgatory Resort,” said Dave Rathbun,
Purgatory’s general manager. “Biking and Durango are synonymous…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Canadian Cycling Magazine…