Sporting director of the Rockrider Ford Racing Team, Stéphane Tempier was in Araxá to learn about the local structure and test the circuit for the 2024 event

With just over four months to go before the Araxá (MG) stage of the Mountain Bike World Cup, the circuit that will receive the best athletes in the world between April 18th and 21st, in Complexo do Barreiro, is already beginning to be tested and approved by cyclists in Brazil and abroad. This is the case of Frenchman Stéphane Tempier, a former professional cyclist with great results in his career and currently sporting director of the Rockrider Ford Racing Team.

“The objective of the trip I took to Brazil was to collect information about the track, evaluate local conditions, research training locations, among other things, because the two Brazilian stages are completely new for the athletes on my team. We want to maximize the our chances, because the first two stages of the World Cup will be very important for the Olympic team heading to Paris/2024”, explained Stéphane Tempier.

With a population of just over 110 thousand people and several tourist attractions, especially with regard to the region’s natural beauty, Araxá gained notoriety as the Latin American capital of mountain biking, for hosting the International Cup (CiMTB) for over 20 years. ). This is one of the longest-running stages of Brazilian mountain biking and one of the tracks most admired by athletes from all over the world, who have competed in Araxá.

Stéphane Tempier recognizing the World Cup circuit (Credit: Disclosure)

“Araxá is a very beautiful city. The event headquarters, the Grand Hotel, is incredible. We are lucky because we are going to compete in a World Cup there. I liked the Barreiro track. The local organization built many technical sessions, exactly like a modern Olympic Cross Country (XCO) track should be”, said Tempier. “I arrived in Araxá by car, after driving 6h30 from São Paulo, and went straight to the track to ‘meet’ it. I recognized the route alongside some incredible local mountain bikers (among them Rubinho Valeriano). It was good- warm welcome. I thank Rogério Bernardes for all the contact in Araxá”, he concluded.

In the Araxá stage of the World Cup, Tempier will be responsible for commanding his team, Rockrider Ford Racing Team, which in the second stage of the competition in 2024 will be made up of five great athletes from the world squad: Joshua Dubau (FRA), currently top 5 in the world ranking, Samara Maxwell (NZL) and Savilia Blunk (USA), numbers 11 and 12 in the world, Greta Seiwald (ITA), 39th in the ranking, and Maxime Marotte (FRA), 43rd in the ranking, cyclist who was runner-up in the Petrópolis/2022 stage of the World Cup.

Countries confirmed for Araxa
More than 40 countries will be represented in the unprecedented stage of the UCI MTB World Cup, with more than 200 foreign athletes already confirmed so far. The stage will be the Grande Hotel Termas de Araxá, a place that has become accustomed to receiving the best cyclists in the world over the last two decades. The updated list of countries currently has: South Africa, Germany, Australia, Austria, Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Chile, Denmark, United States, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Estonia, Ecuador, France, Great Britain, Netherlands , Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Puerto Rico, Portugal, Czech Republic, Romania, Switzerland, Sweden and Ukraine.

Ticket sales open
Tickets for the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in Araxá have been on sale since the beginning of November. The passport that is purchased, personal and non-transferable, can last from 1 to 4 days and the values ​​vary between R$ 150 (1 day) to R$ 300 (4 days), plus the value of the convenience fee (10%). To make the purchase, simply access: https://www.ticketsports.com.br/e/uci-mountain-bike-world-series-arax-37338.

While students and seniors (people over 60 years old) will have a 50% discount on the purchase of passports, the organization has prepared a super special discount of 80% for residents of the host city, Araxá (MG). Children up to 9 years old do not pay entry, guaranteeing a 100% discount, but they must also register in the ticket sales system.

Araxá local organization
The CIMTB organization held its first race in 1996. Since then, it has been innovating and actively contributing to the growth and strengthening of mountain biking and the bicycle market in Brazil. Counting points for the International Cycling Union (UCI) world ranking since 2003, the CIMTB has been selective for the Olympic Games since the cycles of Beijing 2008, London 2012, Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020 and now for the Paris 2024 competition.

In 2022, CIMTB further increased its international relevance, with the opening stage of the 2022 Mercedes-Benz Mountain Bike World Cup, in Petrópolis (RJ). Furthermore, he was responsible for building the mountain bike track for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, considered one of the best in the history of the Games since 1996, the first year of MTB at the Olympics.

More information about CIMTB:
Site: https://www.cimtb.com.br
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/cimtb
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cimtb/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cimtb_oficial

Press office
Gustavo Coelho
press@cimtb.com.br