Protocol of intent signed with Warner Bros. Discovery defines the city of Araxá as one of the 12 hosts of the next edition of the sporting event

Government of Minas / Disclosure

On an official technical visit to France, the vice-governor of Minas, Professor Mateus, and the Secretary of State for Culture and Tourism (Secult), Leônidas Oliveira, signed, this Saturday (4/11), in Paris, a protocol of intentions with Warner Bros. Discovery Sports so that the city of Araxá, in the Alto Paranaíba region, will be one of the venues for the Mountain Bike World Cup next year. This will be the first time that the championship will be held in the state.

The Mountain Bike World Cup is promoted by Warner Bros. Discovery and the International Cycling Union (UCI). The stage of the tournament to be held in Araxá will be under the responsibility of the organizers of the International Mountain Bike Cup in Brazil (CIMTB).

“We managed to negotiate with Warner so that a stage of the world cup would go to Minas Gerais, and the city chosen was Araxá. Just from the technical team, there are 150 people who go there, in addition to all the athletes, their teams, tourists”, highlighted Professor Mateus.

“This is job creation and qualifications for the region as a whole: for Serra da Canastra, where there are trails; and to Triângulo and Alto Paranaíba, which will show the world all their natural scenery and cultural reality. This is yet another action to continue placing Minas Gerais in the place it should be: as a reference in reception, in its culture, in the promotion of its gastronomy”, added the vice-governor.

In France, the vice-governor and secretary were received by Chris Ball, vice-president of Cycling Events, and Rémi Trapero, International Sales Manager for Latin America, both from Warner Bros. Discovery Sports.

Reference

The municipality in the Alto Paranaíba region, specifically, is recognized for having one of the main tracks in Latin America and, according to the schedule, will be the base for one of the stages of the international tournament, precisely the second, between 19 and 21/4/2024 . In total, there will be 14 phases, with one more in Brazil, in Mairiporã (SP).

In the city, there will be two categories, called Elite and Under-23, both competed by male and female athletes. The expectation is that the Mountain Bike World Cup will bring together more than 500 athletes from around 42 countries in Araxá.

Furthermore, journalists from all over the world are expected to cover the stage, which contributes to promoting Minas Gerais internationally and reinforcing the state as a destination for sports and adventure tourism.

“Araxá has a great history of hosting major international mountain bike events. With local partners and the Government of Minas Gerais, we are working on this wonderful project that will allow us to hold an incredible event and also promote Minas Gerais”, said Rémi Trapero.

In his ‘résumé’, Araxá already lists participation in the trials for the Olympic Games in Beijing (2008), London (2012), Rio de Janeiro (2016) and Tokyo (2020). Now, as part of the preparation for Paris (2024), the projection is for more than R$4 million to be transferred to the city and nearby cities, according to the Araxá Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Mobilization

The signing of the protocol is an outcome of the negotiations initiated by the Government of Minas Gerais, via Secult, during its participation, in May, at IMEX Frankfurt 2023, one of the main world fairs for events, travel and business. The event brought together more than 3 thousand exhibitors representing around one hundred countries.

The support of Araxá City Hall, the Legislative Assembly of Minas Gerais (ALMG) and the organizers of the International Mountain Bike Cup in Brazil (CIMTB) made the project stages possible until the signing of the protocol, this Saturday, with representatives from Warner Bros. . Discovery Sports.

Tourism and sports

Data released by the Ministry of Tourism, based on the National Household Sample Survey (PNAD Contínua Turismo) reveals that, in 2021, over 363 thousand tourists were in Brazil for leisure and were motivated to practice or watch sports.

The research demonstrates the importance of the segment for the sector, strengthening tourist activity which, in turn, boosts the generation of jobs and income in all regions of Minas Gerais.