What will watching World Cup downhill look like this year? Here’s a hint…
Lourdes test event is the first real sense of what WBD and UCI have planned for the season
Photo by:
UCI Mountain Bike World Series / YouTube
World Cup racers, broadcasters, and fans are all getting ready for some reasonably huge changes in 2023. What exactly that means for riders is a little bit clearer after a test event on the old Lourdes, France World Cup track over the weekend.
Top downhill teams and riders were able to test out the new semi-final format. They were also able give feedback to the new World Cup organizers, Warner Bros. Discovery. Everyone now has until mid-June to go back home, adjust plans and be ready for the season’s start in Lenzerheide, Switzerland.
Semi-finals aren’t the only change, though. It looks like there are some significant changes to how the courses will be marked, too.
Only the top teams and riders were in Lourdes, though. Everyone else will be relying on word of mouth to get themselves ready for the 2023 season.
Lourdes DH Pre-season Testing
What do the UCI World Series powers that be have to say about the test event?
Elite downhill riders gathered in Lourdes for pre-season testing ahead of the first UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup in Lenzerheide in June!
We took a deep dive analysis to show you the changes and new tech being put through its pace on the brutal Lourdes downhill track.
