The 2019 edition of the Mountain Bike Championships will take place in Brno (Czech Republic) from 25 to 28 July.
For four days, this Moravian city will be the European Off-Road capital welcoming 461 riders from 32 countries who will be battling it out for the 9 titles on offer in the Team Relay, Eliminator, Elite Cross-Country and Men’s and Women’s Juniors and Under 23s. In addition to these races Master’s events will also take place on 25 and 26 July (info – click here).
This event will be interesting on various levels but especially in technical terms and the level will most certainly be very high bearing in mind the calibre of the riders taking part.
With regards to participation, some of the best riders from the international scene are registered for the Elite Cross-Country race, including the Dutch rider Mathieu van der Poel holder of four World Champion titles and two European Cyclo-Cross titles as well as silver medallist at the Road European Championships in Glasgow 2018, the 2019 Amstel Gold Race, bronze medallist at the 2018 XC and recently at the World Cup in Nove Mesto.
Van der Poel will be competing against, among others, the Italian Gerard Kershbaumer, silver medallist at the 2018 World Championships, current European Champion the Swiss Lars Forster, the Olympic gold medallist at London 2012, Jaroslav Kulhavy (Czech Republic) and the 2018 European Under 23 Champion, Joshua Dubau (France).
In the Women’s Elite events we expect to see an exciting challenge between some of the major riders like the current European Champion, Jolanda Neff (Switzerland), the former World Champion and Olympic Games medallist Maja Włoszczowska (Poland),the Ukrainian Yana Belomoina, gold medallist at the 2017 European Championships.
The experts Filippo Colombo (Switzerland) and Simon Andreassen (Denmark) will head the list of favourites in the Under 23s, in a race which the Swiss, Alexandre Balmer will also be competing after dominating the Juniors 2018 season with the titles of World and European Champion in the Cross-Country and a silver medal at the Road European Championships. He will make his debut in the most important category along with the Italian, Simone Avondetto and the German, Leon Kaiser, respectively second and third in the 2018 Juniors XCO European Championships just behind Balmer.
The multiple champion, Sina Frei, current European Champion, will be the leader of the Swiss national Under 23s in a race where the Austrian, Laura Stigger is also eagerly awaited. Last year she won the Juniors XCO World Champion and European Champion titles and a rainbow jersey in the Road races.
Great Britain will be the national team to beat in the Juniors races with Charlie Aldridge and Harriett Harnden.
In the Men’s Eliminator, France is yet again the favourite with the current World and European Champion, Titouan Perrin Garnier, Lorenzo Serres and Simon Rogier and in the Women’s the World Champion, Coline Clauzure who will also compete against Iryna Popova (Ukraine) and Barbora Prudkova (Czech Republic).
Rocco Cattaneo, President of the Union Européenne de Cyclisme: «The Mountain Bike European Championships in Brno are testament to the continued development of a mission that began a few years ago to develop cycling on our continent, especially thanks to the agreement with Eurovision that this year will also show live coverage of the Cross-Country events in the Men’s and Women’s Elite races and the awarding of the European title, guaranteeing exceptional media coverage.
Brno and its region have always had close ties with cycling. It should be remembered that in the last six years two editions of the Road Junior and Under 23 European Championships have been held here as well as other major events.
On behalf of the European cycling family, I would like to thank the Organising Committee chaired by Lubomír Vidlák for his commitment and passion, the Czech Cycling Federation and its President, Petr Marek as well as the City of Brno and its Mayor, Mrs. Markéta Vaňková. I would also like to wish all fans four days of great sporting action with the best international off-road specialists.»
Info #EuroMTB19 – click here
