As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the planned World Cup cycle for mountain bikers has been more than disrupted. However, the International Cycling Union (UCI) is planning to restart the season from September 2020, starting with the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in Lenzerheide from 4 to 6 September 2020. However, the organization of the event is still dependent on the decisions of the Federal Council and the cantonal authorities. The organizers are hoping for the details announced at the end of May 2020 regarding an easing of the ban on events from September 2020. Planning will continue on the basis of this forthcoming information and guidelines. Information on the resumption of advance ticket sales and possible restrictions for spectators can therefore only be expected at the beginning of June 2020. Ticketing will remain paused until then.

Lenzerheide is now getting a Downhill World Cup after all

Originally, no Downhill World Cup was planned for Lenzerheide this year, as this was not possible due to the international race calendar. With the restart of the World Cup season, the organizers lobbied the UCI to hold another downhill race in Lenzerheide in addition to the already planned cross-country and short track races. This offer was gratefully accepted by the UCI. "All the teams and athletes are eagerly waiting to finally be able to ride races again. We are doing our best to make this possible and offer a replacement for the canceled DHI races," says Christoph Müller, OC President of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup Lenzerheide.

Trial premiere is put on ice

Due to the shorter lead time and higher investments, the organizers had to decide against the planned first staging of a UCI Trials World Cup in Lenzerheide. "We very much regret this, but we are keeping the option open to be able to make up for it in the future," says Müller. For the trials competitions, various adjustments would have had to be made to the World Cup site, such as the construction of five different courses with various obstacles for the trials athletes to overcome.

ÖKK becomes new main sponsor

Not only in the disciplines, but also in terms of sponsorship, there is news. The health and accident insurance company ÖKK has been secured as the main sponsor for the next three years. In addition to the main sponsorship package at the World Cup, the partnership also includes year-round tourism platforms in the Lenzerheide vacation region. "We have long wished for a main sponsor with Swiss-wide appeal like ÖKK. As organizers, we appreciate their connection to the region and the enthusiasm for mountain biking of those responsible," says Andy Wirth, Sponsorship Manager and Vice President of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup Lenzerheide. He is convinced that the topics of health and sport will be promoted together.

The organizers can also count on the support of long-standing TV partners. Cornèrcard and Motorex will once again be official sponsors this year. The commitment of these sponsors, alongside the great commitment of the regional tourism partners, is the prerequisite for ensuring that mountain biking at the highest level can continue to be shown in Lenzerheide in the long term.www.mtbworldcup.ch