The second round of this year’s UCI Cross-country Olympic (XCO) and UCI Cross-country Short Track (XCC) World Cups rolls into Araxá in Western Minas Gerais state (Brazil), and if the opening round in Mairiporã is anything to go by, fans are in for another festival atmosphere.

Six hours north of the season opener in Mairiporã, Araxá is famous for its mountains, waterfalls and a world-renowned spa. While nothing will be relaxing about the racing this weekend, its technical course should mean more bar-to-bar action like we were treated to last time out. Its slightly far-flung location will also attract the hardest of hardcore mountain bike fans, so expect another carnival of colour and noise on every inch of the course.

HOME ADVANTAGE

Although Araxá is making its UCI World Cup debut, it celebrated two decades of UCI-level international racing in April 2023.

Both the UCI Cross-country Olympic (XCO) and UCI Cross-country Short Track (XCC) course are cut directly through a forest, combining flat, high-speed sections with fast, gravity-fuelled descents. Conditions have their part to play too – the fast-rolling red clay transforming into a slippery mud bath when wet.

It’s a completely new venue for most of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series riders though, meaning home advantage could come to the fore for the championship's Brazilian contingent.

Local hopes will be pinned on Brazilian national champion Karen Fernandes Olimpio and Ulan Bastos Galinski (Caloi Henrique Avancini Racing) in the women’s and men’s cross-country. Although the pair finished 29th and 20th respectively in Mairiporã, prior experience in Araxá could come to the fore on Sunday.

CLOSE CONTESTS

The opening weekend in Mairiporã produced some of the closest contests in memory, so picking favourites for Araxá is a fool’s errand.

In the elite women’s UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup, 2016 Olympic champion Jenny Rissveds (Team 31 Ibis Cycles Continental) used her experience to bide her time until the final lap, putting down the hammer and pulling away from Savilia Blunk (Decathlon Ford Racing Team) and Haley Batten (Specialized Factory Racing) to open an unassailable lead. We’d be surprised if her competitors allowed her to repeat the counterattack in Araxá, but never rule out the 29-year-old Swede doing a Brazilian double.

In the elite men’s UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup, the top five in Mairiporã were separated by just five seconds, while the lead changed constantly throughout the race. Christopher Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing) ultimately took the win, but his teammate Victor Koretzky and the Swiss rider Filippo Colombo (Scott-SRAM MTB Racing Team) could have easily taken the top spot. All three are ones to watch in Araxá, while you can’t rule out Nino Schurter (Scott-SRAM MTB Racing Team) who will be looking to make amends after a fall on the second lap ended his chances in Mairiporã.

In the UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup, Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing Pirelli) will be the woman to beat after a dominant display in round one, while in the men’s, reigning UCI World Champion Samuel Gaze (Alpecin-Deceuninck) will be looking to make it two from two in South America.

Racing gets underway in Araxa on Friday with the UCI Cross-country Short Track U23 racing – full schedule and events details are available here.