UCI MTB World Cup in Lake Placid
When THE UCI Mountain Bike World Cup comes to your state you go.
Located five hours north of New York City, Lake Placid is one of New York State’s hidden gems. I have been fortunate enough to visit this region more than a handful of times, so when the World Cup was announced, I booked my hotel right away.
The Lake Placid World Cup was held at Mt. Van Hoevenberg, a mountain known for hosting the 1980 Winter Olympics and for its extensive cross-country ski trails. The organizers did an incredible job creating an environment for everyone to enjoy. There were plenty of vendors, onsite rock-climbing, face painting, a bouncy castle for kids, a good selection of beer, car vendors, and even an axe-throwing team on site.
One of the highlights of UCI World Cup events is that there are multiple races over the weekend. Women’s, Men’s, both Elite and U23 categories, compete in a short circuit race as well as an Olympic-distance cross-country race. This means you get to experience eight different races in three days (not even counting the marathon races). Additionally, on Saturday morning, they organized an amateur 50 km marathon race that you can sign up for. .
Watching World Cup pros is unlike anything you experience locally. These athletes are on a different level in terms of speed, technique, and overall performance. You can only truly understand their skill level when you see them in person—TV coverage simply doesn’t do it justice.
Enjoy the images below, and make sure to plan your trip for next year once the dates are announced. Rumor has it that this man-made course will be demolished after this weekend and rebuilt. I’m very curious to see what they come up with next year. One thing’s for sure: I’ll be there.