Sion, 3 September 2024. Following the success of several international events, including two UCI World Cups stages in Crans-Montana and Aletsch Arena/Bellwald and the UEC European Downhill Championships in Champéry, the organisers of the 2025 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships are confident about next year's competitions. There has been a change in the participating destinations. The E-mountain bike cross-country races will not be held in Leukerbad; an alternative venue is currently being discussed with one of the host destinations. The main challenge now is to leave a strong legacy to promote mountain biking and develop cycling tourism.
The Valais 2025 UCI CM MTB Association (Valais 2025), grouping the Fédération Cycliste Valaisanne (FCVs), Valais/Wallis Promotion, Swiss Cycling and the host destinations, is confidently coming into the home straight before the 2025 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Valais. This final phase lends itself perfectly to a retrospective of the projects completed in 2024 and a projection into 2025. David Lappartient, President of the International Cycling Union (UCI), is delighted with the progress of the preparations: “With just one year to go to the 2025 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Valais, I am thrilled to see that preparations for the event are well underway. Organising the UCI World Championships for the many specialities of the discipline at different venues represents a considerable challenge, but I am confident that this specificity is also what will make the event original, beautiful and successful.”
2024, a year dominated by mountain biking.
2024 has already positioned Valais as a world-class mountain bike destination with the organisation of several UCI World Cup stages and the UEC European Championships. These events doubled as dress rehearsals for the host destinations, allowing them to adjust their preparations for the UCI World Championships. In particular, they were able to familiarise themselves with the technical and logistical requirements of a competition of this size and plan for the challenges that await them in 2025. Steve Morabito, President of Valais 2025 and the FCVs, says: “We are very happy with the running of events in 2024. The world's elite have already turned up this year! However, these events show that there is still room for improvement in certain aspects. So we are going to be redoubling our efforts over the coming months to bring together even more of the canton's cycling and mountain biking stakeholders and thus accelerate the development of tourism in the Valais.”
A change in the host destinations.
Although Leukerbad has made every effort to play an active part in the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Valais, the destination will no longer be hosting the E-mountain bike cross-country competitions. CEO of My Leukerbad AG, Urs Zurbriggen, explains: “Due to a number of factors, it is unfortunately not possible to set up a course that meets the sporting requirements for the E-mountain bike discipline, takes account of local conditions and satisfies legal requirements.” Since the start of this project, the Valais region has joined forces to ensure that the competitions run smoothly; it has also taken on this new challenge. The organisers are in contact with a host destination regarding the allocation of the E-mountain bike races; the signs for an agreement are very good.
2025 on the horizon, with a long-term vision.
Valais Minister for Sport, State Councillor Frédéric Favre, sees the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships as another opportunity to showcase the canton: “With a magnificent natural playground that is being perfectly utilised, Valais will once again prove its expertise in organising large-scale events and the excitement they can create throughout the canton.”
“These UCI World Championships represent a relatively complex undertaking, as several disciplines across different destinations are brought together under one roof for the first time”, explains Thomas Peter, Director of Swiss Cycling. ”Valais has taken up the challenge with determination and great enthusiasm. With a year to go, everything seems to be on track. We are already looking forward to a friendly and lively cycling celebration!”
Julien Hess, Director of Valais 2025, says with enthusiasm: “Organising a competition like this requires a lot of resources. Thanks to the invaluable support of our politicians and partners, we are ready to tackle the next challenges to make this an unforgettable event with a strong legacy.”
For Raphaël Favre, Brand Activation Director at Valais/Wallis Promotion, the UCI World Championships is a pivotal moment for Valais: “As well as raising Valais’ profile with a competition of this scale, this project demonstrates the willingness of various parties in Valais to work together. As the deadline approaches, the sense of solidarity only grows, contributing to our common goal of positioning Valais as a leading mountain bike destination in the long term.”
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