Canberra a vital selection race for juniors ahead of MTB World Championships

The third and fourth round of the 2024 AusCycling Cross-Country National Series will have vital consequences for junior riders as they seek to gain valuable UCI points should they decide to compete at the upcoming international season or vie for selection to be part of the ARA Australian Cycling Team ahead of the 2024 Mountain Bike World Championships in Andorra.

MTB & CX Pathway Manager Evan James explained why riders, who are seeking to race internationally this year should compete at Mt Stromlo on the 1-3 March.

“For those intending to race overseas or apply for the World Championship team selection it's critical to compete,” he said.

Friday’s Round 3 race will be the short track format while Sunday will be cross-country Olympic on the course which is the most technical track currently being raced at National level.

“It's the closest thing we have to what athletes will encounter overseas, particularly Europe but also North America.”

James also said a UCI Junior Series race is by far the best opportunity for juniors to gain points with a win valued at 90 points while Oceania's is 60 and National Championships 40 points.

The points are crucial for a good start position in XCO racing as riders UCI ranking determines their start position.

You can find all the information to enter here.

Main photo: SWpix.com