The mountain resort of La Molina, of Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat, culminates a spectacular summer of downhill mountain biking with the arrival of the best riders on the continent.
The Government of Spain and the Generalitat de Catalunya lead the institutional support of this championship that will have 500 participants from 21 countries with national teams.
After the vibrant Championships of Catalonia and Spain on the weekend of July 19 and 20, La Molina is preparing for the most important European Downhill (DHI) competition. It is the most spectacular discipline of mountain biking (BTT) and the European Championships will take place on the weekend of August 1 to 3 in La Molina.
Avalanche of entries
The best riders will present themselves in the most important continental battle on the calendar, where the European Champion jersey will be awarded in a competition that will entrust the adrenaline of DHI to all fans. With registrations still closed, there are already more than 500 confirmed cyclists and delegations from countries across Europe.
The flood of registrations has exceeded the organization's initial forecast, although registrations remain open until today. While the final list of participants who will take part in the competition is not yet known, it is certain that visitors will enjoy the highest level of competition, as European riders are among the best on the planet. In fact, seven of the top ten in the UCI world rankings are European.
At the moment, the presence of 21 national delegations has been confirmed, who will come with more than 100 riders who will make up the teams. Federations will arrive from all corners of the continent; among others, Austria, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, Norway, Switzerland and Romania. A huge range of colors and national combinations that will coexist for three days in the La Molina paddock.
In addition, it should be noted that there will be more than 350 runners who will come as individuals or registered through their teams. The spectrum of competing countries takes on a new dimension, since the arrival of runners - divided into the Elite, Youth, Master and Junior categories - from 26 different nationalities is expected. The presence of runners of French origin stands out; in fact, France is the country that provides the most participants, even ahead of Spain.
It is necessary to refer to the large number of countries represented, as different as: Bulgaria, Denmark, Greece, Poland, Belgium, Slovakia, Andorra or Ireland, among others.
A dizzying route: Comella DH
The La Comella circuit, which recently hosted the Spanish and Catalan Downhill Championships, will also be the scene of the European Championship. The route is 2.3 kilometers long and has a negative elevation of 411 meters; a demanding descent that combines jumps, bends with bank and a succession of challenges that will test the ability of the competitors.
On the Thursday before the competition, the riders will be received, as well as the on-foot inspection of the route. Friday will be the turn of the official training sessions and on Saturday the stopwatch will be started with the qualifying round, which will serve to define the starting order of the final leg of the Championship, which will be played in its entirety on Sunday.
The Government of Spain and the Generalitat de Catalunya lead the institutional support of these championships. The Consejo Superior de Deportes (CSD), a body dependent on the Ministry of Education, Professional Training and Sports, the Department of Sports and FGC, agree that the organization of these European Championships will reinforce the positioning of Spain and Catalonia as ideal places for practicing BTT and as a reference destination in cycling and mountain sports.
More information at: www.dhlamolina.com
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