The start of the elite women's race in Albstadt.(Image credit: Rothaus-Cube Mountainbike-Team)
It is very rocky at the top of the Val di Sole course(Image credit: Tour of Japan)
Gee Atherton (Commencal) negotates a technical track at Fort William on his way to a World Cup round win.(Image credit: Atherton Racing)
Julie Bresset (BH - SR Suntour - Peisey Vallandry) got to race on home turf with a second World Cup in France this season.(Image credit: Tour of Japan)
The UCI admitted on Tuesday that it had terminated its mountain bike World Cup title sponsorship relationship with RockyRoads, but said the 2013 series would go on.
After mountain bike, 'cross and trials news website RockyRoads.net stopped posting news content in November of 2012 and failed to make payments to its reporters, the UCI's relationship with its World Cup title sponsor seemed to be in jeopardy. In December, the UCI only said in December that negotiations were still underway.
The UCI promised that the 2013 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup presented by Shimano will get underway as scheduled in Albstadt, Germany in May.
"Discussions are already under way with other parties with a view to different partnership packages including naming rights, on-site visibility and promotional opportunities across the disciplines cross country (XCO), downhill (DHI) and eliminator (XCE)," read a statement by the UCI.
Long-standing presenting sponsor Shimano continues its partnership with the World Cup for another four years.
The 2013 World Cup will feature eight rounds in eight different countries and will wrap up with the downhill final in Leogang, Austria in September.
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