While meeting in Snekkersten, Denmark last week, the UCI Management Committee approved its 2009 Nissan UCI Mountain Bike World Cup calendar. The World Cup will make its first-ever triple discipline stop in Africa. Though Stellensbosh previously hosted a World Cup downhill race in 1997-1998, the continent gets its first combined cross country, downhill and four cross World Cup in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, next April. The home nation location will give recent World Cup downhill winner Greg Minnaar and cross country contender Burry Stander both chances to shine. The event will serve as the 2009 World Cup season opener.
In total, there will be eight rounds for each discipline, covering 12 sites on three continents. Elite international mountain bike competition will take place on four continents when also counting the 2009 World Championships which will be hosted in Canberra, Australia, next September. The UCI Marathon World Championships are set for August 23 in Graz, Austria, while the rest of the mountain bike disciplines will contest their World Championships from September 1-6 in Canberra, Australia.
