La Massana resort has inaugurated the 9th edition of this international event, marking the start of a week that places Andorra at the center of the world of cycling.
This year’s World Cup will be a perfect prelude to next year’s big event: the 2024 World Championships.
Pal, Andorra, August 22nd, 2023. This Tuesday, the resort of Pal Arinsal has officially inaugurated the 9th edition of the MTB World Cup in Andorra, in a press conference attended by the Minister of Tourism and Commerce of the Government of Andorra, Jordi Torres, the Consul Major of La Massana, Olga Molné, and the general manager of Pal Arinsal and the organization of the MTB World Cup, Josep Marticella. The inauguration, on the new wooden bridge in the Caubella area, marked the start of eight intense days in which the Principality, and in particular the resort of La Massana, will be the world epicenter of cycling, first with the races of the MTB World Cup, then, the next day, with the finish of the 3rd stage of the Vuelta a España in Arinsal, on Monday August 28, followed by the start of the 4th stage from the capital, on Tuesday 29. “La Massana has been building the image of the parish of cycling for years and this is confirmed once again today with the World Cup and the arrival of the Vuelta a España”, indicated Molné. In this sense, Torres explained that “for the Government of Andorra, events of this nature allow us to promote the diversification that we want for the country” and at the same time highlighted “the great progress and improvements that have been made year after year ” from the first edition.
As the Consul of La Massana explained, today is the starting point with riders registration and with accreditations distribution, while from tomorrow sports activity will begin with the first official training sessions on the downhill course. “Today, the machine starts and from tomorrow, the training sessions are already a spectacle that you can come and see,” said Molné. Downhill training will continue Thursday morning as cross-country training will take place in parallel. In the afternoon (from 3:45 p.m.) the first races will begin, with the downhill qualifications for juniors and the U23 short-track races, one of the novelties of this year. From Friday August 25th to Sunday August 27th, you will follow the highlights of the week which will be the elite short-track, downhill and cross-country finals respectively, during which none of the best riders of the world will will be missing among the 700 registred participants from 47 countries present at the event.
With the acquisition of the rights by Discovery Chanel and Warner Bros, this year’s broadcasts will be upgraded with more resources allowing the viewer not to miss any detail. In this sense, Marticella pointed out that “broadcasting will gain in importance and professionalism year after year”. Consequence: a growing impact on the potential public. Remember that the races in Andorra can also be followed on RTVA.
Another improvement highlighted by the General Manager of Pal Arinsal is the finish line area of the downhill track, which has changed location. “That way, finish area is better arranged,” he explained. He also presented the new and spectacular wooden bridge in the Caubella area on the cross-country course, from which you can see all the parishes of the country thanks to the panoramic views of the surroundings.
60,000 VISITORS AND IMPROVEMENT OF SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY
As Marticella said during the World Cup introduction conference organized a month ago, approximately 60,000 people are expected to experience the show provided by that MTB World Cup. In-depth work has been done to ensure mobility is as convenient as possible, while emphasizing sustainability. This is why the organization insists on the importance of using public transport during these days, in particular the free L5 and L6 bus lines from August 25th to 27th, as well as the parish bus, which will also benefit from a increase in its frequencies.
These lines will be reinforced by a private transport service that will connect La Massana with Arinsal, with the finish area of downhill track and with the finish area of cross-country circuit. There will also be strategically located bus stops to simplify access to the event with shuttles that will allow access to Pal, quickly and free of charge. Please note that road access will be limited to accredited vehicles and to the first 250 vehicles for paid parking. Free public transport and La Massana gondola will therefore remain the best options.
ON THE ROAD TO THE 2024 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
This 2023 World Cup represents a perfect prelude to next summer’s big event, already marked in red on the calendar: the Mountain Bike World Championships. After hosting them in 2015, the most important event of the international MTB season will return 9 years later to Andorra. The resort is preparing this edition of the World Cup with more ambition than ever to demonstrate, once again, its ability to host the most important international events. As Marticella comments: “Everything we are doing these days is linked to the 2024 World Championships, and at the same time to the joint promotion of the candidacy for the Alpine Skiing World Cup in 2029, through which it is confirmed that our country can perfectly host major events”.