Headquarters for the second stage of the 2022 Mountain Bike World Cup, Petropolis is home to both professional and amateur athletes

16 / January 16: 07

by Vinicius Ferreira

Petropolis and its mountains are located in the Atlantic Forest in the Serrana region of the state of Rio de Janeiro and are among the cities most loved by cyclists in Brazil and in the world for mountain biking. Proof of this is that it will, for the first time, be the stage of one of the XCO (Olympic Cross Country) and XCC (Cross Country) Mountain Bike World Cup stages. This event will be the second stage of the world, of which France is the starting point. It will take place between 8-10 April and will only be hosted by Petropolitan Henrique Avancini, winner of the competition in 2020.

Indeed, precisely because Avancini from Petropolis entered the city in the list of stages for the 2022 World Cup) and our partners to bring the event to Brazil. I have been very involved in what it means to look for a regulator that meets the requirements of the UCI. If I’m going to Brazil, I have to be in my hometown,” said Avancini, who drives the Cannondale Factory Racing team and trains constantly in his hometown during the break between national and international competitions. “It is a collective achievement. Avancini, both, who have grown up as athletes, have completed the Michelin CIMTB (International Mountain Bike Cup) Cup as organizer and for full frame cycling in Brazil, which has become a global force in the sport.”

© Jan Castle / Red Bull Content Collective

In all, the world will see nine stages of XCO and XCC and 8 stages of the Down Hill – DH World Cup. The DH World Cup kicks off first, with stages on March 26 and 27 in Lourdes, France. The Petropolitan stage of the competition will be the second in the 2022 World Cup, however, XCO is the first in the competition in which Avancini will participate.

The definition of the World Championships in Petropolis reveals the city’s potential for sport

Brazil is one of the countries with the largest number of sports fans, and sure enough, Henrique Avancini is currently largely responsible for that. That’s what professional MTB athlete Larry Martins, three-time Brazilian MTB marathon champion and two-time National Champion in Time Trial and XCO, also thinks.

“Petropolis has always stood out on the national MTB stage. First with Albert Morgan, then with our idol Henrique Avancini. Since then, MTB has grown here in quality and in sports practitioners, with no doubt the national MTB, with Henrique as its ambassador and supporter, It is gaining space in social and sports media. The arrival of a stage of the MTB World Cup in Petropolis is the result of the organization of various sectors of society, sports, politics and business. It will be beneficial for petroleum tourism and for the national tour,” highlights Larry.

Last year, when the municipal government announced the event, at an event attended by Avancini, another 5,000 people were expected to visit the city because of the World Cup. The event at Petropolis marks the return of the competition to Brazil after 17 years. The last major international cycling event was held in the country in 2004. The World Cup, along with the Tour de France, is considered the main cycling event in the world.

Theater is also fuel to encourage sports among amateurs and the use of bicycles as a means of transportation in the city.

And it was not just professional competitors who were excited by the news that the city would host a stage of the MTB World Cup. Cleo Quintella, an amateur athlete, sees the city as a natural incentive to exercise. “Mountains are attracting more and more mountain lovers, whether from biking or hiking. This is the challenge of finding a viewpoint that is worth the effort. It is great to climb and reach the top, occupy and take a picture to record, and Petrópolis is a natural spur. For those who love nature,” reveals the cyclist, who also says she sees the sport growing daily in the city. “When I started out, I didn’t have much of a sports fanatic. At the time when it was my boyfriend, now my husband, who got me into the world of cycling, I just started keeping him company and today it has become an addiction.”

Data from Abraciclo (Brazilian Association of Motorcycles, Scooters, Scooters, Bicycles and Similar Manufacturers) Bicycle production growth in Brazil in 2020 was 12.8%, with a total of 750,000 bikes manufactured. In 2021, there was new growth, in the range of 15.7% recorded by the bicycle production sector. One reason for this increase is the entry of the bicycle into the daily lives of Brazilians during the pandemic.

“In 2021, we (Acipe) conducted a survey of Petrópolis in the national profile of Brazilian cyclists, which indicates that many people have adopted the bicycle as an alternative means of transportation to cars. The fact that Petropolis was chosen to host the MTB World Cup illustrates the importance of the city for this type of sport. An event like this will have many positive impacts on the city, including highlighting that cycling brings benefits to all sectors, such as tourism, urban mobility, health and the economy”, resides the President of the Association of Cyclists in Petropolis-Aquipe, Isabella Guedes, who also reminds us The need for public policies to ensure more security and mobility.

“Especially during the Cup, we will have cyclists from all over the world traveling through the city, reinforcing the importance of education and empathy in traffic, which is essential for good coexistence between drivers and cyclists. These athletes undoubtedly know other realities of urban mobility and traffic safety, which are themes Petropolis is still in its infancy, but we believe that in the very near future we will have a bigger and better cycling infrastructure and more respect for life in traffic. This event will undoubtedly be a milestone for Brazilian cycling in the Petropolitan Territory.”

2022 MTB World Cup Schedule

March 26 and 27 – Lourdes, France (DH)

April 8-10 – Petropolis, Brazil (XCO/XCC)

May 6-8 – Albstadt, Germany (XCO/XCC)

May 13-15 – Novi Mesto, Czech Republic (XCO/XCC)

May 21 and 22 – Fort William, UK (DH)

June 10-12 – Leogang, Austria (DH/XCO/XCC)

July 8-10 – (location to be confirmed) (DH/XCO/XCC)

July 15-17 – Vallnord, Andorra (DH/XCO/XCC)

July 29-31 – Snowshoe, USA (DH/XCO/XCC)

August 5-7 – Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada (DH/XCO/XCC)

September 2-4 – Val di Sol, Italy (DH/XCO/XCC)