UCI Mountain Bike World Championships to return to Durango, Colorado, 40 years after first edition

The UCI Mountain Bike World Championships are to return to Durango, Colorado in 2030 to mark the 40th anniversary of the first edition.

It will be the first time MTB Worlds has taken place in the USA since 2001 in Vail, Colorado, and the first in North America since Mont-Saint-Anne, Québec, Canada, in 2019.

The news was announced at the UCI Road World Championships in Kigali, Rwanda, this week.

All events will be held at the Purgatory Resort and will include downhill, cross-country, short-track, and e-bike races. Purgatory is at 2,680m above sea level, and is where the inauguaral 1990 Worlds took place.

Ahead of the Worlds in 2030, Durango will host an international MTB race in 2028, and a round of the UCI MTB World Cup in 2029.

"We're thrilled to once again host the World Championships at Purgatory Resort," Dave Rathbun, Purgatory’s general manager, said. "Biking and Durango are synonymous with each other. This is a great opportunity to showcase our community's commitment to the sport with the entire world."

The bid was led by Gaige Sippy, the director of the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic, and Todd Wells, a three-time Olympian from Durgano.

"We are beyond proud to announce the Worlds’ return to Durango 40 years after we pioneered the event in 1990," Wells said. "Mountain biking and cycling are woven into Durango’s DNA; from our pioneering spirit to the incredible trail infrastructure and our renowned junior-development programming, Durango is a true heartland of cycling. The 2030 World Championships will enable us to showcase our community on a global stage once again."

Sippy added: "Hosting the 2030 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships is both a tribute to our past and an investment in our future. The world’s best will once again race on trails that continue to build legends right here in our backyard. We can’t wait to welcome riders and fans from around the world back to Durango."

The first-ever men’s UCI MTB Worlds was won by Ned Overend, who still calls Durango, Colorado home, while Julie Furtado, a long-time Durango resident won the women’s event. Greg Herbold, also a Durango resident, won the men’s downhill event.

Team USA's Keegan Swenson and Kate Courtney are reigning world champions in the cross-country marathon event at the MTB Worlds.