The 2024 UCI Mountain Bike Eliminator World Cup São Paulo (BRA) took place this Sunday 18th at the Memorial da América Latina in São Paulo (SP).

Organised by Avelar Sports, the MTB event featured finishes decided by mere centimetres and victories by international athletes: Marion Fromberger (Germany) and Edvin Lindh (Sweden).

Over 60 athletes from 20 countries competed in the XCE qualifiers early in the morning on the 630-metre track, which included four artificial and two natural obstacles at the São Paulo landmark.

This was the first time Brazil hosted a stage of the City Mountain Bike-sanctioned championship.

Nearly 20,000 fans of the sport, who filled Shimano Fest at the Memorial da América Latina, cheered on the Brazilian athletes during the time trials, eliminations, and finals, held in temperatures of 31°C in the Brazilian winter.

"We have this DNA of developing mountain biking in the country and truly transforming the sport. A World Cup stage here, within the largest fair in Latin America, makes perfect sense. Now, it’s about working to create something bigger and planning for 2025," said Felipe Avelar, CEO of Avelar Sports.

In the women's category, Germany’s Marion Fromberger edged out Brazil's Iara Caetano Leite by just 57 hundredths of a second. The Dutch rider Didi de Vries took third place.

In the men's category, Sweden's Edvin Lindh emerged victorious, followed by Brazilian athlete Luiz Henrique Cocuzzi, who received the loudest cheers in São Paulo. The third place went to Romania’s Ede-Karoly Molnar, the current European champion in the discipline.

"I love this beautiful country and the people who helped me accelerate at the end. The race was very tight, as is often the case with XCE, and achieving this performance to cross the line first," said Marion Fromberger, who completed the final race in 1:55.07.

Iara Caetano Leite came close to victory after advancing to second place in the semifinals. Brazilian riders Ana Laura Moraes, Luiza Cocuzzi, Isabella Lacerda, and Marcela Lima Matos were also in the mix for a spot among the four finalists.

"Eliminator is all about detail. You need to make a strategy, follow it closely, be patient and calm, and at the same time, be aggressive, accelerate at the right moment, and shift gears correctly. It requires precision and calmness," explained Iara Caetano Leite.

"And that’s what I did: I made my strategy, read the race, observed the other riders, and gave my all in every turn and straight," added Iara Caetano Leite.

Edvin Lindh completed the two laps of the final in 1:41.80, followed by Cocuzzi and Romanian Ede-Karoly Molnar, the current European champion.

"Training is the key to success! Besides cycling, I do a lot of gym training, which was crucial for this short type of race. Here, I managed to defend my position to become the champion."

Luiz Henrique Cocuzzi left feeling emotional after finishing with the silver medal and a taste for more. "It’s a race full of details. You make a small mistake, and it’s enough to not advance. I wasn’t able to make another overtaking move, and in the end, I lost the gap. It’s part of the sport, and I’m happy with the support I had each lap here."

City Mountain Bike approved the 2024 UCI Mountain Bike Eliminator World Cup São Paulo (BRA) ensuring that the event will serve as an example for future stages in the calendar. Belgian Kristof Bruyneel, CEO of the company, praised Avelar Sports' organisation and the support from Brazilian fans.

"Here, the great experience of the European cyclists made a difference, but the Brazilians, like Cocuzzi and Iara, were pushed by the local crowd. From an event perspective, Avelar Sports did an excellent job with a high level! It’s a great example for the City Mountain Bike family."

The next stage of the 2024 UCI Mountain Bike Eliminator World Cup will take place on 29th September in Bengaluru, India.

About Avelar Sports:

Founded from the passion of former mountain biker Felipe Avelar, Avelar Sports is a prominent name in the sport. Avelar, a Physical Education graduate, was a professional rider from 2005 to 2011 with teams KHS and CALOI, representing Brazil in Pan-American Championships, World Cup events, and World Championships in countries such as Argentina, Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Scotland, and France.

One of the brand’s major differentiators is its constant innovation and investment in the sport. The company boasts one of the largest rental structures in Latin America and uses 100% of its own equipment for its events. It is unique in the sports segment for setting up, executing, and live-streaming all events.

In 2019, it won the Guidão de Ouro award for the International Chaoyang Estrada Real - Ouro Branco stage as the best MTB event of the year.

The company manages event planning and organisation with strategic management and creative solutions in sports approaches, personalising projects, and adding value across all involved chains.

Contact On Board Sports Team:

Jonas Moura, Rick Nóbrega, and Flávio Perez

jonas@onboardsports.net | ricardo@onboardsports.net | flavio@onboardsports.net

+55 21 98722-9427 | +55 11 98777-5094 | +55 11 99949-8035