July 4, 2007 – The UCI has released the 2008 Nissan UCI World Cup MTB calendar. It includes 15 dates with nine XC races, seven DH/4X events and three XCM competitions. As usual a large proportion of the venues are located in Europe, with newcomer host countries Turkey and Andorra.

Canada will be represented again with a triple event August 2-3 by the ever-popular Mont-Sainte-Anne, Que., plus another triple at a yet-to-be-determined location on the previous weekend.

Scheduled for August 30-31 is a triple event in Canberra, Australia. It will be interesting to see how many athletes make the long trip, as in the past, Australian World Cups have seen low attendance.

Houffalize, Belgium will open the XC season with its classic course and bicycle-loving fans. Offenburg, Germany has received the go-ahead to host its second XC World Cup in a row, after organizing a successful event earlier this year. Madrid, Spain is back on the program, after taking a hiatus in 2007. Fort William, Scotland, often voted the #1 course by riders and spectators, gets a triple event June 7-8. The World Cup final for all three disciplines will hit Schladming, Austria, September 13-14.

The DH/4X crowd will open the season in Maribor, Slovenia, the host of this year’s World Cup final event. World Cup DH/4X #2 takes place during a triple event in Andorra, May 31 to June 1.

The ultra-endurance XCM discipline gets only three stops on the World Cup circuit, with the first event taking off March 15-16 in Turkey. Racers have to wait until August 9-10 for XCM #2 in Oisans, France and the final event is in Innsbruck, Austria, October 4-5.

2008 Nissan UCI World Cup Schedule

– March 15-16, 2008 – World Cup XCM #1 – Manavgat/Antalya, Turkey
– April 19-20, 2008 – World Cup XC #1 – Houffalize, Belgium
– April 26-27, 2008 – World Cup XC #2 – Offenburg, Germany
– May 3-5, 2008 – World Cup XC #3 – Madrid, Spain
– May 10-11, 2008 – World Cup DH/4X #1 – Maribor, Slovenia
– May 31-June 1, 2008 – World Cup XC #4, DH/4X #2 – Vallnord, Andorra
– June 7-8, 2008 – World Cup XC #5, DH/4X #3 – Fort William, Scotland
– June 17-22, 2008 – World Championships XC, DH, 4X – Commezzadura – Val-di-Sole, Italy
– July 6-7, 2008 – World XCM Championships – Villabassa, Italy
– July 26-27, 2008 – World Cup XC #6, DH/4X #4 – Location To Be Confirmed, Canada
– August 2-3, 2008 – World Cup XC #7, DH/4X #5 – Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada
– August 9-10, 2008 – World Cup XCM #2 – Oisans, France
– August 30-31, 2008 – World Cup XC #8, DH/4X #6 – Canberra, Australia
– September 13-14, 2008 – World Cup XC #9, DH/4X #7 – Schladming, Austria
– October 4-5, 2008 – World Cup XCM #3 – Innsbruck, Austria