The new event 4X, pronounced four-cross, was given its official name last year in November 2001 by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), and is now, for any spectator, one of the more exciting forms of mountain-bike racing to watch. Also known as mountain-cross or biker-cross, the race format is fairly new. It was just this year that it was introduced as one of the official events of the UCI-Tissot World Cup MTB Series.

The courses are often short, usually 30 to 45 seconds long. Some would say that 4X is more aggressive than dual, which it is now replacing at most events.

At the start gate, you have four pumped-up riders at the top of a mountain course. Before them lies a course that twists back and forth down a mountain, chock-full of jumps, berms, tabletops, and exciting tight corners. At the bottom lies a finish line.

The gun sounds and the riders are off fighting for the best line down the course, bumping and grinding over jumps to maintain their positions in the four-man pack. This race is all about technical ability and power!

The fourth rider is eliminated and the riders in first and second go to the next round while the third-place rider may get a second chance in a repechage race. The winner gets to pick his start gate at the beginning of the next round, with second choice going to the second-placed rider, and so forth until all riders are ready at the start gate.

National and international television stations are covering these exciting races that feature hip music during the competition with demonstration events on the sidelines. With something for everyone, spectators are showing up in record numbers.

While a lot of attention has been garnered for 4X at the international level, within Canada, it’s slowly catching on across the country but hasn’t yet been incorporated into the Canada MTB Cup Series. Two international 4X events on the 2002 calendar include the Mont-Ste-Anne World Cup (June 29-30) and Joyride Productions Inc.’s Joyride Bikercross in Whistler B.C. (July 3-5).

The trend in bike racing continues to evolve to more spectator-friendly competitions that attract television, sponsors, and more money, and 4X is the sport’s latest incarnation, ready to meet the challenge. With encouragement from the cycling community, we’ll likely see this new format of bike racing at local mountain-bike festivals more frequently in the coming years