Andorra · UCI Mountain Bike World Championships

The cycling world governing body Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) has organized mountain bike world championships since 1990. Unlike race series or World Cups, the world champion titles for a season are awarded in individual races. The winners may then wear the white rainbow jersey with the five colored stripes in their respective discipline for one year.

The 2024 championships took place from 28 August to 1 September in the Pal Arinsal area. The program included Olympic cross-country, cross-country short track, the cross-country relay, downhill and competitions involving electrically assisted mountain bikes. In cross-country, participants complete several laps on a course with climbs, descents, and natural and artificial obstacles. Downhill, by contrast, is held as an individual time trial on a predominantly downhill course. The different formats each place specific demands on endurance, riding technique and equipment.

Pal Arinsal is located in western Andorra in the Pyrenees and is primarily known as a ski resort in winter. Its slopes and differences in elevation are also used for mountain bike courses. The venue had already hosted UCI Mountain Bike World Cup races several times; mountain bike world championships had also taken place there in 2015. The renewed award of the championships thus built on existing courses and experience with international cycling events.

The inscription uses Catalan, the official language of Andorra. “BTT” stands for “bicicleta tot terreny”, the Catalan term for mountain bike or off-road bicycle. As a microstate, Andorra also uses sporting events to raise its international profile. Mountain biking can be directly associated with the country’s mountainous landscape. This connection between the venue, the terrain and international competition explains the choice of the event for a national commemorative coin.