UCI to Hold First Ever E-MTB World Championship Race in August

In August 2019, the UCI will hold the first-ever E-MTB World Championships race in Mont-Saint-Anne, Quebec.

Julien Absalon (FRA), five-time XCO UCI World Champion and double XCO Olympic Champion ©Vélo Vert / Jean-Luc Armand

For the first time ever, the UCI will crown an E-MTB World Champion at the 2019 UCI World Championships in Mont-Saint-Anne, Canada.

The E-MTB races will start after the Cross-Country Team Relay, which opens the event on August 28. Last year the UCI announced that E-MTB would integrate into UCI regulations and the XCO (cross-country) and DHI (downhill) formats.

There will be two separate races — an elite men’s and elite women’s — open to athletes aged 19 and above who are registered with, and selected by their national federation. The course will be about 7.3km in length and the duration of the race will be from one-and-a-half to two hours. There are additional E-MTB World Cup rounds prior to the World Championships.

According to the UCI, an E-MTB is operated by both an electric engine and human power. The engine must only provide assistance when the rider pedals, except for startup assistance where a speed that doesn’t exceed 6km/h is permitted.

An electric mountain bike engine cannot produce more than 250 watts in competition and no additional batteries can be carried. Riders can still receive mechanical and feed assistance, just like a cross-country race, however bike and battery changes aren’t allowed.

Men and women are set to receive equal prize money for the event. The UCI will later reveal a World Championship jersey unique to the E-MTB category. After the E-MTB competition and other opening events on August 28, racing will continue with XCO and DHI races. A total of 13 world titles will be awarded over five days.

What do you think about the addition of electric mountain biking to the UCI World Championships?