LAKE PLACID, Vt. (WCAX) – Trading skis for wheels, a first-of-its-kind event brings world-class bikers to the slopes of Mt. Van Hoevenberg in Lake Placid this weekend.
On the heels of the Olympics, athletes from all over the world are in Lake Placid for UCI Mountain Biking World Series.
“New and different athletes here but a lot of the pieces are the same as what we deal with in the winter. So, we are just bringing it into the summer environment and working with a new group,” said venue manager Rebecca Dayton.
“Honestly, this is probably the best one we have ever seen in the U.S. It is outstanding,” said Simon Burney, head cycling for Warner Bros Discovery Sports, the event organizer.
The competition is new ground for the Olympic Regional Development Authority, which usually uses the new venue for cross-country skiing. It has now been transformed into a rigorous mountain biking track that will test the skills of more than 300 athletes from across the world, some of whom were just competing at the Paris games.
“Not that often do we get a U.S. World Cup on the schedule. So, it really is a unique experience for these American riders,” said Lea Davison, a two-time Vermont Olympian who has retired from competition but will be calling the races. She says a competition on American soil means the chance to inspire the next generation of athletes. “When the younger generation gets to witness in-person their heroes, they get to watch on TV they have seen race in the Olympics when they get to meet them and see them race face-to-face in-person, it plants a seed and it is very inspiring.”
“We sometimes do not get the upper hand traveling all the way to Europe and learning a bit of their culture. So, it is nice for them to come here and have it flipped a little bit,” said Bailey Cioppa, a rider from Colorado.
Makenna Kellerman, another Colorado rider, says she’s enjoyed seeing firsthand the area’s Olympic history. “It is so cool to honor another sport and like kind of a different way by racing here. So, it is very exciting,” she said.
The event runs through the weekend.
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