Countdown to 2008 UCI Mountain Bike Marathon Championship

(BEIJING, July 1) -- The 6th Edition of the UCI Mountain Bike Marathon World Championships will kick off on Saturday July 5 in the Italian town of Villabassa. Held every year since 2003, this world championship for elite marathon mountain bikers features single class events for men and women. The Open Women race scheduled at 11:30 a.m. will entail an 88.6 km course with a gradient of 3,040 meters. The Open Men race will start at 12:00 a.m. and cover a 120 km course with a gradient of 3,822 meters.

The UCI MTB Marathon World Championship will officially start July 4 at 8:00 p.m. with the official opening ceremony in the central plaza of Villabassa.