Crowds look on as mountain bikers compete Sunday in the Women’s Elite Cross-country Olympic World Cup race during the UCI Mountain Bike World Series at Mount Van Hoevenberg. (Enterprise photo — Chris Gaige)
LAKE PLACID — From near and far, thousands packed into Mount Van Hoevenberg over the weekend to watch the best mountain bikers in the world rocket around the storied venue during the three-day UCI Mountain Bike World Series. Here’s a snapshot from the final day of racing on Sunday.
For some, the trip entailed a commute down the very road they live on.
“We’re right up the hill from here,” said Hayden K., 7, as he turned right and pointed before running around near the start and finish line.
For others, the trip brought them across the Atlantic Ocean.
“It is so cool here, so beautiful,” said Sven Stadtler, a mechanic who travels with the Lexware Mountain Bike Team, based in Freiburg, Germany.
Chris Fisher, of Saranac Lake, sounds the horn as crowds gather at the UCI Mountain Bike World Series race held at Mount Van Hoevenberg in Lake Placid on Sunday. (Enterprise photo — Chris Gaige)
The team competes around the Union Cycliste Internationale mountain bike competition circuit, the governing federation that oversees a range of competitive cycling disciplines across the world.
The majority of those in attendance fell somewhere between those distance ranges. Stadtler spoke as he was having a caricature of himself commissioned by Willsboro artist Joe Ferris. Doug and Kristen McMahan made their way up from Clifton Park to help volunteer by working crowd control at the busy event.
“We absolutely love it here and try to escape up as much as we can,” Doug said.
A group of four young friends made their way down from Quebec City together.
“We have a bike shop in Quebec, so we came to see the best in the industry,” said Matthew Turcotte, speaking on behalf of the crew.
Hayden K., left, and Gideon K., both age 7 and of Lake Placid, smile while running near the start and finish line at the UCI Mountain Bike World Series race held at Mount Van Hoevenberg in Lake Placid on Sunday. (Enterprise photo — Chris Gaige)
Regardless of where they traveled from, there was widespread agreement among spectators that the venue and region were a great match for the mountain biking event.
“Really good, really well-organized,” Turcotte said, “and really good racing going on.”
Vladimir and Jean Alper, of Lake Placid, said the village was abuzz this weekend.
“Definitely. We noticed a lot of people and bikes making their way around,” Vladimir said.
Roberta Quinlan, who came from East Greenwich, Rhode Island, to support her son Erik Carlson concurred.
Joe Ferris, left, of Willsboro, draws a caricature of Sven Stadtler, a mechanic with German-based racing team Lexware, during the UCI Mountain Bike World Series race held at Mount Van Hoevenberg in Lake Placid on Sunday. (Enterprise photo — Chris Gaige)
Carlson had just begun the men’s elite cross-country marathon event.
“We’ve been to Lake Placid probably half a dozen times over the years, a lot with our younger son, who’s a hockey player,” Quinlan said. “We’ve been to (Mount Van Hoevenberg), the ski jumps and, obviously, the Olympic Center. We just love how Lake Placid keeps up with the venues and appearances. We went to Main Street yesterday and did the whole touristy thing, and it was so much fun.”
Ample viewing opportunities around the Mount Van Hoevenberg complex, which is operated by the state Olympic Regional Development Authority, put fans center stage.
“They have, at this venue, some really unique and neat spots for spectators to get right up to the track where the action is happening,” said Jonathan Litts, who was there with his two children, Izzy and Matthew.
All avid mountain bikers, this was the trio’s first chance to catch a professional event in person.
From left are Raphael Pichette, Anthony Bergeron, Marianne Dumas and Matthew Turcotte, all of Quebec City, attend the UCI Mountain Bike World Series race held at Mount Van Hoevenberg in Lake Placid on Sunday. (Enterprise photo — Chris Gaige)
“We heard months ago that these were advertised as happening up in Lake Placid this year and immediately planned to come up (from the Saratoga Springs area),” Litts said. “We had only watched (UCI events) via the media, so we were just super stoked when we heard they were coming, for us, semi-locally.”
This is the only UCI mountain biking race held in the United States this year and only one of two held in North America. The other is slated to take place next weekend at Mont-Sainte-Anne, Quebec. Almost all of the 16 events on the 2024 calendar were held in Europe, with two events held in Brazil at the beginning of the season.
Litts also mentioned the abundance of mountain biking opportunities that the Adirondacks offer.
“(They are) so prolific and becoming even more so as the sport continues to take hold,” he said.
Ski resorts across the Adirondacks have turned to mountain biking as a way to make use of their venues during the summer off-season.
While the UCI course at Mount Van Hoevenberg was professionally designed and specifically tailored for the event, ski trails present readily available routes for everyday enthusiasts and those new to the sport.
