Pal Arinsal - Andorra

Pal Arinsal Bike Park is located in the heart of the Pyrenees, a short journey from the Andorran border with Spain. The park has more than 60km of trails across 30 different lines and five ski lifts to help riders experience the more than 1,000m of elevation drop on offer.

Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon) and Luca Martin (Cannondale Factory Racing) knocked Blevis and Pieterse of their winning streak in the UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup. Read the full on story on how they did it here.

Samara Maxwell (Decathlon Ford Racing) celebrated an Elite victories in Pal Arinsal for the first time in the UCI Cross-Country Olympic (XCO) World Cup. Olympic Champion Pidcock was making his season debut in the Men Elite UCI XCO World Cup and after making his way through from a fourth-row start rode clear for glory. Read the full story here.

Four-time UCI Downhill World Cup Overall winner Loic Bruni (Specialized Gravity) took victory on his local course to deny Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) a historic win. Meanwhile, there was drama in the women’s race when quickest qualifier Gracey Hemstreet (Norco Race Division) crashed coming into the finish, conceding victory to Tahnée Seagrave (Orbea/FMD Racing). Read the full story here.

As the only Cross-country race at the top of a mountain, it’s no surprise that the XC course in Pal Arinsal suits altitude riders! There’s a lot of climbing and a very technical natural rock garden with a high risk of punctures - riders need to be skilled at negotiating this section! For the fans, the hillside around the start/finish is fantastic for seeing riders multiple times per lap, and the pump track section is great for the kids to cheer on their heroes.

Over at Downhill, the course offers zero margin for error. Usually dry, dusty and rough, it’s on high-speed terrain that always delivers on close racing. This one is most typically suited to the more experienced riders on the circuit.