[Watch POV] Every Twist and Turn of the XTERRA Oak Mountain MTB Loop

The bike section is one of the biggest talking points ahead of XTERRA Oak Mountain, and everybody from New Zealand’s Sam Osborne to the USA’s own, Suzie Snyder, has called it one of the most fun, fast, scenic, and difficult rides on the XTERRA circuit. It’s a course built by MTB riders for MTB riders, and the faster you go the harder it gets. 

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Part one is all about singletrack flow, crossing potentially slippery bridges and clearing Cat Dog Snake and Cabin Road Crossing before making the roughly 700-foot ascent of the Red Road Climb.

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The descent is a fast, wild ride highlighted by the notorious “Blood Rock” section – a series of tricky-to-manoeuvre, uneven, jagged rocks. Survive that and it’s back to speed and flow through Centipede, Jekyll n’ Hyde, and Foreplay before the fast and furious Mr. Toad's.

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Race week has begun and a lot of the Pro’s are already out on the course, finding their lines and looking where to push and where to pass. You can follow the build up to the race on the Oak Mountain page, with daily updates offering info and insights into what kind of race we can expect on Saturday and Sunday. Additional coverage and content will be posted throughout the weekend on the XTERRA Global and XTERRA Americas Instagram pages.

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The full-distance race is up first on Saturday with a start list that includes many of the top-ranked XTERRA athletes across all regions. XTERRA Champion Arthur Serierres (FRA) will start alongside Jens Emil Sloth Nielsen (Den), APAC Champion Kieran Mcpherson (NZL), Sebastien Carabin (BEL), Michele Bonacina (ITA), Sam Osborne (NZL), and both Josiah and Sullivan Middaugh (USA) to name few. In the women’s race, XTERRA Champion Solenne Billouin (FRA) will be up against series leader Alizee Paties (FRA), Loanne Duvoisin (CHE), Suzie Snyder (USA), Marta Menditto (ITA), Elizabeth Orchard (NZL), Jessica Koltz (USA), Samantha Kingsford (NZL) and a host of other established names looking to claim their share of World Cup points. 

All of these names are a force on the bike and will no doubt be causing fireworks throughout the course. 

Sunday will be the first Short Track race of the World Cup and the first-ever XTERRA Short Track race on US soil. Ony 25 men and 25 women will qualify to race, with World Cup standings taken after the full-distance race determining who will be awarded a place on the starting line. 

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It’s XTERRA’s fastest format, with the entire race broadcast live from between the tapes. A $5,000 prize purse and a max of 20 World Cup points will be at stake, so expect the full speed and strength of XTERRA’s best to be on full display. 

Commentary will be in English with triathlon Hall of Fame announcers Bob Babbitt and Jamie Whitmore calling the race. French commentary will also be available on the following Facebook pages: XTERRA Belgium, XTERRA France, XTERRA Nouvelle-Aquitaine, XTERRA Super Besse, XTERRA Switzerland Brévine, XTERRA Série Québec, XTERRA Tahiti, and XTERRA Balcon d'Azur. 

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Coverage starts with the women's race at 15:00 local time (GMT -5hrs) and the men following at 16:00, and will be available for free on xterraplanet.com.