Three dates to remember: 15 June 2024 with BMW HERO Südtirol Dolomites in Italy, 14 July 2024 with Black Forest ULTRA Bike Marathon in Germany and, finally, 22 September 2024 with Iron Bike Race in Switzerland.
The prize money of 15 thousand euros underlines the value of the circuit.
Source: press release
Three races for one great goal, to become a mountain bike superhero. This is the challenge that the HERO Series proposes in 2024, an international circuit with three of the most historic and attractive events in the European marathon scene, linked by a common thread that unites them in spirit and values.
A project born and strongly supported by the organizing committee of the now legendary BMW HERO Südtirol Dolomites, hence the name of the circuit.
The calendar is official: we will start from the splendid Dolomites of Val Gardena with the BMW HERO Südtirol Dolomites on Saturday 15 June 2024, and then move to Germany the following month, precisely on 14 July 2024, in the heart of the Black Forest with the Black Forest ULTRA Bike Marathon. The king and queen of the 2024 HERO Series will be crowned on September 22, 2024 during the BikeSide MTB Festival, where the Iron Bike Marathon will take place.
An extreme challenge that combines a triptych of events on the UCI calendar that are among the most anticipated and loved by bikers looking for sporting challenges to tell in natural environments to fully experience.
«HERO Series is a project in which we have believed a lot, and we are happy to be able to present it to all those who believe in the values of our event – commented Gerhard Vanzi, CEO of HERO Dolomites – therefore 2024 HERO Series is not just a circuit which unites three of the reference competitions in the international mountain bike scene, is much more. It is sharing a passion and strong ideals, such as love, respect and knowledge of the natural environment in which the three events are hosted."
Sustainability, in fact, is a very strong theme. HERO Dolomites has been a signatory since 2021 of Sports For Climate Action, the United Nations initiative to combat the climate crisis through actions involving sporting events. With a series of initiatives and concrete actions, the event aims to be increasingly carbon free, aiming to reduce the CO2 emissions generated by an event of this magnitude to a minimum. An intention that we also want to pursue with the 2024 HERO Series.
Emotions and great goals also shared by Britta Schreiber, manager of the organizing committee of the Black Forest ULTRA Bike Marathon in Kirchzarten: «We are incredibly excited to be part of this great project with two qualified traveling companions who are very similar to us. The 2024 HERO Series will bring together three of the biggest and most spectacular marathon distance mountain bike races, and we can't wait to see the bikers on the starting line!”
The 2024 HERO Series calendar will conclude in September at the home of the Iron Bike Race, the event within the BikeSide Festival in Einsiedeln.
«The launch of the 2024 HERO Series is a great idea and we are proud to be part of this international competition with the BMW HERO Südtirol Dolomites and the Black Forest ULTRA Bike Marathon – underlines Daniel Hensler, OC president of the Iron Bike Race – and we are convinced that competitions within a circuit will significantly increase the attractiveness of the circuit thanks to the natural landscapes among the most beautiful in Europe in which they take place".
THE PRIZE MONEY, THE RULES, THE COMPETITIONS
The prize money for the HERO Series 2024 is 15.000 Euros which will be awarded to the top 5 finishers of the four final results in the categories of Elite athletes (men and women) registered with a national federation affiliated with the UCI and non-member "hobby" athletes.
To access the final ranking of the 2024 HERO Series, the men (elite and hobby) will have to complete the long courses of the three competitions, for a total of 287 kilometers and 11.180 meters of altitude difference. The women competing will have to complete the short route of the HERO Südtirol Dolomites and the long routes of the other two tests for a total of 261 kilometers and 9.880 meters of altitude difference. Points for the general classification will be awarded to the first 100 finishers of each race on the calendar.
The complete regulation is present on the site www.heroworldseries.com where it will be possible to register in "package" mode for all the races on the calendar.
UNITY IS STRENGTH
The 2024 HERO Series also wants to offer the opportunity to discover the cultures, history and traditions of three different, albeit very close, countries. Participants in this circuit will be able to learn about the territories that host the respective races. The Dolomites, the Black Forest and the Swiss lakes around Einsiedeln: not only sports, but also breathtaking landscapes and an extreme wealth of traditions, such as local craftsmanship, typical music and of course culinary specialties.
BMW HERO SÜDTIROL DOLOMITES
Known as the toughest mountain bike marathon in the world, the fourteenth edition of the BMW HERO Südtirol Dolomites, which lends its name to the series, will also be the first event in the 2024 calendar. Its routes are iconic (86km with 4.500hm difference in altitude, 60km with 3.200hm of altitude difference and the brand new 71km with 4.100hm of altitude difference) designed on the Dolomites, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and which cross Val Gardena, Alta Badia, Arabba, Val di Fassa and Alpe di Siusi.
Information: www.herodolomites.com
BLACK FOREST ULTRA BIKE MARATHON
Don't let the fairytale atmosphere of these lands fool you, the Black Forest Ultra Bike Marathon, with its 118 kilometers and 3.550 meters of altitude difference, is a challenge for true heroes. The race offers four routes of 43, 54 and 71 kilometers but only the 118 kilometer one will count as the second test of the 2024 HERO Series: starting from Kirchzarten, you will touch the highest peak in the Baden-Württemberg region, Mount Feldberg at 1.493 meters and then continue to Menzenschwand, passing through Hofsgrund, and from here you will go to the finish line in Kirchzarten.
Information: www.ultra-bike.de
IRON BIKE MARATHON
The Iron Bike Marathon is one of the oldest mountain bike marathons in Europe and in 2024 it will take place for the twenty-eighth time as part of the BikeSide Festival. The Einsiedeln Monastery, world-famous for its structure, offers a unique backdrop: the blessing of the cyclists by the monastery's abbot makes the start a highlight. The various routes lead through the picturesque Einsiedeln-Alpthal region: the one valid for HERO Series points is 83 km with 3.130 meters of altitude difference; the others are 49km with 1.800 meters of altitude difference and 34km with 1.330 meters of altitude difference.
Information: www.bike-side.ch
For information and registration: www.heroworldseries.com
