The 2024 season of BMX Freestyle and trials competitions will conclude in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, during the UCI Urban Cycling World Championships, held from 18 to 21 December. At the same venue that successfully hosted the 2022 edition, champions from both disciplines will compete for the iconic UCI rainbow jerseys, the last to be awarded in 2024.
Riders selected to represent their countries at the UCI Trials World Championships will battle for the titles across five challenging courses, each having a different setting. New UCI World Champions will be crowned in the Women’s, Men’s Elite 20", Men’s Elite 26", Men’s Junior 20", and Men’s Junior 26" categories. A mixed team event, each with a minimum of three athletes per nation, is also on the programme.
In BMX Freestyle, two formats will be featured: Park and Flatland. Flatland specialists will compete on the proven oval platform, while their Park counterparts will perform on a newly designed course. The competition promises to be spectacular!
The UCI Urban Cycling World Championships have traveled the globe over the years. The first three editions (2017–2019) were held in Chengdu, China, then, after a pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event moved to Montpellier, France, in 2021. In 2022, the rainbow jerseys were awarded in Abu Dhabi before athletes traveled to Glasgow, Scotland (UK), in 2023, for the first-ever UCI Cycling World Championships, where the various cycling disciplines came together to see their UCI World Champions crowned. In 2024, the trials and BMX Freestyle stars will return to the UAE to close the year in style.
Trials: returning champions
In trials, the reigning UCI World Champions are Germany’s Nina Reichenbach (Women Elite), Spain’s Alejandro Montalvo (Men Elite 20"), Great Britain’s Jack Carthy (Men Elite 26") and Oliver Weightman (Men Junior 20"), and Spain’s Daniel Cegarra (Men Junior 26"). All will come to Abu Dhabi to give their best.
BMX Freestyle Park: top competitors
In BMX Freestyle Park, Kieran Reilly (GBR) had the honor of wearing the rainbow jersey for an entire year. The silver medalist from the Paris 2024 Olympic Games has not slowed down and will attempt to secure a spot in Saturday evening’s top 12 final. His fiercest competitor is likely to be Rim Nakamura (JPN), who won the UCI World title in Abu Dhabi in 2022.
France, Great Britain, and Japan each secured the maximum of six spots for the men’s Park competition, but riders from the United States, Australia, and Argentina should not be overlooked. Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold medalist Logan Martin (AUS) and Jose Torres (ARG), who won gold at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games - also know how to win at the highest level.
China, the United States, and Great Britain are the top-ranked nations in the women’s Park and can each send a maximum of six athletes to this year’s UCI World Championships. China will bring six of its stars, each a strong contender for the podium in Abu Dhabi on 21 December. The level of the women’s Park has skyrocketed in recent years, and it will be fascinating to see what the winner’s level will be this year. Hannah Roberts (USA), a multi-time UCI World Champion, will do her best to add another victory to her record.
BMX Freestyle Flatland: Japanese riders favourites
Aude Cassagne (FRA) and Yu Shoji (JPN) will try to defend their UCI World Championship titles from 2023 in a highly competitive BMX Freestyle Flatland event.
2021 UCI World Champion Matthias Dandois (FRA) intends to reclaim the title, but he will face a formidable group of Japanese competitors. Dandois, recently crowned European Champion in Luxembourg, will finish his career this December at the UCI World Championships.
The title hunt is wide open in the women’s Flatland, but Japanese riders are the favorites. Nina Suzuki, 16, won all three rounds of the UCI BMX Freestyle Flatland World Cup this year and will be hard to beat.
After training sessions starting earlier in the week and qualification rounds, the finals will take place on Friday 20 December and Saturday 21 December.