Fort William in Scotland has become synonymous with the UCI World Cup in Britain, but now Yorkshire is after a piece of the action. Having had triple-header DH/4X/XC weekends in the past, 2009 sees Fort William sticking to the gravity events for a bit. The calendar for the rest of 2009 is set, but for 2010 British Cycling, Yorkshire Forward and the Forestry Commission aim to bring the UCI Cross-Country Mountain Bike World Cup to Yorkshire for the first time.

It’s not just 2010, either – the three organisations are working together on an ambitious bid to bring the prestigious event to 8,600-acre Dalby Forest, near Pickering, in 2010, 2012 and 2013. A successful bid would create significant economic and tourism opportunities for the area and reinforce Dalby’s development as a world class mountain bike destination.

Commenting on the news, British Cycling’s Jonny Clay said:

“British Cycling is working hard to bring the best international cycling events to the UK. Bringing a round of the Mountain Bike World Cup to Yorkshire and Humber over a number of years would be a real boost for the region. If these major events can be secured from the UCI, Yorkshire Forward and its partners are committed to a significant development plan to establish Dalby Forest and Yorkshire and Humber more widely as a true cycling destination.”

UCI guidelines stipulate a 6km minimum lap length for World Cup XC races, and the Forestry Commission plans an all-new course for the event. Alan Eves, Forest Management Director, explained:

“We are working on a comprehensive bid with our partners which will put Dalby on a global stage as a world class sporting venue. We hope to get a final decision on the World Cup bid by next June, so it’s fingers crossed.”

If the bid is successful it’ll be the first time England will have hosted World Cup racing since Newnham Park in the 90s. Dalby’s certainly got the hills, so we’ll just have to wait and see…