The Colline d'Élancourt, the highest point in the Paris region at 231 meters above sea level, has been totally transformed for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games the highest point in the Ile-de-France region is indeed located on this Yvelines hill with its 60-meter vertical drop the redeveloped site will be accessible to all Located in the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines region the result of the rehabilitation of former quarries and landfill sites is preparing to open its doors to the public.The site is now open to the public transforming the highest point of the Ile-de-France region into a leisure and sports area open to all financed to the tune of €7m by the Département is part of a long-term vision focused on the heritage and enhancement of the hill The 52-hectare leisure hub will enhance the region's recreational offering with new trails for mountain bikers marking the département's commitment to a sustainable and inclusive heritage the Colline d'Élancourt is a site rich in transformations it was converted into a landfill before benefiting from an ambitious rehabilitation program in the 1980s it offers a breathtaking view of emblematic monuments such as the Eiffel Tower and presents itself as a verdant leisure area in the midst of the dense urbanization of the Ile-de-France region The day will also be an opportunity to pay tribute to Pauline Ferrand-Prévot who made her mark on the slopes by winning Olympic gold at this venue French BMX freestyle champion who won France's first Olympic medal The redevelopment work, carried out by SOLIDEO has transformed the hill into a landscaped park suitable for families and sports enthusiasts Don't miss this unique opportunity to rediscover the Colline d'Élancourt now laid out for the enjoyment of families and sports enthusiasts alike Refer your establishment, click herePromote your event, click here Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Jenny Rissveds third after all-out racing on Élancourt Hill France's Pauline Ferrand Prevot of Team France celebrates at finish line as race winner (Image credit: Getty Images)Gold medalist Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (France) silver medalist Haley Batten (USA) and bronze medalist Jenny Rissveds (Sweden)(Image credit: Getty Images)Haley Batten (USA) celebrates her silver medal(Image credit: Getty Images)France's Pauline Ferrand Prevot celebrates her victory after winning the women's cross-country mountain biking(Image credit: Getty Images) Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (France) finally claimed the cross-country mountain bike gold medal at Paris 2024 which has long eluded her with a sensational solo win on home French soil at Élancourt Hill The highly-decorated multi-discipline superstar attacked away with brutal pace on the second lap up the main climb of the 4.4km course southwest of Paris leaving Puck Pieterse (Netherlands) and Loana Lecomte (France) in her dust and dominating the whole day right to the line It was an emotional completion of a career goal for Ferrand-Prévot welcomed home by a singing French crowd who saw their hero achieve her dream and take France’s second gold medal of Paris 2024 Pieterse looked set to take the silver medal as Lecomte faded behind and eventually crashed out of the race a puncture did for the young Dutch star’s chances on lap five and forced her into a rear-wheel change where a chasing group caught her Ferrand-Prévot oozed class as she put in consistent laps around the 12-minute mark to extend her lead throughout the seven-lap race finishing with a giant winning margin of 2:57 over Hayley Batten (USA)  who took a great silver medal after a thrilling battle with Jenny Rissveds (Sweden) Despite being a 12-time World Champion across road an Olympic medal of any colour has managed to go amiss throughout Ferrand-Prévot’s illustrious career On Sunday and in one of her final mountain bike races before turning her focus back to road racing the 32-year-old has put that right and in the best way possible in front of adoring home French crowds and to cheers of ‘Pauline Pauline’ throughout the 1:26:02-long effort in the French sunshine I prepared so hard for that day and not since a few months It’s my fourth Olympics and I never ever perform and today was just everything for the gold medal,” said Ferrand-Prévot after the finish “I can say the goal of my life and today I won it and it’s just incredible “I think I raced the same as I raced all the world cups I just did my own race and tried to go full gas in the uphill and smooth in the downhill and recover Huge crowds roared on their star throughout the 4.4km and seven laps Ferrand-Prévot admitted she was so locked in on the task at hand that she couldn’t hear them until she released emotion at the finish But now it’s super nice,” she said Martina Berta (Italy) kicked off the action best on the opening lap exploding off the line ahead of the favourites as she tends to do with Lecomte and Ferrand-Prévot not far behind and moving into the lead on the climb as the French showed their strength at home Pieterse followed closely behind as young Austrian star Laura Stigger took over to keep the racing under control on lap one Quickly a lead quartet was established by the French duo with Berta trying to chase behind alongside the likes of Rio 2016 champion Jenny Rissveds (Sweden) The strong quartet would continue to build a lead throughout the first 4.4km lap sticking together over the two main climbs and throughout the rock gardens that lined the man-made course A 12:21 opening lap would be followed by six more repetitions of the course with Lecomte leading the quartet over the start/finish line until Pieterse decided to up the pace on the climb The Dutchwoman was countered by what would eventually be the race-winning move as Ferrand-Prévot switched into a huge gear and ate up the metres to crest the climb with a big gap on her compatriot Lecomte and Pieterse Ferrand-Prévot continued her assault to the delight of the French crowds extending what was an 18-second gap at the first split point on lap two out to 29 and 35 seconds respectively over Pieterse and Lecomte as she started lap three After completing lap two in an infernal time of 11:45 Ferrand-Prévot followed this up with a 12:09 to extend her gap out north of a minute to her two chasers The race for bronze and silver was closing down behind as Batten came into her own on the second and third lap alongside Stigger and Rissveds crossing the line at the start of lap four just 17 seconds back on a faltering Lecomte Things got worse for Lecomte on lap four when a heavy crash through the rock garden saw led to her being stretchered away from the course she is OK according to reports in French media at the time of writing Rissveds and Alexandra Keller (Switzerland) were suddenly in the fight for bronze which would soon become the fight for silver when an untimely puncture for Pieterse on lap five saw those behind realising second was on the cards The Dutch mechanics did as good a job as possible to change Pieterse’s rear wheel but what was a 30-second gap on the chasing group disappeared as she struggled on the long descent and became a 30-second deficit after the change Rissveds and Batten established themselves as the strongest on the climb at the start of lap six with Evie Richards (Great Britain) and Pieterse closing in quickly behind As Ferrand-Prévot stayed safe to arrive home at the line in emotional fashion to huge chants from the home crowds Batten made her move on the second key climb of the lap The American got a small gap on the Swedish former Olympic Champion and held her off on the descent to take a top class silver medal Results powered by FirstCycling during which time he also wrote for Eurosport Prior to joining the team he reported on races such as Paris-Roubaix and the Giro d’Italia Donne for Eurosport and has interviewed some of the sport’s top riders in Chloé Dygert he spends the majority of his time watching other sports – rugby The Olympic XCO course rises to a giddy 231m and is the stage for the most important XC race in three years Pauline Ferrand Prevot Credit: Red Bull Content Pool On 28 and 29 July 2024, the best cross-country mountain bike riders in the world will descend (pardon the pun) upon the outskirts of Paris and compete for Olympic glory The track at Elancourt Hill sits at the highest point in the Paris area but at just 231 metres it could hardly be called vertiginous this tiny hillock has been selected to host the Olympic XCO event for its stunning views of the Eiffel Tower and the forests surrounding Paris and La Défense But why, in a country full of epic mountain ranges and pre-built bike parks, was the XCO track constructed here? And will it live up to the Olympic hype and provide some exciting racing? Who knows, but I can’t wait to find out – here’s how I’ll be watching the Paris Olympics this weekend for free. Nino Schurter should be right at home at this fast-flowing track with few places to recover Elancourt Hill has been built specifically for this event a world-leading XC Course Designer from South Africa He’s the man behind the design of the tracks at the Rio and Tokyo Olympic Games so he has some pedigree – suddenly we feel a bit more optimistic about the site We say the area has been built specifically for the event but what we mean is that the course has been created here there has been no major infrastructure changes and much of the route is based on existing paths This helps to keep the impact on the biodiversity to a minimum and means that the newly created trails can be left as a legacy to the Games for other users It’s based on former sandstone quarries which later became landfill until the 1980s when it was redeveloped into a public park The Olympic Committee hopes that the development of Elancourt Hill will allow it to become a “major destination for mountain bike enthusiasts” after the Games We’re not sure it’ll become quite as popular as Les Gets or Morzine If you’re hoping for a natural, techie horror show to let Tom Pidcock strut is skillful stuff on, you might be disappointed. It aint that. However, it’s unclear if Pidcock will even be there to retain his mountain bike XCO gold after pulling out of the Tour with Covid.  If you want to fully understand the course we highly recommend watching former Dutch rider Anneke Beerten’s preview video from last year (watch it above) She talks us through the full course recon with USA rider Hayley Batten You start with a right hander before a slight left and from there there’s a steep gravelly climb to contend with the track narrows and heads into the trees A couple of switchbacks but nothing too technical here until riders get to the top and cross over the bridge This is where things start to get more interesting with several short rock gardens and some jumps to contend with Riders head up back towards the bridge they just crossed and turn left back into the woods for some more rocks and swoopy turns through the trees And then one or two more rocks and drop sections before riders reach the bottom of the course After a bit of flat pedalling there’s some singletrack climbing on the outskirts of the woods before heading back onto the sandstone gravel track that’s going to be synonymous with this course it looks like it’s going to be a fast course with a few technical sections thrown in to catch riders out So while it won’t be as technical as some of the XCO courses on the World Cup circuit it should provide some fast racing with plenty of attacking opportunities We do also have it on good authority that plenty of the features weren’t included in the Olympic test events probably because they weren’t finished yet You can expect the full course to be gnarlier than this then with more drops and rocky sections to spice it up If you want to find out how to watch it, read our guide so you don’t miss any of the action. You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser or activate Google Chrome Frame to improve your experience the defending Olympic gold medalist from Tokyo 2021 criticized the “bland” Paris 2024 mountain bike race course in a recent press conference calling it “just gravel,” multiple media outlets report “It’s not the best course in the world,” said Pidcock in advance of Monday’s race “I think they could have done a better job of making it a proper mountain bike course the courses you get to ride and the places you go to There’s not much thinking that goes into it The mountain bike racecourse has been built on Elancourt Hill, the highest point in the Paris region. According to Olympics.com “No major infrastructure will be created at the site in order to minimise the impact on its biodiversity 95 per cent of the future trails for the Olympic mountain bike events designed by South African expert Nick Floros various routes will be left as a legacy of the Games and will offer a selection of accessible trails for all users from children and families to experienced riders.” Elancourt Hill itself is an artificial construction located on the site of former sandstone quarries “After the quarries closed midway through the 19th century the site became a landfill until it was closed in 1975,” according to Olympics.com “An ambitious regeneration programme was carried out in the 1980s transforming the hill into a public park.” While it’s difficult to get a sense of the Paris course in advance of the race, the featured image on the Olympics.com page linked above shows riders grinding uphill on a gravel path that appears to be between 6 and 10 feet wide. Images in the Paris2024.org Press Library show a start and finish area that consists of an extremely wide gravel road other images show riders jumping off of a stone lip during a test event According to an article published on Yahoo! Sports the course is 4.4km long and offers 110 meters of elevation gain per lap “Organisers say it consists of groomed gravel paths twisting terrain and one challenging climb which is bypassed on the opening 2.2km lap,” writes Tom Cary.  Are these jumps and the rock garden the only features of any sort on the racecourse will riders competing for a gold medal waste time throwing whips when they could scrub the jump(s) to maintain speed In an April 2024 interview on the Singletracks podcast Claudio Caluori — a seven-time Swiss National Champion whose trail building company was contracted to build the Olympic racecourse — shared the many challenges they faced during the construction process “It was one of the most complicated jobs ever,” said Caluori “And you know it wasn’t the full on Velosolutions design And it was also not that we were allowed to build what we thought was good then there was a French trail building company responsible for it there’s road construction companies and all sorts of things “I think it’s gonna be good,” Caluori continued the features in there were not designed by us And we were also not allowed to bring in our ideas So we just had to build whatever was planned.” World champion (and Pidcock’s teammate) echoed his sentiment but with a more understanding tone rather than man-made,” said Richards “But I think we normally see that at Olympic Games Updated 1pm MDT: This article has been updated with comments from Claudio Caluori Enter your email for the top stories in mountain biking plus product picks and deals delivered to your inbox each week Biked on the clay of a legendary tennis court Biked through a choreographic center or visited a museum which must be respected to avoid traffic jams Don't hesitate to come dressed up and join in thefestive atmosphere especially as prizes are awarded for the best costumes Children can of course take part with their little bikes Winners from Day 2 Early Events.css-3hcdeq{margin:0;font-size:1.2rem;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;font-family:Proxima Nova,Proxima Nova Fallback Helvetica,Proxima Nova Fallback Arial;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;letter-spacing:0rem;line-height:1.44rem;color:var(--br--palette-foreground__tertiary-mainChannel);}Joe TanseyJul 28 1) 0ms;transition:background-color 150ms cubic-bezier(0.4 1) 0ms;transition:fill 120ms cubic-bezier(0.4 1) 0ms;font-size:inherit;}.css-v4v4rs{-webkit-user-select:none;-moz-user-select:none;-ms-user-select:none;user-select:none;width:1em;height:1em;display:inline-block;fill:currentColor;-webkit-flex-shrink:0;-ms-flex-negative:0;flex-shrink:0;-webkit-transition:fill 120ms cubic-bezier(0.4 1) 0ms;font-size:inherit;}@media (min-width:0px){.css-v4v4rs{display:block;}}@media (min-width:1100px){.css-v4v4rs{display:none;}}.css-mps3fk{-webkit-user-select:none;-moz-user-select:none;-ms-user-select:none;user-select:none;width:1em;height:1em;display:inline-block;fill:currentColor;-webkit-flex-shrink:0;-ms-flex-negative:0;flex-shrink:0;-webkit-transition:fill 120ms cubic-bezier(0.4 Haley Batten earned a rare medal for Team USA in mountain biking as part of the early set of events on Sunday The Americans are up to six total medals in Paris ahead of the second day of swimming events Team USA is tied with South Korea for the most medals through a day-and-a-half of medal events but South Korea is on top of the medal table because it has more gold medals (Photo by Punit PARANJPE / AFP) (Photo by PUNIT PARANJPE/AFP via Getty Images)1 JOHN MACDOUGALL/AFP via Getty ImagesFrance's Pauline Ferrand Prevot competes in the women's cross-country mountain biking event during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Elancourt Hill venue in Elancourt (Photo by John MACDOUGALL / AFP) (Photo by JOHN MACDOUGALL/AFP via Getty Images)Cycling FRANCE - JULY 28: Haley Batten of Team United States celebrates winning silver as she crosses the finish line during the Women’s Cross-Country Cycling Mountain Bike Gold Medal race on day two of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Elancourt Hill on July 28 who was not expected to contend for a medal in the mountain bike road race produced the best-ever American finish in the cycling discipline had to hold off four challengers for the silver medal near the end of the event France's Pauline Ferrand-Prevot finished well ahead of the pack Batten arrived at the finish line two minutes and 57 seconds behind the race winner The cyclists who finished between second and fifth places had just 30 seconds between them Bronze medal winner Jenny Rissveds of Sweden came in just five seconds behind Batten The mountain bike road race has existed at the Summer Olympics since 1996 only two bronze medals were earned by Americans both of which came in the women's event Alan Hatherly secures the bronze medal at Élancourt Hill capping a comeback for the ages in the closing meters of the 86-minute race following a puncture earlier on The 24-year-old beat home favourite Victor Koretzky (France) to take the win with a canny move up the inside of a left-hand corner in the section of forest at the very end of the final lap which almost led to a coming-together as Koretzky narrowly avoided a collision with his rival’s rear wheel put the Frenchman firmly in the silver medal position.  two seconds up on Alan Hatherly (South Africa) who had earlier been part of the three-man lead group at the head of the race Pidcock’s hopes of emulating Julien Absalon (2004-08) in successfully defending the men’s Olympic gold medal looked to possibly be dead and buried on lap four as he punctured out of the leading position The Frenchman was set on a path towards making it two golds across the men’s and women’s races after Pauline Ferrand-Prévot triumphed in the women’s race on Sunday.  The trio were all set for a mammoth battle on the final run to the line with Pidcock kicking off proceedings by attacking on the mid-lap climb at least until Koretzky countered on the next hill That cutting acceleration dispensed with Hatherly leaving it up to a two-man battle for gold That battle was decided in the forest moments before the finish line as Pidcock chose the inside line who could offer little in the way of resistance as he saw his gold medal hopes vanish It was all going pretty well and I knew Victor Koretzky would be strong here I knew it would not be easy today," Pidcock said in a media mixed zone after the race “I knew how fast he was on the last lap The battle for men’s cross-country mountain bike Olympic gold would take place on the same course as the women’s race – a 4.4km circuit in Elancourt in the suburbs of Paris It was a route derided by defending champion Pidcock as “bland” and not challenging enough for mountain bikes it would prove enough of a challenge for the top mountain bike racers in the world Riley Amos (USA) was the fastest man out of the traps at the start of the race leading Hatherly around the opening lap as a cluster of French and Swiss jerseys trailed behind Pidcock was caught a little further back on lap one riding just outside the top 10 placings before making his way forward with Swiss riders Nino Schurter and Mathias Flückinger next to head to the front on lap two The duo had Pidcock for company at the front as the reigning champion claimed his spot in the midst of the contenders Pidcock made the first big move of the race He pushed on in the lead on the main hill of the circuit taking Flückinger and Koretzky with him as others struggled to hold the pace seemingly in an effort designed to distance his two closest rivals Flückinger couldn’t keep up where Koretzky could with the Swiss rider dropping back to form a three-man chase group alongside Hatherly and Charlie Aldridge (Great Britain) A two-man battle royale to the line, then? Not quite, with a major twist in the tale coming – Pidcock’s puncture dropping out of the lead before he got the required wheel change He’d rejoin at 38 seconds down in ninth place 10 seconds on Hatherly as Flückinger and Aldridge lay a further 10 seconds back Hatherly alone wouldn’t make any inroads into Koretzky’s lead consistently lying between 10 and 15 seconds off top spot making his way past rider after rider to catch Flückinger on lap six the pair lay at 27 seconds down on Koretzky and 12 off Hatherly Pidcock would go it alone in pursuit of the South African speeding across the gap to make it two men behind Koretzky He immediately hit the front of the new group bringing his companion along for the ride as they sought the leading Frenchman It wasn’t long before he was in sight and as the bell rang for the start of the final lap it was Pidcock who took to the front of the group piling on the pressure with an attack on the way up the first hill of the circuit The acceleration wasn’t the winning move but showed Hatherly struggle to keep in touch Luca Braidot (Italy) was making headway in solo fourth place at 11 seconds down managed to get back on level terms while Hatherly didn’t Between there and the line lay the forest and the decisive bend on the road to the gold medal Pidcock threw it up the inside line to squeeze out his rival almost losing balance as he avoided a collision with Pidcock’s bike proved a deadly combination for the Frenchman who came home for silver as Pidcock rode on solo for the big win Dani has reported from the world's top races She has interviewed many of the sport's biggest stars and her favourite races are the Giro d'Italia Reigning Olympic champion calls the Élancourt Hill circuit “bland” Tom Pidcock and Evie Richards have likened the Olympic mountain bike course to a “gravel” circuit, according to a news report in Cycling Weekly Speaking at a press conference for the Games the reigning Olympic champion Pidcock called the Élancourt Hill track “bland,” while former world champion Richards criticised the lack of natural features and options for line choices “It’s bland and I think they could have done a better job of making a more mountain bike course,” Pidcock said “It’s not the best course in the world The course at Élancourt rises just 231m, and has drawn criticism for being too manmade and not technical enough for the elite riders competing there. Check out our full course preview of the Élancourt Hill course and see what you think Evie Richards is one of the most skilfull rides in the XC scene and would have preferred a more natural course to play to her strengths Evie Richards described the course as “easier to learn” with “less choices” than a World Cup track because you still have to ride on gravel,” she said There’s also not much thinking to go into it The best XC courses from the 2024 have seen multiple lines develop over the course of the race potentially giving faster and more skilful riders like Pidcock and Richards the chance to overtake or make up time “There’s also not much thinking to go into it you just go down there,” Pidcock said “We love mountain biking for the reasons that drive us to enjoy it for what it is,” Pidcock explained it’s not really mountain bike.” a natural course which changes with the conditions is quite a cool thing If I was the designer I’d have it more natural “I wouldn’t say it’s not hard enough,” Evie Richards said of the Paris course But I think they’ve done the best they’ve done I suppose it’s not the easiest thing to do to just pop up a mountain bike course anywhere “If I was the designer I’d have it more natural But I think we normally see that at Olympic Games,” Richards continued “It’s normally a bit of a different course from what we’d race at World Cups but I think that’s just because when we race World Cups we’re normally in the Alps somewhere This is super close to the city centre.” Elancourt Hill has been built for the Olympics and designed by Nick Floros the man behind the Rio and Tokyo Olympic Games courses and with good reason: it's the highest natural point in the Yvelines department and What's on the agenda? You'll have to climb no less than 231 meters of ascent, with the long-awaited reward at the top: a breathtaking view over the town of Elancourt and the surrounding area. If you're lucky - and the weather's clear - you might even catch a glimpse of some of Paris's tallest monuments, such as the Eiffel Tower or the Tour Montparnasse To take part in this somewhat sporty walk - but accessible to all provided you're in reasonable physical condition - you can set off from the foot of the hill (bearing in mind that the location is referenced on GPS applications such as Google Maps or Plans) and follow the various paths indicated Allow an hour or so for the round trip up to the summit are we going to discover the highest point of the Île-de-France region on foot soon Ferrand-Prévot put in a powerhouse performance in front of a home crowd at Élancourt Hill to finally add an Olympic medal to her palmares Pauline Ferrand-Prévot of France has won the Olympic cross-country (XCO) gold medal at the Paris Olympics 2024 The Frenchwoman put on a dominant display after attacking early on eventually winning by 2 minutes 57 seconds The silver medal went to Haley Batten of USA and the bronze to Jenny Rissveds of Sweden FRANCE – JULY 28: Pauline Ferrand Prevot of Team France celebrates winning gold as she crosses the finish line during the Women’s Cross-Country Cycling Mountain Bike Gold Medal race on day two of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Elancourt Hill on July 28 The Olympics has been the one event in mountain biking that Ferrand-Prévot has never won at – until now. She announced plans to retire from mountain biking at the end of this season to focus on the road, and what better way to go out than to win at her home Olympics. Despite criticism of the Olympic Course from Tom Pidcock among others it provided an entertaining race with crashes and mechanical incidents turning the race on its head US’ Haley Batten reacts as she cycles to the finish line to take second place (silver medal) ahead of Sweden’s Jenny Rissveds (R) taking third place (bronze medal) in the women’s cross-country mountain biking event during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Elancourt Hill venue in Elancourt (Photo by John MACDOUGALL / AFP) (Photo by JOHN MACDOUGALL/AFP via Getty Images) with that steep climb early on in the first lap allowing for early shuffling for position Ferrand-Prévot along with her compatriate Loana Lecomte and Dutch rider Puck Pieterse kept the front of the race closely guarded until Ferrand-Prévot attacked She created a gap between Pieterse and Lecomte which was never to be brought back Netherlands’ Puck Pieterse competes in the women’s cross-country mountain biking event during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Elancourt Hill venue in Elancourt knowing Lecomte wouldn’t be working particularly hard to bring back Ferrand-Prévot But disaster struck for Pieterse in the 6th lap as she suffered a puncture and ended up back down the order FRANCE – JULY 28: Loana Lecomte of Team France (obscured) crashes (L) while Laura Stigger of Team Austria (R) competes during the Women’s Cross-Country Cycling Mountain Bike Gold Medal race on day two of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Elancourt Hill on July 28 Lecomte fought hard to remain in the medal positions but disaster struck as she crashed on one of the rock garden features Fingers crossed she makes a quick recovery with the group eventually whittling down to Haley Batten of USA and Jenny Rissveds of Sweden attacking each other constantly on the unrelenting course Batten eventually made an attack stick on the final lap and took USA’s first XC Olympic medal since 1996 after not having an answer to Batten’s final attack FRANCE – JULY 28: Evie Richards of Team Great Britain competes during the Women’s Cross-Country Cycling Mountain Bike Gold Medal race on day two of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Elancourt Hill on July 28 Evie Richards of GBR quashed her own pre-race doubts and had a superb race working her way through the field – eventually finishing 5th who had to work hard to recover places after her puncture Britain’s Ella Maclean-Howell also impressed finishing 23rd after being seeded over 30th We have no doubt she’ll have more Olympic battles to contend in the future FRANCE – JULY 28: Gold medalist Pauline Ferrand Prevot of Team France (L) and Bronze medalist Jenny Rissvets of Sweden (L) pose on the podium during the Women’s Cross-Country Cycling Mountain Bike Gold Medal race on day two of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Elancourt Hill on July 28 The men's race begins on July 29 at 14:10 CET or 8:10 EDT. Find out how to watch cycling at the Paris Olympics Tom Pidcock rides to rainbow stripes at 2023 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Glasgow Nino Schurter of Switzerland won the Mountain Bike Cross-country world title for the 10th time in 2022 Victor Koretzky competes in French Mountain Bike National Championships in 2024 Alan Hatherly (South Africa) finished eighth in mountain bike cross-country at the Tokyo Olympic Games Riley Amos (left) and Christopher Blevins are part of Team USA's mountain bike team with women Savilia Blunk (second left) and Haley Batten (right) Tom Pidcock and Nino Schurter battle at Elancourt Hill for a second gold medal while Amos The cross-country mountain bike competitions at the Paris Olympic Games take place on the opening weekend of the global sports extravaganza with cycling events spanning July 26 to August 11 Elite women begin the XCO competitions on Saturday at Élancourt Hill There are 36 riders on the start list for each contest Cross-country mountain biking made its debut in the Olympic Games in 1996 in Atlanta where Bart Brentjens of the Netherlands took the first-ever gold medal for men Only one man has ever won two gold medals in the XCO race and Frenchman Julien Absalon went back-to-back in 2004 and 2008.  A 4.4km course awaits the men at Élancourt Hill on which riders took solid notes at a Test Event last September with its groomed gravel paths which is bypassed on the opening 2.2km lap crosses the highest point in the Paris area offering views in the distance of the Eiffel Tower as well as the silver medalist from 2021 Mathias Flückiger (Switzerland) Flückiger’s analysis of this year’s battle was straightforward “Tom Pidcock is the top gold favorite” Should a new Olympic champion be crowned in Paris there is a strong argument that France’s Victor Koretzky will carry an advantage especially after he won the Mountain Bike Test Event last year as well as the most recent World Cup round in Les Gets.  Also in the mix will be World Cup leader Alan Hatherly of South Africa and a pair of US riders 22-year-old Riley Amos and fellow Coloradoan Christopher Blevins.  Tom Pidcock comes into Paris as the top choice to take a second gold medal as he is not only the defending cross-country Olympic champion but also the reigning XCO world champion He’ll ride double-duty for the United Kingdom at the Paris Games by competing a week later in the men’s road race Riding for Ineos Grenadiers, Pidcock finished second on stage 9 of the Tour de France the rigorous route marked by 14 gravel sections around Troyes But mid-way through the Tour’s second week the Brit suffered from COVID-19 symptoms and pulled out for rest at home His preparations for Paris seem to be smooth His WorldTour road schedule did not permit many opportunities to compete on the MTB World Cup circuit this season but he won the two races he started – Nové Město and Crans-Montana While the Olympic course does not have a lot of elevation gain it does have an abundance of technical sections that suit Pidcock’s punchy attacking style Switzerland is well represented by a pair of mountain bike veterans On a heavy schedule of World Cup races this season 2023 series winner Schurter was second overall in the current standings after six rounds while Flückinger Schurter has a collection of all three Olympic medals the silver in London in 2012 and then capturing the gold in Rio four years later He finished one spot off the podium in Tokyo He continues to light up the leaderboard in the World Cup races building momentum with a podium at Nové Město and the win at Val di Sole.  Last year, Schurter was the lone Swiss representative at the Mountain Bike Test Event and finished third just four seconds behind French winner Victor Koretzky He’ll have one last shot at a win at Elancourt Hill and a fourth Olympic medal as the 10-time XCO World Champion in XCO makes his final appearance in the Olympics It is the third Olympic Games for Flückiger who was sixth in Rio before riding to silver in Tokyo The 36-year-old ramped up his fitness before Paris with second-place finishes at the last two World Cup events He provides a second card for the Swiss one-two punch and seems to especially thrive on technical courses The Swiss duo will be a fierce pair in Paris and either could claim the top step of the podium.  At the Olympic mountain bike cross-country Test Event in September last year Frenchman Victor Koretzky sprinted to victory on home soil ahead of Anton Cooper (New Zealand) and Nino Schurter (Switzerland) While Cooper will not be in France this time and Schurter will be tough to drop a second time look for Koretzky to shine no matter the weather on Sunday The 29-year-old competed for several years in the pro road peloton winning a stage at the Alpes Isère Tour in 2022 with B&B Hotels but turned his focus to mountain biking to compete in his third Olympic Games He was leading the XCO World Cup standings earlier this season but suffered a crash in the short track race at Nové Město and had a bout with COVID-19 he took second in the XCC race but did not perform well the next day in XCO The Paris Olympic Games will be a third chance for Alan Hatherly to make history for South Africa with a medal of any colour in the cross-country event The 28-year-old hasn’t waited for Paris to make some history as he became the first South African to win an XCO World Cup race earlier in July It was a “dream weekend” on the sixth round of the series at Les Gets Hatherly winning both the XCO and short track races gave him a solid lead in the World Cup XCO standings plus a huge boost for Sunday’s cross-country contest makes his debut at the Olympic Games for Team USA steamrolling across the U23 division of the World Cup so far this year with five consecutive victories.  He won the XCO title at the Pan-American MTB Championships in Midway which helped the US secure two quota spots for Paris the first time since 2012 that the USA would have more than one man in the Olympic MTB event He followed that performance with wins at Nové Město and Crans-Montana and sealed his spot for Paris to race alongside fellow Coloradoan Christopher Blevins.  “It’s honestly unreal – I definitely didn’t think at the start of the year that something like this was possible for sure,” Amos said in a Team USA report after winning at Crans-Montana “This is my fourth season in the under-23 category so I’ve had four years to develop as an athlete physically and mentally.” Amos returned home to the US to rest for several weeks to be fresh for his trip to France where the US men look to score a medal in mountain biking for the first time The 25-year-old Blevins finished 14th in the XCO contest in Tokyo He is eighth overall in this year’s World Cup standings based largely on his victory in Mairiporã but spent the last two weeks at a training camp in Annecy The men's race begins on July 29 at 14:10 CET or 8:10 EDT. Find out how to watch cycling at the Paris Olympics a sports marketing and public relations agency which managed projects for Tour de Georgia a Georgia non-profit to promote safe cycling She is proud to have worked in professional baseball for six years - from selling advertising to pulling the tarp for several minor league teams She has climbed l'Alpe d'Huez three times (not fast) Her favorite road and gravel rides are around horse farms in north Georgia (USA) and around lavender fields in Provence (France) The young French rider crashed hard in a rock garden at the Élancourt Hill track while in bronze medal position FRANCE – JULY 28: Loana Lecomte of Team France crashes during the Women’s Cross-Country Cycling Mountain Bike Gold Medal race on day two of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Elancourt Hill on July 28 Lecomte remained on the ground for a long time after the cameras cutaway, according to the L’Equipe article and will update this article when we have more information FRANCE – JULY 28: Loana Lecomte of Team France seen wearing bandages after crashing whilst competing reacts as she leaves the course after the Women’s Cross-Country Cycling Mountain Bike Gold Medal race on day two of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Elancourt Hill on July 28 The men’s race takes place today (Monday 29th July) and you can find out how to watch the Olympic XCO for free here How about (re)discovering France in miniature Just 20 minutes from Porte d'Auteuil and 10 minutes from Versailles come and help your children discover the most beautiful monuments and landscapes in scale models For this new 2025 season, France Miniature is focusing on sport, inclusivity and biodiversity. As a result, all the park's signage will be changed. The France of Legends immersive investigation will be renewed in 2024 and will be life-size It is said that the fairy Morgane wants to bewitch the legendary creatures of our regions: with the help of a set of maps travel around France as a family to thwart the fairy's plans and save the country As soon as you arrive in France Miniature's leafy parking lot You're constantly on the lookout for grandiose larger-than-life 1/30th-scale sites and monuments From theArc de Triomphe to the Théâtre d'Orange from the Village of Saint-Emilion to the Château de Montmaur the Châteaux of the Loire or the Place Stanislas in Nancy the beauty of France's heritage is revealed to you and your children It's as you stroll down the aisles that you realize just how many remarkable sites there are to discover in France not only do we discover our country's monuments we take part in fun installations and games You can test your strength at Fort Boyard try your hand at drawing King Arthur's sword The big news of the year is undoubtedly Professor Anatole Foiretout's Crazy Experience an immersive experience with characters who welcome you into the park children can meet Professor Anatole Foiretout he takes you on a quest that's as playful as it is historic The adventure is available on selected dates only: April 9 the Cirque des Zinzins also awaits acrobats Hidden within the famous Zotos course is a suspended course 4 meters high Suitable for all ages from 1 metre upwards this space lets you take on 20 acrobatic workshops The park renews itself and offers activities to keep children interacting and entertained families have been able to choose their camp and tribe in the Koh Lanta universe integrated into the park This new 370 m² area offers children the chance to take part in activities based on the show's codes we can't pass up the mythical challenge of the poles not forgetting that we'll also have to go in search of an immunity necklace for the chance to take possession of the famous Totem is sure to appeal to adventurers in search of a little coolness decanting and watering everyone in sight thanks to the water cannons available If you're hanging around the Château de Versailles be sure to liven up the famous fountains as they were in the days of Louis XIV And for the past few years, France Miniature has also been opening the doors of Fort Boyard Enter Père Fouras ' lair and discover the council chamber as if you were at Fort Boyard you'll be challenged to a series of games of skill and reflection Answer Father Fouras ' riddles and face the Time Master test your agility and strength in the cotton swab challenge Can you keep your balance while knocking over your opponent And don't forget that France Miniature also has a whole range of self-service attractions for non-stop fun In 2018, the park was enriched by the voice of Monsieur Patrimoine. Indeed, 12 favorite sites and monuments are enriched with Stéphane Bern's explanations and anecdotes just swipe your smartphone over the QR Codes on some of the presentation plaques to launch the presentation and you'll come away having learned a lot of history Discover theattractions dedicated to children: a good walk and fun games for the kids - what more could you ask for This test was conducted as part of a professional invitation punctures on lap 4 and loses 36 seconds in fumbled wheel change Drama struck for the defending champion and Olympic favourite on lap four of the men’s Olympic XCO race at Élancourt Hill near Paris when he suffered a front puncture while in the lead who’d broken away from the chasing pack with French star Viktor Koretzky flatted close to the technical zone – where riders can get mechanical assistance – his mechanics weren’t ready with a spare front wheel Around ten seconds was lost in the hunt for a new wheel leaving Pidcock over half a minute behind Koretzky once he’d got going again Sensibly Pidcock elected to walk down a drop-off just after the puncture occurred this also added to the gap Koretzky was able to pull out FRANCE – JULY 29: (L-R) Mathias Flueckiger of Team Switzerland and Thomas Pidcock of Team Great Britain compete during the Men’s Cross-Country on day three of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Elancourt Hill on July 29 Pinarello Dogma XC race bike similar to that ridden by Tom Pidcock Currently Pidcock has worked his way back up to second place with just two laps to go We’ll update this with the results when they come in Discover how Paris 2024 became the most media-covered Olympic Games in history See how the Olympic Games’ communications team supported by Wiztrust’s tailored PR platform overcame complex challenges-from synchronizing teams and managing thousands of journalists to ensuring top-level security Learn how innovative digital tools and expert support enabled Paris 2024 to achieve record-breaking visibility and flawless brand protection Download the full Paris 2024 Success Case now and get inspired by the strategies behind this record-breaking achievement For further information and other cases please visit Wiztrust.com protect your company and its directors from disinformation and adopt the “trust mark” of the market leaders plan campaigns targeting your audiences through all channels (e-mail social media) and organise your activities and events improve results by exploiting your data's true depth Discover the best way to manage your PR & Marketing efficiently: Wiztrust is THE integrated communication platform for corporate professionals Prioritise your activities thanks to a clearer view on your assets Manage your communication thanks to a collaborative platform for you and your team Certify your corporate communication thanks to our blockchain-backed technology Save your team and yourself some precious time Learn more about Wiztrust in our case study Everything you need to know about the Olympics XCO – when it's on who's racing (including Team GB' Tom Pidcock) a feat we sincerely hope he repeats in Paris The Paris Olympics is less than three weeks away with the mountain bike cross country racing taking place on the 28 and 29 of July Here’s our run down of the Elancourt Hill course where and when to watch the action and crucially Evie Richards won gold at the XCO 2021 Worlds proving she’s got the talent to win Olympic gold too Riders taking part in the cross country represent their nation states rather than the XC race teams that pay their salaries at the World Cup That means you’ll see the likes of Tom Pidcock in a white jersey instead of Ineos red and blue (Tom and Evie Richards won’t get to wear their Red Bull helmets either.) it limits the number of riders at the XC to just 36 men and 36 women (there are 40 at a World Cup) and for the first time Team GB has earnt the maximum four rider places Competing for Team GB in the women’s mountain biking will be Ella Maclean-Howell and Evie Richards while Charlie Aldridge and Tom Pidcock will race the men’s event Tom Pidcock has won the Nove Mesto World Cup four years on the trot Nino Schurter is currently ranked favourite for the men’s gold Yes Nino’s got a wealth of winning experience between the tape but Pidcock won gold just three years ago at the 2020 Olympics (postponed until 2021) and he smashed the XC field apart at the World Cup this year Just before the Tokyo games Pidcock correctly predicted winning gold, telling me “I’m going to win.” Let’s hope he’s that confident this time around That said, he’ll have just eight days recovery from finishing the Tour de France, which will either have knackered him out or put him in the best shape of his life. Compounding that fatigue is the fact that he actually quit the tour after testing positive for Covid. Can Pidcock recover in time to defend his title He’ll also be concentrating on the Olympic road race Evie will swap her Trek jersey for a Team GB strip in Paris and Puck Pieterse from The Netherlands are the women’s favourites She suffered a concussion in May racing the World Cup in Brazil but she’s the’s the current Commonwealth champion Under-23 world champion Charlie Aldridge and twice national champ Ella Maclean-Howell are not to be underestimated either The opening ceremony for the Summer Olympics is on Friday 26 July with the women’s cross-country on Sunday 28 July at 13.10 BST and the men’s cross-country on Monday 29 July also at 13.10 BST because although the BBC has said it’ll cover some 250 hours of sport it’s not yet clear exactly which ones it’s talking about Our guess is that the mountain biking will be covered though it’s one of the main events happening on the two days it’s scheduled for with Matt Payne already down to commentate The Beeb also says it’s launching an additional channel on iPlayer called Olympics Extra Setting up a VPN is simple – just download It is also compatible with a range of devices and streaming services (e.g giving you the option to watch wherever you want Discovery actually holds the rights to broadcast the Games so you could also watch on Discovery+ if you have a subscription The Elancourt Hill course looks sandy and relatively mellow The course is a 4.4km circuit and climbs 110m Here’s what it looked like at the course test event last year France is not short of mountains and we can think of a dozen places that would be great as XC hosts for the Olympics – the Haute-Savoie which just hosted a round of the World Cup would probably be top of the list Instead Paris has gone with Elancourt Hill a fake hill built from mining spoil and now the highest point in the Paris region at a whopping 231 metres (750 feet) If the surfing can be held 15,000km away in Tahiti then surely the mountain biking could have gone somewhere more… mountainous it’s the racing that makes the entertainment the jostling for position and the sheer grit technical skill and luck that we want to see and is almost guaranteed at the most important race of the year we’re told you can see the Eiffel Tower from the top If you’re expecting an Olympic course akin to the Crans Montana World Cup track you’ll be disappointed then 95% of the track is based on existing paths and there aren’t too many really technical bits to help the more skillful riders out Crans Montana proved properly gnarly in the wet – Paris won’t be the same the 36 riders then complete a set amount of laps and first across the line is the winner The exact number of laps gets decided the day before and is influenced by how long the event i expected to run – somewhere between one and two hours by convention Sadly the short course XC racing we love from the World Cups isn’t an Olympic sport – and neither is downhill racing :0( – so there are just two gold medals at stake Competitors have to allow faster riders through to overtake them (no sharp elbows here then) and if they crash off the course they have reenter at the spot they exited get lapped or drop below 80% of the lead rider’s time and you’re out which isn’t strictly mountain biking but is great entertainment It’s happening on Thursday 1 and Friday 2 August with Kieran Reilly and Charlotte Worthington competing in the former: and Kye Whyte and Beth Shriever racing in the latter the best mountain bikers in the world discovered the course of the Olympic cross-country mountain bike event They shared their feelings with Olympics.com after testing Elancourt hill in the same race conditions as the next Olympic Games in Paris in 2024 around 30 minutes by car from the French capital the course was unknown to the athletes and aroused a lot of curiosity the Parisian autumn offered up some of its last warm temperatures for the Paris 2024 MTB test event allowing the best mountain bikers on the planet to shine brightly on the Olympic course 🥇","event":null,"destination_url":"","entry_point_tag":"base","entry_point_type":"instory_campaign"}" data-tracking="click" href="https://www.olympics.com/en/sign-in?entry_point_type=instory_campaign&entry_point_tag=base&template=base&origin=https%3A%2F%2Folympics.com%2Fen%2Folympic-channel" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Olympic Membership - Free Live Stream Sports & Original Series - join now The course of the mountain bike event is located in Élancourt the highest point of the Île-de-France region of Paris at 231 metres it has become a place where nature has regained its rights Her answer to our question about her favourite part of the course was delivered with a large smile: "Everything" she said The reply was perhaps not a surprise after Lecomte won the women's race on Sunday “It is a beautiful Olympic circuit that will evolve in the right direction "Everything is positive," added 2023 world champion Pauline Ferrand-Prévot The Team France rider finished third despite suffering with fatigue after a gruelling XXL season “It’s a course that needs you to be dynamic but after two bike rounds you realise that there are no real places to recover.” It’s the first time I’ve said that about an Olympic circuit the crowd waits silently and nervously for the arrival of the athletes Comfortably seated on his father’s shoulders a young fan stares at the horizon for a number of long minutes before exclaiming La Dame de Fer is there to remind any observer that the test event is taking place only a few kilometres from the City of Light Amateurs who are enjoying a first taste of Olympic action and mountain bike specialists take advantage of the calm moments between two passages to exchange their opinions on the race who has been involved in mountain biking for more than 30 years even without a microphone!” Quenia encouraged all the audience to cheer on the cyclists who "come on" and "allez" alternated with the rhythms of the pedals of the riders The upper part of the course is not the favourite of Dutch rider Puck Pieterse the world number one and reigning European champion although the athlete did admit to being charmed by the venue “I really liked the part in the forest and having the opportunity to discover this course.” “It’s great to be here, to feel that positive energy. Overall, this track is already on a very good level. It corresponds to the sporting expectations of an Olympic event,” said Paris 2024 President Tony Estanguet, who was delighted with the success of this test event. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Pauline FERRAND-PREVOT (@paulineferrandprevot) No mountain biker would have refused victory in the test event the main thing was to gather information in order to prepare for the next Olympic Games France's Joshua Dubau confirmed that assertion “Today the most important thing was to take information to work with in the future The Netherlands' Mathieu van der Poel was one of the most acclaimed riders at the test event Having recently been crowned road race champion at the World Championships in Glasgow I knew I wasn't in the physical condition to finish in the top positions but it’s good to have seen the course and the start too but they’re going to work on it and I think it’s a good course for everyone.” the 20-year-old Junior European champion Adrien Boichis shared a joyful moment with Van der Poel It was a symbol of an afternoon where mountain bike was at its very best READ ALSO - Pauline Ferrand-Prévot retains women's mountain bike cross-country world title Pidcock becomes the second man ever to win two gold medals in mountain bike cross-country after controversial move and mid-race puncture Tom Pidcock has won gold in the Olympic mountain bike XC, in one of the best comebacks of all time. Pidcock took the lead on the second lap, before a puncture saw him lose sight of Frenchman Viktor Koretsky in the lead with 40 seconds separating him from gold at its biggest gap France’s Victor Koretzky (L) and Britain’s Thomas Pidcock (R) compete in the men’s cross-country mountain biking event during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Elancourt Hill venue in Elancourt What the course may have lacked in technicality, you can’t deny that it kept the racing fast and close in the men’s race The race was tight and attacks were short-lived until the 25 minute mark Charlie Aldridge of GB marked the leaders well in the opening laps – and he managed to finish 8th in his first Olympics He also won the unofficial award for the most steezy rider after pulling t-bogs on one of the double jumps lap after lap But after 25 minutes of racing Pidcock attacked uphill by the switchbacks with only Viktor Koretsky of France able to follow Alan Hatherly of South Africa stayed close behind Unfortunately he lost more time than necessary as the mechanics weren’t ready for him and he ended up almost 40 seconds back from the leader Koretsky Britain’s Thomas Pidcock cycles ahead of France’s Victor Koretzky (L) and South Africa’s Alan Hatherly (R) as they compete in the men’s cross-country mountain biking event during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Elancourt Hill venue in Elancourt (Photo by Emmanuel DUNAND / AFP) (Photo by EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP via Getty Images) that didn’t deter the Leeds-born Pidcock as he fought through the chasers and brought the gap back almost on his own Hatherly rode most of the race in no-man’s land in between Koretsky and the chasers until Pidcock reappeared and helped to bring back the Frenchman Pidcock led the group of Korestky and Hatherly towards the Wall climb you might have seen that Evie Richards came out to support Pidcock cheering him on on the final lap up the early switchback climbs Pidcock attacked past the feed zone on the 50m climb into the woods but it didn’t stick – Koretsky and Hatherly were stuck on his wheel South Africa’s Alan Hatherly competes in the men’s cross-country mountain biking event during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Elancourt Hill venue in Elancourt attacking late on the last lap and managed to gap Pidcock going into the rock section Fatigue from having to chase back on combined with leading the group likely set in for the Brit after a game of cat and mouse on the final lap it was the final woods section that would prove decisive for the victory – and unpopular from the French home crowd The two riders took separate lines around a tree Pidcock was marginally ahead as they rejoined the main track and Koretzky was forced to brake and unclip from his pedal FRANCE – JULY 29: A general view of Charlie Aldridge of Team Great Britain competes while fans cheers during the Men’s Cross-Country on day three of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Elancourt Hill on July 29 In a post-race interview to Adam Blythe of Discovery Plus/Eurosport Tom Pidcock was unapologetic about his last lap move; “Rubbing’s racing!” the young star said quoting Days of Thunder (the NASCAR film with Tom Cruise) It’s what I’ve always done and the Olympics no different Britain’s Charlie Aldridge competes in the men’s cross-country mountain biking event during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Elancourt Hill venue in Elancourt the "vibes" were "crazy" during Sunday's Olympic mountain biking event before the "lights went out" in a nasty crash that left the Olympian looking like she was in a UFC bout.  It could have been much worse.Place to rest recover and see you again for the World Championships in a few weeks," the 24-year-old Lecomte told her fans on Instagram Monday Let's see just how nasty this crash was at the Elancourt Hill course who finished sixth in the mountain biking event at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics was in third when all hell broke loose on those rocks The 2021 world champion figured to be in the mix for silver and bronze before the lights went out.  Loana Lecomte of Team France crashes during the Women’s Cross-Country Cycling Mountain Bike Gold Medal race on day two of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Elancourt Hill on July 28 Loana Lecomte of Team France reacts after crashing during the Women’s Cross-Country Cycling Mountain Bike Gold Medal race on day two of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Elancourt Hill on July 28 Lecomte was carried off the hill and managed a smile while showing off her black eyes and bandages on her chin You are agreeing to OutKick's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy DISCLAIMER: This site is 100% for entertainment purposes only and does not involve real money betting. Gambling related content is not intended for anyone under the age of 21. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER Concrete and brick are the two materials present throughout the school. The central and open position of the building makes it easy to visually locate in the neighborhood, which facilitated its adaptation to the new vocation of music school, serving as both a focal point of cultural life and a warm and inviting meeting place. © Luc BoeglyThe architects chose to seamlessly clad all the façades entirely with new bricks, treating the walls as “moucharabiehs” in front of the windows, counterbalancing the complexity of the volumes through the complete material unity of the envelop. The hand-molded bricks are laid with a mortarless technique. Nuances of color enliven and modulate this continuous skin. © Luc BoeglyCome the night, the shimmering interior lighting system expresses the softness and serenity of this institution of learning and practice.The fifth façade visible to all the surrounding taller apartment houses is treated as a deep blue synthetic lawn, evoking the blue note, immediately signaling the identity of the facility and forming a patch of color in the center of the esplanade. © Luc BoeglyRestraint and interiority characterize this repurposing project but rather to lightly restore its place in the center of the town to endow it with greater and lasting dignity and to kindle desire and curiosity You'll now receive updates based on what you follow Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors If you have done all of this and still can't find the email While the Paris 2024 crowd booed Pidcock's audacious inside line French rival Viktor Koretzky concedes it was a legitimate move Tom Pidcock’s incredible defence of his Olympic Mountain Bike XCO title was not without controversy, with the Elancourt Hill crowd loudly booing the British rider as he crossed the line and accepted his gold medal at the presentation ceremony and – judging by the comments on social media – many viewers around the world watching the race on TV thought there was something against the rules FRANCE – JULY 29: A general view of Victor Koretzky of Team France sprints at finish line to win the silver medal while fans cheers during the Men’s Cross-Country on day three of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Elancourt Hill on July 29 It’s what I’ve always done and the Olympics no different FRANCE – JULY 29: Victor Koretzky of Team France competes during the Men’s Cross-Country on day three of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Elancourt Hill on July 29 time had allowed for reflection and clarity of thought We all want the goal and we all fight for the goal FRANCE – JULY 29: Silver medalist Victor Koretzky of Team France poses on the podium during the Men’s Cross-Country on day three of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Elancourt Hill on July 29 “After his puncture he showed everyone he was on form today but I think I played my own chance to the end I can be happy about that.” And with that the pair shook hands and congratulated each other Let’s hope mountain biking’s race fans or have just discovered its blend of power can do the same and celebrate one of the most exciting battles of all time This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Archive Art Frenchwoman beats Laura Stigger and world champion Pauline Ferrand-Prevot France's Pauline Ferrand Prevot finishes third at the elite women's cross country MTB Paris Olympic Test Event at Elancourt Hill in Elancourt west of Paris on September 24 2023 (Image credit: Getty Images)France's Pauline Ferrand Prevot during the elite women's cross country MTB Paris Olympic Test Event at Elancourt Hill in Elancourt west of Paris on September 24 2023 (Image credit: Getty Images) Loana Lecomte wins the elite women's cross country MTB Paris Olympic Test Event at Elancourt Hill in Elancourt west of Paris on September 24 2023 (Image credit: Getty Images) Loana Lecomte wins the elite women's cross country MTB Paris Olympic Test Event at Elancourt Hill in Elancourt west of Paris on September 24 2023 (Image credit: Getty Images)Loana Lecomte (France) soloed to victory during the elite women's mountain bike cross-country race that served as the Olympic MTB Test Event held at Elancourt finishing 39 seconds ahead of runner-up Laura Stigger (Austria) and 56 seconds ahead of world champion and compatriot Pauline Ferrand-Prevot "My building up continues," wrote Ferrand-Prevot in a post on social media "It was nice to experience racing on the Olympic track and now I’m just 'going with the flow' My flow is not always flowing (can we say that?) but I’m happy to take another bronze after Andorra and Les Gets World Cups I’m super happy to have learned so many things from these last three days and quite excited to start working on those things." Alessandra Keller (Switzerland) was in contention for the victory a flat tire bumped her out of the running in the final stages of the race and finished 30th Many of the riders lined up at the Olympic MTB Test Event outside of Paris so that they could get to know the circuit which included a 2.2km starting loop and then the main 4.5km circuit Finishing further down among the top 10 were Haley Batten (USA) Results powered by FirstCycling Kirsten has a background in Kinesiology and Health Science She has been involved in cycling from the community and grassroots level to professional cycling's biggest races She began her sports journalism career with Cyclingnews as a North American Correspondent in 2006 Kirsten became Women's Editor – overseeing the content strategy race coverage and growth of women's professional cycling – before becoming Deputy Editor in 2023 A few years ago, a playground dedicated entirely to trampolines opened in Elancourt: it's You Jump Park a place where all ages - from 3 to 99 - can bounce and have fun for hours including different types of trampolines (inclined vertical Walking Wall...) and other sports activities A bar-restaurant area offers hot and cold drinks don’t make music like other people’s music – and that’s a good thing ‘Elancourt‘ is the first release from the band’s new album ‘Healthy Travel Potions‘ (out July 12th) and is as good an example as any of Origami Ghosts’ blend of jangly-guitar-folk-pop as it recounts the restless travelling life of lead-singer and band mainstay  J.P Right now they are predominantly Scesniak and keyboardist/vocalist Cassandra Wulff but over the fifteen years of the band’s existence it has been  through many changes As Scesniak explains “I originally was playing in a band called Paper People but had these songs that didn’t fit the mood so I linked up with my friend Joel Hanson who played hammered dulcimer and that was the first version of Origami Ghosts then eventually Joel left…It became this vehicle for me to collaborate with whomever was interested and just keep putting out records with different people.” Fittingly for a record with one theme of people in motion ‘Healthy Travel Potions‘ was conceived in Seattle recorded over three days in a converted Methodist chapel in Ballard Scesniak and Cassandra Wulff decamped to their new centre of operations in Austin Texas Another theme is described by Scesniak as capturing his and Wulff’s mystical leanings “Cassandra and I study magic spirituality and things like elemental beings I grew up going to church and had God in my life but I stopped going to church when I was young and then through travelling discovered Eastern religion and yogic philosophy I’ve always had a spiritual outlook though so that sort of informs a lot of these songs.” Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value" This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. If you enjoy what you're reading and don't want to support us on a monthly basis you can help us keep this site free from looking like one of those awful REACH sites by making a one off donation towards our running costs Be daring, be yourself, be willing to take risks and stand alone. Vanessa Collier’s music is gritty, raw, and at times, either downright sad or bubbling happy. As with most songwriters worth their salt, her songs […] “All of a sudden, time stood still, and we watched our plans and expectations float away like lost balloons.” For Angela Easterling, life began in South Carolina and, except for college years in Boston, has been […] Past, present and future are inseparable in her songs. There is an openness to Maya de Vitry that is refreshing to come by. 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I immediately checked the web for confirmation but there was […] Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: it's hard to do family outings when you have to go outside.. rain and bad weather limit outdoor activities for children So opt instead for an indoor playground where your children from 0 to 12 years old can play and have fun in the warmth and dryness under the eyes of their parents In Yvelines, go to Royal Kids Elancourt for 2h15 of slides jumps and adventures in the heart of the indoor playground of the city the Royal Kids of Elancourt does not lack attractions to have fun all afternoon an electric motorcycle track and even a disco room There is also a dedicated area for children under the age of 3 so that they can have fun in complete peace of mind Parents can keep an eye on their children while they are playing in the playground and Royal Kids also has a food and beverage area where they can have a drink and a bite to eat during a break the traditional hot and cold drinks but also a whole offer for the snack with pancakes At Royal Kids in Elancourt, you can also celebrate your birthday in the playground and blow out your candles the park even offers your child and his friends to eat lunch on the spot it is however necessary to count between 15.90 € and 18.90 € per child Attention: booking to go to the Royal Kids in Elancourt is compulsory but it became clear to me that I haven't done any intervals lately' says road race world champion Van der Poel beating Anton Cooper (New Zealand) by one second and Nino Schurter (Switzerland) by four seconds Van der Poel started in the back row of 39 competitors for the test event and finished 28th place on the day he said the result was not a priority and that he travelled to Paris so that he could get to know the circuit Van der Poel moved up to the main chase group of eight riders by the third of six laps Although the Dutchman tried to bridge the gap he couldn't make it across to the leaders and then drifted back into 28th place "I didn't start super fast because I didn't want to blow myself up. After a catch-up race I had to switch back a few notches. My condition is no longer that good after a long season and you can't hide that on the mountain bike," Van der Poel told AD “I'm glad I came here. I've seen the course. I also know that next year I will really have to compete on the mountain bike for a better starting position. Otherwise I won't win next year. I wanted to ride two of them after the spring anyway. But a few more will need to be added. We will be puzzling over the coming weeks.'' The World and Olympic Champion said ahead of the race that he did not expect to have a good performance given that he has just returned to competition after suffering from an infection "Jumping back on the Mtb tomorrow for the Paris 2024 test checking out the course in preparation to defend my title next summer I managed to get a good week's training in after recovering from my infected saddle sore but I’m looking forward to stringing my last few weeks of the season together on the MTB," Pidcock wrote in a post on Instagram A 16-year-old boy of Turkish descent who was injured when his motorbike collided with a police car in central France was declared brain-dead Thursday Sefa Sahin’s motorcycle collided with the police car late Wednesday in the town of Elancourt located 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the capital Paris confirmed that Sahin is brain-dead and denied media allegations that the accident happened as the teenager hit the police vehicle Bouzrou said the police officers chased the teenager before the accident adding they will file a criminal complaint regarding the incident for "attempted murder." he was not allowed to approach his nephew and accused the police of making him wait there until his nephew went into brain death Saying the police tampered with the CCTV cameras on the surrounding buildings Sahin noted that he learned what happened from eyewitnesses he said a police vehicle blocked the way of his nephew without warning which resulted in him hitting the front hood of the vehicle who was left on the ground for more than half an hour He said that officers administered CPR to his nephew while a passer-by called the fire department Saying that his nephew was taken to a hospital an hour and a half away from the scene instead of hospitals that are five to 10 minutes away Sahin said they argued with the hospital to prevent his nephew from being unplugged from the life support unit and gained three to four days We want to take my nephew to Türkiye because we do not trust the hospital here in any way," he said "The hospital now wants to pull the plug on my nephew," he added You don't have permission to access the page you requested What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed Many of France's greatest monuments are compactly spread across 12 acres in a western suburb of Paris A meandering road leads visitors through this France Miniature an outdoor park mirroring France that allows guests to traverse the country and delight in its landmarks in less than a day With 116 of the most notable structure at a 1/30 scale the France Miniature offers a strange but delightful Lilliputian view of the country and the Amiens Cathedral are just a few of the monuments placed almost exactly relative to one another in their real life locations Carefully chosen music complements select monuments to enhance the roughly three and a half hour trek Nearly 150 regional landscapes sprawl across this miniature map intersected with 3.5 kilometers of railroad lines consisting of 13 animated trains visitors can steer model boats on 'Atlantic Ocean' and 'Mediterranean Sea' lagoons that border the park or admire the hand painted figures that fill the Stade de France An indoor area showcases the interiors of 50 more prestigious places faithfully reproduced to the most minute detail It took nearly fifty model makers and landscape architects to create this interactive downsized country complete with 60,000 figurines and 20,000 dwarfed trees and 5 acres of 'sea.' A small theme park is also located in the area and go kart driving are available to both children and adults France Miniature is owned by the same company an amusement park notable for its collection of unique roller coasters This dollhouse-sized art museum features creations from local artists One of the few remaining carousels built by master amusement park carver Charles I.D Everything in this miniature world was handmade from matches A tiny art gallery in Sunnyside helps keep Portland weird San Franciscans leave gifts and messages for the magical beings that live behind the tiny mysterious door installed on a tree in Golden Gate Park One of the dwarven trees dates back to 1625 and survived the Hiroshima bombing There's a 12-foot-tall replica of the Washington Monument hidden under a manhole nearby