Neither the cold weather of Lima could turn down the mood and excitement of almost 500 spectators among family, friends, and fans, who came early in the morning to find the perfect location and encourage bikers to succeed in the Cross Country event at the Morro Solar circuit in Chorrillos.

The women's competition started at 09:00 in a professional circuit of 30 km, where a total of 14 athletes rode through complicated hills, extreme obstacles, and blind and narrow curves in a total of six laps. But they felt the road less difficult because fans were cheering them on.

Mexico's Daniela Campuzano won the gold medal, Argentina's Sofia Gomez won silver, and Brazil's Jaqueline Mourão bronze. Peru's Lucero Rubio, 20 years old, did not make it to the podium but fans clapped enthusiastically and took pictures with her when the competition finished.

“It’s my first Pan American Games, and I feel thrilled to have had the chance to compete with girls who are in the world’s top.  I was motivated due to the fans' energy; the circuit was great;and I want to thank the Federation for its support,” Lucero stated.  

As for the men’s competition, which started at 10:30, a total of 20 athletes competed at a circuit that included seven laps of 4 km each. The race was demanding, and athletes required both technique and physical endurance.

Mexico's José Ulloa, who arrived at the finish line with no complications, was awarded the gold medal. Brazil's Henrique Da Silva was awarded the silver medal and Chile's Martin Vidaurre, bronze. Peruvians Rolando Retamozo and Alexander Urbina competed at challenging Morro Solar circuit and were ultimately disqualified from the competition.

Undoubtedly, it was an adrenaline-filled morning both for athletes and fans, who never stopped encouraging the competitors. 

Mountain cycling, known worldwide as mountain bike (MTB), is a discipline in which women and men compete separately on a natural trail, mainly mountainous, with technical sections of climbs, descents and plains. Athletes ride their bikes over various obstacles such as rocks, trunks, narrow areas (single track), at full speed. It is a highly impressive demonstration of strength and precision.

It is worth mentioning that more than 94 volunteers were supervising this competition for spectators to have a pleasant experience. Over 90 police officers were in charge of the sports event security, and four ambulances and a tent of the Peruvian Ministry of Health looked after the health of the attendees.

Adrenaline rush. At the Morro Solar, 34 athletes (20 men and 14 women) will ride in hills, on climbs and descents, and overcome extreme obstacles in the mountain cycling competition, Cross Country discipline. It will take place on Sunday, July 28, at 9:00, when the women's competition begins.

Two and a half hours later, at 11:30, the men's event will begin in this circuit, which takes athletes to test their limits through an exhausting climb, demanding a great deal of effort. The competition lasts between 1 hour 20 minutes and 1 hour 40 minutes for both men's and women's events.

Mountain cycling,  known worldwide as mountain bike (MTB), is a discipline in which women and men compete separately on a natural trail, mainly mountainous, with technical sections of climbs, descents and plains. Athletes ride their bikes over various obstacles such as rocks, trunks, narrow areas (single track), at full speed. It is a highly impressive demonstration of strength and precision.

Street Closure Plan

To ensure that athletes can compete without any setbacks, the Organizing Committee and the Peruvian National Police – PNP, informed that the street closure plan for this competition will begin on Saturday, July 27, from 23:00 and end on Sunday, July 28 at 15:30, after the medal ceremonies for both disciplines.

During this period, Avenida Cipriano Rivas will be closed to traffic and only pedestrian entry will be allowed for spectators who will cheer on competitors, through the tunnel leading to La Herradura Beach. Northbound, Circuito de Playas will be closed from this beach up to the location of Salto del Fraile restaurant.

Recommendations

The Lima 2019 Pan American and Parapan American Games Organizing Committee has some recommendations for the spectators who will be supporting the athletes during this competition:

• Do not throw objects to the competition track.
• Do not throw water at the athletes.
• Do not interfere with the marathon circuit.
• Do not bring pets because they can run away and can interrupt the competition.
• Respect the road closure to be in force during the competition.

About Lima 2019

The Lima 2019 Pan American Games will start on July 26, 2019 with a ceremony that will be held at the National Stadium and will gather more than 6680 athletes from 41 countries from all over the Americas.

There will be 17 days of competitions and ceremonies between July 26 and August 11, which will take place in 14 districts of Lima and Callao at various venues like VIDENA, Villa Maria Sports Center, Callao Regional Village, Villa El Salvador Sports Center, Punta Rocas, among others.

The Lima 2019 Pan American Games will include 39 sports and 61 disciplines, in which athletes will compete for gold, silver and bronze medals. And to make it more interesting, a total of 21 disciplines are qualifiers for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

The Parapan American Games will gather 1890 Para athletes from 33 countries, participating in 17 sports and 18 disciplines. Competitions will take place from August 23 to September 1, 2019.The most qualified athletes from 13 sports will get places at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.