Galician Cycling Federation unveiled at the official presentation of the competition the circuit where the European Championships Pontevedra 2024 will take place, in the Illa das Esculturas on 1, 2 and 3 November. Attendance and entry will be free, thanks to the commitment of the City Council of Pontevedra to events of the highest level.

The technical director of the European Championships, Alberto del Río, presented the CX Pontevedra circuit to the authorities and athletes. Maintaining the essence of the route that has been disputed in the Spanish Championships held in the Illa das Esculturas, but adding hardness and spectacularity for the continental event. In total, 3350 metres of a very fast counter-clockwise circuit, in which the cyclists will reach high speeds but at the same time they will have to overcome the obstacles that the circuit presents.

‘We have made visual modifications, trying to project the image of Pontevedra to the whole of Europe and to guarantee a spectacle for the public and also for those who follow the race on television,’ explained Alberto del Río. ‘Three bridges will be built at different heights, a sand bank next to the river Lérez, which will be one of the most spectacular areas with the city of Pontevedra in the background, and also planks near the pit area, in the main field. All of this will make the course tougher’.

The finish line remains in the same place as usual, in front of the University’s Faculty of Forestry. The pit box will be simple, so that assistance will always be on the right-hand side, but there will be two pit areas situated opposite each other, allowing assistance at the start and finish of the circuit. As for the artificial obstacles, three bridges have been set up, two of them with overpasses and subways and a third one next to the river which includes a staircase with more than 10 steps. The most decisive one will probably be in the final part, one of the most famous slopes of the CX Pontevedra, which is extended with a ramp of more than 20% and will demand the maximum from the cyclists just before the finish line.

‘It’s a circuit with a lot of dirt areas, and although the weather is adverse, it shouldn’t be particularly difficult to create very complicated muddy areas, although due to the dates it’s very likely that the terrain will be wet and soft,’ added the technician.

‘We will have screens placed all over the circuit to be able to follow the streaming and TV signal of all the races. This is the best guarantee that the public will be able to spread out and move around, to see the most spectacular areas with their own eyes and not miss the development of the race through the television images’. The natural bridges over the Lérez river guarantee unforgettable moments in the fight for the new European cyclo-cross champions.