World Cup Tracks You Can Actually Ride

Saturday afternoon, live stream on: Amaury Pierron is flat out through a root section in Val di Sole that you wouldn't even want to stand in. And somewhere in the back of your mind: what does that actually feel like?

Good news: you can find out. Almost all of Europe's World Cup tracks sit inside regular bike parks and are open to anyone with a lift pass.

Honest news: these tracks are black-rated. High speed, rock gardens, steep – built to push the 60 fastest riders on earth to their limit. Not the place for your second-ever park day. But with a sturdy bike, a full-face helmet and healthy respect, they are rideable. Slower than on the stream, with the same dirt under your tyres.

Here are ten World Cup venues you can ride yourself – true DH venues first, including chicken lines, toned-down options and one XC curveball at the end.

1. Bikepark Leogang – Salzburg region, Austria

No venue in Europe has more World Cup routine: Leogang has been a fixture since 2010 and has hosted several World Championships. The "Speedster" race track is 2.6 km long, jump-heavy and brutally fast up top – the exact gaps Bruni and co. float over. The upside for mortals: much of it can be rolled or bypassed via chicken lines, and it sits inside one of the biggest parks in the Alps, jumps included – more in our guide to Europe's jump lines. The spot: Bikepark Leogang on Lemoyn.

↗ 468 m vert · Speedster 2.6 km · gondola · early May–late Oct

Planning: About 1 hour by car from Salzburg; Leogang train station is close to the base. Best time: midweek in June or September. Bed & shop: rentals and shops right at the lift, everything from campsites to bike hotels – the village runs on this park.

2. Bike Park Val di Sole – Trentino, Italy

Racers call the "Black Snake" the hardest track on the calendar – and that's not PR. 2.3 km of almost nothing but roots and rock, a 22% average gradient with much steeper pitches. Walking sections here isn't embarrassing, it's standard. Ride it once and you'll understand every crash you've ever seen on the live feed: Bike Park Val di Sole on Lemoyn.

↗ ~550 m vert · Black Snake 2.3 km · avg 22% gradient · gondola · approx. late May–Sept

Planning: A good hour by car from Trento; the Trento–Malé regional train carries bikes and stops near the Daolasa gondola. Best time: June or September – high summer gets dusty. Bed & shop: rental at the base station, accommodation in Dimaro and Commezzadura.

3. Nevis Range Fort William – Scotland

World Cup ground since 2002, plus two World Championships: Fort William is the classic. 2.8 km and 555 metres of descent – open high-speed rock up top, technical woods down low. Honest bit: the DH track is public but only open at set times, and rain and midges are part of the deal. Nevis Range Fort William on Lemoyn.

↗ 555 m · 2.8 km · gondola · DH track approx. mid May–mid Sept, usually 11am–3pm

Planning: Fly to Glasgow or Edinburgh, then 2.5–3 hours by car; or take the sleeper train from London to Fort William. Best time: May/June, before midge season peaks. Bed & shop: shop at the base station, beds in Fort William 10 minutes away – it's thin on the mountain itself.

4. Bike Kingdom Lenzerheide – Graubünden, Switzerland

Lenzerheide is the double World Cup: downhill and cross-country on the same mountain, plus a home Worlds in 2018. The "Straightline" is shorter than other WC tracks but ruthlessly direct – around 400 metres of descent packed with jumps, berms and nasty root sections. Right next to it sits a full park with blue and red lines if the Straightline is (still) too much – see the best flow trails in the Alps. The spot: Bike Kingdom Lenzerheide on Lemoyn.

↗ ~400 m vert · Straightline · gondola · approx. May–Oct

Planning: About 30 minutes from Chur by car or PostBus. Best time: June–September; the track closes around the World Cup weekend, but the atmosphere in town is unbeatable then. Bed & shop: rentals and shops in the village – budget for Swiss prices.

5. Bikepark Les Gets – Haute-Savoie, France

For the 2021 World Cup, Les Gets built a new track on Mont Chéry: wide open and arrow-fast up top, steep rooty woods below, finishing over big tables in front of the crowd. The 2022 Worlds were raced here too. The rest of the park plus the Portes du Soleil area easily fill a whole week. Bikepark Les Gets on Lemoyn.

WC track on Mont Chéry · gondola · approx. June–early Sept · Portes du Soleil area

Planning: Fly to Geneva, then about 1 hour by car or shuttle. Best time: July/August for the full lift network; avoid race weeks – or go on purpose. Bed & shop: Les Gets is an MTB village, with shops, rentals and beds on every corner.

6. Bikepark Champéry–Morgins – Valais, Switzerland

Champéry is the slope where Danny Hart won the 2011 Worlds in pouring rain – one of the most famous runs in DH history. The track is among the steepest ever raced in a World Cup, and after rain the forest floor turns to soap. Honestly: this is not one to "just try" – it's the final boss of this list. Bikepark Champéry Morgins on Lemoyn.

brutally steep (sections over 30%) · cable car · approx. June–Sept · Portes du Soleil area

Planning: About 1.5 hours from Geneva; Champéry has a train station (line from Aigle). Best time: stable dry spells in high summer – if it's wet, leave it. Bed & shop: small village with a rental; more choice over in Morgins or Les Gets.

7. Bikepark Schladming – Styria, Austria

Schladming's Planai downhill was the fan favourite of the 2000s World Cup – Sam Hill and Gee Atherton are on the winners' list. The race is gone, the track isn't: 2.5 km and almost 600 metres of descent full of root carpets, rock gardens and big jumps, with a timing system open to everyone. Braking-bump guarantee on weekends. Bikepark Schladming on Lemoyn.

↗ 596 m vert · 2.5 km · gondola · approx. May–Oct

Planning: About 1 hour by car from Salzburg; the Planai base is walkable from Schladming station. Best time: autumn, when the dirt is grippy. Bed & shop: shops and rental at the base, plus the full bed range of an established tourist town.

8. Bikepark Pohorje – Maribor, Slovenia

Maribor has been World Cup ground since the late 90s and made its calendar comeback in 2019. The Pohorje track is old-school DH: steep, rooty, fast – and the gondola starts practically at the edge of town. On top of that, Slovenia is a financial relief compared to the Alpine hotspots. Bikepark Pohorje Maribor on Lemoyn.

gondola from the edge of town · long season (approx. spring–autumn) · WC comeback 2019

Planning: About 1 hour by car from Graz, 2.5 hours from Vienna. Best time: spring and autumn – high summer can get muggy. Bed & shop: rental on the mountain is limited, but Maribor below has cheap beds and great food.

9. Vallnord Bike Park – La Massana, Andorra

A World Cup regular from 2013 to 2019, plus the 2015 Worlds: the track in Pal is high-alpine, loose and dusty – corners that crumble under your tyres. The surrounding park covers everything from green to double black. The real final boss is getting there. Vallnord Bike Park on Lemoyn.

high-alpine, loose and dusty · gondola · approx. June–Sept · Worlds 2015

Planning: About 3 hours by car from either Barcelona or Toulouse – Andorra has no airport and no railway. Best time: July–September. Bed & shop: La Massana is set up for bike guests, rental at the gondola, hotels comparatively cheap.

10. Bikepark Albstadt – Swabian Alb, Germany (heads up: XC!)

Quick expectation check: Albstadt is a World Cup venue – in cross-country. The "Bullentäle" course hosted XCO World Cups for nearly a decade; here it's lungs and legs that count, not travel. The small bike park next door still delivers descending fun and is far more beginner-friendly than anything else on this list. Bikepark Albstadt on Lemoyn.

XC World Cup course "Bullentäle" · small DH/freeride park · lift · approx. Apr–Oct

Planning: About 1 hour by car from Stuttgart; Albstadt-Ebingen has a train station. Best time: dry days from spring to autumn; the park sometimes runs weekends only – check ahead. Bed & shop: decent shop density in town, accommodation more functional than fancy.

One honest tip to finish: ride a World Cup track like a course inspection the first time, not like a finals run. Stop, scope sections, take the chicken lines – that's exactly what the pros do on their track walk. And if you realise you'd rather be flowing than surviving root fields: that's fine too. The tracks aren't going anywhere.