Four Cross

Four Cross (formerly: four-cross or mountain cross ) called a mountain -Renndisziplin on mostly between 150 and 600-meter race tracks. As a rule, four drivers take part in one run at the same time. That is why the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) established the term fourcross , which is common today , when it increased its World Cup from Dual Eliminator mode to four riders. Biker cross as an umbrella term also includes all races with a different number of starters.

The competition will be carried out in a knockout system . With four starters, the two fastest (otherwise the faster half of the participants) reach the next lap at the finish . The start groups are filled according to a set schedule after a qualification (time trial or point runs).

Biker cross was originally derived from BMX racing and dual slalom . The elementary obstacles in biker cross include jumps, elevated and flat curves, "washboards", waves and compressions. In contrast to BMX routes, stone fields, hanging curves, stair-like obstacles, forest passages with roots, wall rides or other more MTB-like obstacles can also be integrated and a much coarser or loose surface is normal.

Route

A biker or fourcross route is mostly sloping and has bends and jumps. The drivers start from the starting gate on an elevation, which is realized in flat areas by a starting hill. A route includes several jumps that are flat compared to the dirt jump, which can often be "swallowed". There are different types of jumps such as the table, double, stepup and stepdown, which can vary greatly in length and height depending on the route profile. The first bends are almost always raised on the outside ( banked bends ), so that the advantage of the inner lane is somewhat offset and you can drive through the route at higher speed. 180 ° curves are a good way of making overtaking maneuvers more likely by choosing different lines (low-high or high-low - pulling in from above / outside or pushing inside out / up).

begin

An essential part of the race and often decisive is the start. That is why athletes primarily train this and train the corresponding processes, their sprint strength and responsiveness. The start is made with a gate that falls forward and gives way to all starters at the same time. On high-quality systems, the start is accompanied by a traffic light display and an electronic voice message, controlled by a so-called voicebox. The gate is moved as quickly as possible by a pneumatic system. Self-falling gates are also still very common. They have the disadvantage that they fall more slowly than the rider can accelerate the front wheels, which can lead to falls. Self-falling gates are held in place by mechanical locking levers or electromagnets. The design of the starting straight should be such that similar travel times through the first curve are possible from all lanes and the drivers can also pass this side by side without braking hard. However, since in practice there is almost always an advantage for a track, usually the one on the inside in relation to the first curve, the better qualifier in each case receives the right to choose the starting place.

Sports equipment

Usually hardtails are used . In the past, full-suspension bikes were preferred only on very rough, steep and fast stretches. The geometry of a biker cross bike is primarily designed for speed and less for maneuverability. It has to run smoothly, so the wheelbase is slightly longer and the steering angle flatter (less than 70 °) than with dirt bikes .

When it comes to add-on parts, particular attention is paid to weight, because a light bike is easier to accelerate. However, they also need the necessary stability so that they do not break immediately in the event of a fall or an unclean landing. For some components such as the saddle and gears, products from the racing bike or cross-country sector are often used.

The suspension fork is usually set up quite tightly and is more important for many drivers as an "emergency suspension" for unclean landings. This is especially true if the course is more like a BMX track than a typical mountain bike route. The spring travel is between 80 mm and 140 mm. For some routes, full suspension bikes ( fullys ) are often used, especially when higher speeds are possible and grip is required in hanging corners.

The tires are rather narrow with a maximum of 2.3 inches . This avoids unnecessary friction and excessive weight. The profile of the tires depends on the route. On firm and dry soils, special 4-cross tires are used, while on loose and wet soils, downhill tires with 2.4 to 2.5 inch treads are sometimes used.

Term and Variations

The term 4 Cross was introduced by the World Cycling Association UCI , although the word Biker Cross (see Boarder Cross ) was already common. This enabled the UCI to secure full naming rights for its World Cup series . Depending on the number of drivers, one speaks of a four cross (also 4 cross ) or dual eliminator , rarely a 6 cross . In the USA there is the term Mountaincross , in England the term Bicycle Supercross (BSX). The umbrella term biker cross also includes the dual slalom format , in which the drivers, however, ride on separate, parallel lanes. In 2002, Dual Slalom was replaced by Four Cross in the Mountain Bike World Cup and Mountain Bike World Championships . On September 22, 2011, the UCI announced that Four Cross will no longer be part of the World Cup. The reasons given were the high construction costs and the negative impact on the environment of a Four Cross route.

World Champion

year		place	Men's	Ladies
2017		Val di Sole	Felix Beckeman	Caroline Buchanan
2016		Val di Sole	Mitja Ergaver	Caroline Buchanan
2015		Val di Sole	Aiko Göhler	Anneke Beerten
2014		Leogang	Tomáš Slavík	Katy Curd
2013		Leogang	Joost Wichmann	Caroline Buchanan
2012		Leogang	Roger Rinderknecht	Anneke Beerten
2011		Champéry	Michal Prokop	Anneke Beerten
2010		Mont Sainte-Anne	Tomáš Slavík	Caroline Buchanan
2009		Canberra	Jared Graves	Caroline Buchanan
2008		Val di Sole	Rafael Alvarez de Lara	Melissa Buhl
2007		Fort William	Brian Lopes	Jill Kintner
2006		Rotorua	Michal Prokop	Jill Kintner
2005		Livigno	Brian Lopes	Jill Kintner
2004		Les Gets	Eric Carter	Jana Horakova
2003		Lugano	Michal Prokop	Anne-Caroline Chausson
2002		Kaprun	Brian Lopes	Anne-Caroline Chausson

stretch

Well-known permanent routes for bike cross are:

• Ohlsbach ( Germany )
• Aichwald ( Germany )
• Bad Wildbad ( Germany )
• Bischofsmais ( Germany )
• Cottbus ( Germany )
• Gelenau / Erzgeb. ( Germany )
• Laufenburg ( Germany )
• Leibstadt ( Switzerland )
• Les Crosets ( Switzerland )
• Marburg ( Slovenia )
• Pichla / Tieschen ( Austria )
• Prague ( Czech Republic )
• Reutlingen ( Germany )
• Schladming ( Austria )
• Stollberg ( Germany )
• St. Margarethen an der Raab ( Austria )
• Weinstadt ( Germany )
• Whistler ( Canada )
• Wilthen ( Germany )
• Winnenden ( Germany )
• Winterberg ( Germany )
• Wolfach ( Germany )
• Zermatt ( Switzerland )

Web links

• www.fourcross.tv International Fourcross website
• Bikeparkmap - directory of bike parks and routes
• 4X Pro Tour - 4Cross Worldcup Series
• Euro 4Cross Series - 4Cross European Cup
• Swiss 4Cross Cup - 4Cross and dual races in Switzerland / Germany / France
• South German 4Cross Cup - 4Cross and dual races in southern Germany
• Mitteldeutscher 4Cross Cup - 4Cross races in the area of ​​Central Germany

credentials

1. ↑ www.rad-net.de .
2. ↑ Bikepark Bad Wildbad (D) .
3. ↑ Bikepark VC Leibstadt (CH) , first 4Cross route with permanent start gate in Switzerland.
4. ↑ FSC Tieschen (AUT) ( Memento of the original from August 5, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . 
5. ↑ Bikepark Schladming (AUT) .
6. ↑ Park4Cross Stollberg (AUT) ( Memento of the original from August 9, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . 
7. ↑ Bikepark Wilthen (D) .
8. ↑ Bikepark Winnenden (D) .
9. ↑ Bikepark Winterberg (D) .
10. ↑ Bikepark Wolfach (D) .
11. ↑ Bikepark Zermatt (CH) ( Memento of the original from August 26, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. .