What is the mountain bike race that brings together 6 thousand competitors in Córdoba?

The barbecue, the mate, the football… For Argentines, tradition has a specific weight. And if we talk about cycling, for almost three decades an event has taken place that summarizes the feeling of belonging to the motorcycling community like no other: the Río Pinto Challengethe largest mountain bike competition in Latin America, which celebrates its 28th edition this year.

Beyond your career, Río Pinto is a meeting place, where competition merges with camaraderie and the heart pushes harder than the legs. This year the big MTB festival will take place on Sunday 28 April La Cumbre, Cordobaand registrations are still open: they hope to break the barrier of six thousand participants.

Born in 1996, the DRP has grown with each edition. Time and perseverance have made it a must-see event on the calendar for the country and region’s leading motorcyclists, but also for thousands of enthusiasts looking to push their limits. No other MTB event has a similar vocation on a continental level.

“The Río Pinto Challenge is for me the most anticipated race every year”says Carolina Pérez, a cyclist from Mar del Plata who will try to defend the title obtained in 2023. For the four-time women’s champion, “the aspiration and dream of every mountain cyclist is to climb to the top step of the podium in this race, both for the hardness of the path and for the doors that can be opened by winning it.”

One of the great innovations this year is that, to the classic distance of 85 km through the Cordoba mountain range, a shorter one of 30 km is added, so that those who do not dare to complete the route are not encouraged. The race is on Sunday 28th (the start is at 8), but throughout the weekend there will also be a space dedicated to younger bikers, a trail running event, an expo with the latest news in the sector and many other surprises.

“The meeting with friends who have shared the event for many years, the festive atmosphere before the race, the expo with all the most important brands and the circuit, which has a very special magic, make Río Pinto unique” , adds Carolina Pérez , who will go to Córdoba in search of a new podium.

Anti-doping controls

Although not part of the official UCI circuit, the Río Pinto Challenge carries out anti-doping controls on its competitors in both cycling and trail running races, according to the guidelines of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). After some negative stories, cash prizes in the professional categories will be awarded after the results are obtained, as long as the competitor has not tested positive.

“These checks are very important for health reasons, to raise awareness among people, but above all for clean sport. It’s not fair for one person to train all year for a competition and another to take a banned substance and have a competitive advantage. By doping, Río Pinto filters out people who might come,” explains Pablo Ureta, a triathlete in charge of the trail running event.

– Is it possible to draw a relationship between the cycling community and running?

– They are two emblematic sports around the world, there is a very strong relationship between them. I would say that they complement each other very well and it is a combination that can prove very positive in the long term. We expect many more participants this year and expectations are high.