BUCHAREST, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Romania is gearing up for the European Mountain Bike Championships set to take place from May 8-12 at Cheile Gradistei in Brasov County.
The event will see 450 athletes from across Europe vie for victory, including some renowned names such as Frenchwoman Pauline Ferrand-Prevot, Dutchwoman Puck Pieterse, and French riders Joshua Dubau and Victor Koretzky.
Leading Romania's charge are the defending champion Vlad Dascalu, who secured the European title in XCO last year, and Ede Molnar, the reigning European champion in Cross Country Eliminator. Adding to Romania's strength is Wendy Bunea, a rising junior cyclist making waves in European competitions.
With Dascalu and Molnar at the helm, Romania will dispatch a team of 27 cyclists.
Action-packed days lie ahead, starting with the XCC (Cross County Short Track) on Thursday for Elite, Under-23 and Junior categories, followed by the XCR (Cross Country Team Relay) on Friday. Saturday will showcase the XCO finals for Junior and Under-23 (men) categories, while the championships will conclude on Sunday with finals for Under-23 (women) and Elite divisions. ■
