Mountain bike racing is a relatively new sport in the Olympic games, debuting merely 50 years ago when cyclists decided they would like the opportunity to explore some off-road trails. It wasn’t until 20 years after mountain biking emerged that bicycles were created specifically to combat alternative terrain to gravel and pavement. So, when these new bikes were created in the 1990s, they immediately took off among bike enthusiasts and professional cyclists alike. With the first mountain biking competition in the 80s, the World Championships were held 10 years later. Making the sport a global phenomenon.

As the Tokyo Olympic games came to a close last month, Paris is now gearing up for the 2024 games. With 231 meters of elevation, “Hill of Revenge” is synonymous with Elancourt hill, which is where the professional cyclists will compete in 2024. Announced earlier in 2021, the hill is the highest point in the Ile-de-France region. Work will begin at the end of 2022 and is expected to cost roughly 10 million euros.

However, there has been quite a bit of ruckus when this news was announced. Cimes Event, the event experts noted that many features of the park will have to be uprooted, including trees, to develop the site. This comes at a time when the European Union has made striving initiatives to leave less of an environmental footprint. Upon outcry from the public, the Paris 2024 Committee asked project initiatives to take another look at the project in hopes of taking further environmental constraints into account.

The Élancourt hill is expected to become a leisure site for the public and tourists after the conclusion of the 2024 Games. Some features will include new mountain bike routes, modernization of existing trails, and new equipment featured throughout the park. The Region hopes the legendary “Hill of Revenge” will become a European benchmark for exploring and mountain biking with its 18 km trail.