Going forward, the 4X ProTour is set to have 2 tiers of competition. Gold and silver events. The gold events will continue to be the premier events in the calendar. The toughest tracks will reward riders with maximum points. The new silver events will be held at bike festivals and slightly less challenging tracks, where riders can experience the 4X ProTour without the intensity of the World's toughest tracks. Half the points of the gold events will be on offer at silver events for the riders.
For 2014 there will be 7 rounds of 4X ProTour. 3 fresh venues will provide riders with new challenges on the way to determining the overall champion.
Round 1 - Szczawno Zdroj, Poland - May 10th - Gold event
Round 2 - Winterberg, Germany - May 31st - Silver event
Round 3 - Fort William, Scotland - June 7th - Gold event
Round 4 - Val Di Sole, Italy - June 28th - Gold event
Round 5 - Jablonec, Czech Republic - July 26th - Gold event
Round 6 - Liebstadt, Switzerland - August 3rd - Silver event
Round 7 - Pamporovo, Bulgaria - August 23rd - Gold event
For the first two years of 4X ProTour, one man has been the dominant force. Tomas Slavik has been a machine. He doesn't always win, but he is always the favorite and normally lines up in the final. He trains hard and rides fast. Without doubt, he enters the 2014 season as the favorite to retain the title.
Tomas Slavik
2013 4X World Champion, Joost Wichman is back! The 36-year-old biker probably missed the thrill after announcing his retirement in 2013. His full schedule is still not set, but Joost will be at some 4X ProTour races in 2014 showing the World why he is World Champion.
Michal Prokop could be one of the riders to challenge Slavik. The veteran rider is riding faster than ever and on his day is the fastest rider in the world.
Felix Beckeman was on it last year and beat teammate Slavik on a few occasions. Felix is powerful and has the biggest whips out there. Stylish and fast is a lethal combination.
Scott Beaumont manages to mix being a joint organizer of the 4X ProTour with being a pro rider racing in it. In 2013 Boom Boom was flying and ended up 4th overall. Can he go faster in 2014?
In the women's, 2013 4X ProTour Champion Katy Curd will be racing in DH events this year, but she has said that she will be racing in a few 4X ProTour events. So the door is wide open for a new champion. Helene Fruhwirth is our tip for 2014. If she can avoid injury, we think she will be a rider to beat. 2013 Euro 4X Series Champion Anna Borschig will without doubt be challenging for wins. Anna grew in confidence throughout 2013 and with a good start in Poland, she will be a contender. Tanja Hendrysiak, Elena Schweika and Sarah Gerlach will all have a chance too.
2014 will also be an exciting year for 4X fans who can't make it to the venues to watch the action live. Final details are being finalized but several events will have live internet coverage for the races, a few will have live TV coverage. The great news is that every event will have a highlight edit produced after each race.
To get a picture what a 4X race is all about check some of the highlights Adrex.com choose for you to have a look at:
Tomas Slavik helmet cam
Joost Wichman and Michal Prokop crash - that's what 4X is all about!
The 2014 4X ProTour is all set. The venues are confirmed and the riders are ready. For more information on the 4X ProTour, visit: www.4xprotour.com
Thanks to the main organizer Chris Roberts; All images are property of 4X ProTour. Copyrights applied.
