Urubamba will host the National Downhill Championship and the International Extreme Cycling Classic.
This April 12 and 13, the Santísimo Downhill returns, the awaited Latin American championship that, for the first time, will crown the national champion.
Lima, Peru, April 7, 2025. ADRENALINE IN THE HEIGHTS. The Santísimo Downhill, international downhill cycling competition, celebrates its eleventh edition this April 12 and 13 in Urubamba, Cusco, in the heart of the Sacred Valley. An intense ride through the mountains of San Isidro de Chicón will once again put world-class riders to the test, at more than 3,000 meters above sea level. This 2025, for the first time, will also define the national champions in the male and female branches, who will represent Peru throughout the season.
The DOWNHILL. This is the most extreme form of mountain biking. Each rider competes individually against the clock on a circuit full of jumps, curves, and obstacles, and the winner is the one who descends the fastest.
Last year, in the Santísimo Downhill, the best time was 03’27” on a 2.5 km course with 450 meters of elevation gain. This year, the circuit incorporates new difficulties.
CATEGORIES. The championship is regulated by the International Cycling Union (UCI), “the FIFA of bicycles”, and the Peruvian Cycling Sports Federation (FDPC). There are two types of categories: UCI and promotional. The UCI categories require UCI and federation cards, and include elite, junior, masters, and cadet, differentiated by age. The national champions of each category are defined here.
The second group is the promotional categories, which do not require a membership card and are also divided by year of birth. They also include other cycling modalities.
The age range goes from 8 to more than 50 years old, with pilots with a lot or little experience. It is worth mentioning the participation of eight-year-old Pacifico Sarmiento, the only Peruvian to win a medal at the Pan American Downhill Championship in Chile, who seeks to defend his title in the school category (7-10 years old). This makes the Santísimo Downhill an inclusive competition open to cyclists of all levels, which seeks to promote training categories for the future of the sport.
WORLD FIGURES. It is estimated that more than 250 national and foreign runners will participate in the eleventh edition of the competition. Among the Peruvians, Mateo Negri and Brenner Montes stand out as favorites, with Negri looking to improve on his second-place finish from last year. They will have to compete against outstanding international riders such as Argentineans Gonzalo Gajdosech, Facundo Descalzo, and Joaquín Galli, Ecuadorian Mario Jarrin, and Chileans Hans Pulgar and Álvaro Martínez (current Pan American downhill champion). At this moment, riders from Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Bolivia, Venezuela, Canada and Peru are confirmed. And in the women’s category, the Peruvian Sofia Bermeo (current national downhill champion) and Luz Mercedes Aquino (medalist of the Bolivarian Games 2024).
CYCLING IN THE SACRED VALLEY. Cusco is a top cycling destination in the world, where many athletes come for the great variety of biking trails. The Santísimo Downhill opens the racing season and marks the end of the rains, the best time to cycle with all the green Sacred Valley and breathtaking views.
A KEY COMMUNITY. The people of San Isidro de Chicón have been essential to the Santísimo Downhill: from the first day they opened the doors of their community to host the championship and supported the construction of the circuit, which seeks to consolidate itself as a permanent space for cycling and sports heritage.
In addition, during the event, they organize a gastronomic festival where tourists enjoy Cusquenian dishes such as fried trout, chicharrones (pork rinds), and chancho a la caja china, generating a tourist and economic impact for their families.
The Santísimo Downhill is the largest mountain biking festival in Peru, and a Latin American benchmark for this sport that continues to grow in the country. It benefits the formation of new high-level talent. It boosts local tourism, attracting close to five thousand local and foreign visitors, who enjoy the tournament and the attractions of Urubamba.
The event is organized by Diego Sarmiento, Marcelo Elorrieta, Wilberth Rayme, and Enrique Navarro, with the support of brands such as JMC, Machu Travel Peru, Bike Shop, and HAKU Expeditions, and the backing of the Provincial Municipality of Urubamba, which celebrates its bicentennial this year. Free admission!
Web and social networks of the event: Instagram, Facebook, Website
