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Jargon buster

Snakebite: A double puncture of an inner tube, caused by hitting an obstacle too hard

Full sus: A mountain bike with both front and rear suspension

Hardtail: A mountain bike with no rear suspension

Basic rules

It’s a straight forward race – all riders start together and the first to cross the finish line is the winner.

The competition will last between one hour 30 mins and one hour 45 mins and riders must complete a minimum number of laps in this time (in Beijing it was eight).

If a rider is lapped, they must finish the lap they are on and then retire. Getting a good start to the race is crucial for the riders and this is often where accidents happen.

Riders carry their own puncture repair kits to carry out their own wheel repairs on the circuit, and there are also feed and technical stations around the course for the riders to take on much needed fuel and make repairs.