India, Sept. 14 -- When mountain bike made its Olympic debut at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, the men's race was 47.7 km long. Cut to the 2024 Paris Games, the course was just 4.4 km, with eight laps to race.

Technological advancements have transformed the sport. Bike designs and carbon fibre frames make machines lighter and stronger while sophisticated suspensions help riders tackle the off-road terrain. These changes have made the sport faster and more competitive. What hasn't changed is the passion of the riders and fans which was on display at the 2025 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships here.

Peter Van den Abeele has witnessed this evolution first-hand - as an Olympian at the 1996 Atlanta and 2000 Sydney Games, and now as UCI Sports...