XCO: circuit 4-6 km/lap, 4-7 laps, ~80-100 min target winning time; mix of climb/descent/technical features; XCM: point-to-point or large loop, 60-160 km; XCE: short (~1-1.5 km) circuit with technical features; heat-format eliminator
Why people argue about this
People often assume that the lap distance of 4-6 km is fixed for all UCI Mountain Bike cross-country events, but in reality, it's a guideline that can vary based on the terrain and circuit design to ensure safety and fairness. The confusion arises because they overlook the flexibility in how this rule is applied across different courses.
