The mountain bike test event for Paris 2024 at Élancourt is to be held in September, it has been announced ©Paris 2024

Élancourt is set to host the the test event for mountain biking for next year's Olympic Games in Paris on September 23 and 24, with the cross-country event nestled between two legs of the International Cycling Union (UCI) Mountain Bike World Cup.

With competition for both men and women, the event is due to be held after the World Cup event in Les Gets, but before the last two fixtures of the season in North America.

France is guaranteed two riders in each race as the hosts of the Games, with mountain biking scheduled for July 28 and 29 next year.

Élancourt is a commune in the Yvelines department, in the western suburbs of Paris.

Climbing to an altitude of 231 metres, Elancourt hill is the highest point in the Paris Region. 

Its summit offers breathtaking views of the Eiffel Tower, La Défense and the forests around the French capital.

It is claimed that no major infrastructure will be created on site, with a view to minimising any impact on its biodiversity. 

A total of 95 per cent of the future trails for the Olympic mountain bike events, designed by the South African expert Nick Floros, are based on existing paths. 

Élancourt, a commune in the Yvelines department, has is the highest point in the Paris Region with views from the top of the Eiffel Tower ©Solideo
Élancourt, a commune in the Yvelines department, has is the highest point in the Paris Region with views from the top of the Eiffel Tower ©Solideo

After Paris 2024, the various routes are set to be left as a legacy, offering a selection of accessible trails for diverse users, from children and families through to experienced riders.

The artificial Élancourt hill is located at the site of former sandstone quarries that supplied materials to builders. 

After the quarries closed midway through the 19th century, the site became a landfill until it was closed in 1975. 

An ambitious regeneration programme was carried out in the 1980s, transforming the hill into a public park.

For the Olympics, there will be a capacity of 15,000, 12,300 seated and 2,700 standing.

Pauline Ferrand-Prévot is set to be one of France's top prospects in cycling at Tokyo 2020 ©Getty Images
Pauline Ferrand-Prévot is set to be one of France's top prospects in cycling at Tokyo 2020 ©Getty Images

Pauline Ferrand-Prévot is expected to tow the line for the hosts in the women's race, with the 10-time mountain bike world champion aiming for the top spot of the podium on home turf.

Dutch Cyclo-cross rider Mathieu van der Poel, a six-time world champion in the discipline, has stated his intention to compete in the men's race, having won a bronze medal at the 2018 World Championships in mountain biking.

Slovakian Peter Sagan is set to quit road cycling at the end of 2023, before retiring after competing at the mountain bike event at Paris 2024.