Perfil Perfil de atletas de mountain bike cross country marathon

Cycling is a widely practiced sport in Brazil and worldwide, and among its several categories, this study focuses on Mountain Bike Cross Country Marathon (XCM), an endurance modality practiced on dirt land whose objective is to complete the route in the shortest possible time. Despite the popularity of cycling, Mountain Bike Cross Country Marathon (XCM) still needs studies that evaluate the profile of athletes and the direct influence of physical training on athlete performance. Considering this aspect, this work aims to describe the profile of these athletes and the types of training performed. A descriptive research was conducted with 23 cyclists from Minas Gerais, São Paulo, and Rio de Janeiro, all over 18 years old. The methodology involved a questionnaire with 24 questions, sent to them via Google Forms. The results showed that the average age of the cyclists was 31 years old, with 8 professional athletes and 15 amateurs. The athletes used strength training, endurance training, interval training, and long training. All of them use the Strava app. Twenty athletes (87%) use a Physical Education professional, and the average weekly training is 11 to 16 hours, with most of them training 5 to 6 times per week. Therefore, it is concluded that, according to the athletes' opinion, physical preparation is fundamental for gaining strength and endurance to improve performance in cycling.