Next week about 500 Olympic and international-class riders will arrive in the capital for a round of the 2008 International Cycling Union's Mountain Bike World Cup at Stromlo Forest Park.

Vying for World Cup points in a field of the world's best riders will be Australia's Luke Madill, Jared Graves and Tanya Bailey who made their Olympic debuts in the BMX yesterday and cross-country rider Daniel McConnell who rides in Beijing on Saturday.

Next week Madill, Bailey and Graves will change disciplines from BMX to ride in round six of the four-cross and McConnell will ride in round eight of the cross-country.

To give Canberra residents a taste of what elite mountain biking is all about a handful of World Cup competitors will contest a demonstration event through the streets of Civic from 5.30pm tomorrow.

Riders will do laps of a short-course urban criterium starting in Garema Place.

A large contingent of Canberra riders will contest the World Cup event and tomorrow's demonstration race, including under-23 Oceania championship cross-country runner-up Ben Henderson and former Australian team representatives Dylan Cooper and Shaun Lewis.

In the elite women's field, the ACT will be represented by Grace Elvin in the cross-country and Cara Smith, Claire Whiteman and Caroline Buchanan in the downhill. Buchanan will also contest the four-cross.

The previous round of the UCI World Mountain Bike Cup was in Canada, with other rounds this year held in France, Spain, Germany and Belgium.

Next weekend will be the first time that Australia has hosted a round since 1995.

The Canberra Off-Road Cyclists club is organising the event and president Anthony Burton said it was the start of an exciting time in the capital.

''It's the start of a really big 10-days and it will really showcase to the rest of the world that Canberra is a great place to ride, and also a great warm-up for the world championships next year,'' Burton said.

''And if people are able to turn out, we could see more events of this type come to Canberra in the future.''

The three disciplines next weekend are four-cross, cross-country and downhill.

TOMORROW

2008 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup short-course criterium at Garema Place, Civic from 5.30pm.

August30-31 at Stromlo Forest Park

2008 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup, including cross-country round eight, four-cross round six and downhill round six. Entry is free.

For more details, including a time schedule visit www.mtbworlds.com.au.