Brasil Ride Pirenópolis 2026 — two-day MTB stage race in the Goiás cerrado around historic colonial Pirenópolis: quartzite ridges, waterfall singletrack, dry-season heat and August 22–23 racing.
Build Your Personalized Race Fueling Plan — $19Brasil Ride Pirenópolis 2026 is a two-day mountain bike stage race held August 22–23, 2026 in the historic colonial town of Pirenópolis, in the Goiás cerrado. The 2026 edition delivers 75 mi with 10,500 ft of accumulated climbing across two consecutive days: Stage 1 on Saturday (43 mi / 6,100 ft) and Stage 2 on Sunday (31 mi / 4,400 ft). The Brasil Ride format — team-of-two racing option, MTB Pro and Sport categories, E-Bike bracket and a family Desafio Kids challenge — meets the Serra dos Pireneus: quartzite ridges, red-dirt fire roads and cerrado waterfall singletrack. Dry-season air, high UV and long exposed climbs make hydration, sodium and heat management the decisive fueling levers. Race base is Pirenópolis's UNESCO-listed colonial center — the tagline captures it: 'O Mountain Bike encontra a cultura e a história' (mountain biking meets culture and history).
Distance
75 mi total across 2 stages (Stage 1: 43 mi · Stage 2: 31 mi) · Sport 1-day option: 31 mi
Elevation
10,500 ft total (Stage 1: 6,100 ft · Stage 2: 4,400 ft)
Typical duration
3 – 5 hours per stage for most amateur finishers
Location
Pirenópolis, Goiás, Brazil (Serra dos Pireneus / colonial historic center)
Time of year
August 21 – 23, 2026 (Fri kit pickup + Sat Stage 1 + Sun Stage 2)
Terrain
Quartzite singletrack, cerrado red-dirt fire roads, waterfall trails, colonial-town stone streets, mixed dirt-road and paved sections
A practical race-week checklist: carbs, hydration, sodium, caffeine and race-day supplies — print it or keep it on your phone.
Winter afternoons in Goiás routinely reach 86–93 °F with humidity below 30%. Sweat evaporates before you feel it, so perceived effort undersells real fluid loss — riders underestimate hydration need by 20–40% on dry-cerrado stages.
Riding at 800–4,270 ft on exposed cerrado ridgelines raises skin and core temperature quickly, even when air temperature reads moderate on the computer. UV at Goiás dry-season altitude is often 20–30% higher than sea-level equivalents.
The 2-day format compresses recovery into a single overnight window. Stage 1's fueling, sleep and rehydration decisions decide Stage 2's climbing legs — under-fueled Saturday recovery shows up on Sunday's queen climb, not before.
Pirenópolis climbs run 20–45 minutes on loose quartzite and red dirt, holding riders at steady tempo where appetite drops and carbohydrate demand peaks. Stage 1's 6,100 ft of climbing is the bigger day — pace accordingly.
Aid stations are placed by terrain, not by clock. Mid-pack riders can go 60–90 minutes between resupplies on Stage 1's longer distance. A single bottle empties in 60 minutes at Goiás afternoon temperatures — plan capacity accordingly.
Dry cerrado singletrack kicks up fine dust that dries the mouth, worsens respiratory water loss and can amplify GI distress if intake is aggressive. Liquid-biased fueling is generally more tolerable than solids in dry-heat conditions.
Goiás cerrado nights can drop to 54–59 °F in August dry season, with afternoons reaching 86–93 °F. Cool-morning starts trick riders into light bottle plans that leave a deficit by 11 AM.
General, evidence-based guidance. Numbers should always be personalized to sweat rate, body mass, fitness and weather.
60–90 g/hr of mixed-source carbohydrate (glucose : fructose ~1 : 0.8) for most trained riders on both stages, biased toward the higher end on Stage 1 (the longer day). Liquid + gel is more tolerable than solids in dry cerrado heat.
20–34 fl oz/hr baseline in Pirenópolis heat, increased for exposed ridge stages and heavier sweaters. Track morning body mass Saturday and Sunday to catch cumulative dehydration — a 2 lb overnight loss is a 1.5% starting deficit for Stage 2.
500–1200 mg of sodium per liter of fluid, tuned to sweat testing. Dry-season sweat evaporates fast but sodium losses stay real — under-salted riders cramp on the last climb of Stage 2, not the first climb of Stage 1.
3–6 mg/kg per stage, split between pre-start and the base of the biggest climb. Only 2 stages means you can be a bit more aggressive than a 4–7 day race — but still keep total dose under 6 mg/kg per day to protect sleep.
Every stop is a bottle swap first, calorie top-up second. Pre-mix bottles the night before, label by stage-hour, and rehearse the sequence. On a 2-day event, minutes lost at aid stations are minutes lost from GC.
1–4 g/kg carbohydrate 2–4 hours before each stage (start times 08:30 = breakfast at 04:30–06:30), from familiar low-fiber, low-fat foods. Options: oats + banana + honey, tapioca + queijo, arroz + mel, or bagel + jam. No experiments.
Fuel by the clock, not by feel. Dry heat blunts thirst cues while sweat losses climb. A 15-minute alarm on the head unit keeps intake consistent through the 3–5 hours per stage.
Within 30–60 minutes of Stage 1 finish: 1.0–1.2 g/kg carbohydrate, 0.3 g/kg protein, and 150% fluid replacement with sodium. Then a full meal 1–3 hours later targeting another 1.0–1.2 g/kg. Total across the 6–8 hour post-Stage 1 window: 3–4 g/kg. This is what makes Sunday's Stage 2 possible.
Grams and millilitres per hour for each phase of the race. Personalize to your sweat rate, body mass and conditions.
Brasil Ride Pirenópolis 2026 — 2-day stage race fueling by day (Stage 1: 43 mi / 6,100 ft, Stage 2: 31 mi / 4,400 ft)
Full Saturday stage·0:00 to finish
Caffeine: 150–200 mg 20 min pre-start + 100 mg at base of biggest climb
Focus: Do NOT race Stage 1 like a one-day event. Cap effort at high Zone 2 / low Zone 3 through the first hour. Force calories BEFORE technical sections and IMMEDIATELY after. Aid stops: bottle swap first, calories second, do not linger.
Stage 1 finish → Sunday breakfast·T+0 → next stage
Focus: This is the entire recovery budget for a 2-day event — the highest-leverage window of the weekend. Under-fueling Saturday night is where Sunday's Stage 2 quietly ends. Compress, shade, elevate, eat, hydrate, sleep 8+ hours. Bike wash + chain lube tonight.
Full Sunday stage·0:00 to finish
Caffeine: 150 mg 20 min pre-start (don't stack too high — 2nd day of the weekend)
Focus: If you paced Stage 1 correctly, Stage 2 is your opportunity — not survival. GC-relevant riders execute their stage plan; recreational riders just need to finish clean. Ride within your skills on rocky descents.
Post-Stage 2·T+0 onward
Focus: Refuel + rehydrate hard before travel. Celebrate at the awards (10:00–13:00). Optional recovery swim in one of Pirenópolis's cachoeiras. Recovery week following: easy spins and no intervals for 5–7 days.
Aid station placements and mid-stage distances are provisional — confirm the exact 2026 stage layouts, cutoffs and aid locations in the final Manual do Ciclista distributed to registered athletes. Individual sweat rate can shift fluid and sodium targets by ±30%; personalize with a pre-race sweat test.
A structured 48–72 hour carbohydrate-loading protocol tuned for a long day at altitude. Rehearse it before a training block, not for the first time on race week.
Target 6–8 g/kg body mass per day of carbohydrate while transitioning to lower-fiber, lower-fat foods that protect the gut for race day. Reduce raw vegetables, fried food and heavy sauces. Add 500–1,000 mg sodium per litre of fluid — cerrado dry heat starts stealing sodium the moment you arrive.
Target 8–10 g/kg body mass per day of carbohydrate from familiar low-fiber sources: rice, pasta, potato, bread, sports drinks, honey, tapioca (a local Goiás option). Keep protein moderate (1.2–1.6 g/kg/day). Reduce fat to ~0.5–0.8 g/kg/day. Hydrate to pale-yellow urine.
Same high-carb, low-fiber, low-fat pattern. Do not experiment with new foods, new restaurants, or a special "pre-race" meal. Attend kit pickup 15:00–20:00. Ride 30–45 min easy in the evening with 3–5 race-effort openers. Sleep 8+ hours.
1–4 g/kg carbohydrate 2–4 hours before the 08:30 gun (breakfast at 04:30–06:30), from familiar low-fiber, low-fat foods. Add 30–50 g CHO 15–30 min before start via a gel and sports drink.
Within 30–60 min of Stage 1 finish: 1.0–1.2 g/kg CHO + 0.3 g/kg protein + 150% fluid replacement with sodium. Then a full meal 1–3 h later targeting another 1.0–1.2 g/kg. Total across the 6–8 h post-Stage 1 window: 3–4 g/kg. This single overnight decides Stage 2.
Stage 1 (43 mi / 6,100 ft) is the bigger day, but stage-1 heroics come at Stage 2's expense. Cap effort at high Zone 2 / low Zone 3 heart rate through the first 90 minutes of Stage 1 — the deciding sections come mid-race and late.
Cerrado sun climbs fast. Effort in the first two hours (before peak heat) is the cheapest work of the day; effort in the middle third (11 AM – 1 PM) is the most expensive. Push early, cruise midday, execute late.
Long Pirenópolis climbs at threshold shut down the gut. Ride a step below the effort you feel capable of — this is what keeps carbs going down and legs going up across 2 days.
Stage 2 (31 mi / 4,400 ft) is shorter but often decides GC because riders who over-cooked Saturday have nothing left. If you paced Stage 1 correctly, Stage 2 is your opportunity — not your survival day.
Long quartzite descents feel like rest but do not replace calories. Keep sipping, take a gel before the next climb, and ride within your skills — a crash on Stage 1 ends Stage 2 too.
Aid stops eat GC time on a 2-day event where every minute counts. Cap total stopped time to a written budget (10–15 min per aid, 20–30 min total per stage). Pre-mixed bottles cut stopped time in half.
A modern XC hardtail (fast, light, efficient on climbs) or a 100 mm short-travel trail bike both win Pirenópolis. Hardtails favor climbing efficiency on quartzite; short-travel full-suspension protects the back on rocky descents. Race the platform you have trained on.
Cerrado quartzite is unforgiving on sidewalls. Most riders run 2.2–2.4" tubeless XC tires with reinforced casings (EXO+ / Trail / Race Guard). Semi-aggressive tread with cornering knobs handles the rocky-to-loose-cerrado range. Avoid ultralight XC casings — a sidewall cut on Stage 1 ends your GC before Stage 2 starts.
Starting point for a 154–176 lb rider on 30 mm internal rims: 22–26 psi front, 24–28 psi rear (slightly higher than typical MTB to protect against quartzite cuts). Test on similar rocky red-dirt terrain in training.
A 32–34t front chainring with a 10–52t 12-speed cassette gives most amateurs the bailout for sustained cerrado climbs. Elite riders often go 34–36t front. Fit a fresh chain 2 weeks pre-race.
Four-piston brakes with 180 mm rotors front and 160–180 mm rear handle sustained descents. Fresh pads race week, bed them in on shakeout. Carry a spare set — dry cerrado dust wears pads faster than damp conditions.
Two large bottle cages plus a 51–68 fl oz hydration pack is the common setup for Stage 1 (the longer day). Some riders skip the pack on Stage 2's shorter distance — most amateurs benefit from keeping it both days for consistency.
Per stage: 2× CO2 + inflator, tire plug kit, mini pump, tubeless spare tube, tire lever, chain quick link, multi-tool with chain breaker, spare derailleur hanger, valve core tool. Quartzite chews drivetrains — pack chain lube for Saturday-night cleaning between stages.
Prepare a team box for the finish line and a drop bag for aid stations. Include: pre-mixed bottles for the next stage, dry kit for the finish, recovery drink, sunscreen SPF 50+, spare arm warmers for cool starts, and one comfort food you actually crave.
| T-4 h (≈ 04:30) | Wake, coffee, first breakfast (1–2 g/kg CHO) from familiar low-fiber, low-fat foods: oats, banana + honey, tapioca + queijo, or arroz + mel. Hydrate 17 fl oz with sodium. |
|---|---|
| T-2 h (≈ 06:30) | Second small feed (~50 g CHO) — fruit + sports drink. Chamois cream, sunscreen SPF 50+, kit on with cool-morning layer (arm warmers, vest). |
| T-90 min (≈ 07:00) | Bike check — tire pressure (protect against quartzite), brakes, chain lube, computer, bottles loaded (pre-mixed), top-tube bag stocked. Layer for expected 54–59 °F start temperature. |
| T-45 min (≈ 07:45) | Ride or drive to the start venue. Sip 7–10 fl oz sports drink. Restroom. |
| T-20 min (≈ 08:10) | First caffeine dose (100–200 mg if used). Final sunscreen check. Confirm HR / power start plan. Warm layer over kit until 5 min out. |
| T-5 min (≈ 08:25) | Half a gel. Breathe. Commit to a conservative first hour (do not chase early moves). |
| Gun (08:30) | Rollout. Cap effort in the first hour — protect the day and protect the weekend. The 2-day GC decisions come mid-Stage 1 and mid-Stage 2. |
Every entry route into the Brasil Ride Piri, from the annual lottery to qualifier races, coaching-program slots and charity entries.
Register online at app.sprinta.com.br (event page linked from brasilride.com.br). 2026 pricing: MTB PRO Solo / E-Bike Pro Solo R$ 719.20 launch (Apr 01–12) → R$ 899 standard (Apr 13 – Aug 17); MTB PRO Pairs R$ 1,438.40 → R$ 1,798; MTB Sport Solo R$ 359.20 → R$ 449; Desafio Kids R$ 159.20 → R$ 199. All prices plus platform fee. PCD (disability) category is free of the base fee (platform fee only).
MTB PRO (2-day, 75 mi) is the flagship for serious amateurs — Solo has age-group brackets (Juvenil, Junior, Sub-23, Sub-30, Elite, Masters A1 through D2 M/F, PCD) and Pairs (Open, Mixed, Female, Male Master, Female Master). MTB Sport (1-day, 31 mi on Sat) is the entry point. E-Bike Pro (2-day) has Male / Female Solo. Desafio Kids (Sun only, ages 4–8) is the family option.
Doubles teams must finish each stage within the maximum allowed time gap. Pick a partner whose fitness, pacing style and mechanical skill match yours — a mismatched duo loses 10–20 min per stage waiting or pulling. On a 2-day event the impact is immediate.
Friday August 21: kit pickup 15:00–20:00 in Pirenópolis. Saturday August 22: Stage 1 start 08:30 (43 mi / 6,100 ft). Sunday August 23: Stage 2 start 08:30 (31 mi / 4,400 ft). Awards ceremony Sunday 10:00–13:00. Confirm exact venues in the final 2026 Rider Guide.
Refund and transfer windows are set year-by-year. Historically a partial refund window closes 60–90 days pre-event; category changes may be possible before published deadlines, subject to fees. Confirm in the Sprinta registration terms.
Airports, lodging, packet pickup, parking and crew access for the Brasil Ride Piri.
Fly into Brasília (BSB) — the closest major airport, ~93 mi / 2 – 2.5 hours by car to Pirenópolis via BR-070 and GO-338. Rent a car — public transit to Pirenópolis is limited and impractical for race weekend.
Pirenópolis is a colonial tourist town with pousadas (guesthouses), hotels and vacation rentals throughout the historic center. Book 3–6 months in advance — the town fills for race weekend. The historic center puts you in walking distance of restaurants, cafés and the race venue.
Friday August 21 (15:00–20:00) in Pirenópolis. Attend any pre-race briefing — course changes, cutoffs and safety notices are announced there. Bring photo ID, registration confirmation, and any category-specific documentation.
The historic center is compact and walkable. If your accommodation is on the outskirts, expect a short taxi or car ride to the race venue and packet pickup. Cobbled colonial stone streets in the center — bike-friendly during off-hours, careful with race-weekend crowds.
Ship your bike ahead via a specialized courier or fly with a bike case (Brazilian domestic airlines charge R$ 200–500 per segment from São Paulo / Rio to Brasília). If flying with the bike, arrive at least 48 hours before Stage 1 to allow reassembly.
Pirenópolis has a strong restaurant scene focused on regional Goiás cuisine, but portions and timing may not match your rehearsed race-weekend routine. Negotiate early breakfast service with your accommodation for Sat and Sun (04:30–05:00). Bottled water for teeth and drinks.
Pirenópolis is famous for its cachoeiras (waterfalls) — Salto Corumbá, Cachoeira Bonsucesso, and others are 10–30 min drives from town. A rest-day recovery swim in a cool waterfall is a great post-Stage 2 tradition for many riders.
Saturday and Sunday starts at 08:30 with 59 °F air trick riders into a light bottle plan; by 11 AM the ridge is 90 °F and the deficit is already baked in.
Stage 1 (43 mi / 6,100 ft) is the bigger day, but Stage 2 (31 mi / 4,400 ft) still decides GC. Going all-in Saturday means paying it back Sunday — cap effort at high Zone 2 / low Zone 3 through Stage 1's first hour.
The single overnight window between stages is the entire recovery budget. Under-fueled Saturday recovery is where GC hopes end — even short 2-day events reward disciplined recovery.
Travel to Goiás often pushes international riders to new gels, drinks or bars mid-race. Bring your rehearsed staples and only supplement locally.
Because sweat evaporates fast, riders systematically underestimate sodium loss. A structured plan tied to fluid intake (600–1200 mg/L) prevents late-race cramping and cognitive fog.
Late Pirenópolis dinners with low carbohydrate content leave you starting Stage 2 in deficit. Non-negotiable — negotiate early dinner service with your accommodation.
Sunburn on Stage 1 becomes a heat and sleep problem for Stage 2. SPF 50+ reapplied at every aid stop is a performance decision, not comfort.
Confirm start times, cutoffs, aid station layout and drop-bag policy from the final 2026 Rider Guide on brasilride.com.br — logistics evolve year to year.
Brasil Ride was founded in 2011 as a 7-day MTB stage race in the Chapada Diamantina, Bahia, quickly becoming one of the most respected multi-day events in South America. The organization expanded to Espinhaço (Minas Gerais), Pirenópolis (Goiás), and Paraíba (Northeast coast), building the flagship Brazilian stage-race circuit.
Brasil Ride Pirenópolis is the shortest Brasil Ride format — 2 days / 75 mi / 10,500 ft — making it the entry point to the circuit for riders who want the Brasil Ride experience without a full week off work. Its 2-day format also makes it a popular training race for riders preparing for longer Brasil Ride events later in the year.
Pirenópolis was founded in 1727 as a gold mining town and is a UNESCO-listed Historical and Cultural Heritage site, protected by IPHAN since 1989. Its cobbled streets, colonial baroque architecture and cachoeiras make the race base as much a cultural destination as an athletic one — the tagline captures it: 'O Mountain Bike encontra a cultura e a história'.
The race routes through the Serra dos Pireneus mountain range and surrounding Goiás cerrado. Cerrado is one of the world's most biodiverse savanna ecosystems, hosting over 12,000 plant species. Race-week riders get quartzite ridges, waterfall trails and open-cerrado ridgelines within a compact weekend.
Two riders on the same start line can need very different fueling. FTP, target finish time, body mass, sweat rate, temperature, altitude adaptation, nutrition products and race goals all change the answer. A generic 60 g/hr recommendation is a starting point, not a plan.
Free calculators, checklists and articles to help you personalize your Brasil Ride Piri plan.
A practical race-week checklist: carbs, hydration, sodium, caffeine and race-day supplies — print it or keep it on your phone.
Every athlete is different. FTP, finish time, body weight, sweat rate, weather, nutrition preferences and race goals all change what you should eat and drink.
FuelQ Pro builds a personalized race fueling strategy tuned to your ride — carbohydrate, hydration, sodium, caffeine and recovery, mapped to the course.
A Race Fueling Plan gives you a personalized strategy for this event. The free checklist helps you prepare the basics first: race-week setup, 48-hour prep, race morning, hydration, sodium, caffeine, aid stations, and backup calories.
