THIS WEEK IN PRO CYCLING »

Get the VeloNews Email Newsletter FREE

  Learn More | Archive
Home » Top Stories » Mountain » UCI Mountain Bike World Championships

World Mountain Bike Championships gravity events preview

Hill, Jonnier look to complete DH three-peat

Published: Jun. 19, 2008

The winner of Saturday’s downhill world championship race might not even have to turn one pedal stroke to victory. That’s because the root-covered, rock strewn course in Val di Sole, Italy, boasts such a constantly steep grade that riders will focus more on controlling their speed than propelling their rigs.

“It’s going to go to whoever has the sack to be aggressive and let their bike go the speed of gravity,” said American Duncan Riffle (Cannondale-Bravo), the 2005-06 national champion. “It’s definitely not a pedaler’s course. You almost need a parachute on you back because it’s so hard to slow down.”

Riffle called the course, which drops from atop the Partenze gondola, a mix between the World Cup tracks in Maribor, Slovenia and Champéry, Switzerland. Maribor gets the nod because of Val di Sole’s abundance of twisting, off-camber roots. And Champéry — that’s because of the track’s scarily steep gradient.

The dangerous blend of speed and technical riding has most fans looking at one man, Australian Sam Hill. Hill (Monster-Ironhorse) is the most dominant force on a downhill bike over the past three seasons, not to mention the two-time defending world champion, last year’s World Cup champ and winner of this year’s Maribor World Cup on May 11. And perhaps Hill’s greatest show of talent came on the Champéry course in 2007 — while his competitors enjoyed clear conditions, Hill weathered a sudden downpour to finish a close second on the steep, mud-covered course.

Matti Lehikoinen (Intense) escaped with the Champéry win last year, and believes Hill is again the favorite in Val di Sole. Lehikoinen will unfortunately miss worlds after suffering a deep haematoma on his left knee after crashing on a metal bridge in Fort William, Scotland.

“Last year he was clearly on a different level, and I reckon Sam is still the man to beat,” Lehikoinen said. “I think everyone else has improved. They saw what Sam did last year and forced themselves to catch up. This year we’ve had three World Cups and three different winners.”

Lehikoinen named Hill, Greg Minnaar, Steve Peat (both Santa Cruz Syndicate) and Gee Atherton (Animal-Commençal) as the four strongest riders in men’s downhill. Atherton took the second World Cup in Vallnord, Andorra and Minnaar won convincingly at the June 7 event in Fort William, Scotland, his first World Cup victory in two years.

That victory has Minnaar, the 2003 world champion, riding a wave of confidence coming into the world champs. The South African unsuccessfully chased Hill in 2007, and saw his results fall short due to a separated shoulder. Minnaar then crashed on the injured wing at the worlds in Fort William, breaking his scapula.

“I think it proves that [the win] is still open, it’s going to be a close race this weekend,” Minnaar said. “I think the rider who is willing to take risks and manage to stay on line will get it.”

The 2008 women’s downhill World Cup has also produced three winners in as many rounds. Two-time defending world champ Sabrina Jonnier (Maxxis) took the opening round in Maribor, with Rachel Atherton (Animal-Commençal) winning in Andorra and Brit Tracy Moseley (Kona) taking top honors at Fort William.

The Frenchwoman Jonnier owns the psychological advantage, having claimed the world title on similarly steep tracks in Rotorua, New Zealand and Fort William. But with a week of rain having churned the track into thick mud in its shaded midsection, Atherton could be the woman to beat. The 21-year-old excels in the rain and mud.

“I’ve had injuries the past two years and never really got out of the starting blocks at worlds,” Atherton said. “This year I’m healthy. I’m hoping for rain.”

Four Cross

In 2007 the United States scored matching rainbow jerseys in four cross, as Brian Lopes and Jill Kintner waged successful campaigns in Fort William. But the chances of the United States pulling another double rainbow day are slim in 2008.

Kintner is a no-go for Val di Sole. The Seattle resident, who has owned the four cross title since 2005, is taking a break from the discipline this year to pursue the Olympics in BMX. Kintner, the 2008 USA national BMX champ, earned her spot to Beijing in last month.

Kintner’s absence will open the door for Dutchwoman Anneke Beerten (Intense), who finished second to the American in 2006 and 2007 and is two for three on the 2008 World Cup schedule. Her loss in Fort William came at the hands of Czech rider Jana Horikova, the 2004 world champ.

Choosing a men’s winner isn’t as easy. Brit Dan Atherton (Animal-Commençal), Spaniard Rafael Alvarez (De Lara Lucas) and Australia’s Jared Graves (Yeti-Fox) have all taken World Cup victories this season. And while Lopes has yet to claim a World Cup victory this season, the Californian has targeted his sport’s biggest title as his main objective with his new bicycle sponsor, Ibis.

Atherton will not factor into Saturday's duel. The Brit crashed during practice on Sunday, breaking his collarbone. A Lopes-Graves duel appears the safest bet for the finals. The Aussie is riding incredible form from his buildup for BMX Olympics, and the American owns the skills under pressure to succeed.