5 Things You Need To Know - DH World Championships Vallnord 2015

Sep 2, 2015
by Fraktiv  


1. THE VENUE



Legend has it that the principality of Andorra was established in the late 8th Century as a buffer state by Emperor Charlemagne to keep the Moors from advancing into France. Through the ages, the land was granted to the Diocese of Urgell. Things were relatively quiet in Andorra up until the inter-war years when France garrisoned soldiers there to halt any Spanish Civil War influence rising through the Pyrenees, and during the Second World War, Andorra became an important smuggling route, especially for the French Resistance. In a strange twist of history, it wasn't until 1958 that Andorra declared peace with Germany. A bit late to the party but in fact a declaration of peace between these two countries had been omitted from the Treaty of Versailles after the First World War.

From the 1950's onwards, the little known land became a popular tourist destination after much investment in infrastructure. In 1993 it finally became a parliamentary democracy, leading to reforms in its legal and trade systems. Andorra still remains as a popular tax haven thanks to its banking secrecy laws.

Andorra is a fantastic place to come and do wee bit of shopping--particularly for luxury items at ahem affordable prices. Rolex anyone Maybe bottle of 500 euro perfume Fresh seafood Or maybe a bit of banking Or how about a 1000 euro bottle of Scotch Whiskey complete with it s own imitation Faberge egg case

The Vallnord resort, in the most northerly valley in Andorra, is a product of the country's focus on tourism. The creation of this ‘mega destination' was the result of a merger between two resorts in 2004: Pal Arinsal and Arcalis. The result of these resorts joining forces meant that Vallnord turned into the third largest ski resort on the Iberian Peninsula in terms of visitor numbers. Vallnord Bike Park La Massana opened officially in 2005 in an effort by the government to make the most of activity-based tourism in the summer months. The resort soon started to hold races, but Vallnord first entered the melee of UCI World Cup DH MTB back in 2008, and the resort has been a favourite of riders ever since.

Poolhouse
Vallnord Tourist Board
By road, you can get to Vallnord via one of the main routes from Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, Tarragona or Toulouse. From Barcelona, you're looking at around a 215km drive which will take around three hours. Alternatively, you can drive from Toulouse, France, which will be the same travel time but with more hairpin bends involved!

Want to get in by public transport? Unfortunately, there are no trains stations in Andorra, so the best way is to get there by bus, or a train to L'Hospitalet, France (3 km from the Andorran border), or Puigcerda, Spain (80 km from the Andorran border), and hop on a bus to the resort. Alternatively, if you're mega rich, you can hire a helicopter for €2,500 which will take you and four of your friends to La Massana from either Toulouse or Barcelona in under an hour.



2. THE TRACK



Used in 2008, 2009 and 2013, the Vallnord World Cup track was named as the second-best on the circuit - behind Fort William - in 2013, and it was also crowned ‘Best DH World Cup Track' by the World Cup riders in the 2013 Pinkbike Awards. With that in mind, the anticipation is very high for this race. The riders are excited and we're itching to see another epic battle unfold this weekend for the last time this year.


The Vallnord Bike Park includes 40km of downhill tracks, as well as three lifts providing access to the 23 tracks at different levels: the Massana gondola lift, which departs from the village centre and reaches La Caubella (1,950 metres), and two chairlifts, Serra II and El Cubil. These lifts takes visitors up to the highest point in the bike park, at 2,350 metres.

There s only really one section where you could pick up a tan and that s going to be short lived because it looks flat out. Very scenic though..
90 of the course is deep in beautiful woods.
Using the 2013 World Cup track as a baseline for this year's Worlds track, the course will include the physically demanding top section, followed by some new features in the mid-zone. The final section is notoriously steep and has been updated especially for our lucky World Championship riders. The track is 2.5km long and includes a 700m elevation change finishing just outside the resort. The organisers predict the best time down the hill will be around the four-minute mark.


bigquotesI'm really excited to go to the Worlds. I missed racing so much when I was injured. Even though where I live it is so good to relax during the summer, I really realised how much I love being at the start gate! It took me time to go fast again but now I think I'm one-hundred percent. As for racing in Andorra - the home of my the majority of my sponsors - I don't often see everyone so it's great to have them all around me for this race. The Andorran people are just amazing - always happy, dancing, partying - so it's going to be pretty relaxed and I'm lucky that whatever I do, Max Commencal is ALWAYS happy with my results. In terms of the track, I haven't been riding this particular track any more than my rivals, so it's going to be the same for everyone. The key thing about it on race day is to stay comfortable in the steep sections and making sure you don't get too much arm-pump because it is such a long track. - Myriam Nicole, Commencal/Vallnord

Fisheye Myrium
bigquotesIt's probably the steepest track of the year and this place is just magical. Huge mountains around and such a flowy course. It really show the talent of the riders because it's all about technique, speed and commitment, It's long too so the one that will hold all that together will grab the rainbow for sure. I cant wait! - Loic Bruni, Lapierre Gravity Republic

Loic leaves the start hut 4th last tomorrow after coming down only 2.88 seconds behind Monster Energy s finest yesterday.
The track has been given a lot of updates since Claudio Caluori took us down it in 2013. There's a lot of old-school about it. It's off-camber, steep, twisty, tight, rooty and full of rocks, with the track cutting through the trees throughout the majority of the descent, it's going to be tough going for the broadcasters to get comprehensive coverage of the action.





3. THE WEATHER



With Autumn officially here (at least meteorologically speaking), weather patterns are shifting over Europe. Another mini-heatwave from Africa has meant the Continent has been basking in sunshine but low pressure from the north is set to change things for the worse. Andorra will see clouds and a fall in temperature this week, with showers and chances of thunderstorms continuing to chase down the World Cup circus, as it has done this year in Europe. Luckily though, Saturday is scheduled to be cool but clear of clouds, which will offer some respite for the teams. On Sunday - race day - the forecast points to there being some sun, followed by clouds, followed by passing showers. It's too early to tell when the showers might occur, but it will sure keep everyone on edge.

When it rains it pours. Just about every day here in Andorra has been like this since Sunday. The morning is clear skies and the weather tends to turn around 2pm about everyday. Finals is looking good for the rain and the course shouldn t be a problem if it stays dry.



4. THE VANQUISHED



Beaten by Gee Atherton here in 2008 by 0.31 seconds and top qualifier in both 2009 and 2013, but still no cigar... Vallnord seems to have had 'Sam Hill' written all over it more than once, but the man's never managed to shut it down come finals and take the elusive win.

SH

Andorra is rough and wild and for some riders, they just can't seem to break a bad habit. Greg Minnaar had back-to-back third-place finishes here in 2008 and 2009, only beating that by coming sixth in 2013 despite being fastest through the speed trap that year. Perhaps his form of late will throw out the precedent and get Greg onto the top step of the podium for the last international race of the season.

5th for Greg
Crowds

New Zealander Cam Cole had a horrific crash here in 2013 that was caught by the broadcast cameras for all to see, including his parents who were watching back home on the other side of the world. Going out the front door, Cam seemed to almost bring it back, but his front suspension and gravity were having none of it. He got pushed out towards the side of the track and went OTB, landing on his head. Lucky for Cam he wasn't knocked out and he managed to push his head away from the dirt during the second roll he was going through. The course was closed for a long while whilst medics carefully made him stable enough to be transported on the helicopter and out to hospital. It turned out that Cam crushed and fractured his T7 vertebra, meaning he was sadly out of the World Cup circuit for a long while.



In 2009, multiple time Swedish national champ - Robin Wallner made one of the most memorable finishes we've seen broadcast at a World Cup. On full gas, Rob hurtled across the finish line, but looked to have run out of brakes and had no choice but to slide off his bike in the finish corral. In doing so, he slammed into one of the broadcast cameramen, wiping him off his feet like a rag doll. Rob crossed the line in 20th place, so not a bad result for Rob, but the ultimate vanquished in this case was the cameraman and his camera!

Views: 15,788    Faves: 49    Comments: 8




5. THE VICTORS



It goes without saying that Rémi Thirion has some kind of wildman connection with this track. He won here in 2013, coming from 15th in sector 1, to pulling out an outstanding third and final sector. Only recently signed with Commencal, Thirion's win in Vallnord was dramatic for the crowds and devastating for his competitors. It proved that if you put an old school track on the calendar, Thirion would be your man. At this year's Catalan Cup, Thirion once again crushed the competition, beating Minnaar and several other top World Cup racers to the bottom. Can he do it again this year? He's been off injured but his focus has been this race, so all bets are off.



After 18 years of racing, 10 World Cup podium appearances (including two for Dual Slalom), 5 medals for World Champ podiums (including two as a Junior), a victory at the third Red Bull Rampage, and 440 days in rehab for injuries, Cedric Gracia, the Flying Frenchman called it a day on his World Cup career in Vallnord in 2013. Andorra is his home these days, and he's been working with the Bike Park to make sure the track is just right for the present day World Cup racers to enjoy.

Rachel decided to keep the Union Jack sleeve for another year.

Vallnord's been good to Rachel Atherton on two out of three occasions - first in 2008 when she took her and Gee's first simultaneous victory together, alongside brother Dan who won the 4X. She then went on to take a second win here over Manon Carpenter in 2013.

Views: 45,327    Faves: 345    Comments: 30

In 2009, the World Cup came to Vallnord for the second time in its history. Steve Peat was on top of his game and took an historic win here to claim not just his second consecutive World Cup DH victory, but also his 17th career win. In doing so, Peaty managed to better the long-standing record held by the legendary Nicolas Vouilloz.



HISTORICAL ELITE MEN RESULTS FROM VALLNORD
DATEEVENTWINNERWINNING TIMEWINNING MARGIN
2008UCI World CupGee ATHERTON2:35.35 0.31s
2009UCI World CupSteve PEAT2:22.0500.020s
2013Catalan CupGreg MINNAAR4:30.572 0.102s
2013UCI World CupRémi THIRION4:13.666 1.350s
2015Catalan CupRémi THIRION4:21.432.16s


HISTORICAL ELITE WOMEN RESULTS FROM VALLNORD
DATEEVENTWINNERWINNING TIMEWINNING MARGIN
2008UCI World CupRachel ATHERTON2:55.308.47s
2009UCI World CupSabrina JONNIER2:41.5803.870s
2013Catalan CupManon CARPENTER5:28.5061:41.795
2013UCI World CupRachel ATHERTON4:47.778 1.617s
2015Catalan CupMyriam NICOLE4:56.561.73s


HISTORICAL JUNIOR MEN RESULTS FROM VALLNORD
DATEEVENTWINNERWINNING TIMEWINNING MARGIN
2008UCI World CupDanny HART2:45.24 No data
2009UCI World CupDanny HART2:27.970No data
2013Catalan CupFerran JORBA PRATS4:37.3672.896s
2013UCI World CupMike JONES4:23.6440.468s
2015Catalan CupAlex MARIN TRILLO4:31.75 10.45s


HISTORICAL JUNIOR WOMEN RESULTS FROM VALLNORD
DATEEVENTWINNERWINNING TIMEWINNING MARGIN
2008UCI World CupMélanie PUGIN3:32.26No data
2009UCI World CupAnais PAJOT10:37.693No data
2013Catalan CupNo dataNo dataNo data
2013UCI World CupTahnée SEAGRAVE5:14.437No data
2015Catalan CupMarine CABIROU5:33.577.24s

Note: The Junior Men and Junior Women categories received wider recognition from the UCI in 2013. More information here.



Stay tuned to Pinkbike for all the news from Vallnord this weekend, and don't forget to keep up to date with the live timing from timed training and finals on the site from the following times:

SUNDAY - FINALS
10:30 CEST - Junior Men and Junior Women
12:30 CEST - Elite Women
14:00 CEST - Elite Men

Bros to the line


MENTIONS: @geebeebee / @natedh9 / @meagerdude / @parisgore / @COMMENCALbicycles / @Lapierre-Bikes



Author Info:
fraktiv avatar

Member since May 14, 2008
227 articles

45 Comments
  • 52 0
 Great write up pinkbike! Can't wait for the coverage this week and action come this weekend
  • 4 1
 FINALLY!!!!
  • 14 3
 am I a bad person for being laughing so hard with that camera man crash?
  • 7 3
 All the hype about prior races in Andorra, and yet only one of those (2013) was even on the same hill let alone the same track. The first track they raced there was a COMPLETELY different beast, and saying things like "Sam Hill beaten by Gee by 0.31 blah blah on this track" is a bit pointless given that it's not actually the same track at all. The only person who's won a WC on this particular course, or any variant of it, is Remi Thirion. Results from 08/09 etc are irrelevant, not the same course, not even the same hill.

That said, it's going to be a sick race, so many people who could take it - Thirion, Bruni, Gwin, Brosnan, Fearon (dark horse on that track!), Minnaar, Hart, Gee, Hill, Ratboy, all in with a chance. Could even see some other loose cannon take it, seen some crazy speed from Vergier, Lucas and Mike Jones this year. If it rains, things will be AWESOME to watch!
  • 6 2
 Don't count Steve Smith out!
  • 3 4
 Steve Smith hasn't recovered from the injuries yet, from the psychological stand point really. I don't think he will come back. Hopefully I am wrong.
  • 5 1
 he's been getting good results in the second half of the season, if he can stay on his bike he'll be in the mix
  • 1 0
 Sorry, what happened to Steve Smith?
  • 1 0
 Broke his ankle (the same one) 3 times in the last two years, he got back on his bike halfway through this season and his starting to be on pace
  • 25 0
 "it's going to be tough going for the broadcasters to get comprehensive coverage of the action" that's not what I want to hear
  • 2 0
 if it's like the coverage of Thirion's run above, I'll be pretty happy...
  • 13 0
 It was a great article and remembering Cedric's final DH is an awesome addition. I am stoked for Sunday and rooting for our Canadian Girlz. and.....never count out MInnaar. I say he will take it by 2 seconds.
  • 13 0
 Id like to thank the UCI for making this the only Sunday race. It conveniently gets me out of a cookout at the in-laws!
  • 16 2
 #waitingforclaudio
  • 2 0
 At the end of section 2
  • 3 0
 that was 2013 @pigman65
  • 1 0
 opps , ha ha !!
  • 12 0
 700m of descent in 2.5k! That's extremely steep.
  • 2 0
 It is!!! Really steep from mid section to the final! In some place, it's hard to stand up!!!
  • 9 1
 Nice writing, would love to see Neko find himself here and break into the top 10 or better. Boy's had a rough year, com'on Hoss we're pullin' for you!!!
  • 5 0
 As an American I want gwin to win, as a fan of mtb I want loic to win. He is such an amazing rider and i would love to see him on top of the podium for once this year. He deserves it!
  • 7 1
 Gwin is gonna be going full gas for his first world championship win!
  • 4 0
 Forgot to mention how sam hill survived this massive crash in 2009! www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZzjnnFkAUc
  • 4 0
 Europe? Basking in sunshine? Where have you been?
  • 2 0
 Italian alps are really sunny right now, probably another story the other side of monte bianco....
  • 1 0
 And a different mountain range! Pyrenees weather is changeable to say the least right now. Was in La Molina 2 days ago rain/sunshine mix and delayed trip to Soldeu due to thunderstorms today! Frown
  • 3 0
 Did anyone else notice that Manon in 2013 won the catalan cup race by 1 minute and 41 seconds!?!
  • 2 0
 Can't friggen wait for this Sunday!
  • 3 0
 I love you CG!!
  • 1 0
 "Used in 2008, 2009 and 2013" that's just plain wrong, they used a complete different track in 2008 and 2009
  • 3 2
 No chapter about CG?? Buuuuuu...
  • 1 0
 hahaha that was my thought, i was shure CG was put on 5th place, but nothing of tht Frown ...
  • 2 1
 Aren't the DH finals on Saturday? Otherwise awesome article!
  • 3 0
 XC is on Saturday, DH on Sunday.
  • 1 0
 Right, thanks!
  • 5 2
 I must say...I have been preferring the world cups on a Saturday for sure
  • 2 2
 great article... but... THE ONE THING WE NEED TO KNOW: WHERE CAN WE WATCH IT LIVE???
  • 3 0
 I believe RedBull.TV will be broadcasting this.
  • 2 0
 he is obviously trolling
  • 1 0
 The only race broadcasting every single rider
  • 3 3
 1 thing we need to know: Where's Claudio...?
  • 8 0
 He's in Vallnord.
  • 2 0
 Never mind. Found him!
  • 3 3
 Ha ha , Warner kills the cameraman, hilarious !!
  • 1 0
 This will be ..."EPIC"!







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