Leogang World Cup 2011 - Gwin and Pugin win DH!
Gwin for the win!
Mens top 5
1. Aaron Gwin
2. Gee Atherton
3. Greg Minnaar
4. Steve Smith
5. Sam Hill
Womens top 5
1. Floriane Pugin
2. Rachel Atherton
3. Tracy Moseley
4. Myriam Nicole
5. Sabrina Jonnier
It was a beautiful day at Leogang today, course conditions were a little dryer than they were in qualifying, and the times show it. Highlights from the day include Brook Macdonald once again holding the hot seat for a while, until Sam Hill took it away from him with 15 riders left to go. One of the more exciting moments was seeing Cedric Gracia ahead of Sam Hill at the split, but he couldn't hold it and finished 0.1 behind Hill for 7th place. Still amazing to see CG coming back and almost making the Podium, stoked for him! Danny Hart was a little slower up top, almost a second back at the second split, but he pulled back hard in the bottom half finishing 0.02 back on Hill for 6th place, amazing riding from the young Giant rider, it will be interesting to see what the future holds for him. With 7 riders left Greg Minnaar threw down a blazing fast run, knocking Hill out of the hotseat with a time that was 3.5 seconds faster, unbelievable, and for a while it seemed like he might have the winning time. Stevie Smith had an sick bottom half but he couldn't make up for a slow start, 22nd at the first split, moving into 4th at the second split and ending up only 2 seconds back on Minnaar for a 4th place finish. Gee Atherton started second to last and had the fastest time at the first split, fastest at the second split, and a full 3.6 seconds ahead of Minnaar at the finish, knocking him out of the hot seat. If anyone could beat Gee it would be Aaron Gwin, last rider left to go, and he started his run 5 seconds ahead at the first split. Dropped off a bit but still almost 3 seconds ahead at the second split, and even though he blew his feet off the pedals in a stressful moment at the bottom, he still held on and finished 2.11 seconds up on Gee for the win!
Once again as in qualifying there was a huge gap between first and second and then third, and more than 9 seconds separating the 5 riders on the podium. That's an insane amount of time at this level of racing, count it out for yourself and think about how far you could ride in 9 seconds...
In the womens race Micayla Gatto was North America's fastest competitor finishing 8th. Jill Kintner looked to be having an amazing raced with the fastest first split, but our hopes for a good result from her were dashed when she crashed and ended up 18th. Sabrina Jonnier looks like shes coming back from her injury all right with a 5th place finish, however she was still 10 seconds back from Floriane. Rachel Atherton had some issues in the bottom section, second at the first split, fastest at the second split, but couldn't keep it together and ended up 2.5 seconds back of Floriane.
Aaron Gwin
Aaron Gwin's win moves him back into first for the overall ahead of Minnaar, with Gee in 3rd and Danny Hart in 4th place overall.
38849 DHI ME Results
38849 DHI WE Results
Standings after Leogang, 3 races into the season
38849 DHI ME Standings38849 DHI WE Standings
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dudes freakin out theres the sam world champs video
And as for Gwin...
Rob Warner commenting on Sam Hill I think: "He's faster than Ryan Giggs thru his brother's wife"
Hilarious commentary as always from Mr. Warner!
I remember sitting with the former editor at Decline Magazine over a year ago saying that at the rate he was progressing he was not only going to start winning but start dominating. I got a funny look when I said it but knowing what I did about how hard he trained, how straight his head was on and how he dedicated himself to his craft I knew what was coming.
I know that he doesn't need anyone coming to his defense but the real problem is that when people cry "steroids" they basically give themselves a license to discount everything he has done right to get where he is. The reason so many American DH riders get a certain point and then stall out is becuase they don't have a fraction of Aaron's drive and focus. All you young guys who are trying to come up in the ranks should be looking up to and patterning your approach after his.
Read. Pause. Think.
has peaty given up?
I wish they could get more cameras in at the top sections, kinda sucks to see the gate and then next shot be 2 and a bit minutes in. I get that the cameras must be crazy expensive though and freecaster is an amazing service, especially with Rob's commentary
Maybe they could offer a kind of 'season pass' for all the rounds so they could afford some shiny new cameras?
Also has anyone bought the dvd? I was wondering if its HD DVD quality or more a kind of download of what they stream?
and i am not saying that Gwin hasn't got skills ... let me give you a comparison to Formula 1 - there if you put any of the drivers in the field in a Red Bull car which is top of its class can make the podium, because in this sport technology makes all the difference (i.e. Michael Schumacher 7x world champ is having problems making the top 10 , because his car is lame - even though he's god MAD skills) ... DH racing i recon, is more skill and fitness based - the difference between frames (be it Trek, Specialized, Santa Cruz etc) is minimal... also they all run similar parts (ie Fox 40's, saint brakes, etc)... and to excel in DH , you either must be mega skilled (which I think that all top riders such as Gee, Greg, Aaron are on the same level), or much more fit. This is where Aaron makes the difference - his fitness must be surreal if the takes 5 seconds (which is A LOT) in just to top half of the tracks. This is where steroids or stuff like this come in handy. There was a case a while ago, where a guy won a UCI DH race and got disqualified due to steroids (or something similar) - hence this has happened before...
EDIT : maybe steroids isn't the right word because they would make you more buff - but maybe something more like Ecstasy. it just gives you some kind of physical push, and makes you perform like mad...
But anyway, I don't feel like arguing, so leave out provoking comments because this has no class.
don't get me wrong, but for someone who's racing for only the 3 rd year on the WC, to make such a massacre out of guys who have been at it for twice or three times longer just does not seem right. Also not to forget Fort William - Gwin was again around 5 seconds up on the first split and hadn't he crashed, would have left Gee and Greg behind him a mile. Meaning that Gwin would have won three rounds one after each other by a lead which is simply unreal. I have my doubts and that's it - no-one can make me think different, because athletes who have such a difference in performance just doesn't seem right.
rynoinstitute.com
Gwin trains here, I saw first hand that the training there works. Ryno has taken so many athletes to the next level, cleanly, through advanced training techniques and nutrition, hell, Ryan Hughes took my wife who had been retired for 10 years from DH, put her on a program, she only did 4 races before the world championships in MSA and was 8th place (top american) in the final-a 39yr old mom/business owner. Ryno institute works!
Gwin is bad ass.
i do kind of see what you mean how hes been racing for only 3 years and hes managed to become one of the fastest riders ever is pretty unbelievable, but i think its a lot to do with mindset not steroids
Steroids? Ridiculous!
Every sport has athletes that seem to have an edge over the competition. In reality, it's usually hard work, natural talent, and specific training that elevates these athletes. The best part is, these standout athletes set the bar higher, and the rest of the competition will rise to meet the new level of competition.
Gwinn is a great athlete from a mx background. Geat to see an American kicking ass.
Again, for the record, I do not think Aaron is the kind to do such a thing. Dedication, truck-loads of hard work, being on a big-name team with lots of support complete with secret wind-tunnel testing-results, training with Tomac and others, and Aaron's pure talent...well, you see how it adds up. Gwin reminds me of Hill some years ago when Sam took it to a new level. Also Palmer back in the day. Gwin is giving the sport a new shot in the arm, as it were. As Gee said in an interview, it's definitely good for the sport. So, there you have it, my freely volunteered -- and therefore useless -- opinion.
Go Aaron "The Android" Gwin! Go Danny Hart! Give 'er the biscuit, Steve Smith! Come on, Hill! Gee and Greg...you know what you need to do. And, lastly, the man, the legend, the consummate showman...Cedric Gracia -- yeah, Cedric! What a kick-as5 season.
One of my friends is an awesome BMX and motocross rider. Many years ago, he became Australian DH Champion in his age group just six weeks after taking up DH.