Pinkbike Awards - 2015 Downhill Race of the Year Winner

Jan 18, 2016 at 14:02
by Pinkbike Staff  
new MTB awards logo 2015
Downhill Race of the Year Winner






Of the many glorious gravity-fed contests that took place behind dual crown forks and against a ticking clock last season, Pinkbike could select only three epic venues to become your 'downhill race of the year' nominees. Last year we awarded Hafjell, in Norway, the title. This year the trophy goes a little further south and gets a little more Catalan to settle in the Pyrenean venue of Vallnord. What do Hafjell 2014 and Vallnord 2015 have in common... the answer is a double-barreled blast of World Champs on a superb track.



Danny Hart shreds the morning light on the second day of beautiful weather her in Andorra.

Vallnord, Andorra, World Championships

Yes, Vallnord last September was one hell of a race. The trend of recent years to hold the battle for the rainbows as an end of season grand finale has proved a most excellent choice. With the 7 rounds of the World Cup all wrapped up for better or worse, riders have nothing left to lose and everything to gain... gold is on the line and in under five minutes it could be theirs. This crazy format was undoubtedly the reason things went so berserk in Norway and surely played a significant role in shaping the all-time racing we had the pleasure of witnessing in Andorra.

After a serene track walk, proceedings continued cruelly; no man, women or child should have to endure such adverse conditions behind bars... the slop penetrating even the thickest, waxiest of rain-wear, turning gloves to sponges and goggles to blindfolds. The mean weather plagued practice, transforming the steepest track of the year into a cascading waterfall of slime that remained long after the sun attempted to come to the rescue. Race morning came around and the downhill elite found themselves racing in front of ecstatic crowds in some kind of high mountain paradise, albeit a now heavily rutted one.
Some local guy who was ripping out throats in the forest all afternoon.

Racing Vallnord was 'character building', we can say that, but it was all the grim drama in the mud that gave it soul and despite everything the rare 'pits up top' venue operated like clockwork to bring us prime racing across all categories. Loic Bruni's emotional triumph was then a jewel in the crown of a spectacular event the downhill community will want to remember long into the future. Congratulations to Vallnord, Pinkbike's much-deserved downhill race of the year 2015.

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58 Comments
  • 99 7
 never got to see this race due to redbull never posting the replay... like actually wtf every race all year gets a replay except this one FML
  • 9 4
 dammit! you just reminded me of that. yeah. that sucked. been routing for loic to get a win for 2 seasons.
  • 14 1
 Damn that sucks because it was really good Wink
  • 30 1
 I am 100% sure I watched this race on replay later in the evening the day it happened.
  • 4 3
 Where is the replay now?
  • 11 19
flag enduroelite (Jan 22, 2016 at 11:45) (Below Threshold)
 #thisisntheraceyourlookingfor
  • 4 1
 @sino428 if you did your lucky. I tried watching like 5 hours after and got nothing. tried everyday for like a week after with no luck... such a let down
  • 2 0
 @zephxiii I wanted to check some of the replays of the races and I couldn't find any, don't know why but I think they've deleted all of them
  • 22 0
 #nismo323gotrobbed
  • 2 1
 @nismo325 - that sucks man. I didn't realize there was any issue with it.
  • 1 1
 Badass of the year. All others can just go wear spandex. Congrats!
  • 3 0
 Didn't want to miss it so got up early af to watch it
  • 9 20
flag Blt99 (Jan 22, 2016 at 13:22) (Below Threshold)
 What dont people understand??!! Gwin won a world cup race without a freaking chain!!!!!
  • 3 0
 Priorities. Some people want to watch it, some don't.
  • 2 0
 @tiagofernandex lol
  • 3 0
 I had no trouble watching the replay on RedBull TV the next day. So did my kid, at a different time from me. The trouble was finding it. It appears to be gone now, but all the other DH World Cups from 2015 are still there (just difficult to find through Redbull's terrible, atrocious, abysmal, idiotic search function).

Oh yeah, no way was this the best race, although it was a good one for sure.
  • 1 0
 I seem to recall watching the replay too as I was away over that weekend. Redbull's search function is awful though...
  • 5 1
 Redbull not posting a replay isn't the reason you didn't see the race. It's due to your lackadaisical approach to life. Now get outta bed and clean your room.
  • 5 1
 There was a replay available on RedBull TV for a few weeks. But I remember the page saying something like "this replay will be available until such & such a date, after that Redbull will produce a highlight reel".

There seems to be some sort of broadcasting restrictions on World Champs that doesn't apply to the World Cups.

So you missed it. Just like you would have missed a live broadcast sporting event on TV in the past if you didn't dedicate time to watching it when the even happened.

If everyone keeps complaining about the free content, the providers will just stop providing it.
This setup we have right now with Redbull live streaming the UCI DH and then making it available after the fact is f*cking awesome. Beggars can't be choosers.

If you want to complain about something, go try to watch a UFC fight for free.
  • 1 1
 here it is www.redbull.tv/videos/event-stream-584/downhill-final-men on my computer it doesn't work .. dont know for you guys maybe
  • 3 1
 yeah there it is... but it don't work because of a bunch of FAIL going on at redbull.tv.
  • 1 0
 @HpSauce I have a life buddy so i cant always make online to see it when it happens especially for european races. Every other DH race has a replay except this one. I wouldn't say its complaining to expect the same from this race. yes I guess if this was on TV 10 years ago i would have missed it... but even then they had replays lol and its 2016 so thats kinda irrelevant.
  • 1 0
 Gotta call shenanigans on that statement. People with lives don't waste their time arguing on the internet. Wink
  • 2 0
 Saw world's in Andorra and I was looking forward to watching the replay a week later but it got removed.I did ask redbull but I received a guarded response about rights...or lack of.
  • 22 3
 I was there, epic race, epic resort. Go to the WC race in September and bring your bike, the bike park trails are separate from the DH course so you can shred laps and still watch practise and the race. Oh and also has the cheapest booze in Europe.
  • 7 37
flag Blt99 (Jan 22, 2016 at 13:22) (Below Threshold)
 What dont people understand??!! Gwin won a world cup race without a freaking chain!!!!!
  • 4 1
 So true, love andorra
  • 24 3
 I am a 32 year old man that shed tears for a little French dude.Thankfully it was justified.
  • 12 2
 It was an awesome race, I guess this means that Aaron Gwin will win highlight of the year then.
  • 1 1
 Obviously.
  • 4 0
 the way Gwins going he'll win the longest team to be announced title,
  • 12 3
 for all american come to mont ste anne this summer 1 USD$ = 1.45 CAD$ we have great craft beer the only thing more expensiving then the usa will be the GAZ
  • 1 15
flag Manx (Jan 22, 2016 at 11:22) (Below Threshold)
 1 USD$ = $1.30 CAD
  • 3 2
 The after party was great too! Ratboy was moshing!
  • 10 1
 1 USD = 1.415 at this exact moment.
  • 11 0
 Thanks a lot @Vaclav just canceled my tickets...
  • 3 0
 the bank always charges a bit more than the actual exchange rate too. I paid 45 or 46 cents on the dollar a couple days ago
  • 1 0
 MSA is fun as hell!
  • 5 3
 Lourdes, in my opinion, was a much more exciting race and venue. I'd wager that every world champs is the "race of the year" because it is simply that, most important singular race.
  • 4 1
 True, much better than the race where that dude won with no chain
  • 4 5
 Was just scrolling through yahoo news and this was on the home page:
www.grindtv.com/bike/u-s-marines-crack-down-on-trespassers-confiscate-45-mountain-bikes/#YgKxs5VevK7EodHe.97
Marines confiscate over 45 mtn bikes. Let's start a little discussion on how you guys feel about this LOL.
  • 2 0
 Learn to read the signs for your own safety specially near Marine bases conducting live fire all the time. These guys got the bikes confiscated and ticketed for trespassing, but they can get their bikes back as soon as they pay their ticket. Live to ride another day!
  • 1 0
 Best bike barks i've evere ridden, was there during championship -avesome place, avesome racing, avesome prties, avesome trails, both vallnord and granvalira
  • 1 0
 Have to agree. Loic finally getting the top spot was pretty emotional. Was so gutted for Gwin too, he was on fire until he went off the muddy bridge.
  • 4 2
 True, much better than the race where that dude won with no chain
  • 3 1
 My next eurotrip for sure.
  • 2 1
 Good call, it was an awesome race last year. I'm so looking forward to the season getting underway again.
  • 2 0
 He still had a chain.
  • 3 3
 No wonder!! I was all out goose bumps when Bruni crossed!!!!!!!
  • 2 3
 That was sick... but I think it would be 100 times sicker if it was wet like practice days
  • 6 6
 first one for Loic
  • 1 2
 Hafjell??
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