Leogang DH and 4X Practice - UCI World Championships 2012
 |
Downhill Practice
 |
 Taking a little time to get things right before the first practice session today in Austria... |
 |
| Many teams come to Worlds to get acclimated for the biggest race of the year. Roy and Jacy enjoy a nice swing and a Monster Monday morning before the circus began. |
 |
| A new tire or just a spin on an old one? Schwalbe representatives were tight lipped... |
 |
| Mmmm! You can smell the newness... |
 |
| The lineups here this week are already mental. Riders have to stand in a huge gondola line, and then a huge start line. Even world champs have to endure the wait, no free passes just for having rainbows. |
 |
| The views are not that bad if you look away from the track. If you look towards the track though, the UCI has made sure all you see is a gravel sidewalk, 4 layers of course tape and lots of ugly banners. Pity, because Austria is easily one of the most beautiful places in Europe, if not the world. |
 |
| Sending it with a bit of style: Gwin and Jusso dropping in on the track. |
 |
| Sam and Troy roll into the track as loads of spectators look on. It was already extremely busy on day one, it should be a good week for fans. |
 |
| Troy Brosnan has some unfinished business here in Leogang. |
 |
| Sam Blenkinsop winding his way down through the miles of tape... |
 |
| The Massi boys doing a bit of spy vs spy in the upper berms. |
 |
| One of the rare technical parts of the track, a 3' drop mid track. |
 |
| Crusty and dusty up top--the track is loose in a few spots, getting chewed up into some gnarly braking bumps in others. |
 |
| Super good to see Micayla Gatto back in the saddle and raising cain back at MSA and Windham. She podiumed both events, and this track favors a rider with the body and fitness to mash some big gears... |
 |
| Greg Minnaar makes his way through the first woods on his custom bike and kit. |
 |
| Peaty playing cat and mouse with Minnaar. Peaty's name wasn't on the official list for Worlds, but it's all good, British Cycling simply forgot to enter him... |
 |
| The Syndicate boys like to train in practice, so it often happens that you get the whole team in one frame... |
 |
| Bryceland in a frame by himself |
 |
| Canada's Casey Brown navigates the upper roots. Look for Casey to do extremely well this week coming off of her Canadian Open win at Crankworx one of the harder tracks in awhile. Someone at team Canada needs to quiet her bike down though... |
 |
| Connor Fearon is one of the nicest, quietest kids on the World Cup. He got a brand new Fox helmet today complete with custom graphics. He was so fired up he decided to show everyone just how over the moon he was... by jumping over it. |
 |
| Damien Spagnolo showed us last year in Champery that he can handle the pressure of World Champs, how will he do this year? |
 |
| Hmm, I may have to keep an eye on that wheel size. KHS has a 650 prototype DH bike, and Bingelli is rocking a Dorado--a fork that will take a 650b wheel... |
 |
| Sam Hill was practicing solo today and seemed to be feeling fairly good. He was definitely being very calculated today: stopping frequently to check line choice and assess possibilities. It'd be good to see the Sam Hill of old back in the tip shack. |
 |
| Gee Atherton takes the smaller, faster line heading into the lower woods. |
 |
| Aaron Gwin playing, going fast, and shooting video for Go Pro. |
 |
| All eyes will be on Loic Bruni coming Sunday in the Jr DH. |
 |
| The last drop can be rolled, or it can be absolutely sent. Bryn Atkinson went the biggest, but this guy was also sending it right to the bottom. |
 |
| Ben Reid, clocking in his 500th and final run of the day here at Leogang with a bit of glide over the few roots that were (fortunately) not chopped out in the first woods. |
 |
| Bernat Guardia Pascal goofing off at the end of practice. |
Four Cross Practice
 |
| The Olympics are over, so the BMX guys are back! Roger Rinderknecht and David Graf |
 |
| 4X Go Pro train over the big gap. |
 |
| No lift for the 4X. This off-camber spot will probably cause some serious problems during Fridays qualis. |
 |
| Michael Prokop |
 |
| Felix Beckeman, your 2012 European 4x champion, styling on the biggest one of the reshaped jumps. |
 |
| Marc Maurissen loves it when his riders clear the transitions and land flat--hard. It keeps a guy busy. |
 |
| HB working over the new beer dispenser in the SRAM Pit... |
 |
| John Dawson is a World Cup legend. He is king of all things sponsorship for SRAM, has been on the World Cup for ages and always brings a good time. Tonight he decided on a whim to have a SRAM happy hour. 25 minutes later, bratwurst and a keg showed up. Thanks John, you're the man! |
Author Info:
Must Read This Week
Sign Up for the Pinkbike Newsletter - All the Biggest, Most Interesting Stories in your Inbox
PB Newsletter Signup
Looks like it says "SUP" on the frame?
live.redbull.tv/events/132/uci-4x-world-championship/
Why is that guy on the 1st picture shooting up Roids?