The Nordkette Downhill.PRO 2012 – A World Champion Gathering!

Greg Minnaar (RSA) is one of the famous entries on the starting list at the Nordkette Downhill.PRO Innsbruck Invitational 2012 ©Santa Cruz Syndicate

As the 2012 UCI Mountainbike & Trials World Championships are around the corner in Leogang, Austria, the final preparations on the Nordkette Singletrail in Innsbruck for the Nordkette Downhill.PRO 2012 on 8th September are underway. Innsbruck is expecting one week of downhill action, when big names of the international downhill scene are going to meet each other for biking, relaxing and sightseeing in Innsbruck and fight for victory in the team challenge at the exciting final on Saturday.

Some riders enjoying sightseeing downtown host city Innsbruck at Nordkette Downhill.PRO 2011. Innsbruck is ready to welcome the teams soon again in 2012! ©Felix Schüller

With the participation of several times world champion Sam Hill from Australia, three-time overall downhill world-cup winner and 2003 world champion Greg Minnaar from South Africa and female downhill world champion 2011 Emmeline Ragot (FRA) the Nordkette Downhill.PRO Innsbruck Invitational turns into a gathering of titles and promises downhill action at the highest level! Top-class names of the international downhill scene and top teams, normally just seen in the world-cup circus will take on the legendary and quite world-cup worthy Scott Nordkette Singletrail high above the roofs of its host city Innsbruck. Since six stops of the world-cup have already taken place this season and the riders have already checked in at the UCI world championship at Leogang, the roster for the Nordkette Downhill.PRO is complete and nearly all wildcards are assigned.

Shaun O`Connor (AUS) is rockin` the Nordkette Singletrail high above downtown Innsbruck at Nordkette Downhill.PRO 2011 ©Peter Buchebner

Brook MacDonald of New Zealand who just made his first world-cup win in Val d’Isère, French 2011 downhill world champion Emmeline Ragot, currently ranked 10th in the world-cup Canadian Steve Smith, Austrian downhill champion Matthias Haas or the top stars Greg Minnaar (RSA) and Sam Hill (AUS) – these and many more will move on to the Tyrolean capital a week after the UCI world championship at Leogang.

The “downhill warriors“ of CG Racing Brigade (AND) who are new to the Nordkette Downhill.PRO Innsbruck Invitational will enter the race with a top-class substitute, due to injury of their team leader and downhill-legend Cedric Gracia. No one less but three-time overall downhill world-cup winner and world champion Greg Minnaar (RSA) has confirmed his participation at the 2012 Nordkette Downhill.PRO and battles alongside Gabriela Williams (CZE) and Marcelo Gutierrez Villegas (COL) for CG Racing Brigade for the win! Just for once he will start without his team “Santa Cruz Syndicate”.

At the very last minute the five-time world champion Sam Hill and his team “Monster Energy Specialized Racing” have announced to start. He will be accompanied by 19-year old fellow Australian, junior overall world-cup winner and junior world champion Troy Brosnan who is back in the saddle just in time after an injury. As Sam Hill is known for preferring steep and technical tracks he’s traded as one to break the track record set by Brook MacDonald at 9:26 min.

Junior overall world-cup winner and Junior world champion Troy Brosnan racing at Nordkette Downhill.PRO 2011 ©Trailsolutions


Final Entries for the Nordkette Downhill.PRO Innsbruck Invitational 2012
(subject to change)

MS Mondraker Racing (AUT)
Alpine Commencal Austria (AUT)
Yeti Fox Shox Factory Race Team (USA)
Dirt Norco Race Team (IRL)
Hutchinson United Ride (FRA)
Riding Addiction Commencal (FRA)
CG Racing Brigade (AND)
Devinci Global Racing (CAN)
Monster Energy Specialized Racing (USA)

For more informations visit us at www.nordkette-downhill.at