Val d'Isere DH Finals in Photos - UCI World Cup 2012

Jul 29, 2012
by Ian Hylands  
photo
  Tons of fans and an exceptional looking backdrop. It was quite the interesting World Cup week, and the most exciting race of the season so far.

photo
  Lots of flats all week meant the mechanics were coming up with all sorts of preventative measures for race day. Here, Jacy Shumilak puts an extra tube in Sam's bike to make sure he keeps the air where it belongs.

Rachel Atherton won by 1.487. We will have to wait until the last round in Norway for the overall winner.
  Rachel Atherton won by 1.487. We will have to wait until the last round in Norway for the overall winner.

Emmeline Ragot
  Emmeline Ragot has been second or third at almost every race this year, and even when she won Fort William Rachael beat her in points. But because Rachel missed the first round Emmy's still in the race for the overall, only 80 points back.

Connor Fearon was the fastest junior.
  Loic Bruni was in 7th place at the 2nd split, and looked like he would be the fastest junior, but he crashed hard near the end of the course, leaving the spot wide open for this guy, Connor Fearon, to take the junior win.

photo
  Remi Therion has been on it all week and he was sending it this morning in practice.

.
  Andrew Neethling had an early start today, and quickly went into the hot seat. It didn't last long though...

photo
  Sam Hill is smiling and getting sideways again. A crash in finals took him out of the running, but everyone had better keep an eye open at Crankworx and Worlds. Old School Sam is back.

Marc Beaumont looked pinned the whole weekend.
  Marc Beaumont was looking pinned all weekend, and while 7th place may not be what he wanted, it's nothing to complain about.

photo
  Aaron Gwin had his game face on this morning, but was riding with a bunch of stitches in his hand all day and didn't make the top 3.

Like last year Gwin secured the overall before the last round.
  While Gwin didn't manage a win here, he still managed to clinch to overall title with one race left, same as last year.

Minnaar was the first who managed to move Gwin from the hot seat.
  Minnaar was the first who managed to move Gwin from the hot seat today, that's not something we've seen much of the last 2 two seasons.

photo
  Steve Smith had a rough day and "just rode too slow" in his words. He'll be back and ready to charge at Worlds in a few weeks.

photo
  Sender Steve, sending it!

Mick was flaying in the last part of the course.
  Mick Hannah was flying on the last part of the course, and even managed to hold the hot seat for a while, although he just missed the podium.

.
  Cam Cole qualified fastest here two days ago, and everyone was waiting to see what he would do today in the fully. Unfortunately it wasn't to be, and Cole ended up in 8th spot. That's still respectable though, and it definitely served as an announcement that he's here and ready for another podium finish, Val di Sole wasn't a fluke.

photo
  Mitch Ropelato is finally riding a Carbon Demo, and rode to his best world cup result ever today in 14th place. Who knows how fast he would have been if he hadn't hung up in a corner. Some people drop the ball when given an opportunity, and some rise to the challenge. Mitch is definitely in the latter.

Second podium of the year for Josh Bryceland.
  Second podium of the year for Josh Bryceland.

Gee didn t miss a podium in 2012
  Gee hasn't missed a podium this season, although he hasn't had a win either. For a few minutes it looked like that might change, but then Brook MacDonald changed everything.

photo
  Bulldog Brook! First world cup win and Val D'Isere may burn tonight. The Vodka is already on ice at MS Mondraker.

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The racing schedule is so tight that even the top teams sometimes have to improvise.
  The racing schedule is so tight, that even the top teams sometimes have to improvise. Aaron Gwin.

.
photo
  Bulldog celebrates like a little kid. Way to go Brook, we're all stoked for you.

The man of the day.
  The man of the day!


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61 Comments
  • 44 2
 Is there no replay of the finals? I cant seem to find it - all there is is a lame recap on Redbull. Normally the whole thing is available on repeat? Anyone?

Mind you with Pinkbike plastering the results all over the front page again is it worth watching.......
  • 7 17
flag dh-andy (Jul 29, 2012 at 19:07) (Below Threshold)
 Pretty sure Emmeline Ragot got a win at Fort William this year?
  • 6 19
flag ptrsmmrs (Jul 29, 2012 at 19:10) (Below Threshold)
 Please don't kick up the old matter of PB 'leaking known information' when you pick up a newspaper you're not kept in suspense by a headline that doesn't give the overall story away, if you were they wouldn't sell and that's the fact of the matter. News is news and you just have to deal with it, pb isn't a medium in which delayed facts are given out in a press release.
  • 24 3
 Anyone have an answer aside from saying totally unrelated crap or totally useless crap that we don't care about? Wink

I'm really bummed I slept in for the best race of the year so please let there be a repeat Frown
  • 12 0
 Knowing the results ahead of time or not, it was an exciting race and definitely worth watching a replay!
  • 3 8
flag felimen (Jul 29, 2012 at 21:05) (Below Threshold)
 Try extreme.com. it might work it might not. I was having problems watching it earlier. I got cut off with about ten riders to go. Now im really pissed .
  • 3 0
 live.mpora.com/uci-downhill-world-cup-val-d-isere--2
  • 1 0
 www.uci.ch/templates/UCI/UCI5/layout.asp?MenuId=MTI1OTU&LangId=1
here as well!
  • 1 0
 Besides, if I know I'm gonna miss a wc I have a bro send me the link to live replay and go sensory deprivation to the max until I watch it. Its just as exciting!
  • 4 0
 The original pinkbike page for the stream is still functional too. It just wasn't linked from the front page for a while.

www.pinkbike.com/news/Val-dIsere-WC-Live-on-Pinkbike-UCI-World-Cup-2012.html
  • 1 0
 i found a working replay, go to the UCI website then go to the mountainbike part it the replay is on the right
  • 16 0
 So stoked for Brook! Congrats on your first win!
  • 11 0
 Of course the first race i don't catch on the live show sounds like the best one yet. And to make it all better the replay isn't even up!
  • 12 0
 WHERE IS THE REPLAY!!!!!!!!!!
  • 1 7
flag felimen (Jul 29, 2012 at 21:05) (Below Threshold)
 Try extreme. Com
  • 1 0
 www.uci.ch/templates/UCI/UCI5/layout.asp?MenuId=MTI1OTU&LangId=1
  • 11 0
 will there be a reply of the finals
  • 1 0
 uci page on the mountainbike part
  • 10 0
 the replay please...I want to see that race!!!
  • 9 0
 replay please why doesnt anyone have it
  • 8 1
 mitch ropelato got 14th on on a carbon demo. Now they need to give him a black stanction boxxer like all the top sram riders.
  • 17 0
 He was the best to watch IMHO. So aggressive. He instantly made me a fan of his.
  • 6 0
 Natural talent and he doesn't seem to be taking it for granted. Very humble to boot. How can you not like him??
  • 1 0
 f*ck Yeah...he went off...but maybe a bit too much eh?
  • 2 0
 Agreed, with the exception of Bulldog no one REALLY looked like they attacked the track as hard as Mitch did. And with how close the times were and that type of bobble he mad up a lot on such a short track.

Will he be going to worlds though? I can't recall what you need to do to qualify...
  • 1 0
 your country just chooses the riders they think will do the best, and so Mitch will probably get the call up
  • 1 0
 How many can they send?
  • 2 0
 Not sure how many. I THINK it has to do with the national rankings based on points for riders from each country and/or the amount of riders in the UCI hierarchy. Then again, I'm probably way off.

Obvious picks would be Gwin and Mulally as well as Rude in the Jrs. I'd hope Ropelato gets the nod as well as Strobel - provided there's enough spots.
  • 1 0
 ^ My thoughts exactly for picks
  • 8 0
 Bring back free caster for the tv contract. Red bull is frustrating, sort it out...
  • 10 0
 Ragot is a fox!
  • 7 1
 WTF !!!! im about to brake my computer screen why no replay!!! extreme.com doesent work!! redbull.tv doesent work !!! why god why????
  • 8 0
 great shots and congrats to Bulldog,,, but where's the REPLAY ???...
  • 2 0
 Ian - love the photos... Interestingly you are often framing the riders with "somewhere they've come from", compositionally, instead of giving them "somewhere to go"... I do the same quite a lot but don't see it often. Is it a deliberate choice?
  • 6 0
 Actually none of these are my shots, these were shot by Fraser Britton and Vanja Kodermac, but this is usually a compositional choice, given the action and what's happening. Where they're going is something that works much less often, and usually we also like to see a face.
  • 4 0
 Fuck redbull 4 making me watch that stupid video i wana watch the replay!!!!
  • 4 0
 Go the Kiwi's - shot Brook and the other boys
  • 5 0
 WHY NO REPLAY ANYWHERE?!
  • 5 1
 geee atherton
  • 1 0
 Will Redbull be covering the World Championships live as well? I only see the final WC round in Norway listed on their schedule of event
  • 1 0
 It was a pay to view event with freecaster last year - not sure what is happening this year?
  • 2 0
 Vanja Kodermac is the the photographer of the race weekend. Sick shots!
  • 3 1
 Is that Gwin wearing Minnaar signature series 5 Tens i see?
  • 1 0
 @Ian hylands Ragot has won a world Cup in Fort William this year so there is a mistake under her picture Smile
  • 1 0
 You're correct, she did. I misread it because Rachael still beat her in points at Ft Bill.
  • 1 0
 DAMN! where is the REEEEEPLAY???? redbull?????? WHERE!!!???
  • 1 0
 uci
  • 1 0
 Ian, Ragot took the win at Fort William ahead of Rachel Wink
  • 4 5
 here's the link to the WC replay montenbaik.com/2012/07/en-vivo-domingo-815am-copa-del-mundo-val-disere
  • 3 0
 sh¨¨t, now is down
  • 1 0
 Not a replay - some red bull commercial
  • 1 0
 go on the UCI page it is there
  • 3 2
 FLAT PEDALS RULE!
  • 3 4
 dirt.mpora.com/news/watch-the-val-di-sole-wc-replay-here.html
  • 1 0
 Whoo Hoo - I will be watching that later! Thanks!
  • 1 0
 Who neg propped him for that?!
  • 1 0
 Thats the Val di Sole not the Val D'isere.
  • 1 0
 i found it on the uci website. spread the word.
www.uci.ch/templates/UCI/UCI5/layout.asp?MenuId=MTI1OTU&LangId=1
  • 1 0
 Brilliant racing, fantastic course - all the haters when it was first shown proved wrong - great track with some great racing and good coverage due to the open, treeless set up.







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