Finals Photo Epic - Leogang DH World Cup 4
Josh Bryceland. The Ratboy. Miami Bryce. The kid goes by a few aliases, but today you can call Ratty Skidson, 'champ'. The mountain bike hall of heroes welcomes a new member to join around the giant oak table to wear cloaks and swig liter beers with all the greats as we can assume they must do. A firm and dry Austrian gauntlet brought fiery pace, big air and race times close enough to be influenced by how many flies exploded against the race plate since leaving the gate. 2014 gets better every round and this time there was more to marvel at than ever. The racing lines, the drifts, the crashes... A completely tyreless run from Aaron Gwin that was nothing short of bicycle genius. It was all-round one totally astonishing weekend of racing. Thanks for reading everyone, we're off to watch the replay just one more time.
 |
 10:15am, first in the gate for group A practice; one man had the World at his feet. A second place here at last year's final and an incredible qualifying day behind him, Loic Bruni of Lapierre Gravity Republic was primed to tear the hard-packed course apart and storm to World Cup victory for the very first time. |
 |
 |
| Sadly the day wasn't to be his, as an incredible run washed out in the gravel and instead we saw yet another first time winner nail down a phenomenally high speed course and take to the top step. Welcome to the winners club Josh Bryceland. |
 |
| With a formidable run that tipped the World champion and senior team mate, Minnaar, out of the hot seat, Bryceland added to the roster of 2014 winners, to make four winners from four World Cups, in a continuation of one of the most exciting season's racing we've ever seen. |
 |
| It was an all time day for spectating on track and also at home with a live-feed that really showed the full extent of rider skill and course gnar. Son of Hogan surveys the scene before finals. |
 |
| A Cairns python, far from home slithers through the trees. |
 |
| Jordie Cortes of Fox Racing shox showing off a couple of aces and two wild cards from the collection of service cards for Leogang the morning of finals. |
 |
| Team Norco heading up and ready to charge for the day. |
 |
| Simmonds hikes the off-camber and Beaumont ploughs some custom ruts in the last runs of morning practice. |
 |
| The Jr. men's field is totally stacked this year. Team GB's Drew Carters was deadly fast, but still 13 seconds outside contention. |
 |
| GT's Taylor Vernon going down the rabbit hole and almost clinching it for the Brits. |
 |
| Amaury Pierron from France rode away with the victory in the junior men's race today. He was half a second up on Vernon. |
 |
| Loris Vergier slipped a bit and then some on his run; the number two qualifier in the juniors had a hell of a crash, knocked his head, and came home over two minutes off pace. |
 |
| A disappointing race for Luca Shaw. Shaw was stuck behind Vergier after the Lapierre rider went down on the middle section of the track. Shaw finished third. |
 |
| It was good to see Luca Shaw take the overall lead, and for Vernon to finally make his way back to the podium where he belongs. |
 |
| Tracy Hannah continues to chip away at regaining the confidence that escaped her in during her injury riddled season of '13. Tenth at the first split, eighth at the second split, and seventh at the end. How soon until she notches another win? |
 |
| After a flat tire last weekend in Fort William, Tahnee Seagrave had her revenge here in Leogang and it was her birthday. Happy Birthday and welcome to the podium Tahnee. We have a feeling we'll be seeing a lot more of you up there this season. |
 |
| Emmeline Ragot wasn't able to back up last week's win with another this week. She was a bit off pace and finished fourth. |
 |
| Myriam Nicole, full speed and all style. |
 |
| Pom Pon has been incredibly consistent so far this season. She took third place today, 4.028 seconds off Carpenter. Can she make the jump to first soon? |
 |
| Rachel Atherton drops into the finish arena and second place in Leogang. |
 |
| Manon Carpenter, full man-speed, with another win, 2.699 seconds up on Atherton. A nice way to finish after a flat cost her so dearly last week. |
 |
| Manon's message to all the elite boys she's making feel bad about themselves: 'Tough luck...train harder!' |
 |
| Manon's on fire this season and rounding out the team standings for Madison-Sarencen with help from Dale and Simmonds, as the overall team leader. |
 |
| Slipping a thumb off the shifter paddle in wet conditions kind of sucks; Emilie Siegenthaler with a bit of extra insurance just in case the rain came out to play in the final. |
 |
| Nigel Reeve burned a bit of midnight oil fine tuning Steve Smiths sled for the final today... Chainsaw's getting back to form, but even the tiniest mistakes on this track were costly. |
 |
| Noel Niederberger navigates the last major tech section on track. Often times the race can be won or lost through this section, and today that was no exception. |
 |
| Because Brendog, that's why. |
 |
| Dean Lucas chipped a tooth a while back and now looks tough as nails... |
 |
| Mitch Ropelato getting out of shape and reeling it back in on the loose corner that caught Loic Bruni out and cost him his victory. |
 |
| Loic wasn't the only one who went down in this loose corner. Despite nightly rains, this corner turned right dry and dusty in no time today. If you gave her a bit too much, she gave out. |
 |
| Joe Smith at pace and going full huck. |
 |
| Nick Beer, continues to advance towards the top ten aboard the new Wilson. The Swiss rider was only 5 seconds off pace, but in this crowd on this track, five seconds off pace is only good for seventeenth. |
 |
| Team Bergamont and Banshee get ready to charge. |
 |
| E-Bike Earl getting a violent shove from the UCI marshall. |
 |
| Bernard Kerr hucking out and over the tape for a DQ today. |
 |
| Bernard Kerr feeling very gutted after accidentally going off course in a wild ride of hucking off the hollywood drop. Rules are rules and Bernard was officially DQ'd. |
 |
| Words elude us for the skill Marcus Pekoll displayed in riding through what is arguably the most technical section of the track with one leg figuratively tied behind his back. Pekoll, the local favorite was pushing hard entering this section and somehow blew a foot off his pedal, and caught it between his rear wheel and the seat tube. And then had to just deal. At race pace. In a section of track that is completely unforgiving. |
 |
| This just wasn't the track for Sam Hill. Hill finished tenth, not the follow up to last week we thought we might see. #notschladming |
 |
| Not a steep enough track for Sam Hill, but MSA is still to come and will be looking for a win. |
 |
| Danny Hart was fully committed on every section of track. More so than anyone over the finish line jump, sailing far clear of the landing in the biggest huck to flat the WC has ever seen. |
 |
| It's been a few years since George Brannigan's break through podium in Hafjell, Norway. The potential has been there since, and today he finally lived up to it once again. |
 |
| Big day for George Brannigan. The Kiwi has been making steady gains since his knee surgery last season. George finished fifth today. Perhaps we will see him consistently in the top ten again. |
 |
| The centurion from South Africa warping into the 101. He stepped right off the podium and into a helicopter to make a date in London last night. |
 |
| Greg Minnaar may have one hundred and one World Cups under his belt, but he certainly isn't showing signs of slowing down. Second place today. 1.275 seconds back from team mate and good buddy Bryceland. |
 |
| The smoothest rider of all time, tucking into second just behind Ratty. |
 |
| We said it yesterday after Greg Minnaar's poor quali run and we will say it again today. Never count Greg out. |
 |
| Brook Macdonald is right back where he left off before injury cut his season short in 2013. With some rowdy tracks coming up we expect the Bulldog to be fighting for the top spot fro here on out. |
 |
| Bulldog charging his way through the field and getting back the results he'd been wanting for some time. |
 |
| Last years winner Steve Smith had a brilliant run, but he still has a little work to do in order to be right back up at the incredibly high level required to make the top steps. |
 |
| With a 6 week break before the next round, you can be sure the chainsaw will be firing on a cylinders in Mont-Ste-Anne. Make no mistake he is planning another massacre. |
 |
| A favorite to watch, and one who shows flashes of brilliance on some tracks, this just wasn't Sam Blenkinsop's weekend. |
 |
| 4.97 second back and you get16th...such is the level. |
 |
| Troy Brosnan didnt have the speed to match his winning pace from a week ago but was still in the mix in Leogang. He is showing the kind of consistancy this year that wins championships, and half way through the season the title is very much within his reach. |
 |
| Troy Brosnan dropping into the final dash to the finish. He's definitely feeling it now, a mere 1.275 seconds off pace for third place. |
 |
| Brosnan comes through hoping to get a double win, but still stoked to be up on the steps and leading out the overall. |
 |
| Smooth and fast through all the woods, and with the fitness to match in the middle, Josh Bryclend tore the Leogang track apart today. |
 |
| Ratboy getting loose just above the chute. The wild one kept things under control today and took his first world cup victory. |
 |
| Look at the time! Bryceland sailing home to his first World Cup victory. Ratboy has been honing in on the top step this season, and today it all came together. |
 |
| Ratboy coming over the line with Loic still to come down, but already celebrating his time spent here in Austria. |
 |
 |
| There's commitment, there's skill and there's Aaron Gwin. It's been a while since we saw anything close to that ridiculous. |
 |
| Ratboy in the hot seat and patiently waiting for Loic to make his next move. What was thought to be Loic's big day turned out to be Ratboy's biggest yet. |
 |
| What might have been... Bruni was on a burner, a half second up on Bryceland, when he washed out of a berm near the bottom of the track. The Lapierre rider was full gas, but the crash was at the worst possible place on the track--heading into a short uphill. Still, he was only adrift some 6.5 seconds. Next time, Bruni, next time. |
 |
 |
| That's racing. As people went mad for Bryceland around the hotseat, Loic was collapsed on his back wheel, stuck staring at the clock in the middle of the arena. He was devastated, completely paralyzed by the loss. The contrast was almost too painful to watch. |
 |
| Guillaume Cauvin, one of Loic's best friends on the circuit, was there to offer some support at the finish line. |
 |
| No words could describe what Loic was feeling in this moment. |
 |
 |
| Victory-hitch from long-time mentor, role model and legend, Peaty. |
 |
| RATBOY FTW |
 |
| I don't think anyone was more stoked to see Josh Bryceland on top of his first WC podium than this man. No one has given back more to the sport than Steve, and surely he played a huge rle over the years in Josh's success. |
 |
| Peaty gives Bryceland a long awaited hug for a well deserved win. |
 |
| The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. A shattered Bruni congratulates Ratty. Bruni had some hard luck today, but that win is certain to come soon. It's been coming for Bryceland for a long time. |
 | After a couple of practice runs, I thought I might be able do this and f*cking win this thing. Turns out Bruni was going a lot quicker, I'm gutted for him for sure. Josh Bryceland - Santa Cruz Syndicate |
 |
| Welcome to the winner's club Josh Bryceland |
 |
| The Great British gals took down the French today with Tahnee, Rach and Manon locking horns with Emmeline and Myriam. |
 |
| Manon Carpenter... Unstoppable? So far, for the most part. But Ragot is trailing her a mere 90 points back, and with 3 races to go, Carpenter's grasp on the overall lead is anything but secure. |
 |
| Girls gone wild. Happy 19th Tahnee! |
 |
| The Bulldog and Sam Dale sharing a laugh before awards. The Bulldog is back, and we can't be happier about it. |
 |
| It's been a long time since I had a podium... so stoked to be back up there! After the injury I had doubts about if I could come back at the top again, but you know I don't give up at all so it's all about fighting back. A big injury is just a hard thing to deal with and kind of new to me, but all the hard work has paid off - Brook MacDonald - Trek World Racing |
 |
| A long time in the making. The once miniature, now very tall shredder, Josh Bryceland will be partying hard tonight. |
 |
| Last weeks newcomer victor, Troy Brosnan, sprays down this weeks first time winner with the victory champagne. |
 |
| Ratty is handy at spraying the bubbly. Minnaar even ducked out to avoid a hosing before his flight. |
 |
| The new Men's World Cup overall leader: Troy Brosnan. With Gwin's DFL (Dead Effing Last), the overall gets a helluva a lot more interesting all of the sudden. Gwin's been solid all season, so he's only 29 points behind Brosnan, but Bryceland's consistancy has him only another 58 points back from Gwin. And Gee Atherton is a mere 26 points behind Bryceland. With three races to go, things are heating up for the overall. |
 |
| What an exciting two weekends it's been for Troy Brosnan. First his first World Cup win, and now he stands atop the podium as the new series leader. |
 |
| Peaty / Ratboy combo will be an unstoppable force come about 9PM tonight. |
 |
| 634 and 605... Specialized boyz on top of the points. Aaron's feeling good about his new arch-nemesis team mate and downplayed his insane annihilation of the course on bare rim... |
| Troy and I are good friends and at the end of the day the fastest guy wins. We make each other better helping with lines and stuff and then when it's time to race, it's time to race and I'm happy to have my team mate beat me over anyone else. I haven't actually had a flat in a race run or qualifying ever so I guess it was bound to happen eventually. The tire stayed on until I dropped into the bottom woods and it was a lot better then because I had a bit of grip again! I figured the race run was going so good and I trained hard not to just give up... I have no idea what points you get to be so far back in the pack, but I figured if it gets me just one point it would be worth it Aaron Gwin - Specialized Racing |
 |
| You could call it a good day for the Santa Cruz bikes 26" club. Ratboy and Minnaar, 9 years apart spanning the old guard and the new, both up on the top steps. |
 |
| So Long Leogang. Ratboy just won a World Cup so it's time to PARTY!!! The hangover should be all cleared up by Mont St Anne. |
Author Info:
Must Read This Week
Sign Up for the Pinkbike Newsletter - All the Biggest, Most Interesting Stories in your Inbox
PB Newsletter Signup
Really don't think anyone can really complain about Minnaar DQ earlier in the season. but this is wild. Surely its a re run as the course is not marked correctly, at the very most!
I mean how is he meant to change his position going in to a blind drop/fade away? when the course was marked completely differently to every training run qualifying and as it turns out every other rider!
You can see how far the tape was moved out after Kerr's run here:
scontent-b-lhr.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/t1.0-9/p720x720/10431461_10152486470860119_8056106565256531394_n.jpg
Kerr was robbed!
x games?
www.pinkbike.com/video/367576
What's less clear is should the tape/poles have been moved back after he moved them... dunno - what do the rules say?
scontent-b-lhr.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/t1.0-9/p720x720/10431461_10152486470860119_8056106565256531394_n.jpg
Because being upset after a bad run or not being happy when you lose does not equate to being a sore loser. That's called being a competitor and while some people take it further than others, there is nothing wrong with it.
Ratboy kills it, so happy for him, Bruni was fast, too fast maybe ...
Greg said himself "you have to ride safe" and it works for him ^^
And what about Gwin ? Ridiculous , i think we can create the word "Gwinsane" !!
If he had not been able to cope with the pressure (like you say), he would've crashed way earlier, the top section and the woods are super sketch.
I rewatched his crash a few times, and I think he just went into the corner a little late.
He would definitely have rode it out if it had happened in the morning, but the corner was so dusty, he just lost the rear wheel.
Lets see if Troy can hold his small gap to Gwin in overall.
its a bit sad to see Loic such frustrated but his time will come, too.
That said, the tape was moved after Bernard's run. Which is of course totally against the rules, unless for safety issues and not to be of advantage.
Another argument could be regards the actual taping. A blind corner, tape on the ground, no pole on the entry. In my eyes that should have been picked up by the tech delegates on the course walk and rectified to make sure the race course is clearly defined to the riders.
Bernard did go out and never rejoined, so yes he should have been dq'd. If I had been his team manager I would have disputed the DQ stating the course tapes were moved after his run (track was made wider) which is of course not fair. Plus the course was not defined properly. On that basis hoping the DQ would be reversed and Bernard's time re-instated.
You have 15 mins after the results have been signed, timed and dated by the UCI Commissaire in which to lodge an official dispute in writing.
seriously, make a movie of it.
Not sure what's happening but it looks more like the Marshall is getting ready to mount him!
Major respect too to Ratboy, not just for the win but for the classy comment in respecting others' misfortune
p.s awesome shots!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6XPIueQM_I
Must see bangers... Heh heh...