Photo Epic: One Fast Decade - 10 Years of World Cup Racing at Leogang
Ten years of top-flight racing and the results are in; more often than not, Leogang is a mudder. There have been few World Cup weeks that managed to escape that standard dose of heavy summer rain at some point. Over the years it's become a cliché to make comparisons and to long for a return to the beloved old school race venue of Schladming, but as this story hopes to illuminate - Leogang has been good to us. It's a venue that has delivered fantastic racing with tight times and tons of drama every year for the last 10 years. Multiple MTB miracles have been witnessed on these hallowed grounds... Series-winning runs, tyreless runs, chainless runs. And scrubs. God bless that superbly photogenic step-down.
Indeed some of the most outrageous and down-right incredible race performances have gone down on various iterations of this Austrian race track. Many of them at the hands of Aaron Gwin, the most successful athlete at this venue with a more than formidable 7 podiums, including 4 wins (2011, 2015, 2016, 2017). Minnaar and Brosnan have each ridden to 6 podiums over the years with Minnaar also having taken the Worlds gold in 2012. In the women's, Rachel Atherton has taken 7 podiums over the decade, including 3 wins (2015, 2016 & 2018 ), with Myriam Nicole not far behind on podiums, but without any wins to her name.
Here's hoping the 2020 World Championship can maintain its slot this October and we get to see Loic Bruni and Myriam Nicole defend the coveted stripes. For now let's take a look back down memory lane, beginning in the slop, some 10 years ago.
2010
This was the year we had to say a last-minute goodbye to the very popular Schladming and welcome a debut year from Austrian alternative, Leogang, known for its growing bike park. On a lengthy 4 minute + course, Greg Minnaar won out over rival Gee Atherton in a fierce battle that would rage on for the remainder of the season, while Sabrina Jonnier roared to victory by almost 4 seconds ahead of Emmeline Ragot.
Elite Men
1 Greg MINNAAR 4:05.65
2 Gee ATHERTON 4:06.39
3 Aaron GWIN 4:10.09
4 Sam BLENKINSOP 4:11.17
5 Cam COLE 4:11.77
6 Steve PEAT 4:11.82
7 Brendan FAIRCLOUGH 4:12.61
8 Justin LEOV 4:12.93
9 Matti LEHIKOINEN 4:13.25
10 Matt SIMMONDS 4:13.82
Elite Women
1 Sabrina JONNIER 4:52.70
2 Emmeline RAGOT 4:56.24
3 Floriane PUGIN 4:58.05
4 Tracy MOSELEY 5:02.39
5 Myriam NICOLE 5:05.48
6 Céline GROS 5:10.91
7 Claire BUCHAR 5:12.72
8 Manon CARPENTER 5:13.20
9 Petra BERNHARD 5:13.62
10 Micayla GATTO 5:28.69
2011
Torrential rain before practice turned the 2011 track into a slow and sticky war-zone. Trek's Aaron Gwin dominated the season and made light work of his first victory of many on this race track. Scott rider, Floriane Pugin, took her first and last career win here before her retirement in 2013.
Elite Men
1 Aaron GWIN 3:44.18
2 Gee ATHERTON 3:46.29
3 Greg MINNAAR 3:49.90
4 Steve SMITH 3:52.12
5 Sam HILL 3:53.41
6 Danny HART 3:53.43
7 Cédric GRACIA 3:53.54
8 Justin LEOV 3:54.17
9 Sam BLENKINSOP 3:54.34
10 Brook MACDONALD 3:54.80
Elite Women
1 Floriane PUGIN 4:29.43
2 Rachel ATHERTON 4:32.01
3 Tracy MOSELEY 4:32.12
4 Myriam NICOLE 4:39.23
5 Sabrina JONNIER 4:40.16
6 Petra BERNHARD 4:43.38
7 Emilie SIEGENTHALER 4:48.90
8 Micayla GATTO 4:50.71
9 Céline GROS 4:52.68
10 Morgane CHARRE 4:55.54
Lapierre new kid, Loic Bruni, sinking in the mud during the morning training.
Just don't touch the brakes and try not to make any sudden direction changes.
Sam Hill spreading a bit of peanut butter.
Wyn Masters waits to see if he will make the cut; no easy task with 257 racers lined up to qualify.
Rachel Atherton was having a smoking run. She was second fastest at the first split, top at the second split, and then tossed it away in the lower woods somewhere.
Floriane Pugin was all business during her final run. She was back 0.5 seconds on Atherton at the first split but managed to pull it together in the bottom woods to surge ahead.
2012
It was a great relief to all when the World Champs came to Leogang, after the horrors of ultra-steep, extra moist, Champery the year prior. Defending champs, Danny Hart and Emmeline Ragot were unable to hang onto the stripes and Greg Minnaar and Morgane Charre reigned supreme. Meanwhile, Aaron Gwin experienced the first of his multitude of mechanical curiosities at the venue as his brakes appeared to give out mid-run.
Elite Men
1 Greg MINNAAR 3:21.79
2 Gee ATHERTON 3:22.37
3 Steve SMITH 3:23.00
4 Mick HANNAH 3:23.93
5 Sam HILL 3:25.20
6 Damien SPAGNOLO 3:25.65
7 Florent PAYET 3:26.02
8 Brook MACDONALD 3:26.65
9 Markus PEKOLL 3:27.56
10 Marcelo GUTIÉRREZ VILLEGAS 3:27.85
Elite Women
1 Morgane CHARRE 3:50.65
2 Emmeline RAGOT 3:51.85
3 Manon CARPENTER 3:52.14
4 Floriane PUGIN 3:52.27
5 Rachel ATHERTON 3:56.55
6 Micayla GATTO 4:00.19
7 Casey BROWN 4:00.26
8 Miriam RUCHTI 4:03.21
9 Claire BUCHAR 4:04.57
10 Tracy MOSELEY 4:04.80
World Champions, Morgane Charre and Greg Minnaar.
2013
The snow-dusted peaks of Leogang played host to the season finale of the 2013 season and what a barn burner it proved to be. Emmeline Ragot won the battle, but Rachel Atherton won the war while Gee Atherton and Stevie Smith went head to head in a winner-takes-all for the overall title. Gee Atherton rode a solid race, but it wasn't to be enough and the last man down the hill rose to the occasion like a boss.
Elite Men
1 Steve SMITH 3:23.96
2 Loïc BRUNI 3:25.27
3 Mick HANNAH 3:25.89
4 Gee ATHERTON 3:26.82
5 Josh BRYCELAND 3:27.36
6 Marcelo GUTIÉRREZ VILLEGAS 3:28.23
7 Sam BLENKINSOP 3:28.28
8 Troy BROSNAN 3:29.54
9 Steve PEAT 3:30.00
10 Connor FEARON 3:30.58
Elite Women
1 Emmeline RAGOT 3:52.87
2 Rachel ATHERTON 3:53.37
3 Manon CARPENTER 3:57.68
4 Jill KINTNER 4:00.43
5 Myriam NICOLE 4:00.68
6 Morgane CHARRE 4:03.46
7 Tahnée SEAGRAVE 4:03.47
8 Tracey HANNAH 4:05.94
9 Emilie SIEGENTHALER 4:06.04
10 Micayla GATTO 4:08.21
Rachel Atherton and Stevie Smith celebrate their wins of the 2013 season overall.
Steve Smith hits the final turn with the finish arch in sight.
Uncomfortable viewing on the hot seat, not least for Gee Atherton.
An unforgettable victory under pressure for Steve Smith.
She may have failed to catch Ragot today, but it's been a phenomenal year for Rachel Atherton.
Ragot stomped the win in Mont St Anne and managed it again by just half a second to secure 2nd place overall.
A podium to remember in the mountains of Austria.
2014
There aren't many races where the rider in 78th position steals the limelight, but we all remember the outrageous determination (and skill) of top-qualifier, Aaron Gwin on a mission to salvage a few points riding on raw metal. Josh 'Ratboy' Bryceland rode to his first career win in a victory that would launch his assault on the overall title, while Bruni wasted a winning run and MacDonald found his way back on the podium after a hiatus. Manon Carpenter won out over Rachel Atherton in a break-out season that saw Carpenter go on to take the rainbows later in the year in Norway.
Elite Men
1 Josh BRYCELAND 3:18.75
2 Greg MINNAAR 3:20.02
3 Troy BROSNAN 3:20.03
4 Brook MACDONALD 3:20.05
5 George BRANNIGAN 3:20.68
6 Matt SIMMONDS 3:20.95
7 Danny HART 3:21.06
8 Andrew NEETHLING 3:21.25
9 Connor FEARON 3:21.37
10 Sam HILL 3:21.65
Elite Women
1 Manon CARPENTER 3:42.52
2 Rachel ATHERTON 3:45.22
3 Myriam NICOLE 3:46.55
4 Emmeline RAGOT 3:46.83
5 Tahnée SEAGRAVE 3:50.45
6 Jill KINTNER 3:54.53
7 Tracey HANNAH 3:56.09
8 Micayla GATTO 3:56.54
9 Morgane CHARRE 3:58.13
10 Emilie SIEGENTHALER 3:58.86
The fastest run on the rim the World has known.
Ratboy coming in hot to the mid rock garden.
The year of the rat.
Josh Bryceland getting a lift around, Peaty style.
Manon Carpenter is in a league of her own right now. Her speed through the tech woods was simply untouchable.
Loic Bruni is looking on point here in Leogang, looking loose and quick.
Top qualifier, Bruni, devastated to throw it all away.
2015
Racing with no rear tyre seemed tremendously special back in 2014. 2015 was a new era, however; one in which a racer would no longer require a chain to ride to victory. Suffice to say the brilliance of the run Aaron Gwin put together that day after snapping his chain within yards of the start hut, may not be surpassed for years or even decades to come. Rachel Atherton bounced back into the top spot after defeat the year prior and Connor Fearon came mighty close to his first-ever World Cup win, but there was nobody that day capable of out-shining the mighty 'Gwizard'.
Elite Men
1 Aaron GWIN 3:34.35
2 Connor FEARON 3:34.40
3 Rémi THIRION 3:35.68
4 Troy BROSNAN 3:35.92
5 Greg MINNAAR 3:36.30
6 Gee ATHERTON 3:37.15
7 Josh BRYCELAND 3:37.90
8 Loïc BRUNI 3:38.68
9 Brook MACDONALD 3:39.43
10 Marcelo GUTIÉRREZ 3:39.44
Elite Women
1 Rachel ATHERTON 4:04.11
2 Tahnée SEAGRAVE 4:07.13
3 Emmeline RAGOT 4:07.28
4 Emilie SIEGENTHALER 4:14.13
5 Jill KINTNER 4:14.50
6 Tracey HANNAH 4:15.06
7 Morgane CHARRE 4:18.32
8 Miranda MILLER 4:23.34
9 Carina CAPPELLARI 4:23.79
10 Katy CURD 4:25.14
Remi Thirion is not human. Watching him move his body and bike around through the gnarliest terrain is a sight to behold.
With back to back wins, Rachel Atherton now has a commanding lead on the World Cup series.
Your Women's top three here in Leogang.
It's possible Loic Bruni wanted this win too much. After crossing the line in the green it was obvious he didn't think he'd done enough.
Is running chainless becoming a trend in World Cup racing?
What a day for Aaron Gwin and Team Specialized
Full tuck and carrying speed without a chain. Gwin went full beast on this track.
2016
Rachel Atherton scored a convincing 5-second victory over Tahnee Seagrave, while in the mens, usual suspects, Minnaar and Brosnan were right up there as ever. A new kid on the block, by the name of Loris Vergier, was threatening the top step, but still, no one could prevent Aaron Gwin from claiming his second consecutive win by more than 3 seconds.
Elite Men
1 Aaron GWIN 3:28.69
2 Loris VERGIER 3:31.82
3 Troy BROSNAN 3:32.80
4 Danny HART 3:34.06
5 Greg MINNAAR 3:35.17
6 Greg WILLIAMSON 3:37.12
7 Bernard KERR 3:37.19
8 Connor FEARON 3:37.66
9 Joe SMITH 3:38.66
10 Rémi THIRION 3:38.78
Elite Women
1 Rachel ATHERTON 4:09.39
2 Tahnée SEAGRAVE 4:14.76
3 Miranda MILLER 4:19.31
4 Tracey HANNAH 4:20.88
5 Manon CARPENTER 4:21.35
6 Emilie SIEGENTHALER 4:25.71
7 Marine CABIROU 4:32.46
8 Veronika WIDMANN 4:35.75
9 Sandra RÜBESAM 4:37.35
10 Jana BARTOVA 4:39.68
The World champs and leader's jersey combo of Rachel Atherton.
Second place for the FMD Racing superstar, Tahnee Seagrave.
Troy flies over everyone's head on his way to third place.
Aaron sends his goggles into the screaming crowd on his second Leogang win in a row.
2017
Long-awaited victory finally came for Tahnee Seagrave, all the sweeter with a close win over second-place Tracey Hannah. Meanwhile, 2017 was to be the hat-trick year for AG who silenced all the non-existent doubters of his formidable abilities at this venue. Loris Vergier came runner up for the second time ahead of every-timers Minnaar and Brosnan, while Bernard Kerr scored his first podium.
Elite Men
1 Aaron GWIN 3:06.96
2 Loris VERGIER 3:08.39
3 Greg MINNAAR 3:09.64
4 Troy BROSNAN 3:10.24
5 Bernard KERR 3:11.31
6 Laurie GREENLAND 3:11.47
7 Luca SHAW 3:12.10
8 Mick HANNAH 3:12.25
9 Jack MOIR 3:14.06
10 Connor FEARON 3:14.12
Elite Women
1 Tahnée SEAGRAVE 3:36.08
2 Tracey HANNAH 3:36.78
3 Myriam NICOLE 3:38.58
4 Manon CARPENTER 3:39.03
5 Emilie SIEGENTHALER 3:44.14
6 Alia MARCELLINI 3:45.50
7 Morgane CHARRE 3:46.71
8 Marine CABIROU 3:47.04
9 Eleonora FARINA 3:47.42
10 Monika HRASTNIK 3:49.36
Danny Hart about to take cover in the tunnel from the incoming rainstorm.
Tahnee looks set to give Tracey Hannah a run for it tomorrow after finishing just 2.4 seconds back in qualifying.
The first people to congratulate Tahnee on her big win were her brother Kaos and her father Tony.
Congrats Tahnee Seagrave.
Loris Vergier, always one of the most dangerous players in Leogang.
Connor Fearon hammering into the hall of fame section.
A good day all round for the Syndicate with even bigger things to come with a new youthful streak through the side.
2018
A big year in the Austrian mountain meadows that saw Rachel Atherton secure her third Leogang win, less than a second ahead of Myriam Nicole. Laurie Greenland and Monika Hrastnik scored their career-best results and Amaury Pierron blocked Aaron Gwin's bandaged thumb from what would have been his fourth Leogang title on the trot. Unfortunately, Luca Shaw did a 'Bruni' (in Leogang) and threw away his top qualifier.
Elite Men
1 Amaury PIERRON 3:10.99
2 Aaron GWIN 3:11.50
3 Laurie GREENLAND 3:12.15
4 Troy BROSNAN 3:12.31
5 Loris VERGIER 3:13.12
6 Dakotah NORTON 3:13.39
7 Connor FEARON 3:14.02
8 Mike JONES 3:14.38
9 Brook MACDONALD 3:14.48
10 Mark WALLACE 3:14.88
Elite Women
1 Rachel ATHERTON 3:41.14
2 Myriam NICOLE 3:41.78
3 Tracey HANNAH 3:45.12
4 Monika HRASTNIK 3:49.60
5 Emilie SIEGENTHALER 3:52.78
6 Sian A'HERN 3:54.59
7 Katy CURD 3:56.15
8 Veronika WIDMANN 3:57.63
9 Carina CAPPELLARI 3:58.21
10 Jana BARTOVA 3:59.90
Sometimes it's hard to wrap your head around the fact that Finn Iles is still only 18 years old. So much speed and so much style seem to be the name of the game for today's youth.
Whichever way you slice it, you just don't get much flatter than that.
Gutted. Shaw's pace is searing this season but it just hasn't come together for him, it would've been neck and neck to the line between him and Pierron.
Full gas and maximum effort all the way to the line for Amaury Pierron as he just beat out Aaron Gwin for the win by a scant 0.50 seconds.
One week later and it's a similar scene in the finish arena as Amaury Pierron celebrates a win on the shoulders of his Commencal teammates.
With the win comes the overall lead, the next two races will play to his strengths as well with the steep and technical slopes of Val di Sole and Andorra approaching.
Green through all the splits by a massive margin, Rachel Atherton set the fastest time early in the race and held it all the way to the end.
Rachel Atherton over the moon to get that monkey off her back after injuries and bad luck had put an end to her dominant winning streak.
2019
No cigar once again for poor Loris Vergier who crashed out on a potentially winning run, but Loic Bruni finally did the business and sent his bright whites to victory. A heavy crash in practice saw Pierron slip off the podium and a dodgy ankle kept Gwin at bay. Tracey Hannah, at last, cracked the code to the Austrian Autobahn, only helping her chances for the 2019 overall. It was a welcome to the top steps to Germany's Nina Hoffman and New Zealand's Kate Weatherly.
Elite Men
1 Loïc BRUNI 3:16.13
2 Greg MINNAAR 3:16.46
3 Troy BROSNAN 3:16.88
4 Danny HART 3:18.13
5 Aaron GWIN 3:18.55
6 Amaury PIERRON 3:18.65
7 Charlie HARRISON 3:19.33
8 Connor FEARON 3:19.42
9 Luca SHAW 3:19.64
10 Jure ŽABJEK 3:19.69
Elite Women
1 Tracey HANNAH 3:42.11
2 Nina HOFFMANN 3:44.54
3 Kate WEATHERLY 3:51.47
4 Marine CABIROU 3:51.67
5 Veronika WIDMANN 3:54.19
6 Raphaela RICHTER 3:55.37
7 Camille BALANCHE 3:55.37
8 Emilie SIEGENTHALER 3:57.73
9 Carina CAPPELLARI 3:58.18
10 Sian A'HERN 3:59.30
Austrian rising star, Vali Höll, settling into her pre-race routine.
Loic Bruni mentioned having some difficulties trying to figure out the course over qualies, but it's safe to say he managed just fine.
Bruni through a sliver of light going down into the finish area.
Two wins out of three tries this season or Loic Bruni.
Nina Hoffmann has got a taste for the podium now and went one step higher than last week and into second.
Tracey Hannah once wears the leaders jersey after three rounds of racing.
Hannah has shown she has had the speed all year and today it finally came together.
Loris Vergier flying into one of Leogang's many signature tunnels.
Ten amazing years of first-class racing in the mountains of Austria. They went by in a flash. Let us know your favorite!
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24 Comments
Thank you for this photo epic !!!
That must be the issue the pros are facing, isn't it? Be on the bleeding edge or use the tried and tested stuff. I don't think the chain Gwin broke was something nonstandard but in 2014, I think he was using a new tire insert. Then again at the 2018 finals which were supposed to be an incredibly tight race, it was Minnaar who lost it whilst running a new tire insert. Seemed like he was set on destroying whatever he could lay his hands on that weekend, so let's not blame it on the new gear that time around
You guys are a bunch of little crying babies. Thats more than just a smile is all im saying. Maybe you’ve never had someone look at you like that. Totally get it