Qualifying Action from Les Carroz - French Downhill Championships 2017

Jul 28, 2017

by Ben Winder

Seeding at Les Carroz - French Downhill Championships 2017

Holy moly. This track is gnarly. The French downhill scene is alive and kicking. Why can’t we have more World Cups on tracks like this? The track is taped wide with loads of lines, fast, big holes, technical, and most importantly, hard. This caused a few big crashes, George Brannigan broke his collarbone out on track today, fastest today Flo Payet crashed twice in his practice run before finals.

Les Carroz is nestled on the edge of the French Alps, just over the mountain from Les Gets and Morzine. It’s a small resort which is part of the Grand Massif ski area.

With a lot of fast guys descending on Les Carroz, the likes of Loic Bruni, Loris Vergier, Flo Payet, and Myriam Nicole, it’s going to be an exciting race tomorrow.

A little picturesque town parked on the edge of the Alps.

French Downhill Champs in Les Carroz.

Two number one plates for the Commencal team, Myriam Nicole and Thibaut Ruffin.

A daunting drop in from the top of Les Carroz.

Super Bruni out the start gate, laying her over.

Amaury Pierron powering through the open ski piste.

Myriam Nicole, was storming on the track today. She seeded fastest today.

Alexandre Fayolle.

Here an inside berm has formed over the week's practice.

These may look like bike park berms, but they're fast rough and rocky, and still super exciting to watch.

Rudy Cabirou attacking the exciting track.

Super Bruni inspecting the track.

This section of root garden didn't really have a good line through, we saw the top riders choosing multiple lines.

Gaetan Vige.

Melvin Pons.

More impossible roots.

Fast wide open grassy corners.

Fresh sections are cut in for this race.

Fastest man in seeding was Flo Payet.

Haunting root sections.

Marine Cabirou.

Benoit Coulanges.

Loris Vergier had a little crash just above this section today but didn't seem to slow him down.

Myriam Nicole.

Loic Bruni.

The mechanics were busy preparing bikes for the big day tomorrow.

George Brannigan had a tumble today and broke his collarbone, heal up fast George.

Myriam Nicole.

Loic Bruni.

Loris Vergier.

Flo Payet.

MENTIONS: @BWinder

Posted In:
Stories

Author Info:

BWinder
Member since Nov 10, 2015
76 articles

Report

Must Read This Week

Kona Bicycles' Parent Company Appoints New CFO, Intends to Sell Brand
64420 views

Downhill Bikes of Sea Otter - Part 1
46016 views

Randoms Round 3: Dario's Treasures
44227 views

Brian's Randoms from Sea Otter 2024
43892 views

Pinkbike's DH Fantasy League: Get Your Team On The Line - Fort William is in 10 DAYS!
39274 views

[UPDATED] Final Elite XC Results & Overall Standings from the Araxá XC World Cup 2024
38042 views

Randoms Round 1 - Sea Otter 2024
37986 views

Spotted: Frameworks Racing DH Bike with Electronic Fox Shock & Unreleased Enve Rims
37067 views

PB Newsletter Signup

29 Comments

36 0

nozes (Jul 28, 2017 at 18:28)

Check out the video from the "root garden". Unreal.
m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1528362037224213&id=602327906494302

shankes3 (Jul 28, 2017 at 19:37)

Wow, thank you for sharing that!

Pininator (Jul 28, 2017 at 20:11)

That is legit!!

dannyhuber (Jul 28, 2017 at 20:43)

Now that's a race course. Holy roots..!

RedBurn (Jul 29, 2017 at 2:27)

shit!! CARNAGE... and then Loegang hosts a UCI WC round ..... GRR

Gondoletta-Watussi (Jul 29, 2017 at 3:33)

I feel like there is not enough coverage of this race. Seen the footage yesterday and first thought that a bunch of average riders were filmed until I realized who was really riding. Gnarly!

MisterJones (Jul 29, 2017 at 4:41)

#whipforzoz

colincolin (Jul 29, 2017 at 6:16)

holee sheet

edmundsg (Jul 30, 2017 at 15:29)

Another angle

www.zapiks.fr/compil-championnat-de-france.html

whitebullit (Jul 28, 2017 at 17:47)

the national champs races are where its at this year. uci needs to take notes.

chainzuck (Jul 29, 2017 at 0:44)

i think that the reason for the present wc venues is not that the UCI doesnt know where the good tracks are or what a good track is. The surrounding requirements that the UCI demands is what stops us from having such great venues. In the end its all about money and exposure. For that reason the wc goest to the big tourist venues with tracks that are easily accessible for the cameras.

bonkywonky (Jul 29, 2017 at 11:35)

@chainzuck: true. Still don't buy their reasoning though. I might be naive but shouldn't it be about the riders first and foremost?

ompete (Jul 29, 2017 at 3:16)

Speed is your friend over those roots, if you got the balls for it! Which I haven't.

racerfacer FL (Jul 28, 2017 at 16:21)

multiple lines, fresh cut, roots. it's got it all

hdeboissard FL (Jul 28, 2017 at 16:06)

such a big front triangle on flo's bike

Gruta FL (Jul 29, 2017 at 0:38)

I read somewhere that he rides a prototype Summum frame, as in prototype because Mondraker`s biggest frame, still isn`t big enough for him.

cassonwd (Jul 28, 2017 at 16:06)

Those roots are ridiculous... Great shot

TheMastodon (Jul 28, 2017 at 16:09)

This track looks sooo good!

dubiouslogik (Jul 28, 2017 at 16:16)

will there be any live coverage?

samwell (Jul 28, 2017 at 16:28)

yep on french eurosport and france sport

majortt (Jul 28, 2017 at 18:13)

@samwell: link please

sevenup FL (Jul 29, 2017 at 1:07)

@majortt:

its on france 0 : www.streaming-hub.com/france-o-live

1:30-3:30pm ! for you it's gonna be at nine am or something like that ..

thedriftisreal (Jul 28, 2017 at 18:03)

lez carrots.....

Bike078 (Jul 28, 2017 at 23:19)

"Fast wide open grassy corners" AKA Sam Hill corners.

jackhammer1 (Jul 31, 2017 at 7:12)

Awesome place to ride. Went there last summer, was so quiet too.

dfiler (Jul 31, 2017 at 9:53)

Attention UCI: this is what DH tracks should look like

suspended-flesh FL (Jul 28, 2017 at 18:18)

Ou est les resultes?

backdoor63 (Jul 29, 2017 at 1:15)

You can check the start liste here:
www.victiming.com/VIC_WEB/FR/Live-1.awp

On the tab "Liste de départ".

suspended-flesh FL (Jul 29, 2017 at 7:30)

@backdoor63: Merci