Video: Gee Atherton's Lenzerheide DH World Champs Track Analysis

Sep 7, 2018
by Pinkbike Staff  

Gee Atherton couldn't participate in this year's UCI MTB World Championship Downhill race. However, he's here to take you over the most important parts of the Downhill course in Lenzerheide, Switzerland. Big Drops, huge roots, tree stumps, rock gardens, this trail has got them all. Will Loic Bruni make it to the win? What about the French crew with the likes of Amaury Pierron? Rachel Atherton just won the UCI MTB World Cup 2018, but will she be able to keep the momentum going and win the World Championship? Or will Tahnee Seagrave make up for the World Cup loss and take the win? Leave your answers and votes in the comments and let's see what's gonna happen!

The dream of every professional mountain biker is to earn the right to race the upcoming season in the rainbow stripes. Watch as the best male and female riders on the planet battle for the UCI MTB World Championship 2018 jersey. And the battle is gonna be a tough one here in Lenzerheide, Switzerland. Home of some epic races in the past, who will take the crown this year?

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74 Comments
  • 272 5
 Wow. Talk about a sportsman. Takes a lot of ego-checking to show up, support your sister and put out content like this when you so clearly should be between the tape. Way to make the most of whats around Gee. I just became more of a fan.
  • 7 0
 Well said man. Couldn't add to that dude; you nailed it.
  • 10 3
 He's also an alternate so yeah, that's a big reason to show up.
  • 78 5
 #letGeerace
  • 15 75
flag WAKIdesigns (Sep 7, 2018 at 10:36) (Below Threshold)
 #idontrideforgee
  • 2 0
 #bringbackcathrovision
  • 59 2
 This was great. I've really enjoyed Gee's course previous this year. So informative and composed especially for someone riding it at mach 6. It's nice to have a course preview at race pace. Nice as in "scary". : )
  • 10 3
 I'd be interested in seeing more videos of Gee like this mixed with Claudio's classic previews. Have someone like Gee explaining and showing the track from an analytical perspective with a view where you could see it clearly. Then show the helmet cam footage of Caudio going through the section and getting his take and commentary. Add in a few other riders going through it and it'll give us spectators a great appreciation of the terrain they're competing on.
  • 18 3
 @shaun-ridefast-michael: Cathrovision sorts that out
  • 6 25
flag Unrealityshow (Sep 7, 2018 at 12:05) (Below Threshold)
 @shaun-ridefast-michael: Fire Claudio. #fireclaudio
  • 1 0
 Previews
  • 8 13
flag andydhteam (Sep 7, 2018 at 14:19) (Below Threshold)
 @shaun-ridefast-michael: claudios previews sucked...
  • 3 4
 @andydhteam: No, you suck...
  • 8 5
 @millsr4: No, Claudio’s previews really suck. It’s just a bunch of high pitched screaming, nothing informative.
  • 6 1
 @Unrealityshow: yep just a bunch of screaming... and slow, gee athertons previews are much better.
  • 3 0
 @Unrealityshow: Not so much the last season or so he did it, once he started including racers to show other options. Plus his previews were never about properly analyzing the tracks anyways. Mostly they were for entertainment and seeing a run down the track by someone who wasn't super human so we could get more of a feel for how gnarly some of these WC tracks are. They may not of been of the same flavor as this or Cathro's analysis videos but if you ask me there is plenty of room on the internet for multiple styles of preview videos!
  • 1 0
 @andydhteam: agreed. Really enjoyed Gee’s
  • 46 1
 I don't care how everybody else feels about Gee but I really like him and I allways did. People describe(d) him as beeing arrogant, I think he's just so professional and focused that it could look like arrogance. Gee and the Athertons in general are just about racing and racing only. It's a shame he's not racing this year but it takes some balls to show up anyway. I wish him all the best for his next season including the world championships.
  • 30 0
 Spot on. The DH World Cup 'Circus' takes all types. The Wyns and Ratboys on one side, and the Athertons and Gwin's on the other. Nothing wrong with either. Being professional and super focused often comes across as 'arrogant' to those who don't understand what full commitment really is.
  • 9 1
 @bman33: I have always described Gee as being the kind of guy that was going to find something, anything in life to devote himself to 1000%... like if the dude hadn't found mtb he would have ended up going SAS. He just has that mental drive and commitment... which doesn't always make you the "funnest" guy to be around... but it does get results.
  • 4 0
 @CONomad: Exactly. Some folks are just that way. Serious, focused, determine and their personality doesn't usually come across as the playful class clown or jokester. I have met him before and my good friend Steve was his mechanic for a while. Actually a cool guy, just laser beam focused when it's time to race.
  • 4 0
 @CONomad: @CONomad: Are you mates with him or something? Fair play if you are. On the other hand, I've always found it weird how people try to describe or relate to someones personality whom they don't know.

Gee is a killer rider, he carries himself pretty bloody well professionally, and his resumè is loaded to the hilt, it's a sad day when someone of that caliber A: gets spoken about unfavorably, and B: stands on the side lines of a world champs, discussing the details of a track on which he'd likely beat 90% of start list.
  • 2 2
 @ajayflex: No but I was pretty sure I was complimenting him on his professionalism and drive, sorry if it came across as criticism... and to be fair I was complimenting him based of the sizable first hand experience that I DO have in working with Marine Force Recon guys in the USMC for about a decade... so it wasn't completely just some arm chair admiral making sweeping statements.
  • 1 0
 @CONomad: no just the first part - a lot of the conversation (bad or otherwise) around Gee sounds like people are talking about a mate or someone they know personally. And yeah I read your comment as a positive one, sorry for that misunderstanding.

It's frustrating (I guess just out of empathy) that he gets disected the way he does, like his performances aren't good enough to appease the masses.
  • 2 0
 @ajayflex: I get what you're saying... no hard feelings. Let's just both sit back and watch him smash the hell out of hardline!
  • 1 0
 I know I'm probs gonna get hate for this, but I'm really confused at the hate gee used to get, as I swear Aaron gwin is so similar in character, he turns up for results and doesn't get involved much with the rest it seems. But he gets so much more support that Gee... This isn't me hating on the Gwinner just slight confusion on why he's clearly so many people's favorite and not Gee.
  • 38 1
 Gee has become a very likable underdog lately. He used to get a lot of flack for sounding arrogant. I’m not sure I ever thought he sounded that way but he does seem a little more humble about not being a very top rider. I’m hoping he does return to top form next year. Gonna miss him at World Champs.
  • 52 2
 I wanna see him form a rival gang to 50:01 and start putting out super bad ass edits filmed on his mental welsh hillside. Healthy (with some less healthy mixed in) competition between the two gangs would provide some excellent next level shreddage for me to watch. And we could all have our fave gangs stickers on our bikes and have car park trick offs with rival gang members at the bike park. Yes. That would definitely be the best thing that could ever happen.
  • 2 0
 @iqbal-achieve: would watch
  • 8 0
 When Gee was in Sydney back in ‘09 for the Canberra World’s, I bumped into him at a local riding spot. He took time to chat to several of us and was just a really top bloke. I even saw him in Canberra the next weekend and he remembered me!
  • 1 1
 I don't know that anyone thought he was arrogant (maybe confident), but they did think he was too serious of a competitor and wasn't in it for the fun, just to win (people thought the same of Gwin when he was on Spesh). You can tell by his quite honest eating of humble pie at the beginning here that he needs to be in the mix. I think as the super dude's of Gwin, Minnaar, Hart etc pulled away from the rest, fitness training became the key to getting a top 10 finish, and Gee's ultra competitive spirit is now the norm for the top guys. Look at people trashing Danny now because his attitude has adapted to this, and people are taken back that his geeky humbleness is gone.
  • 35 2
 #whereintheworldisBenCathro
  • 33 2
 #untuckGeesEars
  • 3 0
 The secret would be out... Vulcan
  • 23 0
 I think Gee has a good career lined up after he's done racing...
  • 14 2
 The Atherton's ain't dumb.
  • 11 7
 @onemanarmy: no apostrophe after "atherton" bud
  • 21 1
 @me2menow: Capital "A" on Atherton.
  • 4 2
 @p2-fleming: Though this standalone prepositional phrase is intelligible, your sentence structure is fragmented without a subject and verb. I infer that your username could use a capital "F" in "Fleming" as well. I bid you good day, sir!
  • 3 1
 @me2menow: Oh man... it's funny when people play grammar police with grammar errors. Thanks for the laugh.
  • 2 0
 What did I just cause??! haha
  • 1 1
 @me2menow: "your sentence structure is fragmented without (...) verb"
So is yours in your first reply. Start correcting yourself, then other people.
  • 1 0
 @ciechan: I emplore you to remove of the apparatus lodged up your rectum.
  • 12 0
 I got a feeling being left out of world champs will put that chip back on Gee's shoulder he needs to be back in the hunt next season. Love him or hate him...dude is a legend and can win any weekend when healthy.
  • 4 2
 I don't think Gee ever had a chip on his shoulder. Everyone just thinks he's an arrogant jerk because, in his own words "I've just got a miserable face." -listen to his Inside Line podcast

I wonder if all his crashes and trauma are due to overtraining and just working too hard.
  • 12 0
 That was awesome.. cheers Gee
  • 14 2
 #geegotrobbed
  • 6 0
 Regardless of the selection process for Team GB, I would think ANY former world champion that's an active WC racer should receive an automatic entry (outside of their national team selections) on that merit alone.
  • 6 0
 Gee does a great job here filling in for Cathro. Hope to see Gee back on a bike soon, and Cathro back with more analysis.
  • 7 1
 Wait, gee didn't get invited to worlds? This is the first I've heard of this!
  • 5 0
 I bought a bike of Gee some years ago and he’s a really nice guy and down to earth, glad people are starting to see it now !
  • 5 0
 I like how hes talking so softly. Almost like an Attenborough documentary or something.
  • 6 1
 Well done for Gee, but I am missing Cathro!
  • 6 2
 @WAKIdesigns #doyouevenridebro
  • 1 0
 Anyone who thinks Gee is arrogant hasnt met the guy. Ive been lucky to meet all three Athertons a couple of times and they are down to earth great people who have time for anyone.
  • 3 0
 I see gee as a future UCI correspondent
  • 3 0
 Red bull need to sort out their cheesy choice of music
  • 3 0
 Jeez, to much music to hear Gee properly... Great if I could hear better.
  • 2 0
 get the "Jeez" out of your ears Smile
  • 2 0
 like this alot. Corney to sau but Gee is the man.
  • 2 0
 Well, I think this is the best commentator so far.
  • 2 0
 Really liked this. Really like Cathro. It's all good.
  • 1 0
 Rad, real shame Gee wont represent at the worlds but still no doubting he is a ruler on a bike, bad arse rider.
  • 1 0
 Always been a fan of Gee, shame he isn't riding, so far. I liked his track analysis, came across very well.
  • 1 0
 I couldn’t get past his ears being tucked into his hat. Is he hiding something?
Make Gee Atherton an elf again 2018
  • 1 0
 Wait a minute, did I just see Sam Blenkinsop with gloves on?
  • 1 0
 Is this video geo blocked?
I tells me video not available...???
  • 1 0
 Same here.
  • 1 0
 Genuine question but why isn't he racing world's?
  • 2 0
 Ah, the video explains it. I'll get me coat
  • 1 0
 Nicely done, Gee. Hope to see more, both racing and commentary.
  • 1 0
 Respect
  • 1 0
 Boy's a natural!
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