Qualifying Results from the Lourdes DH World Cup 2022

 Bruni the only one who can beat him now

 @adamkat: and he does

 @adamkat: Weird I swore I saw him in 4th earlier crazy!

 Now, if he can only hold it together for the race and NOT ride himself into the ground as he has so many times in the past.

 Lets see how it goes on race day, Finn has a habit of pushing too hard and

 Finn must be taking french lessons on the side!

 He looked so pissed after that Brioude race, figured he'd come out going hard this weekend... switched him into my fantasy team after that! Hoping he has a great season, he'll be fun to watch this year!

 @adamkat: He has a history of beating himself.

 @suspended-flesh: Yes, I saw this too- any explaination?

 @adamkat: Looks like there are 4 other french riders with great times that could also be a threat.

 @HappyBiker19: maybe an issue with the timing equipment and they checked the backup system

 @jzPV: I took a screenshot of Loic's time on the Live Timing site while it still said 2.56.883 but PB had him in 1st with the revised time. All the final times have several seconds shaved off in the final tally. Likely just something I don't understand.

 @adamkat: Loic is the final boss

 I hope you keeps its together tomorrow...he seems much more mature like cheddar cheese

 @klerric: crucial point: not all cheddar is mature and some is excessively mild.

 The biggest surprise for me is to see Martin Maes qualify 17th in front of many big names like Gwin, Minnaar, Fairclough, etc, etc. Impressive for only racing DH so infrequently. We will see how he does in the main event.

 @tacklingdummy: right, and this is not even on a DH bike

 @tacklingdummy: Maes is a beast, never forget that. He could have been a multiple WC winner, no problem. Nearly did it once.

 Hell yeah!!

 @nateb: 17th

 Not bad for a none dh none high pivot bike...

 That was Sarcasm btw. Pretty amazing to see how incredible the French racers are!! So many fast, talented riders! Hoping for good weather and great racing in an incredible atmosphere

 @MDN42: Yes, unfortunately on this site you have to explain sarcasm, it flies over peoples heads with amazing regularity.

 Yes, we probably need a sarcasm font to help clarify. @commental:

 @mollow: not that impressive, maybe, but still great! Roger has a regular job and do his training in his spare time. Even with very little support he still qualified for a World Cup final. Its great and we are very proud of him in Brazil!

 @endurojoe: A regular job and racing world cup downhills. f*cking rad. Kudos to him. I'd give it a go if I were anywhere near the level required.

 @mollow: can you name some of them? Not doubting you, I just would like to know more about these brave privateers. About south americam patriotism, well, I would not say its that, just natural good feelings considering the circunstances. DH is next to nothing in Brazil. Roger moved to England to try a racing career there. He is not rich, so he has to work tô pay his bílis while trying his luck as a DH racer. You have to admire the guy for that.

 @endurojoe: that's rad! If someone from my country, where DH is also a niche sport, did the same thing I'd be super happy too.

 @endurojoe: the denim destroyer managed a restaurant didn’t he?

 And what bike is he riding?

 They're multiplying like Pierrons!

 Maybe he's hoping for rain so he can do a Fayolle. ;-)

 @Dustfarter: When he was winning, he definitely used to qualify higher up.

 I believe he had a huge OTB

 He had a hefty crash in practise this morning which you can see on his Insta. He says he took it easy in qualifying to ensure he got in as its the first time he hasn't been a protected rider in years.

 @humoroususername: the full story, thank you

 @slayersxc17: www.instagram.com/tv/CblPb-vDCm8/?utm_medium=copy_link

 Dang. I hope he can get his career back in at some point soon and hook up his sponsors.

 @mollow: do you enjoy salt in your coffee? Your comments would indicate that yes, you do.

 @lukemc: while I do in fact enjoy salt, glad to see she proved me right once again!

THIS JUST IN: Nina has two good races and is way overrated since then. She still sucks.

 @mollow: Why don't you stop being such a dick? Every single one of your last comments on your profile is unfriendly as hell

 @bashhard: not surprised by a German being a fanboy. Don't worry you will learn that, yes, I am a dick but a necessary one. Im just the bearer the truth. Sometimes the truth hurts, get over it.

 @Clem-mk: yes, hence my statement

 Ok apart from Bruni

 Intense Factory average qualifying = 55th. Not good.

 @SvenNorske: Seth crashed in the last portion of the race....He probably would have been in the higher 40's had he not, which would have at least allowed him to ride tomorrow and would have improved things overall for the qualies.

 And supercross!

 @jrocksdh: and Freeride World Tour Verbier Extreme today! What a weekend!

 She's already done so well in Enduro she can do anything she wants

 @mollow: dude, are you sure you're Canadian?

 @Xavier-dh25: just proving how f*cking weak the Enduro pool is

 @mollow: it's not quite the same skillset

 @Dogl0rd: yeah any dh guys has more skills than these wannabe.

 @mollow: I can't say I agree here

 @Dogl0rd: im not surprised an American is too dumb to realize even the simplest of concepts.

 @mollow: did someone poo in your maple syrup?

 @Dogl0rd: sugar is for the weak

 Ditto!

 Aaron Gouine's motto

 He hasn't gone yet -only a few have.I believe Wyn just did a 3:00

PB has a link to live timing above

www.uci.org/race-hub/2022-mercedes-benz-uci-mountain-bike-world-cup-dhi-lourdes/6rGeUSWxDRFySNcOs6tRMW

 Oops - I meant Ed Masters

 She is protected.

 Ya put Gwin on your team? Errr oof. Those wins were 5+ years ago. Track was probably different. Everybody who just stacked their team with frenchies is giggling over the morning crepe right now.

 Not sure it is a bike thing at this point

 @lepigpen: ya, I knew it wasn't smart but thought almost everyone is going to have the Frenchies, so I thought if he pulls it off it'll be a good upset.

 @cfox109: I just don't see his program as an elite racing program anymore. It seems more like an elite marketing program or something. Greg Minnaar is still balls deep in a rock solid racing program focused more on riding and terrain. Meanwhile Gwin is on seemingly a new prototype every month and only testing it in the trails nearest to him.

Love the dude, but hate the program. And I hope more US guys get with more modern racing programs and focus on riding the terrain where the world cups are. It feels like there are US guys just riding AG's coattails but with little benefit. I dunno. Makes me sad as a US viewer.

 @lepigpen:
He said he barely got a few laps in with 1.5hr wait times for lift

 @Yody: Everyone was in the same boat with those lines

 @RCederholm: * in the same train

 @lepigpen: ya it has been frustrating since he joined intense, and I agree with US riders needing to ride more World Cup style tracks more often. I haven't completely lost hope though, I still want to see one of those epic runs that was pretty common with him in the past. I have a lot of friends that got into WC racing recently and it's hard to convey the excitement of his runs especially live. Still hoping he throws down tomorrow and was just playing it safe because he wasn't protected.

 He also ate shit in the morning before qualifying. Crash is shown on his IG. I think gwinns future is ebike racing and marketing but I wanna see a no excuse honest run and let's see where he stacks

 @cfox109: Well I don't wanna be toxic but I'm not a fan of Dakotah kinda following those footsteps. I think Dakotah is a sick rider and could be fast riding elite tracks with elite riders and mixing it up. I don't want him to get comfortably into that US circuit and borderline US culture companies weird mindset. I don't know where this shit came from, I mean Aaron spent a spell at just about every brand doing DH in the industry. And had a lot of success and made a lot of money. I think kids like Luca Shaw understand the game and aren't missing the forest for the trees. But that sorta east coast crew with Neko and Dakotah, I felt like they voluntarily stepped in that shadow a bit and just thought the shade felt nice. Regardless of results, maybe the lifestyle works out for them. But it's still a shame that they almost certainly could be going faster practicing on elite tracks with an elite program. Rain or shine.

Hoping the 'shadow of AG' has passed and these young guys like Luca and Dante are comfortable in their own programs (with Canyon right now). Cliquey culture is HORRIBLE for progression. Need to be riding France, riding the UK, riding the driest places and wettest places. And with different people.

 @lepigpen: Not sure about this, but does Intense not have a training program?

 @wslee: Don't want to make assumptions but AG has a very solo program, and now and then he rides somewhere else with other riders but usually only in the US and with US riders.

I am not sure what Dakotah is doing in terms of an actual race program, or if he's simply doing his own personal fitness program with random riding like AG. But if you compare what Intense and AG show everyone compared to what brands like Spesh Trek and SC do (and if you compare the results) they're just not in the same stratosphere.

Which is ironic because one of AG's best qualities when he started in MTBing was his program, particularly in fitness. He just stayed in immaculate shape and rode so incredibly hard compared to the rest of the field. And there were still a lot of show up have a beer do qualies types in those days. So in a way, he changed that game. But as he ages the concept of just being in shape isn't gonna be enough. He needs to use technique and skill to win, and develop that on diverse tracks and with young riders from all over the world. A bit like Minnaar. What tangible reason could there be that Greg is still on top and AG is falling off? imo... Just the level of competition you keep around yourself and the attention to detail for riding and terrain, not just bikes. AG is just doing the same laguna lap he's always done on 2 diff Intense prototypes and faffin about with settings. That can't be the answer...

 @lepigpen: Thanks for the possible explanation! Am wondering if there will be a change (if needed) in how things go for them.

 @wslee: Sadly, I think he has been slowly transitioning into a more marketing role (whether hw knows or admits it or not). He is a great ambassador (and part owner?) of Intense Cycles and those bikes are EVERYWHERE here in California and the e-bikes are gonna end up everywhere as well. He has his youtube channel and he's clearly had enough money to invest smartly into a retirement fund and some realty by this point... So... I dunno where he would find the motivation from. If the answer to his problems is travelling the world with new people, I'm not sure if that's a lifestyle he wants to pursue having just recently married and maybe planning a family and more stable life.

Again, just assumption after assumption but this narrative has been commonplace for AG since even before Covid. He's not settling into a single bike, he's not trying different tracks, and he's not really getting out with young European riders. There's no reason to even expect him to improve results if there are no improvements to whatever program he's running for himself.

 It’s the first race of the season and we haven’t even seen race day yet. Lets the Americans get in a full season see how it ends up.

 @lepigpen: yeah my prediction is he will be racing e-bike soon

 Yeah man. Such a bummer not to have him starting... hopefully recovery is going ok

 40th

 TIL someone who regularly gets top 20 results and has many podium results against the fastest riders on the planet sucks. You learn something new everyday.
Hey @mollow , what's your best world cup result?

 sore shoulder

 Laurie Greenland....

 Greg with protected status did just enough to keep the kid in his place.

 Yes. RYAN. Not Kennith. Rootin’ for the local lad.

 Yeah his first name is KENNETH but we call him Ryan. That’s his middle name but the UCI made him go with his first name I guess

 Ok, Thanks!!

 Unacceptable that he had to use his 1st name.

 @mi-bike: Im going to have to work on that for Ft Bill. Will see.

 20W & 60M plus protected riders outside de 20/60, I beleive

 @dRok1394: no only 15 women

 @RUSTYBOI77: Thanks

What about the juniors?

 @germinois: top 20 junior male and all the junior female and its 15 elite women plus protected and top 60 elite plus protected

 I think it depends if the rider is "protected". I think you have to be top 20 for that.

 Only the protected 20 riders.

 @nozes: is neko protected?

 60 for elite men.

 Ditto. Bummersauce.

 >60

 Busy being a new mom I guess

 @whataboutism For Fort William maybe we can see it :-)

 I completely forgot about his ankle injury happend @ the ANC.

 Still on red bull....

 @alexszabo: It’s only 2022

 Discover channels rights start in 2023, so it's next year we don't get to watch

 @Zapper302: sorry whats this now??? DH world cups on discovery only?

 @racerzc: Thanks for this early preview of 2023's most-used pun.

 @Zapper302: discovery channel owns Eurosport and have the discovery plus app so they have an even bigger platform to show racing than redbull

 @Barrywillox: My understanding was that they also had EWS last year......who knew