Video: Romain Paulhan & Raphaël Iniguez Take a First Lap of the Loudenvielle World Cup DH Course

Jul 20, 2023 at 5:16
by Ed Spratt  

bigquotesFirst exclusive images of the new DH track laid out in Loudenvielle in the Pyrenees. From September 1 to 3, 2023, it will host a brand new downhill World Cup. The route was designed and produced in part by Romain Paulhan.— Vojo Magazine - Translated


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67 Comments
  • 37 2
 Do to the way the course is I predict the fastest rider will win.
  • 19 0
 sir i need your expertise in new redbull podcast
  • 1 0
 @nikifor88: I mean I think it'd be fun! Also ^^^ *Due
  • 31 0
 Don't want to sound too negative but the track looks neither fun to ride nor exciting to race. Looks like something Amaury Pierron would do well at, should he recover until then
  • 6 0
 Anything with grassy flat turns is Amaury's bread and butter
  • 37 0
 You know who would kill it on this course? Nino Schurter.
  • 12 0
 I kinda agree, but I don't care that much. Every year we have the same tracks at the same venues. We know it's difficult to find new venues and the racing calendar is much too short. This track is different to most and tricky in it's own way (mainly finding grip on flat grassy corners imo). With the level of competition that exists, it'll still be great racing and may throw up a few suprise results. Having a couple of tracks like this a year is OK.
  • 7 0
 Looks fast and it will be exciting racing as there will probably be 10 guys within a second of the lead, and if it rains it could be entertaining. But I agree this track doesnt get me fired up to watch racing.
  • 2 0
 Redbull Softline
  • 30 3
 That top half looks kind of boring.
  • 21 2
 It looks like a blue flow trail lmao
  • 25 0
 I was waiting for the boring top section to end and the track to get into the gnarly stuff, but it just kept going basically all the way to the finish lol
  • 3 0
 @Nuss-95: Loudenvielle is known and worth for enduro, not for DH. Some enduro tracks are gnarlier than this one... which is fully ridable on a enduro rig btw.
At least it will propose a "rest" after the violence of Vale di Sole.
  • 23 1
 That's a bit hard to watch after seeing the work they put in to make 1199 in Whistler
  • 7 0
 they have put 100x more effort to build Whistler new DH track than this.
  • 20 7
 this is the most lame and boring track EVER, if this is what the "new " tracks are going to be I rather watch Enduro Racing ,way more exiting then this.
A proper Down Hill track is not for the mere humans is for brave and super elite rides this track I can do and I'm not and expert or avid rider..
PS just saying
  • 10 7
 Who cares if you're an avid rider or not, and what does it matter? Anyway, I predict that this track, which you can ride at a snail's pace (slow clap), will be plenty difficult when attacked at WC speeds.
  • 20 0
 @mi-bike: that's really not the point. I can't ride down a fire road at 40mph either, but that still wouldn't make it an exciting format to watch. What makes a DH race captivating is seeing how different riders tackle key spots of a challenging track differently. If the track is too tame, it makes for a lame viewing experience and riders risk their health because it's flat out all the way to the bottom
  • 6 7
 Yeah, I'm totally positive that you could hold the line on those off camber sections... Please get someone there with a dadcam to document your attempts.
It's a brand new track, there will have been rider feedback (I've seen insta evidence that this is the case) and there will certainly be more shaping between now and the event.
  • 2 1
 F..ckin joke, not funny
  • 8 1
 Came to say the same. Hard to critique a preview of a brand new track (but watch me do it), when the actual race is over a month away (things could change), but man that looks boring as hell. The first half of the course is flat, simple single-track motorway, with the only challenge being jumping over other trail crossings. The second half wouldn't challenge any average DH Joe. Watch this back-to-back with Remy's 1199 course preview, and you'd be hard pressed to call this track a blue run. Hopefully something happens during race week to make this interesting, but as of this video, that track is not WC worthy. Not even close.
  • 14 2
 Looks like a really nice enduro stage track, oh wait
  • 11 1
 Kind of disappointed. Looks like an average rider on a trail bike could easily ride it.
  • 11 1
 Sick track. No chain needed to win.
  • 21 1
 No suspension either.
  • 9 1
 I bet someone could ride it on a road bike lol
  • 1 0
 @font style="vertical-align: inherit;">font style="vertical-align: inherit;">adamkat /font>/font>:
Schwachsinn
  • 1 0
 Never
  • 2 0
 @adamkat: @GUT1ERREZ could ride it on his gravel bike for sure !
  • 6 0
 Having watched both videos (this one and the 1199 one), isn't variety the spice of life!! Not all tracks should be made the same and there are riders who prefer the technical tracks over the flat out tracks and vice versa! Having more venues and ultimately more tracks can only be good for the sport. Beats going round in circles or picking your bike up over obstacles and calling that racing!!
  • 2 3
 It’s the Downhill World Cup, (downhill) not gravity fed magic carpet “mtb” trail for roadies. Lame track.
  • 2 0
 @kyleluvsdh: That's a fact, Jack.
  • 11 1
 not hyped
  • 10 1
 my teachers used to me "that's shit, go back and do it again"
  • 60 2
 Your writing is still shit. Now, go back and do it again.
  • 9 1
 This looks like a lot of fun to ride! multiple line choices, some really steep and loose sections. Looks proper fast too!
  • 8 0
 Looks kinda mid
  • 3 0
 What a joke of a track. It took over 2 minutes to get to the good stuff, & even then it wasn't very good stuff. I see nothing that will challenge a pro downhill rider. This reminds me of 2017 when Phil Atwill rode Leogang on a hardtail with "no worries". He called the Leogang course that year "embarrassing". I can't wait to hear what riders say about this track.
  • 6 1
 terrible track like what in the actual
  • 3 0
 That off-camber section starting at about 2:40 looks hard. I wonder how much of the race results will be decided in that first turn.
  • 2 0
 Gopro can be deceptive, the top section look really long and i'm sure it's rougher than it looks but nothing really stands as being memorable. The last 3rd looks pretty steep.
  • 2 1
 seriously I had the same opinion most of the past comments showed but from ~minute 2 it changed my mind.
If you take the first third as a part where you need to avoid loosing too much energy but pushing hard enough not to lose to much time and still having the possibility to charge on the rest of the track this could be a pretty interesting mental game...
  • 1 1
 Ich bin die Strecke am Montag gefahren.
Es ist in keinster Weise einfach zu fahren.
Wie steil und technisch es ist sieht man nicht.
Es ist eine echter world cup Kurs.
Den 4m drop bei 3:42 auch nicht.
Seit auf die Außenaufnahmen gespannt.
Es wird klasse.
  • 2 0
 Comment section making me remember the first videos of the Lourdes world cup track.
It looked like a walk on the park, didn't it?
  • 2 0
 The top half looks like something you would see on a generic mtb insta influencers page. Might be fun to ride but the lack of features make it look boring to watch.
  • 5 2
 Track built for Sam Hill.
  • 3 0
 Looks about as exciting at the last DH race at Llangollen
  • 4 0
 Grasscup DH
  • 2 0
 When's it back open to the public!! Need to get my laddie of his stabilisers looks the perfect place.
  • 3 1
 My mate lives on a cow farm with a big hill can we host a WC there? We could scratch a sick track through the grass......
  • 2 0
 si il pleut ca va etre coton ...
  • 3 0
 Off camber kingdom!
  • 4 1
 Sick flow trail
  • 4 1
 Nice sidewalk.
  • 2 0
 That bottom section is what we need! Hopefully its as good as it looks.
  • 1 0
 Is that the trail to the track that doesn’t exist? Hmm maybe it’s steeper than it looks.
  • 1 1
 We have so much amazing tracks in France , Lourdes , Meribel , steeps of Morzine … such a shame we can’t find any better than that to host a WC
  • 2 0
 Fast
  • 1 1
 (World Cup Race + New “Smooth” Track) X (Inevitable Rain) = Entertaining
  • 2 1
 Track looks sooo sick. Probably the best track all season.
  • 1 1
 for those of you who cant get this, this is me holding up the sarcasm sign for you
  • 4 2
 Boring track
  • 1 0
 Comments in here are hilarious !
  • 3 2
 Riveting track
  • 1 0
 Vali Holl wins this.
  • 1 1
 1 line for 2 minutes. go fast eh







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