Lourdes Have Mercy: Practice - Lourdes DH World Cup 2016
Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls, here it is, the moment you've all been waiting the past six months for. Today's practice session in Lourdes, France officially opens the 2016 World Cup Downhill series, and believe us when we tell you... It was well worth the wait.
In this village most well known for miracles, the only holy water in sight was falling from the sky to create one of the most rowdy opening WC rounds we have seen in many years. Though the track remains completely unchanged from a year ago, it is anything but the same, and with rain falling heavy each night and intermittently through the day it is in a constant state of flux. With each passing run things change and just as riders begin to feel comfortable, or things begin to dry up, the heavens open up one again to wipe the slate clean and send everyone back to the drawing board.
Just when the riders think the track in Lourdes will show them some mercy, it goes and does the complete opposite.
Spring is still a few weeks away here in the foothills of the Pyrenees.
Incredible views for hundreds of KMs from the top of the mountain came in and out with extreme weather all day.
Finn Iles was hot to get to it this morning, drifting right out of the gate on his first run.
Manon Carpenter running into the chaos at the top of the track during morning practice.
We last saw Brage Vestavik at Hafjell Worlds a couple years back as a course sweep and he looked like one to watch. Now he is racing as a Junior with Devinci Global racing. He still looks to be promising young talent.
Myriam with the rare chance to watch the madness unfold from the safety of behind the tape.
Rachel Atherton easily took the fastest time in training today. She was some four seconds up on the field.
Tahnee Seagrave was third fastest in timed training. She was looking pretty darn comfortable out there on the new whip.
But would find out just how slippery it is on track, not 30 seconds into her first practice run.
Plenty of wild moments to witness out on track this morning.
Last year's almost winner, Tracey Hannah is out for revenge here in Lourdes and was looking quick in the slick morning practice.
Sam Dale was nothing but smiles to finally get the season underway.
Loic Bruni was looking very fast all day. Don't let his 26th in timed training fool you though. His timed training run was when the track was at its absolute worst with rain pouring down.
Loris Vergier ended last season with a string of top ten results and a podium. Let's see if he's built on that form over the winter to pull off another good one here in Lourdes.
Josh Bryceland waits on a red flag and spreads the word at the same time.
Remi Thirion is a ninja in the mud and on tech tracks so it's no surprise he went quickest in timed training before the rain fell.
With storm clouds moving in and out all day, it was quite dark in the French woods.
Phil Atwill is once again dropping some jaws getting disgracefully loose all the way down.
After injury took Andrew Neethling out of contention last year, he is another rider looking to start things fresh in 2016.
The #1 means business and definitely has something to prove after making some bold team moves in the off season.
Troy ended last year as the fastest man on track but suffered a string of crashes in his final runs. Lourdes seems like as good a place as any to seek redemption, so we expect to see him on the podium come Sunday.
Watch out, the GOAT's about.
The Bull Dog smashing his way down the track on his new GT Fury.
#gwizzard.
We had all the weather today: rain, snow, sleet, sun, wind, and clouds. It made for an interesting day, and the riders had a wild time coming to grips with the constant track evolution.
Smith is on it - looking super solid from the off, he bagged one of the fastest laps of the day.
Greg Minnaar ripping his XXL V10. We will have an in depth look at this beast very soon.
New team, same bad-boy WynTV style.
Gee Atherton slip-sliding through the slop on the last run of the day.
Dangerous Dan's ready for a rowdy a weekend of big bikes.
The rains came, the hail fell... tomorrow isn't looking too comfortable either.
Pretty sure the holy water is going to get funky if these bikes keep collecting so much mud.
Luca Shaw was convinced that it was easier to ride down the track today, even when it was at its most precarious, than to walk down it.
Cut spikes. Just about everyone is running them. You should too, if you're racing here.
Super Bruni on a telemetry burner during the worst of the storm.
Sam Hill, monster trucking through the rocks at the bottom of the track.
Greg Williamson dives into the chicanes before the death chute on board his Cube.
Minnaar wasn't showing his cards in practice, but if we've learned anything from Greg over the years it's that he's always fast on race day.
Pinned and confident all day no matter the conditions for Marcelo Gutierrez.
Taylor Vernon cutting to the inside line as the rain fell mid practice in an effort to keep riders on their toes.
Death grip it and rip it is Brendan's style, and he is always one to watch out for in the wet.
Bryceland shredding hard and loving every loose moment on track.
Fit, fast, and confident... The Rat is on form in Lourdes.
Smith: beard and bike game currently strong.
Sacred ground that adds pounds. The mud in Lourdes is weighty indeed.
This is Loris Vergier's bike after just one run in the rain that started up at the end of timed training.
A quick rinse in the holy water of Lourdes and all is like new again.
There is a hint of blue sky here and there, but we aren't trusting it.
Author Info:
Member since Jul 19, 2007
Must Read This Week
Sign Up for the Pinkbike Newsletter - All the Biggest, Most Interesting Stories in your Inbox
PB Newsletter Signup
"His mother was a mudder?"
"What did I just say?"
She missed the exact same 1st race last season, so not really rare is it?
Sorry too much coffee & stokecitement.
Merci Gracias Danke Fanks
wwp.greenwichmeantime.com/gmt-converter/time-zones
Bruni 2nd
But third ????