Can’t help but get excited by the prospect of this weekends world championship action. Will Gwin dominate like he did the last 2 world cups, will Minaar pull out all the stops for one last hurrah? Was Ratboy taking it easy in the last round of the world cup in preparation for settling a score with the world champs? Danny Hart was on a blistering run last WC as well until he crashed.
You’d be mad to bet against Gwin really the form he’s shown but I think its still going to be a corker.

The course looks amazing!!

Claudio’s World Championships Video Run-through

That course is insane!

The great thing is, there are a fair few that can win – Bronson is on form too.

Lordy. Rather them than me!

Looks pretty straightforward 😯

Three of us in the OAB house are looking forward to this one.
Huuuge course must mean some variations in times, with so many lines and choices.
And yes the course is a little

Is it on Saturday?

Now, that is my kind of course.

What time’s it on? Track looks brilliant, proper worlds track.

I’m really looking forward to it. Hopefully the Redcar Rocket can pull off a result.
Looks like a track I’d enjoy riding if they could tilt the slope back by 30 degrees 🙂

Wonder who’ll be decapitated by the bridge??

It’s on Sunday according to the Red Bull TV schedule.

Can’t wait for this one. Should be bloody brilliant. So many top riders in good form. Be great to see Bryceland and Seagrave steal it but to be honest I’ve got to plump for a Gwin / Atherton win.

Sunday 6th at 12.55pm GMT. Allowing for the GoPro flattening things out I’m guessing some of it is actually vertical, should be entertaining.

No-one’s mentioned Loic Bruni. After all the bad luck he had this year and all the 2nd placing’s you’d think he must be due a win sometime. It might just be this weekend.

Can’t wait for this, the course looks brutal.
I’m rooting for Hill or Bryceland. Or Bruni.
It’s going to take something special to beat Gwin though, he seems to be on a different level in the last few races.
And Miriam Nicole for the home win.

Has nobody mentioned Troy Brosnan? He seems to have the most speed at the moment, while Gwin is best at combining crazy speed with staying on his bike.

Going on form – I’d agree Bruni, Bryceland and Hart could be in with a shout too – and maybe Macdonald – and of course you can never write Gee off.

Looks like they might be showing the women’s event live this time BTW. Not so difficult to predict a winner for that one.

I think any of the top 10 blokes could take it on the day, hopefully it’ll be dry fast and insane!!

Hopefully the Redcar Rocket can pull off a result

I don’t think he’s good enough. I know there’s a lot of support for him, but he’s got to beat Loic, Greg, Ratboy, Arron, Troy, Gee, ….Just can’t see it.

For the Girls I reckon a straight fight between Pompon and Rachel, although can’t rule out Manon or Tanhee!!

yikes

And remi or Smith could do very well.

I am going to stick my neck out and say I don’t see Gwinn getting in the top 3 on that course, well I can actually, but I think it suits other riders more and don’t think he will be at all dominant this weekend.

The bottom half of the course looked like they were spending long periods of time “surfing” a bike with no traction through the course. It will not necessarily suit Gwinn’s hard hitting style. I can really see it coming to ratboy or Hart, and Troy Brosnon’s size could give him a big advantage.

http://www.pinkbike.com/news/The-long-winding-road-vallnord-world-champs-2015-trackwalk.html

😯

Crikey. 😯 😯

If I were competing (obviously I wouldn’t be), I’d definitely be specifying to my sponsors that my moto-pants for the weekend must be dark in colour…………

Was planning a ride on sunday aft. That’s knocked that on the head then.

dannyh – Member

If I were competing (obviously I wouldn’t be)

Relatively easy to qualify for the world champs, you just have to come from somewhere that doesn’t grow any downhillers, jamaican bobsleigh team style. Needs a bit of planning, though. Estonia seems like a decent option

Estonia seems like a decent option

*breaks out his Indian dual nationality*

It worked for the World Stone Skimming Championships – apparently I am Indian National Champion… 😆

Rach or Pompon for the women
Minaar, Vergier or Gwin for the men IMO

The steepness at the end says lottery to me in some ways..
Remember Sam Hill spots a penny

It takes 110% to win one of these or by being the last man standing, one of the youngsters could get it
at least no rain forecast
http://www.myweather2.com/Hill-and-Mountain/Andorra/Vallnord-Pal-Arinsal.aspx?sday=2

Interesting one this….parts of the course look vertical!

Form says Gwin but he’s had such a good season I’d like to see someone else win it.

I’d love to see Brosnan come out from Gwin’s shadow and snatch it…. I’d like to see Bryceland take what was his last year until he threw it away with 100yards left….i’d like to see Gee become a triple Champ just because it would wind up all his detractors!….

Vergier is getting quicker with each race, dark horse for me….Hart if it rains obviously!….never count Minnaar out but he’s won it enough times that I’d like to see someone else.

Bruni could do it but needs to see a shrink this off season so the constant 2nd place finishes don’t get to him.

Blenki, Jones, MacDonald, Thirion, Fearon, Lucas etc are all capable of pulling out a one-off dream run, as someone else said, anybody who’s been in the top-10 at some point this season could conceivably win on their day.

Fantasy result for me?…Sam Hill, if he was fit it would be a given….the course has his name all over it, sadly though I think his injury is worse than he or the team let on and this season is a write off….it would be great though!

Vergier is getting quicker with each race, dark horse for me….Hart if it rains obviously!….never count Minnaar out but he’s won it enough times that I’d like to see someone else.

No rain forecast and it would rely on Hart actually linking an entire run.

There are a collection on the fringes from the French and Aussies that would just get their run together.
Gwin has never got the rainbow stripes, no pressure from that is there?

For a total outside chance I’m wondering how Fairclough will fair on this course, given its technicality it may spur him on to push it.

It’s great that there are so many guys who could pull it off now, eh?

Big contrast to three or four years ago when there were just a few top guys.

Stevet1 – Member

For a total outside chance I’m wondering how Fairclough will fair on this course, given its technicality it may spur him on to push it.

I’m probably being very unfair, but I can see BF ever being more than a ‘top 10 rider’ I really like his style and he seems a really decent bloke, but I think he’s too busy having fun and doesn’t seem to care about winning as much as say Gee or Gwin. Ratboy of course is all about having fun, but he’s got a killer instinct on the bike that BF I don’t think has.

Of course I don’t know what really goes on in their mind, but I fancy where someone like Minnar is studying every rock and root to steal a tenth off the rest, BF is looking for somewhere cool to throw a whip for the fans.

I’m probably being very unfair, but I can see BF ever being more than a ‘top 10 rider’ I really like his style and he seems a really decent bloke, but I think he’s too busy having fun and doesn’t seem to care about winning as much as say Gee or Gwin.

yep I hear you, but a course such as this looks like less of a pure racers course and more suited to his natural abilities on a bike (which I’m sure they all have in spades). It looks like a super fun course if you ride at that level, which as I mentioned could interest him enough for him to give it full beans.

I’d like to see Bryceland take what was his last year until he threw it away with 100yards left….i’d like to see Gee become a triple Champ just because it would wind up all his detractors!….

+1

I would also like to see Bruni up there as well, he seems so close so permanently…

This may not of course be the sensible prediction. But I like it.

Ladies – Rach for the win, Nicole second, Tahnee third and Manon fourth.

I literally cannot wait for this! I may give the wife some money to go shopping so i can stream happily in the comfort of my front room.

I dunno, Fairclough seems like he knows where his value to the team and the brand is and right now that’s measured in screen time rather than wins. Not that you can’t do both but if he was boring and came in 6th that’d be less useful than being cool and 10th. Still professional, just differently professional.

Honestly, I want to see Gwin just go full Gwin… When he’s at his best there’s nobody I’d rather watch. No fireworks, more like a controlled demolition. He’s not allowed to win boringly though, it’s got to be a masterclass like windham

Being a huge sam hill fan boy I’d love to see him take the win, he was looking rapid on the Vital Raw footage yesterday, insiding the inside line even in the pouring rain!

Would also love to see Hart and Remi put good runs in, the course has their names written all over it.

If I was betting on it however my money would be on Gwin after the form he’s been on all season.

Brosnan for the win

Will I be able to watch the full video afterwards? Family event means no live streaming for me.

Course looks incredible and a proper ‘on it’ Gwin run would be fantastic viewing, but I’d like to see a back to form Sam Hill for sure.