2022 Downhill Season Preview – Get hyped!

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by ago 12

The 2022 DH World Cup season starts relatively early this year, with the season opener taking place on Sunday 27th March in Lourdes, France. Famous for its healing waters and miracles, the riders will gather exactly six months and one week after Loïc Bruni and Vali Höll worked miracles of their own.  At just 20 years old Vali Höll grabbed her first World Cup overall. Credit: Red Bull Content Pool The 2021 season will live long in the memory. Coming into the final two rounds in Snowshoe, Thibaut Dapréla and Myriam Nicole convincingly led their respective series and looked shoo-ins (pun intended) to claim the overall titles. Dapréla would crash out though, with the young Frenchman breaking his ankle and dislocating his thumb in the first race of the doubleheader. Nicole would slide out on an innocuous piece of track in the second race, allowing Bruni and Höll to scoop up the titles. Thibaut Dapréla had a nightmare end to the 2021 season. Credit: Red Bull Content Pool Are we in a period of Loïc Bruni domination? Credit: Red Bull Content Pool If you look at the stats alone, you could argue that we’re currently in a period of Loïc Bruni domination. Over the last five years he’s amassed two World Cup titles and four Elite World Championships to go with the Junior one he won in 2012. It doesn’t feel like that though. In the episode of the Making Up The Numbers podcast with Dean Lucas we talked about...
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  • This topic has 12 replies, 11 voices, and was last updated 2 months ago by Mark.
Viewing 12 posts - 1 through 12 (of 12 total)
  • 2022 Downhill Season Preview – Get hyped!
  • Premier Icon LittleG
    Full Member

    Am I right in thinking it’s all still on Red Bull TV this year? 😬

    Posted 2 months ago
    Premier Icon Sharkattack
    Full Member

    Live and free on Red Bull TV for the last season.

    I’ve been following the world cup since they were called the Grundigs and it really has gotten better and better especially in the last 10 years.

    It’ll be a shame if the audience vanishes once it’s hidden behind the Discovery pay wall. It’ll be much harder for manufacturers to justify the significant expense of competing when they could just give free bikes to Youtubers and Instagrammers.

    Perfect time for someone to start an independent DH series free of the UCI.

    Posted 2 months ago
    Premier Icon weeksy
    Full Member

    Yeah i’m a little worried as to what the future will bring in terms of coverage, even little things like losing Rob Warner if that happens.

    As for the coming season, as always it will be crazy close, crazy exciting and brilliant to watch.

    We’re going to miss the live coverage next weekend as we’re in Llangollen racing DH lol, but we’ll catch up in the evening hopefully.

    I’m going to say a Frenchie for the overall, but with their depth, that’s not actually a leap of faith. As a minor wildcard though i think it may be Daprela.

    Posted 2 months ago
    Premier Icon BruceWee
    Full Member

    I’ve lost track of how long a regular season actually is.

    Has it always been 8 rounds + World Champs or has that been increased since the last full season (whenever that was)?

    Posted 2 months ago
    Premier Icon Ben Haworth
    Full Member

    Where do we post our misguided and pointless predictions?

    Here?

    Okay then.

    Holl overall. Again.
    Vergier overall. At last.

    R.Atherton World Champ.
    L.Greenland World Champ.

    Whatever happens. BRING IT ON. WC DH Racing is the bestest!

    Posted 2 months ago
    Premier Icon weeksy
    Full Member

    You Reckon Rachel will come back then? I wasn’t aware that was official yet.

    Posted 2 months ago
    Premier Icon Sharkattack
    Full Member

    Has it always been 8 rounds + World Champs or has that been increased since the last full season 

    Yes this is a long one. It’s been down to 5 or 6 races in the past.

    I still have no idea why there’s always a 6 to 8 week gap after the first round. You wait all year for the racing to kick off and then there’s a huge gap before the 2nd round. If there’s a sensible reason for this I’m happy to hear it.

    Posted 2 months ago
    Premier Icon ocrider
    Full Member

    We’re going to miss the live coverage next weekend as we’re in Llangollen racing DH lol, but we’ll catch up in the evening hopefully.

    You’re not missing anything, Weeksy. Lourdes is in a fortnight, so enjoy the riding and there’s no need to rush home for the highlights whilst avoiding online spoilers!

    I’m having a hard time picking a non French male rider for either the overall or the champs. Daprela if he keeps his head cool could well be up for the double this year.
    Lourdes and Vallnord are home races for Myriam and after that washout coming out of the sprint at Snowshoe, I don’t think she’s going to make it easy for Höll. Too close to call for the overall, but more home advantage for Les Gets will mean Pompon’s going to retain the stripey jumper.
    In any case we’ll have two French world champs.

    Posted 2 months ago
    Premier Icon LeeGee
    Full Member

    I’ll be at Leogang to watch in June and looking forward to a normal season for the first time in 3 years.

    Posted 2 months ago
    Premier Icon Hannah Dobson
    Full Member

    Rachel hasn’t committed to coming back to WC racing, you’ll have to read all about what she has to say about that in the next mag!

    Posted 2 months ago
    Premier Icon Fahzure Freeride
    Full Member

    1. Thibaut is absolutely on fire. Everyone else is worried and will need to get lucky.
    2. See 1, above.
    3. With Dyfi next door and a supportive community around her, Rachel hasn’t missed much in the past few years and may have broadened her skills while on hiatus. Winning an overall will be tough with the added complication of a newborn, but where she has the space and support (Fort Bill?) she will be challenging for the top spot.
    4. Look, just because the author was washed up at 40, doesn’t mean that someone with focus and who avoided a 15 year stint in the rave “business”, can’t show up an win. However, at that age (and as the author will surely testify, beyond) injuries and durability can become issues, so WC overall aspirations are likely wishful. I’d say look for his good form early in the year, maybe Fort Bill.
    5. Well, he’s been riding an eMTB and posting “lifestyleish” videos, so I’d say he’s out. Buy him a beer and pat him on the back when you see him.

    Posted 2 months ago
    Premier Icon Mark
    Free Member

    1. If Amaury is fit and on 2018 form he is the man I’d back
    2. Nope, I don’t think Walker has shown the pace to beat those top Frenchies
    3. If Rachel races, she will be in the mix
    4. Of course he can, but he wouldn’t be my first pick when predicting a race winner
    5. Gwin may want it, but he’s been surpassed by the next generation. I don’t think he will win another World Cup

    Posted 2 months ago
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