DH World Cup Round 2 – Fort William Race Preview

When you’re trying to pick the winner of a DH race, there are two factors that help guide you towards your decision: form and history. Amaury Pierron, …

By rockitman

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DH World Cup Round 2 – Fort William Race Preview

I’m not sure at this stage we have a lot of ‘form’ to go by.. The fast guys will all be fast, but i’d guess any of 10-15 of them could easily be on the podium.

You’d imagine at least 1 will be French though.

When you’re trying to pick the winner of a DH race, there are two factors that help guide you towards your decision: form and history. Amaury Pierron….

Amaury Pierron had never even visited the podium before bagging 3 wins in a row in 2018 so I’d say your own example kind of disproves your own theory.

Weeksy is right there’s probably a dozen riders who could win. I’d like to see Pierron on fire because he’s one of the fastest riders we’ve ever seen but I’d also like to see old man Minnaar open the taps on the motorway and out drag everyone with raw power like he used to.

https://www.pinkbike.com/news/tahnee-seagrave-to-miss-fort-william-world-cup-dh-due-to-concussion.html

Tahnee to miss this weekend 🙁

Gutted she is missing it, but 100% the right thing to rest and heal up.
Nicole racing after the practice crash at Lourdes didn’t look right at the time either, but she seems to be back now.

So much equivocating! If that whole MTB journalism thing doesn’t work out for George, there’s a future in the law for him.

Go on George, are you confident enough to make top-3 predictions for the categories? I’m not…

It appears that Mryam is out too for the same reasons. It’s going to be a straight fight between Cami and Holl for the ladies

@a11y I think that George has a policy against reading comments on his articles, so I will disclose that George has big money on Amaury and Finn.

@fahzure he does read the comments, he’s just driving to Fort Bill right now! Patience!

🙂 Looking at the stats, more so than any other track people tend to be good or bad at Fort William. There are of course exceptions to the rule, that’s racing! Podium picks…

Mens: Pierron, Wilson, Vergier, Hart, Bruni

Womens: Nicole, Hoffmann, Balanche, Hoell, Cabirou

Enjoy the racing everyone. Should have quite a bit of content to share over the next couple of days!

@fazhure I always read the comments! Working off a 0.5mb connection & was torn between Finn / Bruni / Daprela for the final podium place.

Who are you all picking?

George does not fear the comments! 😂

Daprela; Pierron; Illes; Hart; Bruni

Hoffmann, Balanche, Hoell, Cabirou, Pompom

Pierron, Hart, Illes.

Who are you all picking?

Pierron, Illes, Daprela, Hart, Bruni

Hoffmann, Holl, Balanche, Cabirou, Hrastnik

I didn’t think Pompon was racing due to concussion effects? Or is she racing in spite of those? I know Tahnee’s sitting this one out for the same reason.

I don’t get to head up noth until Saturday morning, cannot wait 🙂

Having read the two concussion articles on Pinkbike, I’d say the sport probably needs new protocols. Who let Myriam ride after her crash, after spending time in a darkened room to ‘recover’.

Not good enough….

I cant wait. Clashes with the F1 and I usually watch F1 live then catch up on Red Bull but reckon I’ll switch that this sunday. Gutted I’m not going – I remember being there year after year in the old days, including being in the ‘pit’ (it really was a pit, like a scrum!) around the finish arena the year that Peaty finally won.

Form is really difficult – its been so long since the first round, everyone has been off doing various national races… I’d love Danny to win, and EVERYONE would love Greg to win but I reckon its too open to call.

For the ladies, I reckon Nina Hoffman is a good shout – she always looks strong, stable, and, if i can say it without meaning to offend – like she rides like one of the men – Thats got to be a good basis for a result on this absolute monster of a track.

TL:DR

Who are you all picking?

Danny Hart.

Nina Hoffman.

I’m hoping to see Wilson take the victory in the mens, I reckon he could do it.

In the womens I reckon either Vali or Cami…or Rachel has just been blagging it in terms of being race ready and comes back and smokes everyone (don’t think that’s really going to happen)

Latest Gwin video:

Well, I knew I wouldn’t predict the correct result but I didn’t expect to know that on Thursday afternoon… that’s Finn not racing due to concussion, so I’ll need to amend by prediction.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CdvnFibtmUB/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Confirmation Finn is out.

Mega news, maybe?
https://www.instagram.com/p/CdxocBYMvEF/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Hannah, not all of us have or can view Insta.

Pic shows Rachel in full kit on a bike. It’ll be in a track walk story soon too. It’s not clear that she’s racing, but she is in kit and riding.

awesome!

Also, apparently Amaury is on a 29er. Trying to get a pic!

https://www.instagram.com/p/CdxocBYMvEF/

Track walk!

https://singletrackworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/fort-william-downhill-track-walk-brake-by-brake-turn-by-turn/

And a podcast from the pits! https://singletrackworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/making-up-the-numbers-podcast-on-the-ground-at-fort-william-special/

Surprised Pierron wasn’t on 29 already. Isn’t he pretty tall?

Rachel on the qualifying start list, would be great to see her back after all this time.

You’ve got to feel for Meghan Flanagan! Imagine being in your first World Cup qualifying race and having Rachel chasing you down the hill! Meghan’s attitude is fun though – check what she has to say at the start of George’s podcast.

Anyone know where full results are from today?

They’re on UCI site. Bottom of this page – Linky

Looks like Reece walked it!!

For anyone braving the midges…💪🤘💥

Hardly any woods or slow sections this time around.

I’m predicting some nasty smashes with the length of track, fatigue and tighter margins.

It looks like one of those where a cannier rider with an eye on the overall might decide to settle for a top 10 and leaving in one piece on Sunday evening.

I’d live to see Pierron ride balls out and win it. He is pretty much untouchable if he keeps it on track. If I had to put the mortgage on anyone being top 5 it would be Bruni, though.

Vital Raw are being a bit slow to get their footage up!

Bruni is out, broken collar bone confirmed on Instagram and PB.

5 out of the top 10 mens qualifiers are Brits, good going guys. Greenland 2 1/2 seconds out front, Hatton second, Minnaar 3rd, Pierron 4th then Kerr, Vergier and Hart in 7th. Still a few to go but that’s probably how it’ll be.

Daprela 15th and Thirion 17th.

Reece quite a long way back. And Gwin almost a minute back, can’t get my head how he can fall so far behind.

Excitement is building!

Nina Hoffman was leading until the final split – flat tyre apparently.

Jackson Goldstone storming with what would have been a 4th position.

As suspected, Rachel was a DNS.

Cathro in 37th making up considerable time on the lower sections.