Les Gets will test how far riders are willing to push their limits
The first mountain biking World Cup “double” was just three weeks ago, but what’s the fun in moderation? Just like in Leogang, Les Gets will feature wall-to-wall racing across XC and downhill from Friday through Sunday, giving you a concentrated dose of roots and jumps and mud and really fast bikes.
The course in Les Gets is unlike any of the World Cup races yet, with XC and DH courses that emphasize speed, technicality and lots of line and trajectory decisions that should add an extra layer of intrigue to already exciting racing.
Trek Factory Racing will be out in full force as always, as will a RockShox Trek Race Team featuring a very hungry Vali Höll. There’s no time to waste: Here’s everything you need to get ready for this weekend.
Reece Wilson returned to the podium in Leogang.
The downhill is course is fast (weather pending) and wide open
Though Les Gets will reportedly receive rain all week, the weather is supposed to be dry and sunny for qualifying runs Friday. However, showers could roll in again Saturday afternoon, potentially changing conditions in the midst of the men’s and women’s elite finals.
If the rain stays away, the racing could be blistering. Unlike in Leogang, there are no truly momentum-stopping sections. On the contrary, Les Gets’ downhill course features several wide open routes, interspersed with more technical undergrowth, that will test riders’ ability to choose the best lines. They’ll have to do so at high speed because the course is impressively steep, with an elevation drop of roughly 1,860 feet over 1.43 miles.
Vali Höll wants to make up for a late crash that may have cost her a gold medal in her first elite World Cup.
TFR’s Loris Vergier and Reece Wilson enter the race with podium ambitions. Vergier’s final run in Leogang was abandoned due to a puncture, but he got a bit of redemption a week later by winning Crankworx. Wilson finished fourth in Leogang after posting the fastest time through the most technical portion of the race. A course that rewards good decision making could mean big things for the defending world champion.
RockShox Trek’s young riders also enter Les Gets with momentum. Höll appeared to be on pace for a gold medal in Leogang, but fell late and settled for silver in her first ever elite World Cup race. Like Vergier, she went on to win Crankworx, making her a favorite in Les Gets. Meanwhile, her teammate, Jamie Edmondson, is coming off a double gold medal week at the first two Enduro World Series races of the year in Val di Fassa. And though his downhill results haven’t yet matched his enduro runs, he proved his bona fides in 2020 when he took fourth at the downhill World Cup in Lousã.
Because of the weather, there’s no predicting what will happen, but there’s certainly no shortage of riders who fancy their odds on the speedy course.
Evie Richards is coming off consecutive wins in Switzerland and Italy.
The XC course has been revised to benefit all-arounders
The first three XC World Cups in Albstadt, Nove Mesto and Leogang have all suited the climbers, and Les Gets won’t entirely break that trend. The course still features a pair of 460-foot climbs across its two-loop lap.
But this year — and going forward for the 2022 World Championships and 2024 Olympics — the course has been injected with 15 permanent and pop-up technical features, from rock gardens to jumps to springboards. Those features should widen the range of podium contenders, and potentially create a more nuanced race.
Anton Cooper is having a resurgent season, taking bronze in Leogang.
Evie Richards and Anton Cooper will appreciate the updates. Richards is coming off a pair of wins in the Swiss Cup and Internazionali d’Italia Series after a sixth place finish in Leogang. Cooper won the men’s race at the same Swiss Cup race after taking bronze in Leogang. Both are powerful riders who thrive on gnarly terrain, and they are in strong form heading into a big summer slate.
Les Gets will also be the World Cup return of Stéphane Tempier, who struggled with illness in Albstadt and Nove Mesto before taking time off from racing to rest up. He finished third at the Internazionali d’Italia Series race in La Thuile this past weekend, which was a good sign that he’s feeling much better.
The Sunday forecast calls for a lot of rain in Les Gets, which might only sweeten things for TFR’s riders. Keep an eye on the radar. We certainly know that Richards likes messy conditions.
All about those podium vibes.
How can I watch?
Red Bull TV will once again show all of the racing live and for free (what a deal!) The only downside is that you won’t get to watch everything — no Friday downhill qualifying, and no junior and U23 XC racing.
Still, there’s plenty to keep you occupied. Here’s the full schedule below:
Friday:
- XC short track elite women’s final — 5:20 p.m. local, 11:20 a.m. ET
- XC short track elite men’s final — approx. 6:15 p.m. local, 12:15 p.m. ET
Saturday:
- DH elite women’s final — 12:30 p.m. local, 6:30 a.m. ET
- DH elite men’s final — approx. 1:45 p.m. local, 7:45 a.m. ET
Sunday:
- XC Olympic elite women’s final — 12 p.m. local, 6 a.m. ET
- XC Olympic elite men’s final — approx. 2:30 p.m. local, 8:30 a.m. ET
You can also follow TFR’s XC and downhill teams on Instagram. We’ll be posting lots of photos and video throughout the week, and giving you results as soon as we can.
