RACE HIGHLIGHTS | Elite Women Leogang UCI Downhill World Cup

The UCI Downhill World Cup made its way back to the mountains of Leogang, Austria for round 3! Check out the race highlights from a nail-biting race, with a looser than loose track which provided the battle ground for an intense round of the 2024 UCI Downhill World Cup season.

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welcome everybody it is downhill round three we are back in Austria where this time last year the scenes in the bowl were as electric as they are iconic up here where I am and where there are two brand new carvings in these historic stumps for 2023 is Home winners in Le gang the pressure is on but the rewards could be very very sweet Leo gang race course in South felden Leo gang Austria 2.1 km in length just shy of 450 vertical M of drop the upper section it is a bit bike Barky but you have to be fast you have to be precise and the Epic bik Park Leo gang wood of Fame set you up for the motor high speed section the motorway section split three one of the most pivotal parts of our track here in Leo gang as we dip back down into the Steep and Deep Woods Valley’s Hall and the Shimano last turn it almost claimed Rona done yesterday it’s claimed numerous athletes in the past Miriam and Nicole is back pom pom’s back on track and she’s in the finals yeah she’s so stoked to be in the finals and you know the the track up there this morning was absolutely treacherous and I I I was at the the woods both times she had a bit of a nightmare coming into the step down I just felt so sorry for them all like in that horrible conditions but here in the finals she’s backing straight into the green look at that she was 1.1 up at the first spit 2.6 at the second dropped a little bit of time on the motorway but she’s still 1.4 into the green she goes for that low line through the woods into really good and she’s pom pom’s such a good Rider technically like she’s always been one of the best technically and this kind of track suits her down to the ground it’s so good to see her back in Action here this weekend she charges to the line she was eight back in the woods as she made some up towards the line here Miriam Nicole crosses the line back in the World Cup finals and takes the hot seat with a 3 47.9 yeah I saw her earlier in those wood sections at the bottom completely covered in mud and I think it’s uh it’s Testament how strong and fearless these girls are you know to have an injury or something and still oh no and speaking of she’s got caught out there in a similar spot to where we saw earlier she’s in no man’s in that Fresh Off cber grassy section there is a defined High Line and a defined low line she just got caught out in that shame uh yeah I mean you you’re tucking you’re kind of pushing you’re thinking where you know where’s my line where’s my line uh but like Aaron said you always in the back of your mind know that this whole wood section is coming and almost oh the same place she crashed in in semis I think and back on that elbow I wonder if she’s like you know some some of the Riders it’s so hard to get your tire [Music] [Applause] send it going for the big line on the motorway section she has 2.3 back in the first split and 4.8 of the second split off Miriam Nicole Strong pedals and then she’ll be like trying to cut out the uh the noise of the Drone that she can hear cuz you can really hear it when you’re on track for Miriam ni Miriam Nicole’s pulled out something special in this upper section here she’s laid down and run that’s reminiscent of her like when she she just tagged a back wheel on that top of that sort of tabletop and even stuff like that all the way along here that’ll shave off like those half seconds and being fast and smooth and low and pro she got two corners to go what line will she choose through Rachel’s ruts down the bottom was nice oh that was nice oh that was lovely yeah carrying good speed so has she made up some more time 4 seconds as Aaron said is a big ask but if anyone can do it Marine cabaro can she comes across the line what is she got inore she goes into third in 1.8 another Rider um that’s kind of opted she’s she done she’s done a few Red Bull hardlines like she’s she was the first girl to hit some of those big features at Red Bull Hardline in whales and then this year she opted to not do Hardline and just focus on the World Cups which again is like a pretty um hard decision for them to make but she’s focused on the World Cups and it’s paying off focused here today two seconds up in sector three through that Motorway section you can see that upside down plate the little cheeky bit of superstition there for number 13 was it upside down oh no SP too soon the curse of number 13 strikes again she pushes the front we’ve seen time and time again she was two seconds she looking so good and she was look how rough they are big hole right where you want to push in and then the thing just kind of Fades away from you we saw that in the junior men’s earlier oh no oh she oh that was she was on a good run but I mean and like we said we saw in the Juniors like how hard it is to to write yourself after a a moment and after a crash the charge there nowhere to get back on is there’s nowhere to like just okay regroup regroup oh it just gets from B to worst look how quickly the confidence disappears and as soon as you start breaking like you can see as soon as you lock up that back wheel youve any grip you had is so good to see her back on top yeah what a cool story with an kind of like a privateer program I mean really fighting with these top Factory Riders here she just showed up and made it happen on her own yeah and she’s basically like her and her friend Abby and they’re like mechanick the bike themselves they’re running their own team now for I think three years I had a cheeky little St on her Instagram you know you can go bu a bike you can figure it out and you can give yourself a shot to get on one of these big teams it’s not unable yeah and like you said at the end of the day you’re it’s the rider and the bike that are doing the work right now and her passion for like the racing and the sport you know losing like she had a big team and losing that sponsorship here we goo section she comes out of the motorway and point six of a second wow this is sick we know there’s time to be made to down here as well with with miam’s run she left some time on the track she’s got to get through this next deep section where we seen all these issues happen right here she’s flirting with the limit right now nice choice come on a little bit safer yeah holds on it she slaps the pocket she exsit with speed her eyes a wired wide open as she gets into the bottom section here and a newerk watching she what can she do can she capitalize on a fantastic semi-final run got to be patient and smart here and keep it moving cuz if you’re going if you grab a handful of break you lose that grip this is looking good she’s keeping it rolling this is looking great here we go now she’s think about that big jump she’s point eight of a second up in sector four she goes for that massive G up misses the rut what has Anna newer got for it as she approaches the Finish Arena this would be incredible if she can pull this off what a weekend more turn the last got to get out of here stra through Rachel’s ruts makes her way through there Happy Days get on the here come on I don’t know she’s given up a little time here on the last straightaway I think she doesn’t have a huge bump inoss the line she takes the hot seat with a [Music] 34724 and a newerk that was amazing what a run congrats what a run oh look how stoked she is and to deal with that pressure from qualifying stuff she put down an impressive qualification time with over 8 seconds in front of second place she reigned it in for a semifinals but now the finals need to happen her team’s been working closely with her this weekend to make sure she stays focused and pays attention to the key parts of this track we’ve heard Rachel and Aaron talk about this course before you must be patient and in those key sections Rachel you cannot charge too hard otherwise it comes undone in a spectacular fashion yeah and I mean it’s it’s so cool to see Valley Riding here at home track because she’s just so good it looks amazing you know she’s literally getting all the back Sid she’s whipping she’s like inch perfect so focus on Happy Valley not even kidding look at the additional speed through those Rock straight off can’t you how fast she see straight away she’s currently. five of a second up on Anna Newk’s time that was tied of the top she made it up at the bottom Cony ties ripping that little uh oh she gets through the wood [Music] I think that’s I mean this is a d it’s been a week so it’s it’s ideal conditions really do you think there’s any difference between R clear those uh to clear those jumps I saw her in practice alls cheering and she she cleared them both perfectly so to see that like pretty impressive wow Valley is turning it on here today 1.9 seconds up on sector 2 we approached the motorway visibly over 5 km an hour faster at the moment Ken scrub she has an exceptional style and speed through those yesterday were on the final jump were better than brunies it was really cool check the vids check the vids let’s see the comments Valley hole 173 on her whoop data as she approaches the wall ride and she got for us Val’s had pretty much every scenario happen here at Le gang she’s W she’s been injured she’s crashed so she knows how to deal wow 53 km an hour through the speed trap she’s 3 point SEC 3.3 seconds so nervous right game on now the woods and like it’s it is it’s a different ball game when it’s your home track so many people here all her friends and family the crowd will be going wild listen to the crowd she’ll able to hear them yeah she’ll be hearing them in her ears riding and it it’s it’s hard to concentrate how difficult is it to regain composure when they start screaming at you like I think it’s when they say your name so when they’re saying Valley or or Rachel is going right into your thought process and I think it wow that was picture that was perfect look at the Precision coming down through some of these lines that rock that’s where Camy crashed gapping off that into that rut it’s super tricky section she must navigate her way down through here cleanly and smoothly she’s got the time up her sleeve she has 5.1 seconds up days Valley is charging and then you want to say just chill out now no mate go for Gold Valley Hall is dominating this race course here today she’ll be able to hear the finish and oh my gosh this is so impressive here we go into the final section here she’s got two corners to go she needs to navigate the oh get clip back in get on the gas Valley and let’s just Embrace this finish Arena Roar as she charges to the line Valley hole comes across the line to dominate oh gosh in Le look at the time 7 Seconds of oh my that is incredible 7.1 seconds above to clim Victory oh look a friend Lisa they’re like hugging a Podium for Lisa I think Val’s mentioned before that 2023 that Victory here was one of the greatest moments of her life and right now she’s backed that up look Anna it’s so cool everyone is yeah they’re so friendly and when I was winning I was like not super good friends with anyone so it’s nice to see that oh Valley what a run Embrace that Valley Hall ladies and gentlemen your 2023 world champion and CLS her second Leo gang hug downhill World Cup victory here today yeah it’s been insane I mean I felt quite okay in for William but it didn’t it didn’t felt like my normal riding then a little crash in Poland I missed out on the podium and it I knew it it’s was going to be a tough one at home in Leo gong but man I appreciate it thanks to everyone all my coaches like the Ravenel my te the white team W Greg my parents mati everyone uh it’s been a yeah insane one [Music] wow listen to the crowd you’re 2023 world champion Valley Hall your 2023 Leo gang winner and now your 2024 World Cup Victor what a race today what a weekend from The Young Champion with their family and friends in town a disgusting and amazing scenes all in one as The Crowd Goes Crazy for their local hero and let’s check it out Valentina hle claims a victory with a three point 3 minutes 47 seconds and a new Kirk up on the podium and the return of pom pom M of the co I feel like everyone’s going to be pretty stoked like pom pom will be stoked with that third after the year she’s had look at the downhill standings for our women’s Elite Valley Hall continues to lead and holds on to our overall series leader tiny Seagrave despite that crash claims second place still 290 points back Marine cabaro 313 points back in third Nina Hoffman holds on to Fourth Anna newerk moves up to fifth position in the overall and 10th Place outright will be Louise Anna Ferguson [Music] n [Music]