WORLD CUP DH IS BACK! Maribor 1 Training Slideshow

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There are only two and a half months left in 2020, and we're just getting to the first UCI Mountain Bike World Cup Downhill race. Patience is a virtue, and the wait has been worth it as riders take to the track for the first race of a double-header weekend. There was practice today, qualifying on Thursday and race 1 on Friday. Saturday will be another qualifier for race 2 on Sunday. There are technically two different tracks, but it's mostly the same track with a few small section tweaks between races. The sun was out today, the mud of Leogang has been permanently shed and it was smashing time. Sven, Boris and Dan drop it 'cuz it's hot!

Your World Champ boosting!! -Sven Martin

Reece Wilson winding up. Trek Factory Racing's Andrew Shandro in the audio, smoothly avoiding the politics Sven throws in at the end, LOL. -Sven Martin

Your Jnr World Champ, Oisin O'Callaghan in the audio -Sven Martin

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Sharja and Nic from South Africa discovered Decathalon. <br />
-Sven Martin

Troy finds the tight line in the rocks. -Sven Martin

Chilly but beautiful out here and the white wine is to die for. <br />
-Sven Martin

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The man of the moment. Of the year really. -Sven Martin

New mullet frame and link for Gee this year. -Sven Martin

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Eddie has had a tough two days. Head boded here by Bernard and then a crash and a fractured hand today -Sven Martin

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Coulanges flying today. Hard to imagine he ended last year ranked so low after his results this year at the French races. -Sven Martin

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Young Christopher Grice not afraid of the big lines with off-camber rooty landings. -Sven Martin

Sharja ???? -Sven Martin

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Gwin flying through the upper woods. -Sven Martin

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Keeping his hands to himself. Kade Edwards is back. @maddogboris

Shocking pink. Amaury’s choice. Too bad he’s not here to represent. -Sven Martin

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Eddie getting battered on his first run. An MRI showed a chipped bone in his wrist. He might still race. -Sven Martin

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Peaty cutting loam and leaves while out spotting lines for the Syndicate. Tough life. Since there's no photo of Greg, his audio goes here. -Sven Martin

Loic, deadly as usual here in Maribor. -Sven Martin

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Danny drops an arm and squeezes through. -Sven Martin

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Wallace exiting the wall of roots. -Sven Martin

Good to see Kade out here. He’s not sure how he will go as he mostly been filming and hasn’t gone fast on his DH bike for awhile. -Sven Martin

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We are close to the city out here, but only limited spectators allowed this year. -Sven Martin

Black-out Brook. -Sven Martin

Marine was looking good for the win here last year until her crash. -Sven Martin

Fastest in timed training today. Could he pull it off this weekend? -Sven Martin

Kaos Seagrave styling it up. -Sven Martin

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Finn Iles was looking pinned as always! @maddogboris

Pompon and her teammates are probably the easiest riders to spot with their new kits, even if they disappear in the dark. @maddogboris

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David Trummer on the huck out of the woods into the berms. @maddogboris

Thibaut Daprela sending the natural gap! @maddogboris

Kye A'Hern seems is happy to ride some hard-packed burms. Fingers crossed that the weather forecast is wrong for the next days and it stays like this. @maddogboris

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Matt Walker getting low in one of the many high-speed sections. @maddogboris

Morning silhouette. @maddogboris

Loic Bruni is one of the most precise riders out there. And the track in Maribor is perfect place to prove that. @maddogboris

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TableTopWednesday! Actually its TabletopEveryday for Kaos Seagrave. @maddogboris

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No Mountain or Lifttower is high enough for Sven. @maddogboris

Taylor Vernon sending it in B Practice. @maddogboris

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When Loic Bruni stops in front of you and wanna keep shooting. @maddogboris

Sideways corner by Angel Suarez @maddogboris

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No idea what Rob Warner is doing there! Any ideas? @maddogboris

Red Canyon train by Mark Wallace followed by Kye A'Hern @maddogboris

The HoFF! He is the Chuck Norris and MacGyver of the Media Squids, where Sven is the Jar Jar Binks of the crew. @maddogboris

Luca Shaw sending the exit of the rock garden. @maddogboris

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Camille Balanche, the 2020 World Champion, through the rocks. @maddogboris

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Brook Macdonald wild as always. @maddogboris

Tahnee Seagrave knows that she has the speed after her split times in Leogang. Now it's her turn to return to the podium. @maddogboris

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Nina Hoffman checking out the double in the middle of the track. @maddogboris

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A little lens flare pans for breakfast. @maddogboris

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Adam Brayton in the rock garden. Unusual perspective as it looks way too easy. @maddogboris

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Radial black and white pan to finish the day. @maddogboris

A race so late in the season means pretty forests and golden opportunities for photos. -Dan Hearn

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Mille Johnset making her elite debut in Maribor having not been able to race World Champs after a last minute Norwegian Cycling Federation decision. -Dan Hearn

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Andy Vathis takes a bit of down time between nasal insertions. -Dan Hearn

Danny Hart took second place here last year. -Dan Hearn

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Covid-safe is one thing, but in the wild rock garden you’ve got other things to worry about. -Dan Hearn

The first wood section is a whooped-out warp-speed gap into berms and roots. Pretty rad to watch. The second course has a different line with more corners and tech. -Dan Hearn

After a less-than-ideal race in Leogang, Tahnee is looking strong on the much faster Maribor track and will be hunting down the win(s). -Dan Hearn

Plenty of root webs and greasy patches to get riders out of shape tomorrow in the rain. -Dan Hearn

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The G-out in this corner is pretty mad. It’s a physical track with lots of high-speed pumping and hopping to stay on the racing line. -Dan Hearn

Luke Meier-Smith had a big crash at the end of training. Fingers crossed all is well, he was looking absolutely pinned today. -Dan Hearn

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Aaron Gwin didn’t have the best time in Leogang and struggled to get comfortable on the track. It’s a completely different style of riding here, so let’s see what he can do. -Dan Hearn

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This is a perfect track for Remi Thirion to execute some wild maneuvers in his usual race-perfect style. -Dan Hearn

Bright sun and shadowy trees make for some cool photo opportunities. -Dan Hearn

Another rider looking really comfortable in the high speed was Frenchman, Flo Payet. -Dan Hearn

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Thibaut Laly getting twisted above the picturesque city of Maribor. -Dan Hearn

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The track pops out of the woods occasionally into some flat corners… not sure this sort of angle will be possible in the rain tomorrow! -Dan Hearn

It’s a long walk to the track from the top of the gondola. Plenty of nice views to keep entertained though -Dan Hearn

Myriam Nicole soaking up the rays before dropping into practice. A day of sun makes a nice change from the brutal conditions in Leogang! -Dan Hearn

It’ll be a strange finish area with spectators seated and distanced, having bought quite expensive tickets to come and watch. Strange times we live in. -Dan Hearn