We learned why the Austrian Alps are so lush and green in the summer: It rained every day in some capacity. The mud played havoc in the fresh cut parts of the track, and made the hardpack more of a skating rink. But as always, the riders trooped on and made a show of it! It was dry for finals though, so the hay fever was forgotten and the twenty-euro rain pants got stowed away thankfully. All in all, a great weekend of racing, here’s the Leogang Top 16:
I am a fan of Tracey’s aggressive riding style. In Leogang she was really on form, and that shows here.
It’s cool to see that riders aren’t always paying attention to where they are going. Even at speed they can having a look around. Josh, camera/eye contact!
His riding style is can’t-miss and his speed is real! Pombo is one of the privateers to watch every round.
Joe, blending in. The views from the track in Leogang are amazing.
Manon is quite the hucker, so cathing her in the air is always fun. Fast and low here though, the clock was ticking.
First run down, and Danny Hart was already looking for sneaky inside lines in Leogang. It was forehadowing surely.
And on the second day…it was a mess in Austria, and everyone was struggling. It was challenging to shoot in, and even harder to ride in from what I saw.
Laugh at the plate number, cheer for the shredding, Francesco had a rad season, and it was fun watching the Italian climb the results sheet.
I’ll just leave the caption I wrote here as to why I dig this shot: No, this is not a crash. This is Mike Jones oblitherating a corner and riding it out. Rugged. 3rd place qualifier, and looking capable of sustaining this level of rowdiness.
Caleb is a wild man, and one of the only Juniors to really style the stepdown. We became good mates over the summer, and it was always fun to shoot a buddy on track.
Everyone’s favorite Darkhorse, Miranda has fantastic style and serious speed. I hope in 2017 she’s got a good deal, because she has earned it.
It’s not often there is a near-collision on track, but Laurie almost got smoked by Florent in Seeding after crashing due to an unknown course retaping. Hectic.
This is speed and style kids, learn it. Even if you don’t ride bikes, you get it with this shot.
Josh pulled up for all it was worth at the finishline jump. Massive.
Landing at about 27 meters from the height of a lift tower, the bike went into emergency reserve mode, trying to find extra travel for the compression. Unreal.
What a legend! Mick Hannah is always one to watch on finishline jumps. Like a boss.
