It’s that time of year again. The UCI Downhill World Cup has begun, and with a new venue and massive changes in the teams, 2018 is set to be an exciting year.
The Tracks
Unfortunately, Australia misses out this year, with the World Championships being hosted in Lenzerheide, Switzerland. But not to worry, there are still plenty of Australian pinners to cheer on.
The season starts off in a brand new location, Losinj, Croatia, which looks to be a rocky start, sure to satisfy the critics who complain that the world circuit has become too easy. Check out Sam Pilgrim’s GoPro preview here. The course also includes an urban section, which is sure to mix things up!
The rest of the tour remains relatively unchanged, with staples such as Mont-Sainte-Anne, Leogang, and Fort William all appearing on the calendar.
2018 UCI Downhill
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April 21-22: Lošinj, Croatia
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June 2-3: Fort William, Scotland
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June 9-10: Leogang, Austria
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July 7-8: Val di Sole, Italy
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July 14-15: Vallnord, Andorra
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August 11-12: Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada
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August 25-26: La Bresse, France
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September 4-9: World Championship Round – Lenzerheide, Switzerland
The Teams
There have been massive shifts in the makeup of teams for the new season. The biggest changes are that Danny Hart has moved from Mondraker to team Madison Saracen, Eddie Masters has joined Pivot, and George Brannigan has joined GT. As for the equipment that the teams are running, Giant is now completely supplied by DVO suspension and Specialized are running Magura Brakes; both changes are across all forms of mountain bike racing.
If you’re looking for Aussies to support, young guns Jack Moir and Dean Lucas are headlining for Intense Factory racing, Mick and Tracey Hannah are again racing for Polygon UR, and Troy Brosnan remains with Canyon.
Every race is live and free on Redbull TV.
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