Awesome thread. I think I'll throw my vote behind Hill VDS 08 but there are a bunch of awesome runs in this thread I haven't been able to see that I am trying to look up footage of. Just the bonkers speed of Sam in VDS and how chill he looked doing it is so impressive.
So famous people forgot it was actually 3rd?!
He did crash in the run too....I think it was Clay Porters video that year which has the...
So famous people forgot it was actually 3rd?!
He did crash in the run too....I think it was Clay Porters video that year which has the footage (ie filming the trackside video screen). I rate this one near the top considering how stacked against him the conditions were. I believe the next fastest rider in the same conditions was (THE LEGEND) Mickael Pascal about 27 seconds back!
VDS was insane but I put the Champery one above it
Agree with Neko's chainless run AND his run at Cairns where he crashed but still ended up 3rd or 4th?
Peaty at Les Gets '04 - That one still hurts to watch. I wonder how different his career could have been if he had won worlds when he was at his peak?
I remember him coming down plastered in mud (from a crash) and taking 3rd. I sort of felt sorry for Matti (who came down earlier before the rain/mudfest) as it was such an amazing run and time that no one really paid any attention to him that day.
I also think the Sam Hill VDS one stands out because everyone managed to video (in glorious slo-mo) or photograph it as it was so close to the finish line in glorious sunshine.
Peaty's run in Les Get is tops
Rat breaking his foot
Sam at VDS worlds
Luca Shaw at Leogang, he was up up at the split before crashing
Gwin Flatting at Lenzerhied, I think he would have won that race
Gwin again at Champery, I don't think he would have beat Danny but I think he would have been closer than anyone else
Peaty's crash at Windham, they names that chute after him (Peaty's Plunge)
Sam's run at Champery is already legendary, even without the win.
Also worth mentioning Tracey Hannah in Cairns 2017 Worlds, she crashed and still got 3rd, reminiscing of Hill in VDS...
Was a big "what could have been" since se was racing on home soil and would have been a pretty sweet win, was really gutted for her when she crashed...
So famous people forgot it was actually 3rd?!
He did crash in the run too....I think it was Clay Porters video that year which has the...
So famous people forgot it was actually 3rd?!
He did crash in the run too....I think it was Clay Porters video that year which has the footage (ie filming the trackside video screen). I rate this one near the top considering how stacked against him the conditions were. I believe the next fastest rider in the same conditions was (THE LEGEND) Mickael Pascal about 27 seconds back!
VDS was insane but I put the Champery one above it
Agree with Neko's chainless run AND his run at Cairns where he crashed but still ended up 3rd or 4th?
Peaty at Les Gets '04 - That one still hurts to watch. I wonder how different his career could have been if he had won worlds when he was at his peak?
I remember him coming down plastered in mud (from a crash) and taking 3rd. I sort of felt sorry for Matti (who came down earlier before...
I remember him coming down plastered in mud (from a crash) and taking 3rd. I sort of felt sorry for Matti (who came down earlier before the rain/mudfest) as it was such an amazing run and time that no one really paid any attention to him that day.
I don't feel bad for Matti. Him and the others played the weather. Nico & Sam were the only contenders who didn't. Hill would have blown skulls apart.if he'd ridden the same conditions.
Kovarik's run at Mount Snow NORBA National with all the world's best there at the peak of the tractor trailer teams the year he won Ft...
Kovarik's run at Mount Snow NORBA National with all the world's best there at the peak of the tractor trailer teams the year he won Ft. Bill by 14 seconds.
He was the fastest racer in the world and at his peak, utterly untouchable at that point. Fastest qualifier by a long way and blew his wheel apart off screen somewhere.
He never won there b/c his wheels disintegrated 3 years in a row with him trying to limp a warped rear to the finish and still finished top 10 on third attempt
That Mt. Snow result, standing track side in Yard Sale with thousands of fans from all over, would have been the most epic moment. If you know ..you know
Kovarik was a full-on beast, more leg power than bulldog and hannah
Leg power was apparently not Karver's super power. In person he has MASSIVE calves, but Rennie told me that Australian cycling federation tested the whole Worlds team and Kovarik put out the least watts.
I've never gotten to ask him if it's true. But was interesting to hear. But I'll always stand by it that Kovarik is the single fastest overall DH racer I've ever seen and I've gotten to see every generation.
Stik would be the only person I'd defer to on that one though.
I am late to this party and all you guys spit out the classic, making it a great thread.
It's been said above, but Sam at Vallnord in 2009 was a jaw dropper too, especially if you knew the terrain he crashed in; it's mind boggling. There's also the famous photo in Dirt Mag, shot by Victor Lucas (I think) with him being devastated in the finish line, head down, with one perfect drop of water dripping off his D2, drop that was snow less than 1 km above.
Another one that I remember, although I can't recall a specific incident about it, is Peaty coming in second in Kaprun 2002 on that super light, silver Orange 223. Everybody really wanted Peaty to win, you could feel it in the crowd, Kovarik was having a career year and in top shape and Nico, just as usual, ice flowing through his veins. Then, 2 years later, the huge heartbreaker in Les Gets. I was actually in a crowd of Brits, next to Pagey, who is the nicest guy ever, and the ”oooooohhh” in the moments of the crash sent me shivers down the spine. I wanted to cry and so was everyone else, I think.
And then there's Laurie Greenland's run in 2016 at Val di Sole, which is probably the loosest riding I ever witnessed. If you look at the times, there are some good seconds between him and Danny, but the pace and how it looked... damn! I was actually in The Hell, shooting my crappy pictures, and when Laurie came, I almost shat my pants, because he was super loose and I honestly thought for a second I blinded him with my silly flash, but when I looked away from the viewfinder, he didn't fall and just continued his mayhem run.
Thinking about all of these, I came to a conclusion: Peaty was probably the most LOVED racer throughout his career. People really WANTED him to succeed and they were genuinely happy about him. 2009 was such a celebration year in that regard, it was like when the hero gets the girl and they kiss at the end of the movie and everything has a happy end. Man!
Mx
L.E. Of course, I am biased about the above, because I was lucky to see them in person and that was fucking huge to me and still is. Every World Cup or World Championship I got to see in the sport that I love most and became my life was a dream come true. Every. Single. Time. And I'm sure people on this thread especially get it. I probably sound cheesy, but I honestly don't care.
So famous, most forgot Matti won it. :)
I am late to this party and all you guys spit out the classic, making it a great...
So famous, most forgot Matti won it.
I am late to this party and all you guys spit out the classic, making it a great thread.
It's been said above, but Sam at Vallnord in 2009 was a jaw dropper too, especially if you knew the terrain he crashed in; it's mind boggling. There's also the famous photo in Dirt Mag, shot by Victor Lucas (I think) with him being devastated in the finish line, head down, with one perfect drop of water dripping off his D2, drop that was snow less than 1 km above.
Another one that I remember, although I can't recall a specific incident about it, is Peaty coming in second in Kaprun 2002 on that super light, silver Orange 223. Everybody really wanted Peaty to win, you could feel it in the crowd, Kovarik was having a career year and in top shape and Nico, just as usual, ice flowing through his veins. Then, 2 years later, the huge heartbreaker in Les Gets. I was actually in a crowd of Brits, next to Pagey, who is the nicest guy ever, and the ”oooooohhh” in the moments of the crash sent me shivers down the spine. I wanted to cry and so was everyone else, I think.
And then there's Laurie Greenland's run in 2016 at Val di Sole, which is probably the loosest riding I ever witnessed. If you look at the times, there are some good seconds between him and Danny, but the pace and how it looked... damn! I was actually in The Hell, shooting my crappy pictures, and when Laurie came, I almost shat my pants, because he was super loose and I honestly thought for a second I blinded him with my silly flash, but when I looked away from the viewfinder, he didn't fall and just continued his mayhem run.
Thinking about all of these, I came to a conclusion: Peaty was probably the most LOVED racer throughout his career. People really WANTED him to succeed and they were genuinely happy about him. 2009 was such a celebration year in that regard, it was like when the hero gets the girl and they kiss at the end of the movie and everything has a happy end. Man!
Mx
L.E. Of course, I am biased about the above, because I was lucky to see them in person and that was fucking huge to me and still is. Every World Cup or World Championship I got to see in the sport that I love most and became my life was a dream come true. Every. Single. Time. And I'm sure people on this thread especially get it. I probably sound cheesy, but I honestly don't care.
Seeing giant guys like Peaty & Rennie in person was always amazing. They just dwarfed the bikes but were so lithe and nimble on two wheels
2010 Maribor was a big loss for hill as well, 5th place with a huge mistake, first race of the season and he was on the pace and looking to start it off right after disappointing 09 season, 2010 might have been a very different season if it where not for that mistake, he clearly had the pace in Maribor to win. It all worked out well in the end for him at mt st Anne worlds all the same.
Kovarik's run at Mount Snow NORBA National with all the world's best there at the peak of the tractor trailer teams the year he won Ft...
Kovarik's run at Mount Snow NORBA National with all the world's best there at the peak of the tractor trailer teams the year he won Ft. Bill by 14 seconds.
He was the fastest racer in the world and at his peak, utterly untouchable at that point. Fastest qualifier by a long way and blew his wheel apart off screen somewhere.
He never won there b/c his wheels disintegrated 3 years in a row with him trying to limp a warped rear to the finish and still finished top 10 on third attempt
That Mt. Snow result, standing track side in Yard Sale with thousands of fans from all over, would have been the most epic moment. If you know ..you know
Leg power was apparently not Karver's super power. In person he has MASSIVE calves, but Rennie told me that Australian cycling federation tested the whole Worlds...
Leg power was apparently not Karver's super power. In person he has MASSIVE calves, but Rennie told me that Australian cycling federation tested the whole Worlds team and Kovarik put out the least watts.
I've never gotten to ask him if it's true. But was interesting to hear. But I'll always stand by it that Kovarik is the single fastest overall DH racer I've ever seen and I've gotten to see every generation.
Stik would be the only person I'd defer to on that one though.
Rennie set the record at the Australian Institute of Sport in the peak power test. Blew all the track cyclist's numbers away. They had to modify the rig and bolt it to the floor because he was lifting it!
I think Kovarik's superpower was a complete lack of fear combined with amazing skill.
2010 Maribor was a big loss for hill as well, 5th place with a huge mistake, first race of the season and he was on the...
2010 Maribor was a big loss for hill as well, 5th place with a huge mistake, first race of the season and he was on the pace and looking to start it off right after disappointing 09 season, 2010 might have been a very different season if it where not for that mistake, he clearly had the pace in Maribor to win. It all worked out well in the end for him at mt st Anne worlds all the same.
This is a good one, seeing that crash it’s insane he still had a podium time. Hill was on another level in that era. If memory serves, he had a huge one at Fort Bill shortly after and that was the start of some injuries that hurt his consistency.
Another random one, but I remember Moir had a crash in Leogang in 2017 and I think still got 9th place. Given the tight times on that track in those days, it would be interesting to see where he would’ve ended up if he stayed on.
This is fun minde games, but to illustrate or maybe take some magic out of this: what about gwins run at fort William when he flew...
This is fun minde games, but to illustrate or maybe take some magic out of this: what about gwins run at fort William when he flew of the bridge at the top? I see this has less value in the excitment-levels, but is it still less valid? Top contender, not knowing what could have been?
Tracey Hannah in Cairns. Home track, home crowd. Everything laid out in front of her and she's leading by a strong margin. Crashes in the last place you'd expect. Smacks her brain. Finished third but was never the same. Between the brain injury and the psychological devastation she never got back to from.
So famous people forgot it was actually 3rd?!
He did crash in the run too....I think it was Clay Porters video that year which has the...
So famous people forgot it was actually 3rd?!
He did crash in the run too....I think it was Clay Porters video that year which has the footage (ie filming the trackside video screen). I rate this one near the top considering how stacked against him the conditions were. I believe the next fastest rider in the same conditions was (THE LEGEND) Mickael Pascal about 27 seconds back!
VDS was insane but I put the Champery one above it
Agree with Neko's chainless run AND his run at Cairns where he crashed but still ended up 3rd or 4th?
Peaty at Les Gets '04 - That one still hurts to watch. I wonder how different his career could have been if he had won worlds when he was at his peak?
I have too agree on this one, Sam Hill in Champery was, as commentator said it right there, the greatest Downhill ride ever. First time me and my friends went to Morzine for a week of riding was in 2009 and we went to check the famous track in person. It was a battle to walk down the track in dry, straigh down a steep as **** Swiss mountain, you need to see it in person to understand that track. I've been to VDS, its steep, but it does not compare to Champery!!! Nothing I've seen so far does! Track has been tamed for WC race in 2010 and worlds in 2011 and has been acctualy made enjoyable in the past years for skilled riders who like steep tracks, but the original track was bonkers! I've even heard some privateers simply turned away after the track walk as it was so insane!
Riding it in pouring rain, crashing and still getting a podium, best ride ever hand down goes to Sam Hill!
Somebody once wrote a nice comment about how that race changed the DH racing for good with new safety protocols, introduction of qualifying points etc...
Good call, and Reece Wilson snapping his chain at Snowshoe! Miriam’s run at Snowshoe is also a major “what could’ve been”.
Another Reece Wilson one, but Val Di Sol World Champs 2021, blew the front tyre up on the last corner and was up by a bit if I remember right. If he hadn't had flatted I think he would have beaten Minnar's time.
Although have to agree the best what could have been run was Sam Hill VDS 2008, literally the perfect run, until the last corner
2 pages in, I'm very impatient about the Pinkbike article about the best ”what could've been” runs in World Cup history that will hit the web in the days to come.
Nowhere near as dramatic as some of these, but I can’t help but think of Connor Fearon at Leogang. Had the ride of his life and ends up losing out to Gwin with no chain. That’s gotta sting
Was it 2016 or 2017 where Troy Brosnan had a string of crashes in race runs, but still ended up on the podium or in the top 10? Most were off-camera, but I remember some post-race interviews with him mentioning the crashes.
Canadian Chainsaw Massacre, MSA Worlds, 2010. 2nd to Mr. Hill by 2.6 after a gigantic swap/ball ride of the top tube, three turns from the line. Dunno if he would have taken it, but that would have blown some home soil minds. #longlivechainsaw
Tracey Hannah in Cairns. Home track, home crowd. Everything laid out in front of her and she's leading by a strong margin. Crashes in the last...
Tracey Hannah in Cairns. Home track, home crowd. Everything laid out in front of her and she's leading by a strong margin. Crashes in the last place you'd expect. Smacks her brain. Finished third but was never the same. Between the brain injury and the psychological devastation she never got back to from.
I'd have to vote for Hill in VDS or Rat in Norway since they were sure and only lost it at the very end.
Another that came to mind is Gwin In Norway at Worlds when his brakes failed. Gwin on the Trek was hard to bet against so who knows how that run would have finished had his brakes not failed.
Shaun Palmer's World Champs Run in Cairns 1996, DID NOT WIN because he chose NOT TO WEAR A SKIN SUIT, if he did wear one, he would have won against Nico Vuilloz , who is still the greates world champs racer of all time, but CHANGED THE SPORT FOREVER FROM THERE ON...
Which ever movie it was on, it looked glorious
Rat breaking his foot
Sam at VDS worlds
Luca Shaw at Leogang, he was up up at the split before crashing
Gwin Flatting at Lenzerhied, I think he would have won that race
Gwin again at Champery, I don't think he would have beat Danny but I think he would have been closer than anyone else
Peaty's crash at Windham, they names that chute after him (Peaty's Plunge)
Sam's run at Champery is already legendary, even without the win.
Was a big "what could have been" since se was racing on home soil and would have been a pretty sweet win, was really gutted for her when she crashed...
I've never gotten to ask him if it's true. But was interesting to hear. But I'll always stand by it that Kovarik is the single fastest overall DH racer I've ever seen and I've gotten to see every generation.
Stik would be the only person I'd defer to on that one though.
I am late to this party and all you guys spit out the classic, making it a great thread.
It's been said above, but Sam at Vallnord in 2009 was a jaw dropper too, especially if you knew the terrain he crashed in; it's mind boggling. There's also the famous photo in Dirt Mag, shot by Victor Lucas (I think) with him being devastated in the finish line, head down, with one perfect drop of water dripping off his D2, drop that was snow less than 1 km above.
Another one that I remember, although I can't recall a specific incident about it, is Peaty coming in second in Kaprun 2002 on that super light, silver Orange 223. Everybody really wanted Peaty to win, you could feel it in the crowd, Kovarik was having a career year and in top shape and Nico, just as usual, ice flowing through his veins. Then, 2 years later, the huge heartbreaker in Les Gets. I was actually in a crowd of Brits, next to Pagey, who is the nicest guy ever, and the ”oooooohhh” in the moments of the crash sent me shivers down the spine. I wanted to cry and so was everyone else, I think.
And then there's Laurie Greenland's run in 2016 at Val di Sole, which is probably the loosest riding I ever witnessed. If you look at the times, there are some good seconds between him and Danny, but the pace and how it looked... damn! I was actually in The Hell, shooting my crappy pictures, and when Laurie came, I almost shat my pants, because he was super loose and I honestly thought for a second I blinded him with my silly flash, but when I looked away from the viewfinder, he didn't fall and just continued his mayhem run.
Thinking about all of these, I came to a conclusion: Peaty was probably the most LOVED racer throughout his career. People really WANTED him to succeed and they were genuinely happy about him. 2009 was such a celebration year in that regard, it was like when the hero gets the girl and they kiss at the end of the movie and everything has a happy end. Man!
Mx
L.E. Of course, I am biased about the above, because I was lucky to see them in person and that was fucking huge to me and still is. Every World Cup or World Championship I got to see in the sport that I love most and became my life was a dream come true. Every. Single. Time. And I'm sure people on this thread especially get it. I probably sound cheesy, but I honestly don't care.
Sam's '03 Lugano World Junior Champs winning run. A crash denying him fastest time of the day.
I think Kovarik's superpower was a complete lack of fear combined with amazing skill.
Another random one, but I remember Moir had a crash in Leogang in 2017 and I think still got 9th place. Given the tight times on that track in those days, it would be interesting to see where he would’ve ended up if he stayed on.
Riding it in pouring rain, crashing and still getting a podium, best ride ever hand down goes to Sam Hill!
Somebody once wrote a nice comment about how that race changed the DH racing for good with new safety protocols, introduction of qualifying points etc...
Although have to agree the best what could have been run was Sam Hill VDS 2008, literally the perfect run, until the last corner
So stoked, man! :D
Mx
Wins the 2019 Overall with multiple round wins
Who had the brain injury here bro?
Another that came to mind is Gwin In Norway at Worlds when his brakes failed. Gwin on the Trek was hard to bet against so who knows how that run would have finished had his brakes not failed.
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