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The 2017 UCI Downhill Mountain Bike World Championships are in the history books with Loic Bruni, Miranda Miller, Matt Walker and Melanie Chappaz leaving Cairns, Australia, with rainbow jerseys. The action and drama was at an all-time high and we're privileged to have Sven Martin, @maddogboris and Dan Hearn share their photographs and interviews with us from the epic one-day event.
The champagne was re-opened which took away some of the fizz and spray, but that just meant there was more for Loic Bruni to chug. -Sven Martin
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Loic tucked low and about to explode into the pedal section to the line with stiff-soled XC shoes. He only needed to be 0.001 faster than anyone else and he got it. 0.339 to be precise. -Sven Martin
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Some lines separate the champions from the pack, and it's not always obvious how technical and difficult those lines are. Or it's just that Loic will make anything look easy. @maddogboris
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Loic gets swarmed by the French team and friends after Troy crossed the line. Some tears of joy from both him and the well-wishers. Jack, Loic's right-hand man in audio. -Sven Martin
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What a day for Miranda Miller! A genuinely great run and having the consistency to stay on her bike gave her the slimmest 0.097 second margin to take the win over Myriam Nicole. -Dan Hearn
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The random stories you hear from the races is what makes it all so interesting. Listen to this tidbit of information of how Anton Cooper joined Miranda on her race run. -Sven Martin
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We have seen a #8 wildcard be crowned World Champion in the past with Morgan Charre in Leogang, proving we all have it within us! This is the final word Kevin Kebab gave Miranda before she dropped in. -Sven Martin<br />
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We all wanted to see Mick win and it was so close. Top form regardless of result. @maddogboris
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The fans were stoked for everyone, but there was a little something left in reserve for Mick Hannah as he soared past. -Dan Hearn
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The Hannahs can hold their heads up high, not only in Cairns or in Australia but everywhere in the World. Double podium for this tight family. -Sven Martin
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All-time family support. @maddogboris
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Having resolved the time dispute, Myriam Nicole was stoked with 2nd place and glad the season ends on a high. -Dan Hearn
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Pompon pinning it to the line. As you can see on the timing board there is an error in her time saying she was +44 secs. Back-up timing was used to calculate the final times. -Sven Martin
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Despite the mixup with times, everyone was happy with the end result. -Sven Martin
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Matt Walker, your 2017 Junior men DH World Champ. The battle between him and Finn Iles will continue in the Elite men's category next year. @maddogboris
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Matt Walker waits nervously for Finn to pass the first split so he has some idea of where he stands. I'm sure nothing can top the nerves of being on the hot seat at World Champs. -Dan Hearn
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Melanie Chappaz, the 2017 Junior Women's World Champ! @maddogboris
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Second Brit on the Junior Men's podium, Joe Breeden with the silver medal. @maddogboris
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2nd place for Kiwi Junior Shania Rawson. -Dan Hearn
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I have no idea when the last time was that a German downhiller won a medal at World Champs DH. Well done Max Hartenstern! 3rd place Junior for the Cube rider. @maddogboris
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It's no wonder Greg Minnaar flatted in his race run when he's hitting corners this hard. -Dan Hearn
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Sam Hill!!! What a hero. He owned the hot seat for most of the day with an amazing ride only bested by a few of the top full-time downhillers in the World. Sam Hill is next level. Greg Minnaar discusses Sam's ability in the audio. -Sven Martin
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#neverenoughsamhill. - Digby Shaw
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Full-time dad and full-time EWS racer, Sam Hill, 6th place on a smoker of a run on his enduro bike. -Sven Martin
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We're pretty sure a lot of people bet on Tahnee Seagrave today. She wasn't the only power player to hit the deck today. @maddogboris
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He came with plate number 3 and finished 3rd. Not the result Aaron Gwin was hoping for but a solid end to his season nonetheless with his first World Champs hardware. -Dan Hearn
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It was just not Finn's day today. Forgetting his goggles on his final run (and borrowing the start commissaire's shades) and having two big mistakes in his race run. At least he got some training in for his enduro career in 2018. -Sven Martin
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Thanks Markus Pekoll for the great career and style on the bike! We wish you the best of luck in your future. -Sven Martin
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As always we must give a massive thanks to Glen Jacobs - a man who lives and breathes Australian cycling and who has been a crucial piece to this World Champs puzzle. -Dan Hearn
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Troy Brosnan, the last rider on the hill, powering down into the finish area. It doesn't matter what the split times say on the board, everyone is giving it their all. -Dan Hearn
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Yeeoooww Rupert Chapman! 10th place for the Kiwi power house. @maddogboris
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Jack Moir bringing it home for fourth. A podium in any other race but not here at World Champs. -Sven Martin
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Eddie and crew reunite with ex-Bergamont Junior, Max Warshawsky, who was over the moon to see them. Off-season already in full swing for the boys. -Sven Martin
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Frustration for Finn Iles. Pushing too hard lead to mistakes. This track will bite at every opportunity. -Dan Hearn
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Simon Maurer speeding into the final corner and losing traction on his front wheel in one of the fastest parts of the course. It was a scary sight and we hope he will be alright. -Sven Martin
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France's Flora Lesoin with another medal for France in the Junior Women's DH. This time bronze. -Sven Martin
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Kaos Seagrave was missing his injured buddy Kade the last two days. This practice run flapper was in his honor. -Sven Martin
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Mick Hannah gave it his all and it looked and felt as if he had done enough. Missing out on a gold medal at a Worlds for the second time by only 0.3 seconds has got to hurt, but Mick can be proud of his performance. -Sven Martin
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Loris Vergier in between the amazing Aussie crowd. 7th place for the Frenchie. @maddogboris
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Low usually means fast in high-speed sections. USA's Bruce Klein has learned how to harness his speed these last few weeks and has turned in some good results at the back end of the season. Top 20 for The Boss. -Sven Martin
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You'd never know by her race run that Miranda Miller had a tough and challenging week. She was composed and on the gas to gold. -Sven Martin
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Eleonora Farina with a ride that put her in fourth. Sadly with a mix up in the initial results she was overjoyed after being told she was on the podium in third. A ride to be proud of nonetheless. -Sven Martin
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Tracey Hannah getting back on the gas after her crash that left her a little dazed. Missing out by the smallest of margins. -Sven Martin
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A tough one for Luca this race and at times this year. The potential is there and he feels he may have let it slip by on occasion though. -Sven Martin
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Loic throwing down the power to the line. He has worked hard with both the body and the bike to prepare for this race and it has all payed off. Hard to believe he has two World Champ titles yet only one World Cup win. -Sven Martin
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Dean Lucas demonstrating how to enter a set of whoops and how to land a 12th place finish but fastest in the speed trap with 68kph. -Dan Hearn
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Australian Junior, Harry Parsons, had a big crash on the generator drop in morning practice. His front wheel washed catapulting him over the bars and over the edge into the awkward middle lump. - Digby Shaw
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Out of the forest and into the finish arena. -Sven Martin
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World Cup Photographer becomes marshal and emergency first aid as Sven races to stop traffic after young German, Simon Maurer, crashed on the exit of this corner. - Digby Shaw
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Patrick Butler giving some dusty love to my camera sensor. @maddogboris
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Insane pedal power and a legit 8th place for Marcelo Gutierrez! @maddogboris
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Blenki in jungle! 15th position for our favorite E.T. KIWI. @maddogboris
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These were the last meters of Danny Hart as the 2016 DH World Champion. @maddogboris
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Sven wants to do #VitalRAW videos next year. so he got a new camera to start practicing pans and zooms. His carry-on weight has suffered a bit. @maddogboris
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Loic is probably seeing stars he's pedaling so hard, but the effort ended in rainbows. @maddogboris
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If you haven't seen the remix music video of Troy shaking his hands in the start gate before his race runs, Google it. @maddogboris
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Vaea was the only elite woman other than Tracey Hannah to take the rock garden main line. Having had no trouble through this section before today, a mistake on entry meant she got off line and crashed off the last rock. No harm done. -Dan Hearn
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Dani Beecroft negotiating the rock garden in front of a raucous Australian crowd to take 5th place. -Dan Hearn
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It wasn't to be for Emilie Siegenthaler, who has been riding hard over the last few days and hoping for a good result. -Dan Hearn
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To finish 18th at World Champs at the end of a season wrecked by bad injury is impressive. Gee Atherton sending the last ridge line jump past the deafening crowd. -Dan Hearn
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Winning Team Specialized Gravity! Well done guys and thanks for the good times.
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Your Junior Women's podium. -Sven Martin
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GBR, GBR, GER. A moment these youngsters will remember for the rest of their lives. -Dan Hearn
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The 2017 UCI Elite Men's DH World Champs podium. @maddogboris
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What a day of racing and drama. Some dreams shattered and others realized. Miranda Miller gets a group hug from Laurent and Kevin of Specialized Gravity. -Sven Martin
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That's all folks. -Sven Martin
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Thank you to Sven, Boris, Dan and everyone who's helped capture the 2017 downhill race scene for Vital this season. You make our sport great!! -gordo
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