Gallery: Canadian mtb project’s Val di Sole and Les Gets trip
Behind the scenes and at the races with the national mountain bike team
Photo by:
Loic Meier
The 2022 mountain bike season wrapped up with a bang: two big races in two weeks. First, UCI mountain bike world championships in Les Gets, France. Then, the next weekend, World Cup season finals in Val di Sole, Italy.
The Canadian national team sent a big squad to both events to try fight for the rainbow stripes. While most factory team riders compete with their own teams, non-factory riders compete under Cycling Canada. (And, at worlds, everyone races in the blue, white and maple leaf of the Canadian team).
Canadian team mechanic Loic Meier brought along his camera to capture some of what happens behind the scenes with the team project. Between races and turning wrenches, Meier caught track walk, some cross country racing and some of the finish line madness from Les Gets and in Val di Sole.
All photos by team mechanic Loic Meier
Les Gets world championships: Downhill and XC
French fans were wild at Les Gets
Like, really wild
Look at this crowd! No wonder the French dominate mountain biking
Carter Woods pushing hard in u23 men's XCO
Cole Punchard fighting his way into the top 40
Noah Ramsay riding the u23 men's race
Jackson Goldstone showing the mud - and frustration - of a couple crashes in Les Gets
Bodhi Kuhn spent some time in the hot seat before Jorday William's took the win.
Spot the Canadian...
Gracey Hemstreet in the hot seat in Les Gets
Joy Attalla stoked on her worlds run
Coen Skrypnek and Marcus Goguen in the finish area after their runs in the junior men's race
Kirk McDowall put in another solid worlds run
Behind the scenes, it takes a crew to make the team go fast. Chad Hendren is one of the coaches
Multi-time Canadian national champ Claire Buchar is now outside the tape helping the next generation
Chris Hancock doubles up with coaching and wrenching duties.
Val di Sole World Cup finals – Downhill team track walk
Downhill squad starting trackwalk on the infamous Black Snake of Val di Sole
Why is it called the Black Snake? Well, look at those roots.
Any rain and the DH course becomes treacherous
Turns out that Val di Sole was just as tricky when covered in dust. That's steep!
Finding lines in the field of rocks
Looks small on camera....
Fast gaps before the steeps.
Better than the Hollywood sign
Val di Sole
