Jackson Goldstone and Laurie Greenland preview muddy Leogang World Cup

World Cup racing is back with the first combined downhill and cross country weekend of 2022. Also back? The mud.

Leogang had a reputation as one of the simpler courses on the World Cup circuit. The past two years of tech and very sketchy mud have completely redefined the Austrian venue. There’s still speed and the motorway jumps – which appear to have grown again for 2022 – but there are also all kinds of root and steep, mud-slick chutes.

RELATED: What you need to know ahead of the Leogang World Cup weekend

The first time Leogang looked like this, Mark Wallace scored fourth. That was 2020 world championships. Since then, Jackson Goldstone has burst onto the scene, living up to his name with a series of wins. Watch Laurie Greenland follow the young Canadian – and reigning junior men’s world champion – for a muddy course preview of the Leogang World Cup downhill track. Hold on, it gets wild.

Leogang Course Preview with Laurie Greenland and Jackson Goldstone

What’s Red Bull say about Goldstone and Greenland’s chaotic Leogang course preview?

The downhill track in Austria had established itself firmly as a “bike park” race. However, in recent years, the introduction of a new woods section towards the bottom has allowed for more natural and technical riding. As the rain continues to fall, will this be the crux of Saturday’s final?

Most of the course is out in the open, with woods covering the latter of the track. Vali’s Hölle, an extremely steep and technically demanding section in the woods, has caught many a rider out since it was included as part of the 2020 World Championships track and stayed there for the World Cup in 2021.

We jump on board with the Santa Cruz Syndicate’s very own Laurie Greenland and Jackson Goldstone for a course preview to see what the riders think of the 2022 layout.