STARING FEAR IN THE FACE - Val di Sole World Cup Downhill Photos and Racer Interviews

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You know how there's always that young, super handsome, athletic, kind of cage-fightery dude? He trains really hard, isn't scared of anything, has just the right discreet-but-meaningful tattoos yet still has a tidy, disciplined polish about him? He's super gnarly, could kill you with 3 or 4 punches, but you admire him and almost feel lucky when he's around because he never wavers and is a specimen of efficiency.

Then, like 13 years go by and you haven't seen that cage-fightery dude, until one day, you come face-to-face with him at an intervention. The man who had it all together now looks puffy and swollen from steroid abuse, he curses way too much for any real social interaction, has at least one tattoo on his face, which is scarred and pockmarked from many a crusty physical altercation in the streets. His demeanor is now that of a rabid pit bull and instead of feeling lucky to be around him, all you want to do is run and get the f&*k out of the room because his skin is stretched paper-thin as veins are uncomfortably forced to the surface by unnaturally bloated biceps. But you can't leave. You have to stay, for his well-being and possibly yours; you have to face this bro-turned-psycho head-on. Thankfully you have others in the room who also know this creature, so you're not alone. While there is strength in numbers, it will ultimately come down to you against the pit bull. Do you reason with him? Do you go down swinging wildly to the bitter end or do you close your eyes and get knocked out while confronting him about his demons?

This is pretty much what World Cup DH racers faced today in Val di Sole. The once aggressive, predictable and oh-so-thrilling-to-be-around friend is now ready to kill them. The steep, gnarly, but manageable track that could kill them in 3 or 4 punches has lost its disciplined polish and is nothing but a shell of its former self; a slippery, root-infested dice-roll every run. Did the racers try to survive with reason, go down swinging to the bitter end or close their eyes to get knocked out? Dig in and find out.

The audio interviews are in this slideshow, like normal, with their assigned photo. Some interviews are pretty long. If you'd prefer to listen to them in the background, view the show in "one page" format (using the link in the upper left above), visit this page, press play and come back to cruise the photos. You can also listen to the interviews in our podcast channel on your favorite podcast app. Just search for "Vital MTB" and it should show up.

Danny Hart showed up ready to fight. He was one of the few that kept taking laps even when the rain came down hard. Unphased, he knows he may have to race in these conditions tomorrow and the day after that. 1st place in timed training. -Sven Martin
This is during timed training on Amaury's fast run. Which means the 4 seconds off Danny Hart is not as big a gap as it appears to be on paper. -Sven Martin
In contrast, the last timed run of the day for Amaury was a long one. -Sven Martin
Wake of destruction or The YT Mob all in one shot. Gwin leading the pack, Angel checking lines and Neko REALLY checking lines...with his face. -Dan Hearn
Overheard: "Always look for the kindest lines, my young friend." @maddogboris
Eyes on the prize! Myriam Nicole definitely wants to keep the #1 plate. @maddogboris
Three Frenchies. Yes three. Tahnee comfortable conversing in French when it comes to line discussions. -Sven Martin
Rachel was flying today. -Sven Martin
Vali sending it sideways on her very first time down this track. A whole lot of learning to do in some ways but very experienced in others already. -Sven Martin
4th fastest Timed Training time for Finn Iles! Well done Bru... @maddogboris
Loic fine tuning his lines and steadily increasing the pace each run. All on track and business as usual. -Sven Martin
Purple Rain for the win? We love Loic's new race kit! @maddogboris
No, they are not watching the other World Cup. Loic and Finn moonlighting. @maddogboris
Slippery sections just after the track opened. Riders already puzzling and pushing in B practice. Troy Brosnan (not a B-practice kind of guy) in audio. -Sven Martin
Meme-master Dean Lucas is probably thinking of something polka-dot related right now. -Dan Hearn
Jack Moir is here keeping spirits and team moral high as well as helping with hot lines and Insta stories. -Sven Martin
Flat pedals could prove a great match for this track if it remains wet and slippery. Brendog sends it into the rocks. -Dan Hearn
It's always hard to judge Luca Shaw's speed but he was noticeably progressing with each training run. -Dan Hearn
A quick rain shower during practice made a few corners slick as ice for a few minutes. Connor Fearon was among the riders who found themselves rubber-side up. -Lee Trumpore
Kade Edwards is leading the charge of the next generation of DH racers. Fast, smooth, and with style for miles. -Lee Trumpore
A day to get tear-offs and goggles prepped. It's been awhile since we have had rain at a World Cup. Mt Ste Anne was the last time. -Sven Martin
Tracey getting ready to drop into the clouds for her first run. -Sven Martin
Dak Norton aero tuck on point. Chin protection recommended. -Dan Hearn
First rider on the greasy track this morning. -Sven Martin
Tracey tucked on the upper reaches of the track. The only smooth bits before an arm-busting, slippery, black snake. -Sven Martin
Miranda Miller getting the wraaaappppppp out of her tires this morning. -Sven Martin
Loris kicking up some four stoke roost. -Sven Martin
Brage styling it out after a few weeks at Schladming. -Sven Martin
Amaury Pierron had a lot of runs today. He is clearly wanting to hang onto the yellow leaders plate. -Sven Martin
No excuses. -Sven Martin
Benoit Coulanges was flying today and it showed in timed training with the third-fastest result today. -Sven Martin
Key A'Hern with the perfect form through the slippery rocks. -Sven Martin
Vali enjoying the last of the sunlight today. Hopefully not the last of the weekend. -Sven Martin
Vital RAW being captured by John Lawlor. -Sven Martin
First runs this morning. -Sven Martin
Junior Kendall Mclean has learned some tricks from his coach, Chris Kovarik! @maddogboris
Sam Shaw from New Zealand is either crazy or a hero. Racing the DH on his trail bike as well as racing Elite Cross Country on Sunday. Kenta Gallagher watch out. -Sven Martin
Luca Shaw sending the big step down at the bottom of the track. Despite being buffed out a bit, riders still have to come in fast and pull up to reach the full backside of the landing. -Lee Trumpore
Sam Shaw's borrowed hardtail for XC. Let's hope the bikes have less screws loose than him! Good luck bru! -Dan Hearn
Loam busting by Kade Edwards. -Sven Martin
Old School? New School? Doe it matter? Peaty is still the coolest Kid in Town. @maddogboris
In yesterday's Mondraker audio we heard "it's all about the teamwork"! Here you see how it works during practice. @maddogboris
Wild, wild Brook. if Joe Bowman was here, he would have filmed a full #metallmonday with just Brook in training. @maddogboris
Loris Vergier smooth and consistent as usual! @maddogboris
Congrats Blenki! He just engaged to his girlfriend here in italy. @maddogboris
Thomas Estaque had some gnarly lines today and was fully pinned! @maddogboris
If you're viewing this on your phone, you might miss Gee with 3 GoPros running a course preview solo before training. -Dan Hearn
Looks like Emilie Siegenthaler enjoyed riding in the valley of sun...even if it's in the mud. @maddogboris
Still in pain and actually "keeping it easy". Your definition may differ. @maddogboris
Misty morning gondola rides. We were prepared for the worst and luckily the weather was way better than expected! @maddogboris
Just a bit of roost instead of massive mud spaying arround. Fingers crossed we will have similar conditions for finals. @maddogboris
That´s why it's called the Valley of the Sun! @maddogboris
Anthony Poulson leaning in the top corner of the track before it goes wild just out of sight. @maddogboris
Didn't take us long to get used to the new Canyon Factory Racing colors. Mark Wallace rocking the blue! @maddogboris
Thanks for being such a rad dude and always having time for the Vital MTB Squids, Aaron! @maddogboris
It's beer o'clock somewhere. In the pits, it starts after training! @maddogboris
Guess Eddie Masters had some special root training at the EWS last week in Petzen. @maddogboris
Fresh from his win at the EWS last week, Elliott Heap is here racing 4X on his trail bike. -Dan Hearn
Moody scrubs & panning for nugs. -Dan Hearn
Katy Curd leaning hard into the freshly built berms right out of the start gate. -Dan Hearn
Anonymous photographer pauses "fresh-air-break" to shoot one of his riders. -Dan Hearn
The track team kept the top berms raked to try and avoid any Manon-moments. Where's my spoon? I'm hungry! -Dan Hearn
The last time Magnus Manson raced here he came 2nd in World Champs as a junior. One to watch this weekend! -Dan Hearn
If there's any evidence that the track got slippery after the rain, it's that Kade Edwards crashed 6 times in one run. -Dan Hearn
First runs of the day were tentative, not helped later by the rapidly changing conditions. Stay tuned as the mind games only get worse as the weekend goes on! -Dan Hearn
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Thanks to Sven Martin, @maddogboris, Dan Hearn and Lee Trumpore for the hard-charging action and reporting.

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