We spoke to World Cup racers, scoured the internet and rummaged through old magazines. We were looking for the most legendary downhill tracks of all time. And this is what we found:
1st VAL DI SOLE (Italy - photo above)
The track is like a slap in the face! Anyone who has been there knows that it's a challenge to get down here safely, even on foot. Even in dry conditions, the 2.2-kilometre course is one of the most technically demanding in the World Cup circuit. The "Valley of the Sun" is now an integral part of the UCI race calendar. The track was given a facelift in 2015. It starts tamely, but in the forest at the latest, it bludgeons the riders like hooligans on their victims. The track ploughs over angry roots and through boulders via a fall line. What's particularly nasty is that it takes a highly trained eye to find the smoothest line into the valley. The World Championships take place here in September. Is that why the racers aren't sleeping well? Most certainly!
- Charactersteep, technical, merciless
- Length / altitude metres: 2,2 km / 519 hm
- Most legendary moment2008, Sam Hill had world championship gold within his grasp, then he crashed on the last corner
What the professionals say"A real man's track" (Eliot Jackson) "What a piste! From top to bottom you're riding at the absolute limit!" (Johannes Fischbach)
Johannes Fischbach, World Cup racer: "For me, Val di Sole is the toughest descent on the race calendar. Very nasty: it's constantly changing. Even during a race weekend. If you don't find the right line here, the track spits you out again on the other side of the flutter."
2. FORT WILLIAM (Scotland)
Wow! Hardly any other World Cup downhill is as high in the riders' favour as Fort William. Yet the downhill is an ordeal. "When I think of Fort William, my hands hurt," admits World Cup record winner Greg Minnaar (six victories in Fort William). The 6,000-strong town to the west of the Scottish Highlands (where Braveheart was also filmed) has been part of the UCI racing calendar since 2002. "Fort William is one of the most brutal descents of all," says downhill veteran Marcus Klausmann. In his eyes, only Mont-Sainte-Anne is more exhausting. The descent starts with a long, rather flat pedalling section - spiced up with treacherous bends (they were recently the undoing of Gee Atherton). Later, the route leads into the forest with roots, steps and real tripping hazards. But it's not just the track that makes the World Cup stop so special. "It's the combination of the course and the fans," reveals downhill legend Fabien Barel. Nowhere else are downhillers celebrated as much as here. The fans hoot, scream, shout, let chainsaws roar - everything to whip the World Cup racers to the finish line. This year, 25,000 fans are said to have made the journey to Scotland. Fort William is the second most legendary World Cup circuit of all time - agree?
- Character: long, physically hard, treacherous
- Length / altitude metres: 2,8 km / 555 hm
- Most legendary momentSteve Peat wins in front of his home crowd in 2005 with jubilant euphoria.
That's what the professionals say: "The mosquitoes are a nuisance, but the track and the atmosphere are unique" (Eliot Jackson) "There are more stones in the track here than on any other course" (Wyn Masters) "Fort William has everything. That's all you need to say!" (Sam Blenkinsop)
Marcus Klausmann, Germany's best: "Fort William pulls the plug on you. If you're not 100 per cent fit here, you won't get a clean run. The fans and the atmosphere crown the World Cup stop. In Fort William, downhillers are celebrated like football stars - unique!"
3. MONT-SAINTE-ANNE (Canada)
Mont-Sainte-Anne is one of the oldest World Cup courses. World Cups have been held here, 35 kilometres north of Quebec, since 1991. Of course, the course has changed over the years. But one thing has remained the same: its nasty character. The track is rough and violent. Rocks lie in wait for their victims like landmines all along the course. According to race veteran Marcus Klausmann, Mont-Saint-Anne is the angriest World Cup track of all time, even though the name sounds so gentle. "Stones everywhere! And when it rained, the track resembled a bombed-out motocross track," recalls Marcus, who travelled to Mont-Sainte-Anne for the first time in 1996. The track is not particularly steep, but that makes life difficult for the racers, as they have to conserve their speed to make it through the rock gardens. For World Cup legend Greg Minnaar, MSA is something very special: "This is where I beat Nico Vouilloz in 2001 and won the title!"
- Character:long, damn long, rocky, hard
- Length / altitude metres: 2,9 km / 572 hm
That's what the professionals say: "MSA is one of the most legendary routes. The descent is long and incredibly intense." (Fabien Barel) "MSA is a tough course with lots of full-throttle racing. I was happy every time I got through without a flat tyre." (Guido Tschugg) "MSA feels like a motocross track. Tough and hard - the arm pump is hellish!" (Bernardo Cruz)
Steffi Marth, World Cup racer: "I think MSA is mega cool because it's not so steep, haha. Everyone loves this track. There are great jumps, full-throttle passages and great corners. The World Cups are superbly organised and the course is well built. Not as much of a nail-biter as Lourdes!"
4. SCHLADMING (Austria)
Own goal: The mountain railways ruined Schladming's further downhill career. A new gondola was needed, the finish slope of the World Cup had to make way for an underground car park and that was that: The downhill circus moved a few valleys away to Leogang and stayed there for the time being. The last World Cup was held in Schladming in 2009. But the riders think back wistfully to the old days when Sam Hill dominated the World Cup and glided down into the valley at an average speed of 56 km/h in the then revolutionary new-school style, cutting corners and finishing the races "foot out, flat out" with a huge lead. Schladming has always been one of the racers' favourites. "We also endeavour to keep the course that way," says Peter Fernbach, ex-worldcupper and course boss at Bikepark Schladming. So: big jumps, speed sections, steep bends. Only the gruelling rock garden would be too dangerous - this part is closed during normal park operation. The track's cult status also fascinates filmmaker Clay Porter, who wants to shoot segments for his new film "Death Grip" in Schladming.
- Character: Full throttle, wide jumps, sharp bends
- Length / altitude metres: 2.5 km / 584 metres altitude
That's what the professionals say: "Schladming is awesome. It's a shame that the World Cup no longer takes place here." (Johannes Fischbach) "The course is really flowing and still has technical challenges." (Claudio Caluori) "We riders were always really enthusiastic about Schladming. Many of my mates go there regularly." (Guido Tschugg)
Brendan Fairclough, Whipper & Racer: "Schladming is like a big moto track. Firm ground, not too many stones, good jumps and corners that hold when you go full throttle. That's why Schladming, together with Champéry, is one of the favourites among the riders!"
5. CHAMPERY (Switzerland)
Steep, steeper, Champéry. Professionals have even broken bones here on a track walk. The downhill course, in the centre of the bike Eldorado Portes du Soleil, is considered the steepest World Cup course par excellence. The World Cup in Champéry is a classic, even if it's been a while since the last stop. The last time the downhill elite met here was for the 2011 World Championships. Anyone with even the slightest interest in downhill will remember Danny Hart's miracle run. It had started to rain so much that even the best riders were sliding more than riding. Torrents gurgled over roots and stones, filled mud holes and softened the ground into a fango pack. And then Danny came along and crashed through the mud as if he had manipulated the Matrix. Evil tongues claim that some Worldcuppers have faked an injury just to avoid having to start. Ouch!
- Character: vertical, hard, treacherous
- Length/altitude metres: 1.5 km / 581 hm
- Most legendary moment: Danny Hart's rain run at the 2011 World Championships
That's what the professionals say: "I've never ridden here, only walked down once. It's so steep, it makes you sick!" (Steffi Marth) "It may be steep, but the turns are great. You can really push yourself and find your footing. I also enjoy it in the rain!" (Brendan Fairclough)
Claudio Caluori, World Cup presenter & ex-racer: "The downhill track is the only rideable variant on the whole mountain, everything else is vertical. We even had to create a footpath, otherwise the pedestrians wouldn't have been able to get down at all. The riders love Champéry because they don't have to pedal here - gravity takes care of that."
