It follows the same format as the two races in Maribor, Slovenia where the riders face a punishing sequence of practise, qualification, race day, quali, race day from Wednesday 28th October to Sunday 1st November, with two chances at glory for the racers in each category, and UCI ranking points up for grabs day after day!
At Maribor, Eleonora Farina got better and better, posting podium finishes of fourth and third positions in testing conditions. And she’s just backed up her strong form with a fourth consecutive victory in the Italian nation DH champs.
At Lousã, the track they’re using for the World Cup – called DH2 – is the kind where she can turn on the technique and get even more success. Shorter than some at 2.1km, it’s relatively fast, with a lot of natural sections, and a number of technical features exposed or introduced.
Like Maribor, the run starts in the open before coming into the forest. Where trees have been cut throughout the Louzan Park mountain bike centre are, riding conditions are currently unclear, but the MS Mondraker athletes will be starting their inspections soon! As the week progresses the weather forecasts less chance of rain and more chance for the dirt to dry – so it could be fast! With tight switchbacks, off-camber turns, gaps and boardwalk, there are plenty of places for the brave to make a difference.
The track has been used regularly for the Portugal Cup. Back in 2017 a teenage Thibault Laly was shaking up the Elites, finishing 8th. After having to miss Maribor this year the 22-year-old Frenchman is raring to get back racing on his Mondraker Summum and won’t hold back in Lousã!
With Laurie Greenland recovering from surgery on his thumb injured racing at the World Champs in Leogang and Brook Macdonald heading back to New Zealand for off-season rest and training, all eyes are on Mike Jones in the Elite Men category.
The Welshman is super excited about getting back out to Lousã. While not everyone is familiar with the track – it hasn't hosted a UCI World Cup before – even after this unpredictable summer Mike’s still got fresh in his mind what it was like in testing on the Portuguese track back in March. Here he is, sending it over a big gap… his style here reminds us how important confidence is on a fast descent
However, the MS Mondraker riders fare, we reckon it’s going to be a blast at Lousã – and we’re ready for a double-dose of downhill.
RedBull TV is the place to watch!
