The mechanics did an amazing job keeping the wheels rolling as the riders negotiated an increasingly claggy course. In the pits there was a constant cycle of washing and drying kits, cleaning the decks, and building back confidence.

Race day brought with it beautiful sunshine and palpable nerves. A few more hours, a couple more runs, and then one chance to make it work. 

When the smallest errors and slightest doubts make big differences, it’s a wonder that Myriam landed in second place! Or perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised given her proven ability to perform under pressure. Despite a crash early in the run, she re-focussed and fired it up to go green at the finish with three riders to go. It wasn’t enough for the win, but the ability to turn a tough few days into another podium position is an impressive performance.

The same goes for Amaury, who described this week in Leogang as one of the hardest race experiences of his career. The fun of the first few runs on Thursday quickly turned to frustration as he fought to figure out the flow. Nothing seemed to be working for him. He was at war with the track; no ceasefire, no truce, just hit after hit for what felt like little progress. And then, when it mattered, he managed to pull off a fourth place. It wasn’t clean and it wasn’t his best riding but it still secured a podium position and his overall lead.

Thibaut was quietly going about his business all week, perhaps the calmest and most content of everyone. A solid seventh in Qualification set him up to unleash some speed on the Finals but a crash in the woods wiped his chances of a repeat podium performance in Leogang. Frustration was high, but Titi will process it and progress from it. 

After a great Qualification run, Tristan was ready to keep the momentum rolling and lay down a performance that reflected his talent. Unfortunately, the momentum literally stopped in the section just prior to the motorway, which left him unable to carry the speed needed to clear some of the jumps. A couple of stalls in the woods only compounded the problem, and he arrived at the line disappointed. It wasn’t the run he hoped for, but 7th place despite the issues shows great potential.