Snowshoe World Cup 2022 XCO / DH – What To Expect

by | Jul 28, 2022 | Bike, Bike Events & Racing, Bike Racing News

‘MURICA! It’s go time in the US of A. Snowshoe is back with XCO and Downhill World Cup racing for the 3rd time and this year it won’t be the final round but rather the 3rd last before we race Mont-Sainte-Anne (Canada) next weekend and wrap up with Val di Sole (Italy) on the 2-4th September after World Champs in Les Gets France.

Snowshoe World Cup 2022 Xco / Dh - What To Expect
PC: Bartek Wolinski / Red Bull Content Pool

The West Virginia venue delivers on wild fans and crazy racing that has upset several World Cup overall results! We won’t have our usual host of up and coming South Africans competing but the big names will be present. Several nations held their national champs last weekend which could affect the performance of a few top athletes who had to race and then suffer a long travel close to the weekend’s racing. The best will rise to the top at the end of the day. Who is going to crack the code this weekend? There is a lot of rain predicted over the weekend which always makes for interesting racing! These are the top 10 standings going into the 3rd from final round.

The Standings

Snowshoe World Cup 2022 Xco / Dh - What To Expect
Men XCO World Cup Standings Pre-Snowshoe
Snowshoe World Cup 2022 Xco / Dh - What To Expect
Women XCO World Cup Standings Pre-Snowshoe (Candice Lill 33rd with 271 pts)
Snowshoe World Cup 2022 Xco / Dh - What To Expect
Men DH World Cup Standings Pre-Snowshoe
Snowshoe World Cup 2022 Xco / Dh - What To Expect
Women DH World Cup Standings Pre-Snowshoe

It’s worth noting that Mathias Flueckiger will be sitting out the next 2 rounds after contracting COVID. His plan is to recover in Europe and prep for world champs in Les Gets. Hopefully the 2 weeks since Andorra has been sufficient for Alan Hatherly to get back into good shape after the sickness he was suffering.

Mtb World Cup At Snowshoe
The fans at Snowshoe are good time! PC: Bartek Wolinski / Red Bull Content Pool

The Tracks

2.1km DH track dropping 474m. Known for a flatter average gradient across the track, carrying speed is the primary objective for riders until a brief steep segment of track before you hit the most unappetising rock garden on the circuit. There isn’t a lot of gravity pulling you through the rocks so keeping it smooth and fast is imperative. This track seems to often spit out wild race runs and results that shake up the overalls so it’s going to be worth the late night to catch the action!

Track Walk From World Cup Downhill in Snowshoe

The XCO Track is 3.8km long and packed with technical features. This year they’ve added in some more tech as well as a section of flow trail which should look pretty good on the live stream. Punctures can cause issues here and the strongest descenders will be at an advantage in the technical terrain.

Catch a preview off the Snowshoe XC World Cup Course with Emily Batty. There are a few adjustments for 2022 that will be different to this.

Who Is Racing

U23 Women XCO
Andrea Schöfmann

U23 Men XCO
Daniel van der Walt

Elite Men XC
Alan Hatherly

Elite Men DH
Greg Minnaar
Theo Erlangsen

Snowshoe World Cup 2022 Xco / Dh - What To Expect
Mr Minn didn’t start either of the Snowshoe races in 2021 after being taken our by a tree in practice. Hopefully better luck for him this time around! PC: Bartek Wolinski / Red Bull Content Pool

Where and When to Watch

RedBull TV will be live streaming the action and the schedule is below.

Friday 29 July
XCC Elite Men and Women – 23:20

Saturday 30 July
Elite Women DH Finals – 18:25
Elite Men DH Finals – 19:45

Sunday 31 July
Elite Women XCO – 18:00
Elite Men XCO – 20:30

Live Timing (towards bottom of page)

Snowshoe World Cup 2022 Xco / Dh - What To Expect
Big technical features characterise the Snowshoe Track! PC: Bartek Wolinski / Red Bull Content Pool

More Content From Snowshoe World Cup

Snowshoe 2021 Downhill Winning Runs from the 2nd Race
XCC Recap from Snowshoe World Cup 2021

Check out WILD AIR Sports for more content like this.

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