- There's loads of exciting team news happening
at the moment, Martyn.
- Yes there certainly is and it got us thinking,
which riders out there are gonna
show their metal on the downhill season.
Let's have a chat.
- This is the day in races look out for this year.
- Go on then Neil who've you got?
Who you thinking?
- Alright I start off with young guns,
I'm saying Loris Vergier.
He was one of the French one that
shook up the scene last year.
I think he's hungry for a second win or at least
more than that I would've thought actually.
I mean there's Santa Cruz 29er.
- Yeah I mean he must be getting used to that bike now
and the team seems to be solidified around those riders
on Santa Cruz and Vergier's gotta be a danger man hasn't he?
He's got to be someone to look out for.
I'm going to raise you Loris Vergier though with
Martin Maes.
- I think they're the same age yeah.
- I mean Martin Maes has an incredible season last year
- He did.
- Of course he won those Enduro round series events
but also came to downhill and basically
shook up the downhill scene,
winning a world cup and
getting second at world championships.
- It's the second coming of John Tomac in my eyes is
Martin Maes so I'm sure he's gonna win a lot of things
next year would it be downhill?
- Yeah I mean,
which class are you even gonna ride in?
What do you think?
Is he gonna be WS or downhill?
- Apparently he's gonna start off doing the two
and then decide half through season,
which one he's gonna continue with.
- It must be difficult when you're that good.
- When you're winning.
- Yeah yeah.
Who else are we looking out for in 2019?
- Tahnee Seagrave I think she's cemented her reputation,
won the last few years to be fair but
she's really close at getting that overall last season
so I think she be coming swinging this year
and try and get that big title.
- Not sure though Neil right,
because Tahnee Seagrave is she one of those riders
who's like the nearly woman you know?
Nearly done it I mean there's been some riders in the past
who just couldn't quite get over the line with either a
world champs or that overall in World Cup
and Tahnee's getting dangerously close
and as a season goes on and how her career goes on,
the pressure is gonna grow. - Well it's difficult.
- Can she make it past the line and take out you know
one of those riders like Rachel Atherton?
- Obviously of course it's difficult winning world cup
so when you're racing against someone like that you know
once in a lifetime person like Rachel Atherton or
Gwin or Sam Hil,
all these people have won loads of world cups.
It's always gonna be difficult trying to beat those people.
- Yeah and I mean I'm sure Tahnee is fantastic but
she's no longer the young gun,
there's some new people coming I can tell ya.
- True.
- Yeah what about back to the guys,
what about Amaury Pierron?
He has just had like (laughs)
Well he came from nowhere kind of I mean
we knew he was fantastic but the start of last season was
literally no one could touch that guy,
he's amazing.
- It was incredible,
he's shown some speed in previous years
but last year was unbelievable for the guy
and it was great to see.
I thought he looked like he really enjoyed himself doing it.
It's difficult,
it's all head games downhill and I think
Danny Hart did it few years ago.
He started winning, winning, winning
and then the season finished,
he came back next year and found it a bit more difficult
to repeat that winning-ness.
- Yeah that sweet spot's hard to hold onto,
I mean he won three world cups on the trot,
he won the overall,
he nearly won Worlds.
- He did.
- I mean if he can carry that form over
then everyone is in serious trouble.
- He would be my hot pick I would say for the year.
- Yeah. - Amaury Pierron.
Right an outside bet here
but someone I still think you need to watch is Reece Wilson,
he scored a podium at the World Cup before winning
first Scot to ever get on the World Cup podium there
and he could be back and up again this year,
he's signed for Trek Racing so interesting times.
- Yeah a lot of pressure on him being on Trek
'cause they'll be expecting results.
He made it into the top 10 and top 20 quite a lot,
did really well obviously that podium for him was
incredibly popular. - Yeah.
- But yeah he is, he's an outside bet for some big,
you know these riders they tend to kinda get a moment
where they start to believe in themselves
then they creep into that top 20 and then once
they're in there anything can happen.
- Factory ride might just be what he needs.
- Could be, could be.
What about Monika Hrastnik? - [Neil] Yeah.
- Yeah this girl I think she is an amazing rider.
She won the IXS European Downhill Championship last year,
she got some podiums at World Cups and I really feel like
the women's scene is right for a change,
I think that Tahnee Seagrave and Rachel Atherton
are waning stars,
I just said that out loud.
Put it out there. - Right, tough.
- Monika Hrastnik, she could be the one.
- Tahnee Seagrave is pretty young still you know.
- Yeah.
- Vali Hoell's coming up as well,
she's racing junior next year again but she'll be coming.
- But she's sort of reminding me of Anne-Caroline,
you know where she was stuck in juniors,
she knew she could compete with the senior elites
and she just wanted out of that category
'cause she wanted to go up against
Missy Giove at the time and beat her.
In fact I remember at one point she did actually refuse
to put on her World Championship,
Junior World Championship jersey 'cause she was like
I actually won the other race you just won't give me
the jersey for it, pretty cool.
- Luca Shaw, the guy who won the qualifier
how many times last year but had some bad luck
in the main races with mechanics and crashes,
he's got sharp this year and go full guns for that win.
- Yeah it feels like this is the year he's gotta make his
move doesn't it? - Yeah.
- He's such a talent but he doesn't seem to be delivering
like Santa Cruz pros have done in the past,
obviously up against some big names there
and great men like Steve Peat who deliver wins
just whenever they want to seems like.
- He's definitely got the speed,
it's just trying to keep it together for one final run.
Is it gonna happen?
I'm pretty sure it will actually.
- [Martin] What about young gun, Kade Edwards,
an incredibly exciting rider.
- He's one of my favorite people to follow on Instagram.
His skate park skills are unbelievable,
one of the best all round riders ever I think actually.
He is UK national champion,
Junior World Downhill Champion.
So he's got speed downhill,
what about going up to the elite ranks?
- Yeah let's see, this could be the year.
What about Marine Cabirou?
She's a very exciting rider,
got lots going on.
She's on a new team.
- Yes Scott Factory team as well this year
so that team's looking super strong.
Again big financial backing from the team
with all the people she needs,
mechanic, all the support she needs.
Is that gonna you know prove on the race track itself?
- Yeah it'll be interesting actually
because she doesn't seem like the sort of rider
that suffers from pressure,
it always looks like she's having a great time.
- True.
- She's got great style,
really looking forward seeing what she can do.
She was on Mondraker last year right?
- Yes she was.
Well another young rider who doesn't seem to
be phased by any pressure was Finn Iles.
He's gonna bat that up with some good race offs this year,
I think he probably will as well.
One of my picks for the year.
- Yeah I mean this guy is really exciting and
he's the first of what I think is a long list of riders
coming out of Whistler in Canada.
- [Neil] Yeah.
- He is one of those riders that has almost been
coming out of that training camp,
I mean I've heard people that are saying
that they wanna have the top 10 fastest racers in the world
like blocking out the top 10 in the future,
that's there plans
and Finn Iles is kind of like their dream of the future
so you know he could be the guy this year that really
does that for them.
- What about Brook Macdonald,
who came swinging at the start of last year.
He's fastest qualifier the first round Croatia,
had a crash, broke his collarbone unfortunately
so it took him a little while to get back onto the races
but he's obviously got the raw speed,
he's riding that Mondraker, could be exciting.
- I mean he was unlucky wasn't he?
And it really did mess up his season.
He was right back there at the end like I said
third place in that World Cup.
It sort of feels like he's one of those nearly men,
he could nearly do it but he would be a very popular
- Absolutely. - Winner at World Cup for sure
- So that's some of the riders we think you need to
watch out for this year.
Obviously there's some big dogs missing from our list
but we know they're gonna be there.
People like Aaron Gwin on his brand new Intense 29er.
- Can't wait to see that.
- Rachel Atherton.
- [Martin] Yeah I mean on that new team.
- Yes Gee as well came all strong at the end of last year.
I expect big things from Gee.
He's not done yet.
- No definitely not.
And what about Greg Minnaar,
like the goat. - [Neil] The goat.
I'd suggest he's the goat but I could be wrong,
I'm sure someone will argue
but he could do some more winning you never know,
he's that good. - Absolutely.
- It'll be interesting to know what you guys think,
let us know in the comment section down below
if you got anyone else to suggest who you think
could be big in the downhill season this year.
- Oh I'm sure we've missed loads of people
but definitely suggest them as well.
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