Val di Sole - Practice -

The Black Snake in the Valley of the Sun is hissing – if you don’t treat it with respect it’s going to bite!

After a short break we are back into the world cups! We land in Italy for round 6 and while the pasta & gelati is great (in-fact some of the best pasta/media room food we have ever had has been in Val di Sole….) we are here for the racing!

The Black Snake is a beast of a track, with rocks & roots everywhere, combined with high speeds, technical jumps and corners it is a full blown world cup track. The biggest discussion at the moment is around the weather (we love talking about the weather don’t we!).

Our privateer star from our last article, Conor Clancy boosting into the sun!

There are a few riders still out or now who won’t be racing, think Tahnee Seagrave, Myriam Nicole, Rachel Atherton, Aaron Gwin, Bernard Kerr, Ed Masters, the list goes on! However, expect the qualifying and subsequent race action to be super tight. The same questions remain – will Tracey Hannah take another win and who is going to stop the French men?

Just quietly we are hoping Tracey Hannah can get the job done here in VDS!

Danny Hart has had success here before, most notably his world champs win, a few years ago.

Finn Iles will be keen to decrease his plate number with a good result.

Our other privateer star, Darcy Coutts threading the needle!

Vali Holl looks good on the bike with a great style – she will no doubt be looking for another win.

Marine Cabirou topped timed training showing there is plenty of competition left in the female ranks.

Amaury Pierrion won here last year, after last races’ masterclass will he be on another heater come Saturday?

Qualifying is about to get underway as we type this so check back soon!

Images: Andy Vathis (Instagram)

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