Round 3 Preview - Leogang, Austria
Well, here we go again - Round 3 is upon us and we're off to Austria!
Leogang is one of the true classics of the DH calendar and always puts on a show. It's fast, it's jumpy, and that infamous run into the finish has caught out plenty of big names over the years. Even better, this is Vali Höll's home race, so expect a serious crowd and a serious atmosphere. Find out more about the track here.
WHO TO LOOK OUT FOR
The women's category is looking like Vali's to lose. She's won both rounds so far and now she's racing on home dirt in front of her own fans - backing against her takes some nerve! The big question is who joins her on the podium. Gracey Hemstreet has been mega consistent and grabbed 2nd at Loudenvielle, Lisa Baumann is flying after her breakthrough podium, and you can never write off Myriam Nicole when the track gets technical.
The men's race, on the other hand, is absolutely wide open! Luca Shaw finally bagged his first win last round and will be buzzing. Benoit Coulanges and Jordan Williams were right there with him, Finn Iles keeps knocking on the door, and Asa Vermette will be desperate to bounce back after his round 2 heartbreak. And keep an eye on Jackson Goldstone - the defending champ had a rough one in France and you know he'll be coming out swinging.
INJURY NEWS
Sadly we won't see Loic Bruni this weekend. After that big practice crash at Loudenvielle, what looked like a minor knock turned out to be a dislocated bone in his wrist that needed surgery. He's looking at around three months out and is hoping to be back later in the season for Les Gets and Val di Sole. Gutting timing for him, but get well soon Loic, we can't wait to see you back on the bike!
That also means there are a load of points up for grabs that Loic would normally lock down, so pick wisely!
DON'T FORGET TO UPDATE YOUR TEAM!
The deadline is coming, so make sure your team is sorted before racing starts.
Head over to the website, click on My Team and then Edit My Team. Remember you have two free transfers each round, and don't forget to hit the Update Team button to save your changes!
BRING A MATE INTO THE MIX
Half the fun is beating someone you know!
Head to the friends leaderboard and hit Invite a friend. Drop in their email and they'll get an invite to build their own team. The moment they sign in, you're friends automatically, so you can track each other's picks and settle who really knows downhill all season long.
JOIN OUR WHATSAPP GROUP!
If you haven't already, come and join the MTB Fantasy WhatsApp community for questions, feedback, banter and all the latest updates.
Bring on Leogang, June 13-14th!
Good luck,
Jon and Tim
MTB Fantasy