The Downhill World Cup heads to Leogang, Austria this weekend, this is one of the rounds I always get excited for.
Some tracks just have a little extra history baked in, and Leogang is one of them. I will never forget watching Aaron Gwin’s 2015 winning run, where he snapped his chain basically right out of the gate and still somehow won the race. That run still does not make sense. It is one of those downhill moments that reminds you how much speed the best riders can carry when everything goes wrong and they just refuse to give up.
Heading into this weekend, the 2026 season already feels properly spicy.
Loïc Bruni is out
Let’s get the bad news out of the way first: Loïc Bruni is out following wrist surgery, and that is a huge bummer.
Bruni is one of those riders who makes every race better just by being on the start list. He is calculated, calm, ridiculously fast, and somehow always finds time where it looks like there should not be any. Losing him for Leogang and a big chunk of the season (3 months) is brutal. Hopefully we can get some live commentary from him this season in the box.
It also changes the whole feel of the title fight. A healthy Bruni versus Jackson Goldstone, Asa Vermette, Luca Shaw, Amaury Pierron, Rónán Dunne, and the rest of the top guys would have been unreal to watch through this European block. Hopefully he heals up well and comes back strong, because downhill is better when Super Bruni is in the gate.
Luca Shaw has momentum
One of the coolest storylines coming into Leogang is Luca Shaw.
After years of being right there (TWELVE), fast enough, smooth enough, consistent enough, Luca finally got his first Elite World Cup win in Loudenvielle. He has been in the mix for so long that it almost felt like everyone knew he could win, but he still had to actually go do it.
Now the question is: what happens next?
Sometimes a first win unlocks something. Sometimes it is just one perfect weekend. But either way, seeing Luca come into Leogang with that kind of momentum is going to be really interesting. He has the speed, he has the experience, and now he knows what it feels like to be the guy at the top.
That can be dangerous.
Asa needs a rebound
His crash in Loudenvielle was brutal mostly because he looked so, so fast before it happened. He was on a run that looked like it could have done real damage, and then downhill did what downhill does: one tiny moment, one line gone wrong, and the whole thing disappears.
That is racing, unfortunately. Very annoying sport.
But Asa has already shown he belongs at the front in Elite, and now Leogang becomes a big reset opportunity. He does not need to prove he is fast, everyone knows that now. The next step is putting the whole run together when the track is changing, the pressure is high, and everyone else is just as desperate to win.
If he rebounds here, that would be a pretty loud statement.
Why Leogang is always good
Leogang is one of those tracks that can look almost fun from the couch, which is usually a sign that it is actually terrifying in person. My eyes widen everytime I see someone hit that trail to wall ride transition. IYKYK.
The course has a little bit of everything: high-speed sections, bike-park-style jumps, steep woods, roots, off-camber turns, and enough awkward little moments to ruin a run. In the dry, it can get fast and loose. In the wet, it can turn into absolute carnage.
And that is the big thing we’ll be watching: weather.
If Leogang gets a lot of rain, the whole track changes quickly. Those crucial turns become slide-out zones, the roots start acting like banana peels, and the off-camber sections go from “commit and carry speed” to “please do not die on live television.” It becomes less about who looks the cleanest and more about who can stay loose, stay upright, and keep momentum when the track is trying to spit them into the woods.
Very fun to watch. Probably much less fun to race.
Men to watch
Luca Shaw is the obvious momentum pick. Fresh off his first win, he now gets to line up with that monkey finally off his back. If he rides with the same composure he showed in Loudenvielle, he could absolutely be right there again.
Asa Vermette is the rebound pick. He had the pace last week before the crash, and Leogang could suit a rider who is confident carrying speed and attacking technical sections. I mostly just want to see him get a clean run because if he does, it could be ridiculous.
Jackson Goldstone is still one of the safest bets anytime he drops in. He has the speed, the race craft, and the ability to make hard tracks look way smoother than they should. If the course gets rough or blown out, that could play right into his hands.
Amaury Pierron is always terrifying in the best way. If Leogang gets wet, loose, and physical, he is one of the first riders I’d look at. When he is healthy and feeling it, he can make everyone else look like they are riding a different track.
Rónán Dunne feels like a perfect Leogang chaos pick. He has that aggressive, loose, full-commit style that makes him so fun to watch, and this track rewards riders who can stay calm while still pushing hard.
Women to watch
On the women’s side, Vali Höll is still the rider everyone is chasing. She has been almost automatic to start the season, and Leogang always feels important for her. Racing in Austria, carrying that pressure, and still being the benchmark? That is a lot. But Vali seems weirdly good at turning pressure into speed. Not to mention she had one of the biggest winning margins ever in Loudonville of 3.2 seconds. That's big but lets not forget her 2024 win in Leogang with a margin of 7 seconds. Damn.
Gracey Hemstreet is one of the riders I’m most excited to watch. She has the pace to win, and if conditions get messy, she has the commitment to stay in it. She is not just a future threat anymore; she is a threat right now.
Tahnée Seagrave is another obvious pick because she has the experience and the raw speed to win on basically any proper downhill track. If she finds her rhythm early, she can absolutely be in the fight.
Lisa Baumann deserves attention too. She has been right there, and Leogang is the kind of track where a clean, composed run can pay off big if other riders start making mistakes.
Myriam Nicole is always one to watch when the course gets technical. She has the experience, the patience, and the ability to put together a smart run when everyone else is getting a little too loose.
Final thoughts
Leogang just feels like a proper World Cup stop.
It has history, it has speed, it has roots, it has sketchy turns, and if the weather shows up, it can go from “fun bike park track” to “everyone is sliding sideways and praying” real quick. That is exactly the kind of race I want to watch.
If Leogang stays dry, we could see some insanely fast racing. If it rains, buckle up.
Either way, this should be a good one.
