Mont-Sainte-Anne is the only UCI World Cup downhill (DH) event on North American soil, and the discipline’s elite delivered full throttle action for the whole weekend. World champion, Loïc Bruni, took a memorable victory, getting his just deserts after a season so far marred by misfortune.
The race-winning run
It was another day of French domination at the men’s UCI MTB World Cup on the iconic course of Mont-Sainte-Anne. After a wet qualifier, the track began to dry out for the before finals, but the rain had left its mark on the course – ruts and holes were widened by the downpours, making the high-speed track the roughest and toughest it has been for a long time.
This didn’t deter Bruni however, and the Frenchman flew out of the starting gate, crushing the intermediate splits as he flew down the high-speed course. He had the measure of Troy Brosnan, the eventual runner up, all the way down and by the third split he was up on the Aussie by 1.192 seconds. Super smooth throughout, Bruni kept his composure as he flew under the finishing arch, setting the new fastest time.
No one else went quicker on the day, the final rider – Danny Hart – only managing third place after qualifying in pole position. Current World Cup leader, Amaury Pierron, came home in fourth and secured enough points to put the title to bed with just one round still left to race. With Bruni taking the win and Pierron securing the title, this penultimate round in Mont-Sainte-Anne will certainly be remembered as one dominated by the French tricolore.
A bike fit for the world champion
Flying home in Mont-Sainte-Anne aboard his Specialized S-Works Demo 8 Carbon 27.5, Bruni looked the part from start to finish. Bruni’s Demo 8 is equipped with some of the best downhill tech out there – Ohlins suspension, SRAM transmission and Magura brakes come together to deliver the ultimate downhill riding experience.
Complete with a Joystick cockpit, DT Swiss wheels and 2.3-inch Specialized Butcher tyres, it’s no wonder Bruni’s run in Mont-Sainte-Anne was super-smooth. The Frenchman rides a very large frame but we do of course also offer the Demo in smaller, more compact sizes as well as a range of carbon and alloy models to suit varied budgets.
Specialized’s MTB range
Everyone is a downhiller, some just don’t know it yet. Downhill racing may stand as the ultimate balance between calculated risk and confidence, but it shouldn’t deter anyone from picking up their MTB rig and flying down the nearest runs. Having confidence in your equipment is hugely important, and here at Specialized, we offer a range of mountain bikes that are nothing short of inspiring – designed to be not just the fastest, but also the best-handling rigs on the market.
The Demo 8 is our downhill-specific rig and boy does it have all the results to prove it. However, this doesn’t mean that our classic ‘Stumpy’, trail-crushing Enduro, or aptly named Epic FSR couldn’t crush the downhills as well.
As our ‘ultimate’ trail bike, the versatile Stumpjumper naturally must be proficient on descents. With unbeatable stiffness and handling, excellent suspension kinematics and a customisable Rx Trail Tune, the ‘Stumpy’ is a beast whatever terrain you throw it at.
Piloted by Jared Graves and Curtis in the Enduro World Series, the long-travel Enduro is the perfect bike for crushing longer trails. Like the Demo 8, the Enduro features Ohlins suspension on the higher end models, delivering a bump-eating ride every time.
The S-Works Epic is everything that its name suggests: epic. Designed for super-smooth and speedy cross-country racing, the Epic is a devil on the flats and climbs, as well as an efficient and smooth cruiser on the descents. With our unique Brain 2.0 technology, we’ve changed the name of the suspension game with the Epic – the bike reacting to terrain as it arises, absorbing all the lumps and bumps with a lot more consistency.
From the Demo 8 to the Epic, all of our mountain bikes are available in a range of models and sizes. We’re confident you’ll be able to find your dream trail-crusher whether your preference is super-stiff carbon or durable aluminium, day-long mixed terrain outings or smashing down wooded descents.
