Monster Energy / Specialized Racing was in Val D’Isere, France this weekend for the sixth round of the UCI MTB World Cup, where MITCH ROPELATO took home a career best 13th place, and SAM HILL returned to vintage speed.
The track for the first ever World Cup stop in Val D’Isere was rough, high speed, and got more so as the week went on as hundreds of riders took to the course. The braking bumps got deeper and deeper, making it tough to carry speed through corners and maintain control. Weather conditions varied between sunshine, torrential rains, and even hail, as riders tackled the sub two-and-a-half minute course laid out on the steep exposed ski run.
Sam dropped into his race run in usual style only to fall a couple turns in, then quickly gathered himself before crossing the first split in 73rd place. He dug deep and made up spots on the way down, eventually finishing 27th on the day. Mitch came down a few riders later holding onto a relatively smooth run landing him in 13th overall for the day.
Ropelato was happy with his run, despite an error at the top of the course. “My run went good. I had one mistake but the rest was muy bien. I came down 6th and ended up in 13th place, so I’m pretty stoked. It’s my best world cup so far and I’m happy to be able to take advantage of this opportunity that has been given to me.”
