Sam Hill (Australia) (Image credit: Mikkeli Godfree)
The World Cup downhill and four cross races happen this weekend in Vigo, Spain, on May 12-13.
Racers will tackle a totally new 500m four cross course. British designer Phil Saxena described the course, "It is a totally new circuit, of almost 500 meters in length and that does not have anything to do with the layout which we designed in two previous editions." This year's course includes eight turns and 10 straights and is nearly double that of last year. Saxena observed that four cross courses are constantly evolving, and over time have been coming to resemble BMX courses. Favorites for the weekend include American Jill Kintner, world champion, and Australian Sam Hill.
The downhill course is about 40% different than in previous editions. A preview race was held last weekend. The international field was there to check out the course before Worlds. David Vázquez won with a time of 2 minutes and 36 seconds.
