The harsh realities of the sport become apparent as the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup heads to Val di Sole, and Loïc Bruni, Kate Courtney and Finn Iles face challenges that threaten to derail the season.
The top 40 women and men in the UCI World Cup standings lined up to earn their spots on the start line this past weekend for 20 minutes of deep dust gulping. World Champion, Kate Courtney, took the lead after a few laps and didn't look over her shoulder.
