One nation has dominated the downhill at the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships like no other: France. Consider the statistics - for Elite Men, French riders have won 12 out of 28 world titles awarded, plus five silver medals and six bronze; a total of 23 medals, or 27% of all the medals since 1990. The next nation on the list is Great Britain, with five golds and 14 medals in total.
The women's side is even more tilted to the French, with 14 gold - half of the world titles awarded since the first in 1990 - plus 11 silver and five bronze, for a total of 30, or 36% of medals. The next best record is again Great Britain, with six gold and 17 medals in total.
Why are the French downhill riders so good? South Africa's Greg Minnaar, with three world titles and a total of 10 UCI World Championships medals, points to the intense competition of the domestic French scene as a big part of the explanation.
"When you have a little taste of a French Cup, you'll understand why the French are such a powerhouse in DH," says Minnaar. "Their tracks are of World Cup standard, if not a little more technical, and with a few hundred on the start list it's super competitive. I remember coming over to Europe as a Junior and racing a few French Cups. I remember being asked where I had finished, [to] which I replied "third". In broken English, the guy I was chatting to said 'No no, in Scratch?' - Scratch is the overall results. Basically as a Junior, finishing third in your category means nothing, your 'Scratch' result is way more important.. This to me is one of many reasons why the French are so strong in our sport, and will continue to be. Riders don't reach the ceiling until they are the fastest 'Scratch'.... and by that time they podium at World Cups."
French rider Amaury Pierron, the winner of the 2018 Mercedes-Benz UCI Mountain Bike World Cup men's overall title, agrees with Minnaar, stating: "It is true that the French are strong in downhill and have always been. Nico Vouilloz [seven time UCI World Champion] crushed everything for a while! Right now we are quite a lot of French riders at the forefront. We have won the last five rounds of the World Cup, with at least two French riders on the podium each time, it's the best!"
"I think it is because we have to work hard to get there, but we do not forget to have fun. We all get along well in France, and we help each other. This is surely why France is strong at the moment, and this generation that has managed to get to the top is not ready to disappear, I think."
Finally, Loïc Bruni, the reigning UCI World Champion from France, commented, "It's like in soccer for the World Cup. The group atmosphere and the mindset we have at the moment is incredible. We are good friends, keeping the head calm, enjoying it. We have a strong field with some good places to train and ride downhill in many areas in France too. The legacy of the legends like Vouilloz, [Fabien] Barel [two time UCI World Champion] and Cédric Gracia is something motivating us too!"