Yes you lucky lot, it’s that time again. Not only is the latest issue of Dirt winging its way towards subscribers and outlets but the 2014 UCI Downhill World Cup is just around the corner. To welcome in the new season we have an issue packed full of World Cup warm-up content, including chats with Aaron Gwin and Rachel Atherton, race previews and much, much more.
On the cover: Rachel Atherton adds a Dirt frontie to her staggering list of accolades.
Here are some of the key features to give you one reason you should definitely go out and BUY DIRT NOW.
Aaron Gwin interview
Have faith – and let Aaron Gwin be with you. One of the coolest characters on the circuit, even after what he may regard as a shocker of a season in 2013 he is collected, positive and raring to go in 2014. Is a return to dominance on the cards? It’s going to be a tough one that’s for sure, but read Gwin’s interview and you’ll soon start to get an insight into the mindset that could well see him back on top.
World Cup preview: from a photographer, a filmer and an armchair addict
We get World Cup Fever underway courtesy of three fanatical followers of the series. Who is going to win? What bikes will dominate? Are we going to see any new faces at the top? So much to speculate about and look forward to!
Haulage: Enduro Bike Test part two
Steve Jones puts four of the very best enduro bikes of the moment – all 650b after last month’s 29ers – to the test back-to-back and in depth. We have a Kona, a YT, a Lapierre, and a Norco, but who comes out on top?
Rachel Atherton interview
If you’re an Atherton then life is all about competition. And winning. Rachel Atherton has certainly done a lot of that in recent times, taking the 2013 and 14 seasons by storm and almost making winning a World Cup look like a walk in the park.
Of course it is anything but that, and while Rachel may be getting used to answering the same old question (“What are you planning after racing”), her appreciation of the Atherton Brand and desire to take her winning ways further than mountain biking is intriguing to say the least. We take some down time at home with the most successful British mountain biker of all time.
Where Kestrels Dare: Andes Pacifico with Adam Brayton
We took the master of Gas to Flat out of his comfort zone and to his first ever enduro race – a baptism of fire at the extremely arduous and plain gnarly (by the way is it g-narly or k-narly does anyone know?) Andes Pacifico in Chile. Crashes galore, superb scenery and a depth of culture unlike anything we know made this a trip to remember. Brayton even took some scars home so he couldn’t forget. We’ve got this story as a DirtTV exclusive too, check out the teaser for a taster:
