Dirt

British downhill sensation Danny Hart made the world sit up and take notice in 2011 with an incredible run on a rain-ravaged course at Champery in the Downhill World Championships. Many more experienced riders had struggled to come to terms with the wet conditions, but Danny showed no fear and took the title by an incredible 11 seconds.

Prior to his World Championship success, he had already been a part of the World Cup downhill circuit for three years, competing in his first race at the age of just 16. In 2009, he also won the Maxxis Cup in Vigo, Spain, as well as finishing third at the Junior World Championships in Canberra. In 2010, he finished eighth overall in the World Cup.

Born on 20th September 1991 in Middlesbrough, in the north-east of England, Danny was brought up in nearby Redcar, where he was educated at Rye Hills School. As a youngster he receiving financial support from Redcar and Cleveland Young People’s Trust, and he returned to the city in 2011 to help launch a a £31m project to build a leisure centre.

In 2012, he continued to develop into one of the most technically gifted and stylish racers in the world, with two podium finishes in the World Cup series, but his season was cut short by injury when he was lying in fourth place overall. He returned strongly in 2013 to score another World Cup podium, this time at Hafjell, and hopes to break through with his first World Cup victory in 2014.