We all knew they were fast but we didn’t think they would be that fast.  With three of the top six riders being on 29ers, it looks like there’s going to be a shake up in the bubble of World Cup downhill.

What does it come down to? Rolling speed? Avoiding the ruts and holes ploughed by the 27.5 wheels? Less chronic fatigue over the weekend? All of the above?

In fact, putting it solely down to the wheels may be a touch disrespectful. After all, this isn’t the first time Loris has qualified first for a World Cup and both he and Shaw have been on an upward trajectory for the past few years – there’s nothing to say this wouldn’t have happened were the Syndicate on 27.5 inch wheels.

We took a quick run around the pits to see which side of the tracks some of the big names in the industry fell.