After a long break due to COVID-19, in-line downhill action restarted from the challenging Swiss course in Vaude. The track, well known for a 15+ years freeride tradition, has hosted, for the first time, an IIDA sanctioned race.
Instead of the usual cars/trucks or buses, a scenic cable car took the riders back to the top.
The narrow road, the good number of hard braking turns, together with the tarmac, that was not smooth at all, made the race challenging for all the riders, on inlines, longboards, street luges and trikes. The organizing committee, chaired by 1990s inline downhill star Nicolas Gachoud (welcome back champ!) made everything it could to have the event running as smooth as possible, despite the significant number of participants, the crazy weather, etc.
2018 World Champion Renato Pennuti of Italy won the race, with a good margin on French Victor Veduta and 2017 World Champion Nicolas Varin.
A big surprise came from the young Italian Valerio d’Orlando, who, with few to no experience at the international level, finished 4th, behind some of the best in the world. None of the top 6 used a heelbrake, including the winner, and former slalom world champion and online downhill rising star Tiziano Ferrari (5th).
It has been particularly important to have an international race this year, as well as to have Switzerland back and to see again in the top spots one of the most talented skaters of his generation, Lyon’s native Etienne Herreros, one year (and a serious injury) after his contested 4th in WRG the mass race in Barcelona.
Waiting for 2021, which is going to be the re-launch of our discipline, IIDA is happy to have the famous Bukolik Freeride turned in a TT race, hoping to keep it on the circuit for many years.