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With the UCI DH MTB World Cup season fast approaching, the top riders in both the men's and women's divisions get ready to prove that their off-seasons were well spent. The time for talk is over. Riding fast is all that matters now.

With the 2017 season kicking off in Lourdes, France, expectations are running high. But in DH mountain biking, the only certainty is that anything can happen. For Loïc c Bruni and the rest of the sport's elite, this means taking nothing for granted.

Fort William, Scotland, has been hosting DH World Cup events since 2002, and the long track always makes for electrifying racing. Leading up to the race in 2017, it's key to examine the factors that can make (and break) a winning streak.

Leogang, Austria, is host to one of downhill mountain biking's most exciting races. It's a fast course that brings out the best in the competition, and race weekend tells a story filled with twists, turns, and always a surprise ending.

The race in Vallnord, Andorra, is unique in that it has never seen the same rider win twice. As the tour moves to stop four, every racer in the UCI Downhill World Cup attempts to figure out the formula to not being a 'one-hit wonder'.

From the juniors to the elites, winning is a matter of capturing an elusive blend of fitness and confidence. It's easier said than done, especially come race day on a World Cup track.

Weather, injuries, and flat tyres, three variables that no amount of practice or training can control. As the riders prepare for the race at Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada they reflect on the crazy and unpredictable events they've faced along the way.

As Loïc Bruni and the rest of the UCI downhill racers approach the end of the 2017 season, take a look back on the most memorable moments, heaviest crashes, thrilling victories and crushing defeats of the year.