Lenzerheide is back this weekend. The Swiss venue hosts downhill, short track and cross-country racing as the World Cup season rolls into one of its most iconic stops. For Canadian fans, there are plenty of storylines to follow. Finn Iles is coming off a win in Leogang and finally looks like Finn Iles again. Jackson Goldstone must be itching for a good result. Same with Gracey Hemstreet.
But let’s be honest. A lot of mountain bikers will spend this weekend doing something slightly ridiculous. They’re going to watch FloBikes on mute while listening to Rob Warner love streaming his comments from a couch in the UK. I did exactly that for Leogang last weekend. And honestly? It was awesome.
Rob Warner is back. Sort of. Unofficially and probably very much to WarnerBros’ dismay. For years, Warner’s voice was synonymous with downhill mountain biking. He brought excitement, humour and complete unpredictability to every broadcast. Then the broadcasts changed. Warner disappeared from the booth and a lot of fans stopped caring.
Last weekend, however, Warner teamed up with The Ride Companion crew and provided a live unofficial commentary stream while fans watched the race elsewhere. The response was immediate.
“Best commentary in years.”
“Goosebumps… Warner #1.”
“The voice of DH.”
“The world is healing.”
Better than the official broadcast?
That depends who you ask. But it’s almost a unanimous, heck yes. Hearing Warner yell things like, “Now things become slipperier than a mud wrestler’s g-string,” felt like a return to pre-COVID times. The man somehow makes downhill racing sound like equal parts professional sports broadcast and pub conversation.
Which, is exactly what downhill racing should sound like. The unofficial Warner stream isn’t replacing the race broadcast. You’ll still need FloBikes to actually watch the racing. But running both at once is currently the best way to enjoy the World Cup.
Canadians to watch
Finn Iles arrives with confidence after winning in Leogang. Watching him break down in tears after his second career World Cup victory was one of the best moments of the season so far. Can’t wait to see what he brings to Lenzerheide.
On the women’s side, Gracey Hemstreet continues her hunt for another podium. She finished sixth in Leogang but remains one of the few riders capable of challenging Valentina Höll when everything comes together.
In cross-country, Jenn Jackson is out after breaking her patella last weekend in Leogang. We wish her a speedy rocvoery. Watch for Carter Woods, Cole Punchard, Tyler Orschel and Gunnar Holmgren on the men’s side.
Ian Ackert, Ella MacPhee and Marin Lowe continue to fly the Canadian flag in the U23 ranks.
When to watch
Friday — XCC Short Track
Elite Women XCC
12:00 EDT / 09:00 PDT
Elite Men XCC
12:50 EDT / 09:50 PDT
Saturday — Downhill Finals
Elite Women DH Final
07:00 EDT / 05:00 PDT
Elite Men DH Final
08:10 EDT / 05:10 PDT
Sunday — XCO
Elite Women XCO
07:30 EDT / 04:30 PDT
Elite Men XCO
09:30EDT / 06:30 PDT
How to watch in Canada
In Canada, FloBikes remains the home of World Cup mountain bike racing. For downhill fans, go ahead and open FloBikes. Mute it. Open Rob Warner’s commentary stream in another tab. Then get ready to laugh.
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