Photography by Nathan Hughes
Round 5 of the 2025 DH World Cup in Italy was steep, fresh while it lasted, and long for the racers over the weekend. La Thuile treated everyone with a brand-new course, and after just one day of lapping the track, it started to get blown to pieces. Loam? Gone. Roots? Everywhere. Ruts? Deep and getting deeper. Aaron Gwin? Stoked!
Ready to let the big dog eat
The five-time overall champ showed he’s still got speed in the tank. Aaron qualified 16th on La Thuile’s track, a solid result that sent him straight to finals - not bad for a wildcard racing against a field stacked with young rippers.
Aaron Gwin’s official review? “Looks like fun.”
Translation: it’s gnarly
Mid-summer Italy sure is hard to beat. The gondola climbs near vertical to the start gate, and from there it’s a straight shot into high-speed tech and full-commitment corners.
The loam stood no chance as the (crest)line changed by the hour
Calm and collected
Gwin locked in
The chosen one!
Rumours are the dust is still airborne
Charging toward the finish line
While Aaron finished 14th in finals, he proved he can hang on when things get steep, loose, and unpredictable. And on a course like this (where the loam disappeared by lunch and roots took over), experience matters.
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