Aaron Gwin is back. Can he find another race win?
Fans that have come to the sport of mountain biking in the past few years would be forgiven for discounting the likes of Aaron Gwin. Indeed, the sport has seemingly been dominated by a collection of fast Frenchmen for a number of years now—in the past four seasons, three World Cup overall titles have been won by the French.
All the while, Gwin has been working to find his speed again. While his name has been relatively anonymous on the results sheet, the American is one of the greatest talents the sport has ever seen. His 20 World Cup wins make him the second most successful male downhill racer, two wins shy of Greg Minnaar’s record. He is the only man to win five World Cup races in a single season, and he has five World Cup overall titles to his name.
However, beginning in 2018, Gwin’s luck began to turn with a thumb injury. It was his ankle in 2019, then his shoulder that same year, and then his back in 2021. Much like Nino Schurter, fans and pundits began to wonder if his winning ways were over.
On Saturday in Andorra, we got a glimpse of the Gwin of the past. On a hot, dry, and fresh race track, Gwin weaved his way through the berms and jumps at the top of the mountain, up by .05 seconds at the first time check. He gained nearly two seconds by the next split time, dodging his way through forested sections of trail and squashing a big step down gap. By the time he crossed the line, he was .6 seconds faster than the previous benchmark time set by Andreas Kolb.
At the end of the day, Gwin’s run would not be enough to stand up to eventual winner Loris Vergier, the American ending up in fourth. He did make a couple of visible mistakes on track, giving up crucial seconds on the clock, but Gwin’s top five result proved that he can still mix it up.
The thing is, Gwin could comfortably retire knowing that his mark on the sport of downhill mountain biking has been made. The fact that he continues to race, train, and put in the work required to be successful at the top of the sport is what’s more impressive than the fourth place result.
Gwin wants to go through the trials and tribulations of being an elite athlete, and that’s what makes athletes like him so special and fun to watch. It’s the same with Minnaar, Schurter, or Pauline Ferrand-Prevot. These athletes know that they may never win a race again, but they still do it for the love of the sport. That’s to be celebrated. In addition, when a topdog becomes an underdog, a la Chris Froome, people become more complex and relatable to watch on our screens.
Next up for Gwin is the US National Championships in Colorado, followed by the World Cup in West Virginia. We just may see something special from him on home soil.