"Drop dead"
BIKE: Wow, what you've built for your "Lost Paradise 3" clip is mind-blowing.
ELIOTT LAPOTRE: Yes, any forester who discovered something like that in the forest would probably drop dead. My friends and I worked on the track for two years.
How come the forester is still alive?
The forest belongs to a friend, that's my good fortune. So I can let off steam legally and build exactly what I have in mind.
That must have been incredibly time-consuming.
That was it. The amount of wood we used alone was overwhelming. The track ended up costing 20,000 euros.
You worked with computer simulation. To find out whether your stunts are rideable?
No, that was there to calculate the amount of wood. Only my experience told me whether it was drivable or not.
Have you ever fallen down?
Thank God I didn't. If I had fallen down there, I would have broken my bones. It was far too high.
What were you most afraid of?
I had enormous respect for the whole course and my heart was in my throat. Because falling was not an option. We could only fix some of the structures with steel cables, so the stunt swayed when we rolled over it. However, the tension was not comparable to the fear of death I had during the super drop in "Lost Paradise 2".
What happens to the track now?
I dismantle everything and recycle the wood.
The track was hair-raising. Now expectations are high for your next clip.
I need a break after this video because the project was very exhausting. However, I already have ideas for my next video clip.
Were there any reactions from your professional colleagues?
Oh yes. From Tyler McCaul, Brage Vestavik, Tom Van Steenbergen etc. That made me very happy!
On the razor's edge
Dust plumes on the rear wheel on the uphill? The motor makes it possible! Antoine Buffart and Florian Schön experience uphill flow on the mountain ridge, while the Western Alps disappear behind them in the glistening sunlight. However, the fact that the bikes kick up dust is also due to the extremely dry climate. Although the Aosta Valley is the coolest corner of Italy, it surprises with long periods of low rainfall.
Keep lane
"Please, don't slip!" - Danny MacAskill can't resist any balancing act - not even this pipeline. "The water pipe was slippery and slippery, my tyres were still wet because it had rained. That made the stunt exciting!" recalls Danny.
Thirty centimetres wide and full of moss - bike acrobat Danny MacAskill balances on the wall of Glascarnoch Dam in Scotland. Danny: "Every time I saw the dam on the way to Ullapool, I thought: 'I want to ride over it! So off I went! I know other people shouldn't try it, but I enjoy it. At ground level, I could roll over it 1000 times without falling off. But up here, my nerves are also under tension. The motto: stay on track and don't squint!"
Topless!
Cloudy below, clear skies above - once again everything done right! Inversion weather conditions make dopamine bubble in the blood of summiteers. Here on the sunny trails of the flower island of Madeira, where eternal spring reigns. If you're fed up with the grubby weather here, you should set your sights on the small Atlantic island off the coast of Portugal, because the Madeira trails are among the most beautiful in the world.
Dragon teeth
At 4806 metres, Mont Blanc is the undisputed king of the Alps. However, the catchment area for mountain bikers is more likely to be found in the Aosta Valley, on the Italian side of the Alpine giant. From there, however, the view is not half as impressive as from the French side (photo). Especially with the Aiguille du Midi (in clouds) and the neighbouring peaks that pierce the sky like dragon's teeth. At the back left: the Vallée Blanche. Bike pro Cyrille Kurtz has no eyes for it; he leverages his tail around the hairpin bend.
Full throttle in the city centre
It was a final that couldn't have been more exciting: Cerro Abajo Mexico. After races in Genoa/Italy and Valpariso/Chile, the last race of the City Downhill series took place in Mexico on 29 March. Tomas Slavic from the Czech Republic was considered to be the heavy favourite and hard to beat. A 10th place would have been enough for him to win overall. Easy peacy for powerhouse Slavik. Wrong thinking. What was not supposed to happen happened: Slavik skipped a landing and crashed. Make sure you watch the replay: soooo exciting! Our Fischi (only German participant: Johannes Fischbach) managed a strong 4th place, close to the podium and 6th place in the overall ranking.
Until then, read our interview with Fischi: Urban downhill Cerro Abajo 2025: Johannes Fischbach: "Like the last straw!
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Dimitri Lehner
Editor
