Short off of a podium finish at the legendary Les Deux Alps Mountain of Hell Enduro race, Marc "Slugger" Beaumont earned his wings for the second time in a two week span by winning Sunday's Downhill at the Val di Sole World Cup. Beaumont held off attacks from the world's top riders to World's Fastest gravity riders to earn the top spot in a hotly contested battle for first place.
"I'm stunned. Honestly. I really just wasn't expecting this. All I tried to do was stay competitive with guys who'd gone fast in qualifiers, like Atherton and Minnaar. I took a few risks, and I guess they paid off. I don't really know what to say – I'm on a cloud!"
After qualifying 8th earlier in the weekend, Slugger was the 52nd rider to hit the technical, blown-out course on Sunday. After coming through the top section over a full second ahead of the fastest split of the day, he proceeded to successfully gap a double which had given other riders trouble during the courses technical section, cushioning his lead, and drawing the ire of the hapless patrons of the Soleil d'Or, the French pub in Les Deux Alpes where members of GT's sales, marketing and product teams had assembled to watch the event (we got a little rowdy when Slugger's time was posted). Slugger's win was cemented when challenger Aaron Gwinn tumbled on the aforementioned double; the GT team's expulsion from the Soleil was cemented shortly thereafter when top qualifier Atherton failed to match Slugger's effort.
Slugger – we couldn't be happier for you. You're incredibly deserving of this win. Not simply because you train hard, but principally because of how you conduct himself, and how you put your teammates first. Regardless of the scenario, you are always willing to take the time to help support your mates, our dealers, and the brand. Case-in-point: the day before the course opened for practice, you were with us at our Press Camp at Les Deux Alps, riding with journalists, talking about the bikes, and generally making yourself accessible to anyone and everyone who asked. Not many guys would do that. Thanks – for your hard work, for believing in the brand, for supporting us, and for being such a great guy.
-TB