THE roar sends a shiver down your spine.

Chainsaws, air horns and thousands of beer-fuelled fans create a deafening sea of noise through the Alpine forests.

UCI Mountainbike World Series Haute Savoie 2026Thousands of fans line the Les Gets track at the Mountain Biking World Cup Credit: Getty NINTCHDBPICT001103139887Fans lined the mountain with their chainsaws, horns and copious amounts of beer Credit: Supplied

Then, out of the treeline, a rider launches 30 feet through the air at crazy speed.

This isn’t – it’s downhill mountain biking, and it’s officially the wildest sport you’ve never watched.

Fans party on ludicrously muddy banks, set off smoke bombs and scream until their lungs give out.

And the British aren’t just taking part – they’re taking over.

In the French ski resort of Les Gets this weekend, Harriet Harnden won the women’s elite race, pipping reigning world champion Vali Holl to the crown.

Fellow Brit Jordan Williams, meanwhile, leads the overall standings in the men’s elite competition.

Still in disbelief from a historic win – and pocketing a massive $100,000 bonus – she told SunSport: “You dream of this day happening, but then when it happens, you can’t believe it.

“I feel like a little kid at Christmas.”

UCI Mountainbike World Series Haute Savoie 2026Harriet Harnden won in Les Gets, and sits second in the overall standings Credit: Getty A large crowd of spectators running along the UCI Mountain Bike World Series course, with French flags visible.Thousands of fans charge towards the finish pit following the final rider Credit: Getty Images

To the uninitiated, tearing down a mountain at speeds touching 40mph on two wheels sounds like a fast-track to A&E.

Riders soar past at high-speed, dropping down rock-riddled gullies and clearing jumps big enough to park a double decker bus in.

Split-second mistakes don’t mean a yellow or red card – they can mean serious injuries.

Jordan broke his collarbone last winter, and ruptured his ACL during a crash in Italy two years ago.

But these mountain bikes are marvels of modern – worth upwards of £10,000 and built with ultra-light carbon fibre, custom suspension and disc brakes that bite with the force of a crocodile’s jaw.

With the unrelenting mud getting deeper by the minute, if a rider dares to lose focus for even a fraction of a second, they’re at the mercy of the mountain.

Jordan Williams – riding for Specialized – leads the men’s downhill standings, and is a three-time World Cup winner.

He told SunSport: “When you’re hitting those speeds, not much is really going through your mind.

A mountain biker in red race gear, standing on the top podium step, raising their arms in victory at the UCI Mountainbike World Series.Jordan Williams leads the downhill standings Credit: Getty Images A mountain biker in a red suit and helmet leans into a muddy turn, kicking up dirt.Jordan braves the muddy conditions in the first qualifying session Credit: Getty Images Large crowd of people gathered in a mountainous area with trees and buildings, some holding flags and pink smoke visible.SunSport’s view of the chaotic finish line scenes Credit: Sunsport Crowds of spectators cheer and wave flags and smoke flares at the UCI Mountain Bike World Series Haute Savoie 2026.Smoke bombs filled the air around the finish paddock Credit: Getty Images

“You’re just fully focused on what you’re doing anywhere you’re going. There’s obviously the risks in this sport, but that’s part of the fun of it.”

He continued: “At the end of the day, you’ve just got to get on with it and come back stronger.

Harriet admitted she has to fight the urge to slow down: “We’re still human.

“I came onto the motorway [a fast, less technical section of the course] and was like ‘don’t brake, don’t brake’ because I’m scared.

“We’re no different to anyone else.”

HOW THE RACE WORKS

Downhill mountain biking is an individual time-trial where riders launch themselves from a starting gate - usually spaced one to two minutes apart - in a race against the clock.

The track runs down steep, rugged mountainsides, crossing rocky woods and dirt paths.

Racers start in reverse order of their qualifying times, meaning the slowest qualifier goes first.

Each rider takes roughly between three and five minutes to complete the course.

The fastest rider sits at the finish in a ‘hot seat’, watching anxiously as their rivals try to beat their time until the final rider crosses the line.

But to truly understand downhill, you have to throw everything you know about British sport out of the window.

The noise is apocalyptic before the first rider even rolls off the starting block, and everyone gets the same huge roar.

Fans hike up the mountain carrying huge speakers, smoke bombs and chainsaws stripped of their blades just so they can rev the engines as riders fly past.

It turns a quiet Alpine valley into a cauldron of noise.

Jordan said: “They’re crazy, you hear it the whole way down.

“Going up in the lift, you hear it and it gets you hyped up. Coming into the finish is just crazy, I’ve never known noise like it.”

When the final rider passes, the delicate barrier between spectators and the sport completely vanishes.

Thousands of fans charge through the plastic tape in a roaring stampede, swarming the finish pit to engulf the winner in a haze of smoke and delirium.

When French favourite Max Alran crossed the line to seal victory in Les Gets, the noise was inconceivable.

It’s mountain biking’s answer to pitch invasions, a tradition fuelled by French passion, adrenaline and unruly amounts of strong lager.

Fans don’t just want to watch history, they want to lift their heroes onto their shoulders.

Watch every round of the UCI Mountain Bike World Series on TNT Sports & HBO Max.