Video: ‘Beyond The Finish Line’ feat Bradyn Lange
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In the latest video from SCOTT, go behind the curtain with Bradyn Lange on how the Downieville Classic reignited a passion for racing; no matter the distance.
“Once you stop enjoying what you’re doing, the results aren’t going to come.” After 7 years of chasing UCI points for the MTB XCO World Cup, Bradyn Lange fell out of love with racing his bike. He decided to give one more race a chance before giving up his racing dreams and pointed his beat-up van to Northern California for the Downieville Classic.
The tiny town of Downieville, CA, with a population of under 100 people, has hosted the Downieville Classic since 1998. The All-Mountain title goes to the racer with the best time over two brutal days of racing that climbs over 5,500 feet and descends an astounding 11,000 feet. Saturday is the XC race and Sunday is the DH Race, and racers must choose one bike to tackle both.
Downieville rewards the best riders with the skills to descend and the legs to climb. It was the unique race format, and relaxed, classic Mountain Bike race vibes that re-ignited the love for racing again for Lange in 2019.
However, a ruptured spleen and the COVID pandemic meant that while Bradyn had found the fire, his racing career was on hold. It wasn’t until 2022 that Bradyn committed to a full race schedule; entering as the youngest Elite rider in the Life Time Grand Prix. Taking the top step at Chequamegon, Bradyn finished 13th overall.
In 2023, Lange went back to ‘the biggest race in the smallest town’ with fond memories and to see where he’d land with his improved fitness. And also to see how things had changed. Not only was his #VanLife seriously upgraded, with the support of the Orange Seal Academy and SCOTT Sports, Bradyn’s found the fun of racing again. “Last year I started getting really good results once I started loving training and loving racing again.” For Downieville, this translated to a 2nd place overall.
“Whether endurance events like Leadville or explosive XCC, it’s been fun to push myself and my training. I think I still have some time to figure out where I want to specialize, but for now I enjoy racing.” – Bradyn Lange
Bradyn Lange joined SCOTT early in 2023, but has already managed to leave a mark in the ongoing 2023 racing season with great results and his open spirit. He started the year strong, clinching some UCI points by taking the top step of the VolCAT Platja d’Aro. From there the focus turned to Life Time Grand Prix where he took 8th at Leadville, 7th at Crushar in the Tushar and 10th at Sea Otter. He also tried his hand at UCI XCO World Cup racing heading to the Andorra race where he was able to push forward and gain a number of spots. Looking ahead to 2024, we’re excited to watch where Bradyn will put his focus.
