Gee Atherton will return to World Cup downhill racing in Pal Arinsal, Andorra

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The Continental Atherton Team high continues with the return of the two-time DH MTB World Champion

Gee Atherton at Red Bull Hardline
Gee Atherton returns to World Cup racing in Andorra (Image credit: Paul Brett)

After racing his last World Cup back in 2021, Gee Atherton is now the latest Atherton sibling to make a comeback after sister Rachel Atherton made a fairytale-winning return in Lenzerheide in June. Rachel also raced in Leogang before she unfortunately crashed out of the World Championships in Fort William with a broken collar bone.

Gee has been seen out on the course walk with the Continental Atherton riders Charlie Hatton and Andreas Kolb who took gold and silver in the Fort William World Championships. Hatton will have the opportunity to wear the World Champion's rainbow jersey for the first time in Andorra, after Atherton kit maker Endura unveiled his new kit this week. Having been spotted paying extra attention to the line choices of the Atherton dream team duo, Gee revealed in an Instagram post that he will be inside the tapes in Andorra saying he, "is taking a couple of chilled laps this weekend". Although, with a Timed Training run coming in 46th place, it's pretty good considering the length of time he's been away.

Continental Atherton race team in Andorra

Gee and the Continental Atherton race team on the course walk in Pal Arinsal (Image credit: Moonhead Media)

Gee has been out of World Cup action since his horrific crash suffered while filming 'The Knife Edge'. I interviewed him at Atherton HQ not long after that, though he was still clearly battle-scarred, and he told me at the time he aimed to get back to racing and filming more of his jaw-dropping edits like 'The Slate Line' ASAP. Gee did return to Red Bull Hardline last year where he achieved a top ten finish, and with the event canceled due to high winds and rain this year, he now takes the step back into World Cup racing. We can't wait to see how he goes – a return like sister Rachel would be a big ask in a stacked field but you never know...

Gee Atherton sending it at Red Bull Hardline

Gee achieved a top ten finish at Red Bull Hardline 2022 (Image credit: Paul Brett)

You can watch the Pal Arinsal Downhill World Cup in Andorra live and on-demand, through Discovery+, on the Eurosport App, and globally on GCN+. This weekend also sees coverage of the UCI World Cup Olympic Cross-Country (XCO) and Short Track Cross-Country (XCC).

For more details, check out UCImtbworldseries.com.

Paul Brett
Paul Brett
Staff writer

Paul Brett joined BikePerfect as a staff writer in 2022. He has been an avid cyclist for as long as he can remember, initially catching the mountain biking bug in the 1990s, and he raced mountain bikes for over a decade before injury cut short a glittering career. An award-winning photographer, when not riding a bike, he can be found at the side of a cyclocross track or a downhill mountain bike world championship shooting the action. Paul was the founder, editor and writer of Proper Cycling magazine, and he's traveled the world interviewing some of the biggest names in mountain biking and writing about some of the biggest cycling brands.

Current rides: Canyon Inflite, Specialized Diverge, Marin Alpine Trail 2