Summit finishes get all the glory, but it take a lot of power and a ton of courage to win races that finish at the bottom of steep and technical descents. To win at the bottom a descent, you not only have to have the climbing legs to cross the summit in the lead group, but then you also need the skills and steely nerves necessary to get to go downhill like an avalanche.

The Dynamics of a Downhill Chase
When the breakaway group of four crossed the summit of the final climb, there were riders following them in ones and twos, and then the yellow jersey group about two minutes behind. Franco Pellizotti (Liquigas), Jurgen Van den Broeck (Silence Lotto), Amael Moinard (Cofidis), and Mikel Astarloza (Euskaltel Euskadi) were going to decide the stage win, as long as they could survive the descent without crashing or being caught. Read More