Subaru Mountain Bike Team rider Fabien Barel stormed to victory in the fifth downhill world cup of the season in Maribor, Slovenia.

The three-time world champion proved last weekend that he is back on form and recovering well from a dislocated patella suffered earlier this season. Barel is the first non-Santa Cruz Syndicate rider to win a men’s world cup downhill this season. He bested Sam Hill and Greg Minnaar on a rough, technical track made more difficult by torrential rains the day before.

“The weekend was really challenging, it was my first time riding in the mud since my knee injury,” Barel stated. “After a 13th place in qualifying, I was hoping for a top 10. But in my race I felt that it was now or never, so I pushed the limits.”

The Barel has been plagued by injuries for several seasons, but this victory proves that the charismatic Frenchman is still one of the best riders in the world. “It is an unreal satisfaction to take first place and be back on top of the international scene so quickly,” he said. “On the other hand, I know I need to improve even more if I want to stay at the top.”

Barel—and the Subaru Mountain Bike Team—ride WTB saddles and tires. His components of choice are WTB’s Silverado saddles and Timberwolf tires.

For more information please visit WTB.com or www.subaru-mtb.com

Greg Minnaar, WTB-sponsored rider and 2005 downhill world champion, shares his tips for downhill speed in this BikeSkills video. Minnaar, and his Santa Cruz Syndicate teammates, recently dominated downhill world cup number five in Fort William, Scotland. Syndicate riders took up three of the five spots on the podium with Minnaar on top, Steve Peat in third and Nathan Rennie in fourth. Minnaar’s saddle of choice is the WTB Deva SLT in white.

Mark Weir and Matt Hunter overlooking Mt. Tamalpais and San Francisco

It’s been a busy couple of weeks around here. What with the Sea Otter Classic attracting bike racers and industry types from across globe. Of course no trip to Northern California is complete without a ride in Marin County. We’ve had quite a mix of characters visiting WTB World Headquarters over the past 14 days and each person left with a smile after some epic trail riding.

Sea Otter wasn’t bad either, with sunny skies and fierce racing. WTB-sponsored rider Greg Minnaar, Santa Cruz Syndicate’s new rider, completely dominated the event by winning both the Dual Slalom and DH in convincing style. In case you’re wondering, Minnaar’s saddle of choice is the WTB Deva SLT in white. The DH podium was stacked with Syndicate riders with Steve Peat charging into fourth place and Nathan Rennie finishing fifth. We’ll have more about Sea Otter, including a video, on the site soon.

Caption: Wade Simmons on the pumptrack. The crew from pinkbike.com, to read their trip report, click here. WTB’s booth at the Sea Otter Classic

Caption: Fred Falk, WTB’s manager of logistics, with Don “Shiggy” Person of mtbtires.com. Mark Weir and Matt Hunter. Barbed wire means that it’s off limits.