Matti Lehikoinen
Encyclopedia
Matti Lehikoinen is Finland
's leading downhill cyclist
. His previous achievements include 2001 junior European championship from Italy
's Livigno
and top-ten placings in the downhill World Cup during 2002-2004. After having ridden a few years in Team Arai/Global Racing, he joined Team Honda
G Cross in 2005.
His team mates included South Africa
's Greg Minnaar
who had been Lehikoinen's team mate since 2001. During the 2006 season Lehikoinen made Finnish cycling history as being the first Finnish mountain biker to win a Mountain Bike World Cup
event. The event took place in Balneario Cambrio in Brazil
. Lehikoinen placed 6th in the overall rankings of the 2006 Downhill World Cup.
Lehikoinen also won the most difficult track of the 2007 World Cup
in Champéry
and placed 2nd overall in the 2007 Downhill World Cup. After the season Matti signed a deal with MS-Intense Racing, to become the leading rider of the team replacing Chris Kovarik
. Soon after that he suffered a serious crash while training and fractured several vertebrae.
By season 2008 he is fully recovered and placed 9th in the World Cup race in Vallnord, Andorra.
He recently crashed at the sixth World Cup race in Canberra, Australia. In this terrible crash, he broke both of his wrists and resulted in some very complicated fractures. A 6 hours operation was followed and a total of 12 screws, 3 metal plates, 3 pins were placed. Matti rehabilitated at the Red Bull training center in Austria and said to have 50% of his wrists movement back.
Matti has now fully recovered and was offered a deal from Evil Bikes for the 2009 WC downhill season.
During a World Cup Finals in Bromont, the 7th race of the season, Lehikoinen crashed on the sequence of drops resulting in a fractured collarbone and pelvis. He aims to be back for the final World Cup event of 2009, Schladming, but will more than likely have to pull out of the World Championships in Canberra.
Following a full recovery from his injuries, for the 2010 season Matti has signed a deal with ex-team mate current team Chain Reaction Cycles / Intense Cycles Chris Kovarik
. He was placed in 5th position in a Mega Avalanche downhill event. In this new test of his riding skills he was awarded a funded place in the next event of this kind.
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
's leading downhill cyclist
Downhill cycling
Downhill biking is a gravity-assisted time trial mountain biking event. Riders race against the clock, usually starting at intervals of 30 seconds , on courses which typically take two to five minutes to complete. Riders come from all around the world. Riders are timed with equipment similar to...
. His previous achievements include 2001 junior European championship from Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
's Livigno
Livigno
Livigno is a town and comune in the province of Sondrio, in the region of Lombardy, Italy, located in the Italian Alps.- Geography :Livigno is located 1,816 metres above sea level. Livigno's main river is called Aqua Granda or Spöl. Trepalle, a frazione in the municipality of Livigno, is...
and top-ten placings in the downhill World Cup during 2002-2004. After having ridden a few years in Team Arai/Global Racing, he joined Team Honda
Honda
is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...
G Cross in 2005.
His team mates included South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
's Greg Minnaar
Greg Minnaar
Greg Minnaar is a South African World Champion mountain bike racer competing in downhill cycling. Greg first started to get noticed as a world class downhill racer at the age of 17, in 1999, racing select World Cups on a local shop team, aboard a Kona Stab Dee-Lux bike with a...
who had been Lehikoinen's team mate since 2001. During the 2006 season Lehikoinen made Finnish cycling history as being the first Finnish mountain biker to win a Mountain Bike World Cup
Mountain Bike World Cup
The UCI Mountain Bike World Cup is a multi-round mountain bike racing series that is sanctioned by the Union Cycliste Internationale. The first World Cup series – which was composed of cross-country events – was held in 1989. The Downhill World Cup was inaugurated two years later, and the Dual...
event. The event took place in Balneario Cambrio in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. Lehikoinen placed 6th in the overall rankings of the 2006 Downhill World Cup.
Lehikoinen also won the most difficult track of the 2007 World Cup
Mountain Bike World Cup
The UCI Mountain Bike World Cup is a multi-round mountain bike racing series that is sanctioned by the Union Cycliste Internationale. The first World Cup series – which was composed of cross-country events – was held in 1989. The Downhill World Cup was inaugurated two years later, and the Dual...
in Champéry
Champéry
Champéry is a municipality in the district of Monthey in the canton of Valais in Switzerland.-History:Champéry is first mentioned in 1286 as Champery...
and placed 2nd overall in the 2007 Downhill World Cup. After the season Matti signed a deal with MS-Intense Racing, to become the leading rider of the team replacing Chris Kovarik
Chris Kovarik
Chris Kovarik , is an Australian professional racing cyclist specialising in downhill mountain biking and four cross mountain bike racing...
. Soon after that he suffered a serious crash while training and fractured several vertebrae.
By season 2008 he is fully recovered and placed 9th in the World Cup race in Vallnord, Andorra.
He recently crashed at the sixth World Cup race in Canberra, Australia. In this terrible crash, he broke both of his wrists and resulted in some very complicated fractures. A 6 hours operation was followed and a total of 12 screws, 3 metal plates, 3 pins were placed. Matti rehabilitated at the Red Bull training center in Austria and said to have 50% of his wrists movement back.
Matti has now fully recovered and was offered a deal from Evil Bikes for the 2009 WC downhill season.
During a World Cup Finals in Bromont, the 7th race of the season, Lehikoinen crashed on the sequence of drops resulting in a fractured collarbone and pelvis. He aims to be back for the final World Cup event of 2009, Schladming, but will more than likely have to pull out of the World Championships in Canberra.
Following a full recovery from his injuries, for the 2010 season Matti has signed a deal with ex-team mate current team Chain Reaction Cycles / Intense Cycles Chris Kovarik
Chris Kovarik
Chris Kovarik , is an Australian professional racing cyclist specialising in downhill mountain biking and four cross mountain bike racing...
. He was placed in 5th position in a Mega Avalanche downhill event. In this new test of his riding skills he was awarded a funded place in the next event of this kind.
See also
- Honda RN-01 G-crossHonda RN-01 G-crossThe Honda RN-01 G-Cross is a mountain bike produced by Honda specifically for downhill racing events. Honda is not a manufacturer of bicycles and this bike is not commercially available to the general public...
, unique mountain bike used by Lehikoinen 's former team. - Greg MinnaarGreg MinnaarGreg Minnaar is a South African World Champion mountain bike racer competing in downhill cycling. Greg first started to get noticed as a world class downhill racer at the age of 17, in 1999, racing select World Cups on a local shop team, aboard a Kona Stab Dee-Lux bike with a...
, Lehikoinen's previous team mate. - Chris KovarikChris KovarikChris Kovarik , is an Australian professional racing cyclist specialising in downhill mountain biking and four cross mountain bike racing...
, Lehikoinen's current team mate. - Downhill Crash in 2010