Photo Epic: 100 of the Best Shots of the Rainbow Stripes from the Past 5 Years
Blessing, curse or just good style? Our recent in-depth Pinkbike nerd analysis of the rainbow stripes concluded that only 3 men have ever piloted this unique blend of color to overall victory the following year. Nico Vouillouz, Sam Hill and the currently active exception to the rule, Loic Bruni. However, in the women's field, there have been no such caveats over the years and as many images of Rachel Atherton in the following story suggest.
If the stats have left us feeling unsure of the jersey's performance connotations, this photo epic sets out to do one thing; put your mind at rest regarding the 'style' element. It's a good look, a strong look, but best backed up with world-leading skill between the tape. Bright white with bands of multicolour isn't for any old brake-dragger. The status it immediately gives its wearer is unparalleled, but as the data and this occasionally mud-stained feature show, it cannot offer immunity to race run disaster. Like Joseph's technicolour dream coat, this is a garment liable to make any rival wildly jealous and a level head is needed to steer it to safety or beyond to victory.
So here comes an extended gallery of the great mix of fortunes we have witnessed from your favourite DH riders in the rainbows over the last 5 years. Please enjoy the fiery action, sky-highs and axle-deep lows, beaming grins and sour scowls... all strictly in the stripes.
Bruni standing out from the crowd to take the win at MSA 2018.
Vali Holl repping the rainbows on home soil in Leogang Austria.
The odd one out; 2019 champ, Myriam Nicole at team camp with her Commencal crew.
Rachel Atherton calms the nerves before taking the plunge into the beast of a track in MSA.
World Champ, Miranda Miller, losing her footing at a somewhat key moment at La Bresse.
Bruni power-washed with champagne before he can even pop his own.
Hart roosting up a storm in the deep Italian Loam of Val Di Sole.
After a mix of massive crashes and bad luck, Manon Carpenter finally had the run everyone knows she is capable of.
Battered and bruised, but not out. Bruni after he lost the number 1 plate and leaders jersey.
Champery tribute whips for the Swiss crowds from Danny.
Foot out flat out for Loic Bruni on his way to a second-place qualifier in Les Gets last season.
Miranda Miller skipping across a field of rocks in beautiful Losinj back in 2018.
Another World Cup and another win for Rachel Atherton. But this one was not easy, with the other women hot on her heels.
Hart gripping the Quebec bedrock at MSA 2017.
Brightest of whites for Ms. Holl.
The last time Loic raced in Vallnord, he went home with those rainbow stripes. He was happy to walk away with a third at the World Cup the following year.
Bruni hammering the final steep chute down into the open section at Vallnord 2016 for 3rd place.
Gee Atherton riding to a podium finish in the stripes at Windham 2015.
Even a flat tire couldn't keep Loic from powering through the main rock garden.
Fourth place for Gee Atherton after a weekend of aggressive riding.
Finn Iles rebounded from a slow qualifier to grab the top spot once again in the junior race.
Hopefully not the only sighting we'll get of Myriam Nicole riding in her World Champs jersey in 2020.
Atherton doing the business in front of home-crowd up in the Highlands.
Manon is sitting third here for MSA, but is a long way back from Emmeline and Rachel.
The golden boy, Bruni, in his element and seemingly completely unphased missing out on the win and nothing but stoked to be a part of the show.
Leogang 2015 wasn't the race for World Champ, Manon Carpenter, disqualified after blowing through the tape.
Another race and another victory for Rachel Atherton, but Lourdes was hard-fought and definitely did not come easy.
The closest thing to rain the women saw this day was Rachel Atherton's champagne.
A 13 second lead in qualifying saw Atherton head into the finals with an added bit of confidence.
Gee Atherton taking the rainbows for a walk in the Lourdes woods to scope lines before qualies.
The crowds made it all the way to the top to cheer as Finn Iles drops into the track on his qualifying run.
Another set of fancy fresh threads for Rachel at Val Di Sole 2016.
Bruni surviving La Bresse 2018... One of the most punishing finals since the great Lourdes deluge of the previous year.
Rachel Atherton makes a remarkable return from injury to take 2nd on the day, and only half a second back from the win.
Loic's fans will stand by him no matter what, and he was greeted at the finish line by a hero's welcome.
Austrian rainbow scrubs from Bruni.
Atherton made a huge mistake and almost ended her quali day in the second corner, then made another one dropping into this steep chute.
Finn Iles drops into the finish arena with the fastest time of the day in juniors.
Covered in mud from a crash, Rachel Atherton boosts the big step down on her last training run.
Bruni enjoying the spoils of victory.
Finn Iles putting down a blistering run that would have been good enough for 10th in the men's race.
Loic Bruni making up for a difficult qualifying by doing it when it matters most and winning in Leogang in 2019.
Danny Hart was going for it today, but a crash in the woods put an end to his hopes of victory.
Vali Holl powered to a dominant win in Junior women by 18 seconds. A time that would have gone 3rd in the Elite race.
Miranda Miller racing for the first time in the rainbow jersey.
Loic Bruni getting a big drift on around the final corner that even Sam Hill would be proud of.
Before crashing with just 40 seconds of track to go, Loic was on the same tenth of a second as race winner Amaury Pierron.
Rachel Atherton is wearing that rainbow jersey for a reason, and you can bet she will dig a bit deeper to pull back time tomorrow.
8th on the day for Bruni was not what he was after, but all might just be forgotten after watching Loris Vergier claim a long-awaited victory.
Last round winner Loic Bruni came down in the rain and mud for 6th.
The last time we saw Danny Hart in the rainbow jersey in Val di Sole in 2017.
Loic Bruni truly has become the new people's champion, and they love to see him win.
Vali Holl once again up to her winning ways in the Junior Women's race, Maribor 2019.
Across the line and into the hot seat for Loic Bruni.
Pure domination once again from Rachel Atherton in the Andorran dust.
The fact that Loic Bruni could even get on his bike after a crash the day before was impressive in its own right. The fact that he was able to put in a time good enough for 8th is incredible.
Two wins out of three tires this season for Loic Bruni.
Small mistakes added up to 3-second deficit for Danny Hart in qualifying.
Loic Bruni through a sliver of light down into the Leogang finish area.
Vali Holl sending the final jump that nearly all the women are skipping, Les Gets 2019.
No better sight than some freshly laundered rainbows the morning of race day.
Loic Bruni on pace and into 2nd on the Andorran steeps.
Loic dropping into the finish area on what looked like a winning run in front of the home crowd.
Atherton feeling beat at the end of her working day at Lenzerheide after coming in 2nd to Nicole.
Loic above the crowd off the infamous Val di Sole ski jump.
Danny Hart retrieves the Rainbows, 5 years after his Champery gold.
Rachel Atherton floating over the Maribor roots in 2019.
Danny Hart; always a good sport, even when things go sideways.
Kye A'Hern wearing the rainbows for the first time and riding right to the top of the result sheet in junior men.
Tracey Hannah gave Rachel Atherton a run for it, but Atherton's power down the last minute of the track was untouchable.
The terrible outfit-staining power of the DH finals at La Bresse 2018.
There's nothing better for Rachel Atherton than winning at home in Fort William.
Rachel Atherton on a tumultuous run through the Quebec forest, hanging on to the last spot on the podium.
A mistake in the first split dashed Loic Bruni's chances of holding onto the leader's jersey and he was forced to settle for a top 10.
What a start for the World Champ, and quite a contrast from last season's injury disaster.
Vali Holl going to war against the dark and deadly Italian serpent on VDS race day 2019.
The mud brought out some big holes and even Super Bruni was not immune to their treachery.
Manon Carpenter reflects on a holiday to the Highlands gone wrong.
Finn Iles in his final World Cup race as a junior in 2017.
Loic Bruni taking the win the year before the Cairns World Champs.
Hart finding the grip on the technical East Coast rock.
Loic Bruni pushed hard in Lenzerheide, but some small mistakes added up. It wasn't the repeat performance from last year's World Champs but a close third.
Manon Carpenter looked good in practice, but a few moments in her quali run mean she ended the day in 7th.
Full gas and determination to the line for Loic Bruni but it was not enough to hold off Amaury Pierron.
Rachel Atherton imbibes just one more bottle of Scottish champers.
Atherton storming across the moors to Victory at Fort William 2016.
Hart smashing the dusty lower turns during qualifying at Lenzerheide.
Rachel Atherton charging hard to the line to take her first win aboard her own bike brand in Fort William last season.
Finn Iles riding the classic track of Fort William complete with the rainbow jersey in 2017.
Loic Bruni smashing the final berm in Vallnord, 2018.
Dan the Man almost doing the impossible at the 2017 wash-out in Mont Sainte Anne, before Aaron Gwin had his say.
Rainbow victory for Rachel at Lourdes 2017.
Tight white rainbow goodness in the Andorran switchbacks.
Myriam Nicole, Tahnee Seagrave and Marine Cabirou taking home the hardware at 2019 Worlds in Quebec.
Number 1 at the first 3 splits, but a disastrous 14th place finish for Bruni in the stripes at Lourdes 2016.
A 6.5-second winning margin for Rachel Atherton at Vallnord 2016.
Kye A'Hern keeping it tight to the trees in the World Champs jersey he won the previous weekend in Mont-Sainte-Anne.
The future is bright; bright white with the rainbow stripes for Vali Holl.
Miranda Miller finding a brief moment of calm in the chaos of the Croatian rocks in Losinj in 2018.
Gee Atherton pinning the final turn for a 6th place finish at Leogang 2015.
A hard-fought battle would get Loic Bruni 6th in La Bresse.
The World Champ just hanging in the ether at Leogang 2017.
The freshly crowned World Champ, Myriam Nicole, with a rare chance to test her jersey at the final World Cup round in West Virginia 2019.
Loic has never been so happy to congratulate Danny Hart on a World Cup win. Had Danny gone 0.65 slower, Loic would not be World Cup overall Champ.
Vali Holl takes a moment of solitude before being called to the start hut in Les Gets last season.
World Champ and WC series leader, Loic Bruni, went off track in a big way towards the end of his run. He was bruised and berated up but was able to save face in the next day's race.
World Champs Buck sporting the stripes ahead of a Sunday showdown.
What color goes best with blue, red, black, yellow and green? The answer is of course; gold.
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I'll suggest the need to do a 'retro' version next time..