Pietermaritzburg went off with a bang, full unexpected twists – like Sam Hill’s unfortunate crash and Mitch Ropelato losing it in the first turn on the 29er. The Aussie contingent continued to put pressure on the competition throughout the weekend, but Greg Minaar was too quick on home soil, scorching down the track and slipping in under Sik Mik’s nose. With a unique track came unique bike setups (for a Downhill World Cup); from 26″ to 29″, and single crown to full-blown DH double crowns. Tradition still stands proud, however, as the fastest on the day were 26ers!
So close to taking the win; stolen by three-tenths of a second. Sik Mik threw down with speed and style in his race run. A contender all season, Mik has the power and determination, can he pull it off as the cup comes to a close?Aussies littered the podiums in Pietermaritzburg, Hannah and Graves here sharing the moment of triumph with Greg Minaar.The man of the hour (if you say it quickly it sounds like “Minaar” ), doing what every downhill racer dreams of – pulling off the win at home, amongst friends, family and a familiar crowd. Wheel, track and other debate aside, there’s not much better way to describe this than ‘Yewww!’A heavy crash out of the lower rock garden left Sam looking a little worse for wear. Unlucky this time, he’ll surely be back, even more determined next time.Jared Graves, riding his hot topic single crowns into 3rd place. After a lot of focus on his Enduro racing this season, Graves has got to be happy with the result.The Hannah couple have had a great season on Polygon Bicycles, and as the excitement for the last two World Cup rounds builds, so will the anticipation to see how Tracey and Sik Mik go. Here Tracey performs a fly-by with some serious style.South Africa gave us a unique podium, showing off the cultural side of the event. While it’s all about the racing usually, sometimes it’s nice to stop and take in the surroundings. After all, the world cup is held in some incredible places. Winners are grinners..!An emotional finale to the World Champs weekend for Minaar, certainly another big notch on his belt. It’s this exact moment that all the hours, pain, sweat and training pay off tenfold.
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