Another day of practice here in Bright, instead of a full day free for all today was separated into open practice early and then group A and B practice later on. No major incidents to report, a few riders said hello to the ground and some lost the air pressure in their wheels but it is a fairly technical track so this is to be expected.
Saturday will see riders seed late in the day, this will be the first real indication of who is on it and who still needs to do some work.
Day 1 and this meant an early start for the track walk followed by all day practice. If you don’t know Bright is one of the best tracks on the circuit with riders loving the steep hill which means the track is a ‘real’ track, rocky, steep, loose, these are all words that can describe it. Check out these images from day 1:
Check back after tomorrow’s practice for more action!
The second round of the Alpine Gravity Enduro Series saw us arriving in the picturesque Bright, not only for the enduro, but for the Bright MTB Festival. This saw a slopestyle event, cross country, downhill and enduro races all held over the course of the weekend!
For the enduro the weather was on our side with warm sunshine beaming down. On initial inspection the track lived up to its reputation from last year and from the start gate it was steep and loose with plenty of fun turns. After a few riders the track started to get loose and the dust started to fly! Riders were flowing down the track with smiles from ear to ear on everything from 29er hardtails to full-fledged DH bikes. When one bike was shining the other would lose out and the track became equally fair to everyone.
As the first run rolled around there were so many riders the times fell slightly behind, but everything continued to keep up and run smoothly. As rider after rider pounded the corners the looseness escalated quickly, with many being caught out by dust piles looking like berms, and front wheel washing out.
The second runs began seamlessly and riders again flowed down the track but soon the clouds rolled in. By the time Elite Women were racing there was a sizable thunderstorm making its way over the race, many women finishing claimed to be hailed on either at the top of the track or mid-way down! As the storm escalated and the lightning grew closer and closer, the decision was made to cancel the Elite Mena��s second run due to dangers with the lightning and storms. This meant a hectic mass downhill start for all the boys resulting in plenty of fun being had down the track, it did however mean the first runs standings were the final results. Chris Panozzo took the victory with a healthy margin of overA�9 seconds in what was a pretty stacked field.A�What times riders would have done in their second run we will never know but we still got a result and fun was had, which is the main thing!
Welcome to the final round of the Australian National Downhill Series! Nestled in the alpine country of Victoria there were hints this track would supply the goods. As competitors began showing up and walking the initial part of the track, from the bottom upwards, excitement grew and even grown men began to giggle with jitters of excitement as the track unfolded before their eyes.
First practice opened and every rider was emerging over the finish line wide eyed and large mouthed. The track was certainly delivering everything that everyone was hoping for. While chatting with Sam Hill he described the track as ‘a mini Val Di Sole’ which we agreed with completely. So, what did that mean? We’re pretty sure it meant you better watch out, because we all know just how well Sam Hill and Val Di Sole go together. As the practice began flowing the track started to wear in, lines began to form, ruts were dug and the dust gathered. Come Friday evening there was so much chatter about the pits of just how fun the track was that no one was actually concentrating on just how to find a fast line yet.
As the sun rose on Saturday and crowds gathered around the pits the first shuttles went up, the dust was un-settled and the racing began. Riders began picking lines, Sam was finding lines no one else could and everyone else had the joy of watching world class riders perform on a proper downhill track. As qualifying rolled around the clouds began to gather and the rain began to fall, would this affect qualifying? Would the dust become mud and turn this place into Sam Hills playground? The rain grew heavier, but the thick pine forest held back the moisture and after only a hand full of riders the dust kicked up yet again and the track seemed almost untouched by the heavy showers. Sam Hill appeared first as he held the no.1 plate, as he went past you could see that another gear had been engaged, could anyone catch Sam? Jack and Connor went past and the dust began to hang in the air, making it difficult to see much at all, would having an early qualifying run become an advantage due to visibility? Only time would tell. Troy having the number 32 came through much later in the field but looked just as quick with the visibility not seeming too much of an issue at all. As the final qualifier crossed the line it was pretty apparent that Sam Hill was in fact the man to catch on this track, Sam walked away Saturday with a commanding 9 second advantage over his closest rival; Jack Moir.
Race day arrived with a brisk and damp morning, but again after only a couple of riders the track was back at its dusty best. The track opened for practice and many did only one run to check the track for any new ruts that had been formed through the days earlier racing. As racing began riders began to tumble, bikes began to suffer and the course showed its teeth. Many riders were suffering mechanicals and coming off. It seemed if you could keep both wheels on the ground and stay upright there was a good chance you could walk away with the win. As the top ten began to traverse down the hill times began to tumble, as Troy passed the finish line he took the provisional hot seat with only Jack Moir and Sam Hill to come. Jack appeared around the corner and pedalled hard but couldn’t quite make up the time, this left only Sam Hill to come, the former team mates were in for a battle, would Sam keep it on the vertical and come down with a winning time? Sam appears around the corner pedalling hard, eyes flash from the clock to the track as we watch Sam manual over the line for the win by 1.10s.
This left Sam with a National Series white wash, claiming the fastest times at each round, not only for the finals, but also for qualifying and giving him a solid overall, a warning sign to competitors in the upcoming World Cup? There can only be one winner on the day, but as everyone walks away from the track there really are only smiles, this track had delivered some excellent racing and was a favorite track for many this National Series.
Bright, Victoria played host to Round 2 of the Alpine Gravity Series, one of Australia’s only true enduro downhill races and series. With Elite Men taking overA�ten minutes to complete the course, there was some serious descending to be done!A�Sections of the BrightA�track would be considered just as technical as ‘traditional’ downhill races, in fact, after the first practice session many riders put their ‘all mountain’ style bikes backA�and brought out the full blown downhill rigs! The consensus being this track suited more technical style riders, as opposed to round 1 whichA�appeared toA�have favoured fitter riders more.
Overall the event was run well, transport was ample, timing was spot on and of course the track was good! Around 100 racers enjoyed the day, the track started at the sameA�altitude hang gliders start their ride from and there was only one real big pedal slog at the bottom about 3 minutes. Results are as follows;
Elite Men:
1.A�Daniel Macmunn 10:02.37
2. Oliver Zwar 10:56.21 + 53.84
3. Tom Macmunn 10:59.13 +A�56.76A�
4. A�Ben Crundwell 11:23.17 + 1:20.80
5. Luke Dewar 11:30.47A�+ 1:28.10
Elite Women:
1. Jacqui Lovett 13:21.79
2. Lucy Brandon 16:23.19 +A�3:01.40
3. Amy Phillips 19:51.77 + 6:29.98
Continuing on with the enduro downhill focus, it has just been announced a World Enduro Series will start in 2013. Driven by Chris Ball, formerly of the UCI, he was one of the players that has lifted the World Cup Downhill series to where it is today. He is not going solo, rather,A�joining forces with organisers from events such as the Enduro Series in Europe and the Crankworx collective, they have created both a newA�series and a new association; The Enduro Mountain Bike Association. There is plenty of discussion going on within the mountain bike industry (and on the forums) whether the move away from the UCI is a good one. However, with the UCI not committing to one of the biggest growing areas within the gravityA�discipline, it was just a matter of time. Having done some riding with Chris Ball we can tell you the tracks he will select are going to be no walk in the park! Combine this with riders such as Dan Atherton and now Aussie Jared Graves, committing to the enduro format we areA�only going toA�hear more about enduro in the future, which is definitely not a bad thing!A�The race locations and final details of the new series haven’t been released yet but expect more details soon. What’s great is that events like the Alpine Gravity are already up and running here in Australia, getA�on board now and beat the bandwagon!