Here we go with part 2 of our coverage from the Inside Line South Australian State Championships. It was a big weekend as it was the weekend where the club celebrated its 20th anniversary. Racing back then involved riders hurtling down the fire road and using stopwatches as timing, for part of the 20 year celebrations riders were invited to bring out their old bike and blast down the fire road again! This all took place after the formal racing was done for the day.
Old school riders and rigs!What a beast! Scored off Gumtree with owners manuals and all, talk about find of the century!Ben Anderson put the bike to good use and took home the ‘win’.There were some classic rides getting around the pits.It was good to see them getting used though!
There are a few more pictures from the weekend’s racing action we thought we would share with you, these feature more modern rides!
Just hanging…Troy Brosnan having a dab.
Sucking in the air!The views from the top of the track certainly were impressive!The last big corner lined riders up for the finishing jump.Various riders were showing various amounts of style over this final jump. Cam Ryan showing plenty!
Downhill is an individual sport and racers are always looking to get into the right head zone before they fire out of the start gate.
That wraps up another successful 2014 South Australian season bring on 2015!
Images in this article from RFPhotographics like them on FacebookA�hereA�or follow on Instagram @rfphotographics and from stock images (Henry Blake).
Willunga is a beautiful part of the state and it wasn’t even too windy!
The South Australian State Championships were held over the weekend at Willunga, a location about an hour south of the Adelaide CBD. State Champs is always a big race but this time it also coincided with the 20 year celebrations of Inside Line as a club! That is A�a huge achievement, considering how young the sport is for Inside Line to reach 20 years would make it one of the oldest clubs in Australia let alone the world! We will touch on this and the celebrations a bit more in part 2 but for now we will focus on the racing!
There was a new track on offer at Willunga. It was essentially an entirely new track to the west of the older tracks. Yes, it was dusty thanks for asking!There was a lot of interested people come Saturday morning who were keen to see what Ben Anderson had built for the week.The top part of the track was what had people talking, riders pedalled into a few wide open corners before they reached this rocky chute! If they succesfully managed to negotiate they would be greeted by a tight left hand turn before the track got steep again. After this steep section there was a series of rock drops before the course opened up into some wide open (and grassy corners) before a few jumps lead riders to the finish!
Almost….But not quite! The overall consensus was that the new track was a welcome change and whislt it had it’s challenging sections it was good fun. So that’s a big tick to the course builders!Conditions over the weekend were good! There was a little bit of wind on Sunday afternoon but it didn’t deter the crowds.There were a lot of brakes that got a good work out over the weekend!In fact we think there was a good mix of technical sections and high speed on the track.World Cup (and Championships) speed! Troy Brosnan was on hand to defend his title and was the obvious favourite!Troy was sporting some pretty cool modifications, the joys of being one of the best in the world!Suns out guns out! Connor Fearon was on hand but he was relegated to spectating injuries as he is still recovering from his crash in Norway.However after a solid season there were a few local riders looking to push Troy all the way, in fact riding across all classes was good with some of the younger riders going faster than we thought!
Heading into seeding and it was two old hands topping the men’s time sheets, James Chambers in Under 19s and Troy Brosnan in Elite. For the Women it was Cami Miller taking the number 1 spot, the track was wearing in quickly though so finals was going to be interesting. The remaining classes all had their race runs and it was good to see a variety of old faces come back to celebrate the 20 year anniversary of the club. Some of the stories told were quite amusing,including how timing was done by stopwatch with riders setting off at predetermined intervals down the track!
Ian ‘Buffalo’ Jones had a good weekend overall despite a small mishap in seeding.We will focus on some of the other racing classes and action in part 2 of the report so check back for that!Under 19s were flying, it was Drew Gartery who took the win just ahead of James Chambers! Darcy Grooby crashed and finished the order, this race had it all!And the emotion of winning was there! With a very happy support crew on hand to witness it.In Elite Phillipa Rostan took the win over Cami Miller followed by Moira Love and Laura Kelly. Moving into Elite Men and it was Connor Clancy in 5th, Angus Maddern 4th, in third was Cam Ryan who always has fun, it paid off for him here! Second was Ngari Jenkins who always does well on this track!Rather unsurprisingly it was a flying Troy Brosnan who took the win by some 2 seconds.Podium celebrations were in full force!Overall a very fitting weekend of racing for the clubs 20th anniversary!Thanks to sponsors there was a range of give aways all series which meant there were lots of happy campers.All the winners!That’s a wrap for the season, we still have another report to come.
That wraps up part 1 of this event coverage, tune back for part 2 where we will include a variety of pictures from other classes and some of the other events that happened on the weekend!
Images in this article from RFPhotographics like them on FacebookA�hereA�or follow on Instagram @rfphotographics and from stock images (Henry Blake).
Yay bikes! It was Eagle for round 2 of the Gravity Enduro Series in South Australia.
The long weekend, combined with Mother Nature throwing a helping hand, meant that round 2 of the South Australian Gravity Enduro Series was going to be a banger! The volunteers had the 5 stages groomed and bunted in preparation for go time on Sunday, a quick briefing and racing was under way.
Khe Sanh is always a crowd favourite…! But seriously thanks to the volunteers that put events around the country together!The track builders for this round had plenty of different tracks to play with. Eagle is not sure on technical features either, overall riders were commentating on how much they loved the mix.The tight and technical corners on ‘North Face’ had riders dabbing feet and finding the ‘right line’.Foot out flat out!
With local Troy Brosnan back from his highly successful overseas campaign the competition really got kicked up a notch but there were some fast locals in the mix! First of all though the Elite Women and wow the competition was good with riders pushing each other and looking deadly fast every time they blasted past us. In the end Jackie Schapel had the skills and speed to take the win. For the Elite Men it was Troy Brosnan who edged out Dave West by 6 seconds that is basically one second per stage, close just how we like it!
Dropping in on the ‘Mixer’ for the last stage of the day, Troy Brosnan took the win by 6 seconds.
Elite Men.
1. Troy Brosnan
2. Dave West
3. Cam Ryan
4. Craig Yates
5. C Felix
Elite Women:
1. Jackie Schapel
2. Therese Rodes
3. Anna Puck
4. Phippa Rosten
For the next part of the report we thought we would get two different views of the weekends proceedings! It shows just how from Elite to a more relaxed category can still have fun but don’t take our word for it;
Cal McCartney – Expert Rider
“Competition seems a lot more competitive since last season. I seriously thought the course was fantastic. A perfect mix of long and short stages along with techy, flowy and jumps trails made for great racing. Probably couldn’t come up with a better course if I tried. Hats off to the organisers for sure. The event was well organised, ran smoothly and the weather couldn’t have been better!”
The plate everyone wants…
Dave West – Elite Men:
Day was good all round. Weather was rad, racing ran smooth, volunteers and hecklers were nice and vocal! I liked the variation in the stages, and glad a version of the DH course was in there! Conditions were obviously loose, plenty of sliding went down. Regretting I didn’t buy one of those burgers, they smelt amazing! Always happy to come second to Troy, particularly by a relatively small margin. Only downside for me yesterday was Andy wrecking his shoulder ;-( “
Dave West grabbed second just behind Troy Brosnan.This rock section caught some riders out, healing vibes to everyone that became a cropper. As Dave mentioned earlier Andy Clarke popped his shoulder out over this feature.The spirit of Enduro! A crashed rider getting assistance from the competitor behind him.There were all types of spectators on the hill for a look!Head down getting the job done, Cam Ryan in third!Some riders donned the full face for the whole race, some just for the stages that used the downhill track which the National Championships were held on a few years ago.Jackie Schapel, Elite Women’s winner!The day ran well and riders were leaving appropriate gaps, etc.The World Enduro Series finals was held over the same weekend so it was a very enduro feel even if they were half way around the world away.Happy days all around! Kaneo Photo was stoked as always.
The next race heads to Fox Creek see you there!
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Zerode’s have been spotted every now and then in Australia for a few years now!
On our most recent trip to cover the final of the World Cup series and the World Championships we spotted a range of privateers, the hardcore racers just keen to race their bikes! Being privateers mean they are free to chose whatever bike they think will help them get the results they want, one of the most popular choices was Zerode. The standout feature of these bikes straight away is the internal gearbox, moving the weight inboard and getting rid of the rear derailleur has a host of benefits!
These bikes have actually won national titles in places from as far away as New Zealand (okay that’s a joke!) and Finland!
In 2012 Clint White put together the Clint White Racing. A team aimed at supporting athletes with the focus they deserve and using mountain bike as a marketing platform. Clint approached Rob Metz from Zerode about working together as Clint saw a lot of sense in the Zerode Design. Knowing Clint is a talented rider himself and has spent some time on the Zerode G2 DH we asked him for a little feedback. This is what he had to saya��
The Zerode just makes sense to me and I have a lot of confidence in its design. The bike finds traction where others cannot and instantly inspires confidenceA�eating up the roughest terrain andA�nastiest square edge hits with ease.
The sealed gear hub mounted within the frame significantly reduces maintenance and most importantly almost eliminates any chance of damage or mechanical problems, less unsprung weight adds to suspension performance allowing it to be more active and have greater sensitivity.
The G2 received important changes which made it lighter, more comfortable and a sharper steering in the tight stuff while retaining everything we loved about the G1 for when things get fast and blown out. The G2 is the best bike I’ve ever ridden.
– CW
Team manager and rider! Clint looking good out on his personal ride. You know it is a good sign when a rider chooses to continue riding on the bike even after the team/sponsorship has finished.
If this is the type of feedback the Zerode G2 is getting surely at some point, with or without a massive marketing budget we will see more people stepping away from the big guys and transforming the Zerode G2 from a curiosity to real candidate for downhill ridersa��
Welcome to beautiful and dry Fox Creek for the final round of the Inside Line South Australian state series.
With another quality weekend of racing done and dusted, we wrap up the South Australian Inside Line downhill series for 2014 with nothing but rad memories and another flawless season under the club’s belt. With overall titles on the line this weekend it was sure to be another wild weekend of racing.
Racing was going to be tight with overall series up for grabs.
Saturday morning came around as the sun shone down baking us and the track. With mint weather and good vibes all around practice got under way. As soon as practice started the talk of the track running at warp speed went through the pits, with big jumps, fast corners and steep flat out sections the track had something for everyone and kept the smiles all weekend!
Dusty and wild, just how we like it!
Practice meant people were keen to hang it out!
After a rad practice day on Saturday, Sunday was set to be a cracker. With riders arriving first thing to get lines dialed, lift lines kept moving all day thanks to the awesome volunteers and patient racers. With sneaky lines to be had and staying off the breaks being the key, there were plenty of solo runs going down in the morning to keep race lines secret. Once morning practice was done all riders and spectators were buzzing with excitement to get up the hill and to watch riders on their timed runs.
Race day and spectators made the most of the beautiful day to come out and enjoy the day.
As the elite and under 19 fields headed up for seeding, the speed at which the track was running was soon even more apparent. It was awesome to see so many junior riders out trying to get amongst the top step in their race runs. Everyone seems to have stepped it up this past season and their looks to be a bright future ahead for our sport.
Seeding for juniors and elite led into the rest of the categories race runs before finals.
As all categories got under way and a few glitches had been ironed out, all eyes were pointed towards the hillside to watch as the pointy end of the field came down.
Racing isn’t just elite and under 19’s with many battles going down over the course of the series.
Elite women came down and it was Phillipa Rostan that came away with the win, followed closely again by Cami Miller and rounding out the podium was Moira Love coming in third. With a tight seasons racing between the elite women’s field state champs is sure to be another close and exciting race to come. In the under 19’s the final results looked like this;A�1. Drew gartery 2. Darcy Grooby 3. Cameron Heading these guys really are the future of the sport so it was good to see them pushing hard.
Weeeeeeee!!!!
With all other categories done it was time for the elite men to charge down the hill and the hunt was on, with tight times from start to finish it was the bearded beast Angus Maddern who came down and smoked the rest of the field. Followed closely by the wallaby himself Conor Clancy, with Cam Ryan, Steve Gebert and the big dog Ngari Jenkins rounding out the rest of the elite podium.A� With only state champs to go to round out another amazing year of racing the fight will be on for someone to steal the state champs stripes away from Troy Brosnan. Who will it be? only time will tell!!
Cam Ryan can scrub, he also managed to take every chainless race category race this year!
Thanks to Inside Line for another awesome season, we will see you all out at the South Australian State championships on the 11/12th of October at Willunga for the shot at the 2014 title.
It was fantastic to see Troy Brosnan back from his stellar overseas season and out at the race.
Troy constantly had people around him eager to chat which he was happy to oblige, he was also basically giving away stuff to the club members (read super cheap). It is great to see Troy remaining so humble.Thumbs up for the series!Dust, whips and sun, life’s good!Next year will see many of the juniors step up to the next level in their racing!All in all another great weekend racing!
Words Aaron Pelttari (Aaron would like to thanks Monza Imports, Bicycle Express & Bouwmeester Composites).
Images in this article from RFPhotographics like them on FacebookA�hereA�or follow on Instagram @rfphotographics
After emerging from a familiar frosty and wet winter, on a perfect spring-time weekend in late September, Rocky Trail Entertainment drew perhaps this years biggest state racing crowd to the Pony Express trail in Lithgow, NSW. With months of development and tweaking of the track completed in time for the event, riders were loving the extra speed and flow, and some nice big jumps in the trail’s late sections. Lithgow is a track that takes guts to ride FAST in practice or in racing, as the local trees and rocks took a few casualties on Saturday, and a few more on race day.A�Elite Women’s Kellie Weinert crashed Saturday, and raced Sunday before being diagnosed with a severely bruised neck and other injuries – and still attained 4th place – we hate to continue the soccer/downhill athlete comparison but… Shoutouts to Kellie and others injured for a swift recovery.
Read on for all the action in Lithgow!
The step up has grown since last time, and while there were cases-a-plenty over the weekend, it was generally agreed that the jump worked well on the track, and props were handed out to those that cleared it with ease. Photo: Edwin EmmerickThe last major feature on the track is a newly-constructed 25-30ft gap which catapulted riders into the final 150m of trail.Gaps like this and front-casing don’t mix. Liam walked away from this one, thankfully! The missing seat-post was borrowed for racing, and unrelated. (also thankfully)Pony express claimed some helmets and riders this weekend, we’re glad to know that each of the riders we heard got hurt are on the mend. Photo: Edwin EmmerickTim Eaton has had a strong presence throughout the National and NSW/ACT Downhill series’, and this round was no different, as he also broke the 2min mark with a time of 1:58.Sarah Booth grips the series with another win in Lithgow aboard Kona, here she tackles Mega Thunder switchbacks with apparent ease…Keiran Volk slays the exit berm at Mega Thunder, in a qualifying run that would set him up for 2nd in the Expert Male division. Photo: Edwin EmmerickLadies and Gentlemen, we have seen the U15’s become U19’s, getting faster and faster and now moving to elite – here we have the next generation. MTB Grom’s, hitting A-lines and generally looking good on their bikes – they’re on your heels men & women! Photo: Tim Shirvington
Dave McMillan AKA Mayhem Dave strikes again, displaying his signature speed and style to take the fastest time and an unprecedented 1 minute 57 second race run. Photo: Edwin Emmerick
Elite Male
David McMillan – 1:57:408
Tim Eaton +1.4s
Tom Lewis +2.4 (from leader)
Mark Conliffe + 2.7
Joel Willis + 3.1
Elite Female
Sarah Booth – 2:23:622
Joanne Fox +15.6s
Vanessa Thompson +16.7
Kellie Weinert +16.9
Clare Ly +45.2
Ryan Plunkett is one of a small group of U19 privateers competing at a National level, while doing the whole NSW/ACT series too. These riders know the stories of racing, from injury to triumph 2014 has been a big year. Who will bring it home in Canberra next month?
Mt Stromlo holds the final installment of the NSW/ACT DH Series on October 4/5, run by Rocky Trail Entertainment – check out their website for information and entering. www.rockytrailentertainment.com
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Words & Photos (except where credited otherwise): Jaime Black / www.jaimeblack.com.au
