Here at Downhill247 we sometimes forget how lucky we are to be able to hang with all the Australians in all corners of the globe, we also take for granted the ability to know all the guys and girls both in and out of their kit, so today we want to introduce you to all the Australian downhillers currently overseas and racing in this years Downhill World Cup. The only exception we cant introduce you to is Mick Hannah as he is having surgery on his bung shoulder. Lets Begin!
Tegan Molloy – Kona Australia (Junior)
Tracey Hannah – Hutchinson United Ride, Polygon
Aiden Varley – Yarra Valley Cycles (Junior & Broken)
Remy Morton – NSDynamics (Remy is too young to race, and is sweeping)
Brent Smith – Green To Gold
Chris Barlin – Green To Gold
Thomas Crimmins – Giant Australia
David McMillan – Swell Specialized Australia
Dean Lucas – Devinci Global Racing
Jack Moir – Bergamont Hayes Components Factory Team
Connor Fearon – Kona Bikes
Bryn Atkinson – Norco International (Note bike is not visible due to it still being a media secret, we will work on getting some images)
Troy Brosnan – Specialized International
Sam Hill – Chain Reaction Cycles
And those are all of our Australian riders currently traveling the world cup circuit. We hope that it might help you recognize these guys around the pits locally or internationally. Finally, a huge thanks to all of these riders from us at Downhill247 for letting us steal some of their time today during practice. We are always extremely grateful for the time riders allocate to help us to bring you the goods.
Leogang has been a happy hunting ground for Connor in the past and he was keen to head there again this year!
Connor Fearon gives us his exclusive wrap up from the best result, to date, of his career, you know the drill; For us racers we didn’t really have a break between Fort William and Leogang, we spend Monday and Tuesday travelling the distance from Scotland to Austria and Wednesday we start setting up tents for the Leogang World Cup. So it’s two big weeks for everyone involved in the World Cup series. In a way I sort of wish we had more consecutive races like this, instead of having 7 races strung out over half a year. Anyway, I’ve always done pretty good at Leogang. 2012 I got 3rd at the junior world championships and 2013 I finished 10th overall and that was my best result until now. Last week I finished 14th in Scotland so I was looking forward to crack into the top 10 here again.
The track had a new rock section up near the top to keep things different.
The track had changed quite a lot since last year. The top third of the track had been completely reconstructed. Where there used to be a lot of turns they replaced with a few man made rock gardens and straight sections. I didn’t really like the look of it and after riding it on Friday I was even less of a fan. In good new the rest of the track was the same with a pretty unchallenging middle section that is flat with jumps in it and the bottom section was quite steep and technical, this is where I usually make up some time on the stronger riders who excel in the middle pedalling section. I struggled quite a bit with practice on Friday. My bike which was set up perfectly for the Fort William track wasn’t quite working for the track in Leogang so we made a lot of changes to my suspension and other things like ride height to cater for the different style of track. I talked to a lot of other riders who where having difficulty getting comfortable on the track as well.
Connor looks pretty comfortable to us!
I was happy when I qualified 11th because it reassured me I was at the same point as last year. The times where really, really tight. I knew anybody in the top 15 probably had a good chance of finishing in the top 5.
A solid qualifying result set Connor up well for finals. However, with the times so close a pinned run would be required.
I could go on for ages about my race run but i’ll keep it short, it was really good I hit a lot of lines better than I had in practice but made a pretty decent mistake at the bottom which definitely cost me. I honestly think I would have been close if not on the podium if I hadn’t made the mistake. I ended up 9th only 2.6 seconds off 1st place and a mere .7 of a second from 5th position. But it makes me realise that there where a handful of other riders saying “what if” as well, like Bruni who was undoubtedly the fastest rider on the day to crash at the bottom and finish in the thirties. I’ve come away from this race slightly disappointed but also hopeful that one day i’ll get on that podium. There’s a pretty big gap from now until Mont Saint Anne so I’m headed home to get a few good weeks of training in before heading back to Canada. Thanks to all my sponsors and people that help me out Kona Bikes, Fox, Maxxis, SRAM, Rockshox, Avid, Truvativ, Stans and Yakima rack.
With his best result to date in the bag it is on to Mont Sainte Anne, a different style of track to Leogang!
What a result for Connor! We can’t help but feel that podium can’t be too far away, next we head to Canada for the legendary Mont Sainte Anne!
Look at that amazing view out over the race course to the city of Adelaide below! Errr hang on… That’s right!
As Inside Line is well and truly into its 20th race season for round 3 we found ourselves at the familiar track of Eagle Mountain Bike Park. With weather once again playing a key role in practice and racing. The forecast leading up to the race was showing showers with brief periods of sunshine, this saw everyone brace for another wet and wild race in Adelaide! Unfortunately the forecasters were correct, with miserable conditions for the majority of the weekend – but we are mountain bikers so it would take a bit more than just some rain to put us off (Chuck Norris ain’t got nothing!). By racing some riders were holding onto dry tyres and hoping for the best, while others were seen with a mud or two!
The track was slightly different to previous races, kudos to Inside Line for mixing it up and keeping everyone on their toes! Angus Maddern sussing lines.Tyre choice was also on the cards…There were patches of blue sky, some times…
Racing was tight in all categories, some familiar names were coming out on top in the hotly contested elite and under 19 fields, with Moira Love getting the win in elite womens’ with a 2:52.879, Showing consistency throughout the 2014 season. In the under 19s category we saw Darcy Grooby take the win with a 2:05.910. With James Chambers only .76 back in second place and Drew Gartery not far behind, the under 19s category is looking like it will be close in the overall at the end of the season, leading up to some exciting races left to come!
On a flyer of a season Angus Maddern grabbed the victory ahead of a returning to racing, Aussie legend Dave West.Keeping the riders fueled up! Important job but it just shows how much some people are willing to help the club out by volunteering, well done and more power to you!
With Troy Brosnan and Connor Fearon both racing overseas the elite men’s category was well and truly an open affair. After Angus Maddern took out seeding he was the man to beat down the mountain at the end of the day. With other Heavy hitters trying to stay of the brakes and knock Angus down, he once again came down with a smoking time of 1:59.520 to push Dave West out of the hot seat by 2.77 seconds to take a convincing win and to extend his lead of the overall.
Some people were looking for some luck!Some went looking for it mid run….…Maybe not the appropriate time to be looking though…
After a wet and cold weekend of racing and ruining bikes, the inside line state series will next visit an old favourite of Fox Creek- Long, hopefully in nicer conditions so we can all go faster!! Thanks to inside line for putting on another awesome event, see you next time!
Dark, cold and ominous, may describe the weather but the racing is always hot!Throwing a bit of style for the fans!This little step down jump is a favourite for riders and photographers alike!Home to wash (or pass on to mum to wash?!)
Words Aaron Pelttari. Images in this article from RFPhotographics like them on face book hereA�or follow on Instagram @rfphotogrpahics
Race day has arrived here at Leogang, with the sun rising over another stunning day it would appear the race would be dry and un-interupted. As the track opened for practice riders began flowing down the track, looking so confident compared to the start of the week where through the roots the line choices were so timid and questionable. The riders were now on rails, so sure of the lines they had picked. Practice wrapped up and the track was closed for a moment as riders prepared for race runs. First up was juniors, we sat track side with the injured Aiden Varley and his mechanic, and dad Peter Varley, Aiden was disappointed to not being racing but we had a great chat about the junior racing. As the higher ranked riders started coming down the hill we noted there may be an upset on the cards with Amaury Pierron coming to sit on top and knock some of the faster riders off. Eventually with Amaury on top it was just Luca and Loris to come. As we watched the live feed on the board for the top sections of the track we noted that Loris had not come into view, over 20 secs off the pace we assumed he had crashed and the boards defaulted back to tracking Luca Shaw. We didn’t get a good view of the race from the screens, but as Luca appeared from the woods we noticed that Luca was only just in front of Loris. Luca crossed the line to claim 3rd place, we noticed Luca having a chat with the UCI, we thought he may of been held up from the assumed crash, however nothing came of the small chat and the results stood.
Next was the Elite Females, with quick times being set form the get go, the runs were mechanical free for the girls, a happy change from Ft. William I am sure, the only notable run that didn’t go to plan was Casey Brown who had a big off up track, she continued her run and finished but a long way off the pace. Jill Kitner set a super fast time which saw her in the hot seat for a little while, but as we saw the few girls roll down the hill her time tumbled. With just Manon on top of the hill Rachel Atherton was in the hot seat, could Manon continue her domination of this season’s world cup season? Time would tell, as Manon passed the first split time it was clear she was on a ripper run, however the split was still very close and a simple mistake would hand Rachel the win. Manon crossed the line and took the win by 2.69 Seconds, stamping her authority on this season, remaining the overall Elite Womens leader and also helping Madison Saracen to be the most successful team this world cup round.
Tegan Molloy hanging out in the hot seat, also taking second in the Junior women
This left just the Elite Men to come, and what a show it was going to be, the gap between all the qualifiers was only 14 seconds. The men started flowing down the track with times becoming very close from the start, by the time Sam Hill came down the hill we were seeing gaps of less that half a second between riders, this certainly was going to be a close one. We entered the ranks of the top 10 riders, the gaps increased and the riding stepped up. We watched as each rider came down the hill and topped the podium. Eventually it came to the top 5 qualifiers. We watched as Steve Smith made his way through the lower section, Steve appeared to be out of sync, finishing well off the pace, clearly disappointed with himself. It was then Andrew Neethlings turn, you could feel the excitement in the crowd, everyone was hoping Needles could pull a sweet result! At the first split he was up, not by much, but by todays standards it was quite a bit, though still less than a second, however by the second split he was down by quite a bit, with the whole crowd letting out a joined sigh. With three riders to go, who could take the top, Josh Bryceland came into view, on a fantastic time, and crossed the line to take the top spot, this left just Aaron Gwin and Loic Bruni to go. We watched as Aaron left the gate, a few moments later we noticed Aarons tire had come off in a flat, but he was still pushing, surely he couldn’t get a winning time with no tire, it turns out he couldn’t, crossing the line well back, but very impressive none the less. This just left Loic Bruni to come, he passed through the first split on top, and then through the second split, still on top, the pressure was mounting the crowd went silent! Loic appeared in the distance up the track, passing over parts of the course that had caught out riders earlier, one on of the final berms his wheel slid out, the celebration was explosive, Josh Bryceland takes the win, absolutely ecstatic with the result, he scored a free piggy back ride around the finish circle.
Josh Bryceland having infinite fun and slaying the trackBrook MacDonald making the podium, riding quick all weekend
With Racing Complete the results were:
Junior Men:
1. Amaury Pierron
2. Taylor Vernon
3. Luca Shaw
4. Alex Marin Trillo
5. Steve Marietta
Love him, or hate him, there is no denying Aaron Gwin can shred on a bicycleTroy Brosnan crossing the line to take third place and add another podium to the mantle piece
Ed Masters was perhaps a little too keen to congratulate Josh
Images: Jason Stevens Photography (@jasonstevensphotography or on Facebook)
Luca Shaw was todays fastest junior, interestingly enough, only himself and Loris Vergier would of qualified in the Elite Field
Today saw the sun over a rain free Leogang, leaving the track dry and loose for qualifying. The ‘B’ group riders had morning practice to themselves before moving over for the ‘A’ group riders, so many of the B group practiced on a track still moist form the overnight dew, having a much more tacky effect, but also a little more slippery, leaving them slightly more reserved when it came to all out speed. As the A group riders began to transition to practice we noticed the speed start to increase, not only as the higher ranked riders flowed down the hill but also as the track dried and became quicker.
Dean Lucas slays one of the bottom cornersLooking down the barrel, quite James Bond-esk
There was a surprisingly noticeable speed different between riders speed, with each rider seeming to have a part of the track they enjoyed the most and was able to open up. There were some very interesting lines through the wood sections, we wonder if the lines were creative to counteract any rain that may be on the way, or if they were to avoid some of the ruts now forming.
Tracey Hannah looking comfortable on the rootsno.1 qualifier, Loic Bruni
Qualis began with a monster field, 72 Junior Men, 38 Women and 237 Elite Men. The juniors looked tentative through the woods, being the B group, the last time they saw the track it was still moist, they appeared to be expecting it to still be a bit moist, taking it easy over the roots and covered areas. With the Juniors finished the women began to flow down the track, with Manon Carpenter looking right at home, likely riding the confidence from an absolute stellar season, we watched Tracey Hannah come through the roots, taking it all in her stride, in a section very similar to the Bright track where she took national champs out.
Josh Bryceland, have a ball and getting some awesome resultsNeedles! Dropping a huge surprise result, qualifying 4th!
The men then started to flow down, with the top rated coming down first in qualification the speed difference is astounding, the top men attacking the roots and steep parts of the track with an intensity not seen in any other category.
With all the riders down the hill the qualification is as follows:
There were a few thunderstorms over nightBut by morning the weather had cleared and the views were nothing short of epicUnfortunately Aiden broke his wrist in practice, but those views!
Overnight we had some rain dampening the track and leaving it a little more tacky in some places, but also much more slippy in other areas, from the second the track was open we saw this slippery-ness catching out many riders. the dampness had aided slightly in the wooded sections though, with the track showing signs of much more rain than we were aware had fallen. A notable victim of the track today was Aiden Varley, who unfortunately has broken his wrist, fingers crossed it will heal up quick and in time for some of the North American races. He is in good spirits, getting inspiration from Sam Hill injury a few years ago where he raced one world cup post injury and won world champs.
Luca Shaw basks in the warm morning sunshine
The Sun was out today though, drying the track quite rapidly, and leaving the forested areas very loamy and loose, with some dust flying in the second woods, the first woods seemed to have a much more compressed dirt which ended up being very slippy with the moisture being draw in from the previous part of the track.
With the morning complete, timed practice begun, seeing riders come down quite spaced apart oddly, how ever as the sun beat down here in Leogang the rides began flowing. With only a short time to go in timed practice the dark clouds surrounded the track and the heavens opened, with light rain at first, but then much heavier rain, leaving the track slippery, muddy and very wet. With enough time left in practice many opted to do a wet run, to ensure they were practiced up in case race day was similar, however by the end of the timed practice the sun was back out and drying the track back out.
Images: Jason Stevens Photography (@jasonstevensphotography or on Facebook)
