Foot out flat out! With the precipitation about it meant some parts of the track were a bit slippery.
Last weekend Thredbo Resort, situated in the breathtaking Snowy Mountains, recently held the second ever Cannonball Festival. There was some big money up for grabs and a variety of events over the three day weekend to cater for not only the big names in attendance but also the recreational rider. In preparation for the event, the Thredbo MTB team had made a few alterations to some of the tracks and had the legendary Cannonball DH race track in form to offer some great racing. However, there was nothing they could do to keep the wet and wild weather at bay. But that certainly didn’t put a dampener on things.
Thomas Crimmins was on fire on Thredbo’s twisty trails and took the win in the Flowmotion Cup, second in the Australian Open DH and was ultimately crowned King of the Cannonball 2014. Keeping it in the family, it was brother Andrew Crimmins that won the Australian Open DH.
Local rider and current DH world champion Tegan Molloy had an unlucky weekend. She crashed during practice on Sunday morning which put her out of the Australian Open DH. This made it easier for Queenslander and world class racer Tracey Hannah to take the win in the pro female category.
The dual between current junior world champ Tegan Molloy and Tracey Hannah never eventuated but we at least got to see Tegan riding for the a reasonable part of the weekend. Here Tracey shows a corner what’s up!
After the race we caught up with Andrew Crimmins to have a chat about the race.
Downhill 24/7 – Hey Andrew! Congratulations for the win!
AC – That was crazy. I definitely thought Sam was gonna be faster than what he did but … I’m on top spot!
DownhillA�24/7 – We didn’t see you much on the mountain… were you hiding your lines!?
AC – I wasn’t really hiding lines. Sunday morning I wanted to see what the track was like so I let other people ride first to see if it was gonna chop up or gonna stay dry. I definitely knew the track so that was a bit of an advantage I guess. I didn’t really have to do so many runs considering it was pretty wet.
DownhillA�24/7 – And mate, what about the Flowmotion Cup? You didn’t race it?
AC – I planned on racing if Flowmotion Cup was on Saturday but just because I didn’t really want to do two races in a day. I wanted to save my energy for the downhill.
Andrew Crimmins prepping and getting his ride sorted, it appears he had his lines sorted as well taking the win in the traditional downhill race.Chris Panozzo, 2nd place in the Flow Motion Cup.Kelly Weinart was crowned Queen of the Cannonball with consistent results over all events.Sarah Booth won the Flow Motion Cup in the female pro Category.Blake Nielsen won the RockShox Pumptrack Challange by putting his 4X expertise to good use!
What a shame that due to a massive storm the Whip Wars event was cancelled, it was one of the most anticipated events. Anyway we did have a bit of fun…Sam Hill gets asked to sign all sorts of things…This didn’t faze him though and he kept the situation under control!And by about now the nerves are kicking in if they haven’t already!The rain didn’t dampen the spirits that’s for sure! David McMillan at the pump track.
All in all, a good weekend with a multitude of different types of racing!
The racing calender is well underway, and in 2014 the Rocky Trail Entertainment NSW / ACT State Series opened with State Championships; held at Thredbo Resort. Approaching the end of the summer season, the weather was kind enough to only shower during saturday, before clearing up to perfect conditions on Sunday. With the Flow Rollercoaster event held on Saturday, all had their wet weather gear in action. Read on for the action, including Sunday’s DH event.
Saturday’s weather made for a cold shock approaching the chairlift peak, low clouds and showers set an extra challenge for competitors – but riders were having too much fun finding their flow in the mud to notice.For those competing in both the Flow Rollercoaster and Downhill competitions, it was a great mix of riders, and huge variance in bikes. One thing’s for sure; everyone was having a tonne of fun on Thredbo’s Flow Trail.With mud flying everywhere (usually at the photographer), mud guards (of the homemade and shop variety) were essential.
Braap! Enduro riding lets the downhillers breathe easy on a technical level, and brings out the steeze in all of us!
In the Rollercoaster Event, Thomas Crimmins took first place, with two runs of 7:26 (now that’s consistency!). Claire Whiteman of the ACT took the State Champion crown from 2013’s elite female category winner and race favourite Genevieve McKew.
(results courtesy of Rocky Trail Entertainment)
RollerCoaster State Champions for 2014 in other categories:
Expert Male: Rob Wardlaw (Thirroul NSW)
Veteran Male 30+: James Collins (Weston ACT)
Master Male 40+: Daniel Segeri (Kaleen ACT)
Master Female: Coleen Boyes (Thornton NSW)
SuperMaster Male 50+: John Myssonski (Farrer ACT)
Junior U19 Female: Rachel Weinert (Kearns NSW)
Junior U15 Male: Matthew Dinham (Turramurra NSW)
Junior U15 Female: Mackenzie Diver (Thredbo NSW)
Hardtail Male: Jim Le (Lurnea NSW)
Come sunday morning, and despite perfect weather conditions, the trail was developing moto-style ruts in some sections. As much a mental obstacle as a technical one, plenty of riders were caught out more than once.Harry Parsons hovers above the rocks, carrying serious pace. Much of the alpine trail was holding it’s ground against the barrage of riders and soggy conditions.A�By qualifying the ground had begun to dry out, giving riders more speed. Plenty of crowd pleasing whip action on the final jumps throughout the afternoon!Under 19s reigning champion, Joel Willis sprints to the finish, spent after a blistering run. With a time of 5:31:26, Joel secured his title by over 12 seconds.
U17 Male: Harry Parsons (Mittagong NSW)
Expert Male: Tom Wilson (Eastwood NSW)
Sport Male: Jonathon Foley (Glenmore Park NSW)
Veteran Male 30+: Daniel Seidel (Kiama NSW)
Master Male 40+: Daniel Taliana (Thredbo NSW)
Master Women: Coleen Boyes (Thornton NSW)
SuperMaster Male 50+: Steven Bullard (Hacket ACT)
GrandMaster Male 60+: Steve Coles (Orange NSW)
Junior U15 Male: James Findlay (Jindabyne NSW)
Junior Women: Mackenzie Diver (Thredbo NSW)
The State Downhill series kicks off again with Round 1 on July 26 & 27 at Green Valleys Freeride Park. The Rollercoaster series will continue in Kempsey on June 29. See the Rocky Trail Entertainment website for more info.
Keep up to date with premium Aussie and World Cup coverage with Downhill247.com
With the national series closed and done for another year we thought we would relive some of the events, in our first installment we go to arguably one of Australia’s most iconic tracks; Thredbo. For many years this track has been testing riders skills, endurance and brakes! We jump on board with Blake Nielsen to see how the fast boys do it, enjoy….
As bikes and race tape glinted in the morning sun; those competing for the top spot knew what was needed to claim fastest…
Another spectacular summer day in the Alpine resort of Thredbo, the pits appeared and bustled from an early hour with excitement of the final series round of Nationals for 2014. With riders talking about the roughening trail after a weekends’ abuse, and TB’s blitzing seeding time of 4:51, the game faces were on and excitement built steadily as racing approached.
Tegan Molloy at home for the weekend in Thredbo, has set the fastest seeding and racing times of all women competitors in the 2014 National Series. With a feat like this under her belt, it is exciting to think of what might behold her future in elite.
While still a comparably small event compared to previous years of Nationals events, Thredbo had a busy, energetic atmosphere that had riders punching out run after run. With so many gaps from top to bottom – A�whether off roots and over rock gardens, across braking ruts or a big dirt jump – Thredbo’s Cannonball trail encompasses just about all that is fun in downhill in an enduring 5-7 minute run.
Fastest in elite women during seeding, Danielle Beecroft looks to be over an ankle injury that saw her miss the second round in Mt Buller. Taking second on race day is a solid result in stepping toward another World Cup Circuit in 2014.Remy Moron is always impressive to watch – he has a unique style and a huge sense of speed about him. His time in Thredbo of 5:00:86 would’ve earned him a 5th place in Elite Mens.Aiden Varley tackles an early root and rock section with ease, floating through with barely a whirr of tyres for 4th place for Yarra Valley Cycles.Ben Hill having some fun on the final jump during Sunday morning practice. Placing 7th was enough to claim the National Series Winner jersey for Ben. He has been unhampered by injury and stood out all series for his speed and style. Can he back it up with a National Championship too?Rhys Atkinson up to speed through one of Thredbo’s rock gardens. Despite mostly smooth rocks, many flats were felt this weekend!Angus Maddern had a front heavy crash during practice on Friday, but recovered overnight to maintain his speed to make top 20 in elite men. With only 15 seconds spread in the top 20, it’s standing room only!
Without Connor Fearon and Dean Lucas racing, Troy Brosnan had a little less pressure to push hard, though in true Troy nature he cleared the field by 8.5 seconds and effortlessly took first place and 2014 Series Winner, ahead of Thomas Crimmins (2nd Thredbo, 3rd Overall) and David McMillan (3rd Thredbo, 2nd Overall). Bright will hopefully see Connor and a larger turnout of riders, adding to the excitement of Australian Nationals Racing.
In the Women’s divisions, Michelle Crisp took the win by 0.1s, improving on her qualifying position of 3rd, and claiming the Series Medal too. After a consistent year, performance has paid off for Michelle; picking up some new sponsors and having found her feet again in racing.
Nationals Round 3 – Thredbo Results
Elite Men 1. Troy Brosnan 4:46:25
2. Thomas Crimmins +8.52
3. David McMillan +10.39
4. Graeme Mudd +14.73
5. Rhys Atkinson +15.53
U19 Male 1. Andrew Crimmins 4:54:03
2. Matthew McCorkell 7.71
3. Aiden Varley 10.12
U19 Female 1. Tegan Molloy 5:46:31
Australian National Series – Overall Winners
Elite Men 1. Troy Brosnan
2. David McMillan
3. Thomas Crimmins
Elite Women
1. Michelle Crisp
2. Danielle Beecroft
3. Sarah Booth
U19 Male 1. Ben Hill
2. Andrew Crimmins
3. Max Warshawsky
U19 Female 1. Tegan Molloy
2. Ellie Wale
U17 Male
1. Remy Morton
2. Jackson Frew
3. Harry Parsons
As an ever-changing trail, Thredbo is in top form with a very fast, flowing and challenging profile. Here a popular changed corner provides foreground to the alpine area’s incredible views.
Downhill247.com will be in Bright, VIC for the final Nationals event for 2014 – Australian National Championships. Keep up to date with our coverage of Australian gravity-fuelled events by following on Facebook and Instagram!
Under absolutely perfect Australian summer weather, this weekend Australian Nationals Round 3 takes place in the alpine village of Thredbo, NSW. After a wild day of practice on Friday, riders were eager to see how the track would wear in over the weekend and consolidate their lines for racing. As the longest trail in the National Series, Thredbo would test riders’ endurance of high speed bumps and hits, spotted with booters and loose berms. Braking bumps are a riders best friend, or worst enemy perhaps; either way they’re in your face the whole way down.
Seeding Results:
Elite Men
Troy Brosnan – 4:51:17
Thomas Crimmins – 4:57:19
Josh Button – 4:58:49
Check out photos from Friday and Saturday, practice and seeding – and stay tuned for a full race report following racing tomorrow.
Troy rails a particularly loose section during practice, leaving plenty of dust in his wake.Tegan Molloy relaxing on the way up, getting ready to push her lines and abilities to show her speed this weekend.
Blake Nielsen floats across braking bumps in one of the high speed straights, finding his speed on trail after recurring injuries.Luke Ellison has been looking fast and comfortable all weekend, it will be interesting to see how the Bilt riders perform come race runs!
Not a bad location to crown the National Series winners!
And when the going gets too low… the photographer gets out of the way.Despite breaking his wrist in an awkward fall yesterday, Dean Lucas will be claiming points for the overall this weekend, and is still intending to race WC1 in South Africa. Healing vibes Dean!
Check back in for a full race report from Round 3 of the Australian National Series, by Downhill247.com
The classic race venue, Thredbo, had a few tweaks applied for the race, many involved getting more air which isn’t a bad thing as Connor Surgeon shows! Image: MBN Photography
Here in Australia we are really starting to see an explosion of these one off events, which combine a few different race styles, a range of non bike riding related activities (we know right?!) and relatively good prize money! The Thredbo Cannonball Festival had all of this, with names like the Hannahs, Brosnan, Moir, Eaton, Crimmins,A�Boyer, McMillan, Cory, Lucas, Molloy andA�Beecroft all on hand to get some of the $13,000 in prize money this was always going to beA� big event!
There were a large number of pros on hand, here Troy Brosnan throws down a bit of style. Image: David Blucher
The track for the main downhill race received some tweaks before the weekend and also used more of the high speed fire road near the top of the track, one of the biggest challenges though would be the weather wit snow covering the top of the hill!
Sean Martin near the top of the track, you can see the snow behind him, fortunately by race time it wasn’t as much of an issue as it could have been! Image: MBN Photography.
Apart from the downhill race there was also a flow race on the single tracks lining Kosciuszko, a pump track challenge as well as a whip competition so plenty to see and do. Add to this the Potbelleez and DJ Nino Brown on hand in the village to keep the tunes flowing and you have set the scene for a pretty epic event! In fact all the riders we asked were raving about the event so let’s hope we see more and more of these events all year around.
You can do better whips then your mate?! Finally a chance to prove it with the whip comp.
Troy Brosnan took out the opening event which was the pump track challenge. David McMillan and Luke Ellison were the two winners in the whip off competition, Ben Cory won the Flow racing showing all the youngens he still has ‘it’ whatever it is!
David ‘The Whip Doctor’ McMillan shows us why he took the watermelons ($100s) for the whip competition! Image: David Blucher
For the big event seeding revealed who would be in the mix, Troy Brosnan topped the time sheet 2 seconds ahead of Mic Hannah with ‘local’ Andrew Crimmins in third. For the women Tracey Hannah had a formidable 12 second advantage over second placed Tegan Molloy but with racing anything is possible!
Tegan Molloy second in qualifying. Image: MBN PhotographyNothing like chairlifts to smash out the runs! Image: MBN Photography
Moving on to finals and Tegan Molloy brought the gap down to under 10 seconds but Tracey showed her experience by taking a strong victory, Tegan second and Danielle Beecroft was in third.
Tracy Hannah, a resounding winner by nearly 10 seconds in Pro Women. Image: David Bluchar
The Pro Men’s class was always going to be a hard one to call such was the depth of the field! Mic Hannah brought home 5th saying he had a good run but simply left too much in the tank, Josh Button showed us he still remembers how to ride despite taking the season off from international competition with 4th, local Thomas Crimmins took out 3rd. We definitely saw a competition of what a lot of people already knew, Australia has another real Junior World Champs contender in Andrew Crimmins, the young rider from Bredbo beat out Troy Brosnan to first place by just over 2 seconds! Troy said he was simply beaten byA�a faster rider, exciting times for Australian downhilling! Well done Andrew, enjoy the $5000!
Second place for Troy Brosnan. Image: David Bluchar.On a new bike Andrew Crimmins managed to show his skill and took out the numero uno position, what a great result, look out for more from Andrew as we have a chat with him soon. Image: David Blucher.
Thredbo put on a great event and we can’t wait to head back for the next one!
Images: David Buchar and MBN Photography (facebook.com/MBN-Photography)
