Practice and Pit Stops at the Val di Sole World Cup
The DH world took it easy today with a light practice with XC and 4X taking the limelight. Tomorrow will be a different story.
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 Mick and the Team Hutchinson crew's lids align |
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| Mitch Ropelato high-tech wrenching. Looks like ejection seat training yesterday left no major consequences for his brain. |
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| A static shot of two typically high velocity projectiles. Are the heads that fill the helmets ready to win once again tomorrow? |
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| Hats and sunglasses were the best form of protection in Val Di Sole once the neck braces came off at lunch time. Not everyone gets them for free, however. |
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| Cut down Continental Mud Kings... The Atherton Racing loam gripper of choice. |
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| Formula wheel clamping in operation... You can't even sneak a double yellow in the mountains. |
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| Devinci Team mechanic, Nigel, has been hitting the gelato with a vengeance. Allegedly this surge of passion for brain freeze correlates with an affinity for the Val Di Sole lady scoop operators. |
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| Tom Lloyd is back from slaving at Roost DH in Malaga and now finds himself returning to the European heat, currently a helpful behind the scenes cog in the Atherton winning machine. |
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| Debate over Wyn Master's bionic arm will rage for weeks until the UCI make a definitive decision on whether 'robotic power' gives him an unfair advantage on the competition. Actually this is just Wyn's wrist brace by Texas-born, Allsport Dynamics, who have become almost standard arm adornment for a lot of motocross riders in the states. Wyn reckons he'll be getting a second one for his other wrist as a preventative he is so impressed with the range of motion and security of the guard. |
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| Hill grits his teeth and hangs on to the bronco. |
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| Loic Bruni charges through the rocks in this morning's abbreviated practice session. |
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| The roost was flying as all of the qualified athletes spent this morning's session getting some last minute practice in while avoiding the holes that are now the size of small VWs. |
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| Crash netting isn't about making riders or spectators feel safe... more a way to harvest a crop of boulders within a couple of hours. |
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| Gee Atherton spent quite a while looking for tenths in an especially rocky section this morning. 3 lines with possible cross overs were in play, and none were easy or straightforward. |
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| Even the best get sketchy when the speeds start to climb. Aaron Gwin drags a foot while looking for seconds. |
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| Mackers is one of the fastest guys on course this week, by a large margin. He is a potential threat for the win this week, so don't be surprised. |
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| It rained last night fairly heavily, and the dust is still hanging in the air. Ruts are moving, berms are blowing out and the holes are starting to get huge. |
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| Steve Peat, I wish i could tell you what # of World Cups this man has competed in, but it's well into the 3 digits at the every least. Still on it, and still itching for a podium. |
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| The track is nothing like Loris Vergier remembered it from the day before. Torn roots, loose rocks, bomb holes, nothing is where it's supposed to be. |
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| Needles warps through the pine needles. |
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| Marc and Josh waiting for Oldspice to put them in-line. |
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| Greg was +5.015 behind Gee on Friday. But Greg's "core" fans may know something we don't?! |
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LOL
Oh sorry they don't make medals for something as stupid as having first comment on a post Pinkbike.