Valparaiso is a port city that is embedded in the seaside hills in Chile. Built in between slopes and summits. A city with millions of stairs instead of walkways and lifts that climb up and down the hills were roads can't go. Valparaiso is an ideal manmade environment to host one the most entertaining and crowd-pleasing racing event ever. This year a handful of top international riders – last years cup was taken by non other than Cedric Gracia – like
Brendan Fairclough, Steve Smith, Micayla Gatto and others fought to take the trophy home with some of the top South American and Chilean Riders.
VCA Valparaiso Cerro Abajo (Downhill Valparaiso) started in 2003, this has been the 6th edition of this race, year by year the event has been growing and it looks like it will keep on doing so. There was an estimated of 7000 to 8000 spectators along the course cheering the riders as they came down.
The course was some 2 kilometers long, it doesn't sound like much, but as always it was packed with really steep section, stairs and some pretty big jumps and if any of the riders made a mistake, their race was over.
Some parts of the Course would even go through back yards and buildings.
Practice run went ok for almost all of the 60 some riders, but some stress started showing on the bike, a few of them did not make it into the qualifying runs.
Brendan leading the train
Steve Smith
When the qualifying run started rims, tires and derailleurs started to fall apart, the riders pushing the bikes to its limits down the never ending stairs, trying to squeeze took quite a tall on the bikes. As a result Brendan didn't make it into the race (not the only one)
It looks like the DT light wheel set was not the best choice.
From 60 riders at qualifying only the top 30 were allowed into the final
Chilean Rider Antonio Leiva took first (for the fourth time)
Another Chilean Rider Mauricio Acuña took second
And Steve Smith took third
Micayla Gatto took second
Diana Marggraff from Ecuador took third and the winner for the girls was a very talent 16 year old Luana Oliveira.
the Official times:Women1 OLIVEIRA Luana BRA 3:24.34
2 GATTO Micayla CAN + 0:01.79
3 MARGGRAFF Diana ECU + 0:02.98
4 MIRANDA Veronica CHI + 0:24.33
Men1 LEIVA Antonio CHI 2:40.10
2 ACUÑA Mauricio CHI + 0:04:88
3 SMITH Steve CAN + 0:10.84
4 FERREIRA Pedro CHI + 0:10.91
5 VASQUEZ Sebastian CHI + 0:11:75
6 LEON Johan CHI + 0:12:43
7 ARAYA Cristian CHI + 0:14.04
8 BASCUÑAN Pablo CHI + 0:15.09
9 MONZON Jorge CHI + 0:15.70
10 VASQUEZ Felipe CHI + 0:18:95
11 CONTRERAS Felipe CHI + 0:19.71
12 BOLCATO Lucas CHI + 0:20.43
13 ACUÑA Jorge CHI + 0:21:70
14 FORNARI Djone BRA + 0:22.03
15 MAUREIRA Dante CHI + 0:23.43
16 RAMIREZ Sergio CHI + 0:24.26
17 BRAVO Cristian CHI + 0:24.51
18 HALL Heikki USA + 0:25.10
19 SALAS Diego CHI + 0:26.64
20 DIAZ Martin CHI + 0:27:44
21 ALLENDES Gustavo CHI + 0:27:71
22 MALDONADO Pablo CHI + 0:29.13
23 KUKULIS Andreas CHI + 0:30.13
24 PIZARRO Francisco CHI + 0:33.64
25 ACEVEDO Jorge CHI + 0:34.21
26 ALVARADO Patricio CHI + 0:34.28
27 TRUMPORE David USA + 0:36.76
28 BARBOSA Ignacio CHI DNF
29 MARTINEZ Jose CHI DNF
30 PEREZ Santiago CHI DNF
Brendan Had a Mechanical issue
Thanks to all the spectators and riders that came out. See you all next race!
grande chile!!!
Brazilian girl at the top! great! =]
flakoflakoflako.pinkbike.com/album/Valparaiso-Cerro-Abajo-2008
how did i get to go you ask? by getting invited
the race was rad... i ended up crashing pretty nicely and sliding down some stairs in the qualifier, but still made the cut for the finals... but after that i just cruised it in as i was pretty sore and had more fun doing little whips and stuff for the HUGE crowds rather than pinning it full speed
it is unfortunate he had bad luck with crushed rims, and rolling the tire off , as he was looking super fast in practice
it is unfortunate he had bad luck with crushed rims, and rolling the tire off , as he was looking super fast in practice
But thats nice
chiean riders RLZ
exelente carrea!!!! lo mejor!