Troy is still recovering from surgery after his crash at worlds.
he is back on the XC bike but he didnt want to risk it at this race.
Hopefully he is back next race!
Anyone remeber watching the video of Connor Fearon when he was like 14 or something a few years back? Nice to see he's still a ripper. Well..more than that if he's placing third.
Good start for Sam he is on the hunt this year I wish him all the best!. And to the dreamers above saying only 5th in the worlds I would be happy just to ride in a world cup let alone be as successful as hill! .
OHHHH YEEEAAAHHHH!!! I think last year or 2 years ago, Kovarik won this one and Sam was just out of the picture. Now it's go time!! To everyone talking about "New Breed", Sam was the "New Breed" protorype before all the young guns started to crop up. He took a lot of A listers to school back then. Then he started crashing a lot on that freakin Demo.. Stay healthy Sam!! Good luck
You are right hollowing2000. Sam "was" the new breed, but not anymore.. The new riders out ther have the skills and the endurance. And as far as him crashing on the Demo.. Just remember he had alot to do with the geometry changes on that bike.. So if you are saying that he failed because of the bike then he would have no one to blame but himself.. How Sam does this year has less to do with the bike he rides and more about his preparation.
He crashed a lot on his early days (YEARS!) with the demo. Before any of his geometry changes were applied. Last year was his only "solid season" on the bike, after so much fine tuning for it to suit him.. Maybe he was to blame- because he charged so much hoping his bike could cope up under him..Also at this level of competition, where these athletes are at the top of their game (both mentally and physically), there is only a small difference between the top riders - and that is exactly the time when equipment choice matters.
hollowing2000 Sam Hill did pretty damn good and on the demo and Troy got a top 10 finish in his first elite world cup last year and what did he ride? I bike with the same components and geometry. And I bet Gwin will do amazing on the Demo this year
World watch out, Maxxie is coming and he wants your soul!
ps He is the nicest, most modest kid ever, boosts bigger, gets more sideways than anyone else all day and has the skill and time to kill it.
Worlds is at PMB. I know he brings out the good stuff for worlds and has talked about going to clips to win, but i just dont see him winning there due to the pedal fest of the course. He did get 4th in 09 though...
Sam is currently wearing Troy Lee Designs GP AIR 'Whiteout' white jersey, and White Ruckus shorts. He asked me for something fresh and clean, white, rebirth of sorts for these first few rounds. We are developing some special kits for Sam, patience mate!!
Good deal man, I was just wondering, not necessarily putting down the current gear, but I think we all like to see him in some cool stuff but whatever the TLD crew puts together I'm sure will be done right..i should have put a question mark at the end of my last statement, it wasn't a bashing but merely a question to people that know more. either way glad to see him get a win and hope he has more in him
skippy888 is correct, Troy was up there dong some XC riding. He will not be rushing back to racing. Probably wont see him race until the Oceana Championship is Tasmania.
There's lots of tech tracks, some which are honestly world class and some which will tingle your balls like nothing else. The problem is you rarely see them ridden let alone raced on because of the logistics. Some tracks are on private property and thus we have to play by their rules, some don't meet safety requirements for holding a race event, some have terrible access etc the list goes on. What we're left with for widespread racing that Pinkbike sees is usually not the cream of our crop.
For example, and some old SE Qld riders will know what I'm talking about, the original Brookfield track in Brisbane was fast, super steep, super sketchy and ultra fun. The main problem with it is getting to the top. You need good 4wd's with good drivers. The track up was as sketchy and steep as the ride back down on your bike.
Finally? Buller has been raced every year for the past 10 years I think dude. Oh i loved brooky track bro, ps its still running and being riden at the moment so its not dead. Maybe being raced again soon
last year's times for comparison (assuming it's exactly the same course, excluding conditions): Elite Male 1 Troy Brosnan SA 3:14.14 2 Sam Hill WA 3:19.49 3 Bryn Atkinson NSW 3:20.36 4 Rick Boyer NSW 3:22.31 5 Rhys Atkinson NSW 3:22.99 6 Tim Eaton 3:24.14 7 Ben Cory ACT 3:25.62 8 Todd Madsen WA 3:25.96 9 Cillian Kennedy 3:26.11 10 Graeme Mudd 3:27.30
Under 19 Male 1 Connor Fearon 3:20.68 2 Thomas Crimmins 3:24.59 3 Jack Moir 3:24.69
quite slow this year in comparison. Not sure if that was actual race-run footage, but Sam looks to be cruising. I wonder when he is going to remove that leash from his neck...
The course is slightly different from last year. The track conditions also change a lot from year to year, and there's a couple of extra turns. So, not a good comparison!
He raced Australia well last year too, and only then placed 5th overall on the WC, I doubt Specialized is loosing any sleep. I don't think this was a dominating performance. Not that he doesn't have the ability.
Fifth place overall is good but it's a far cry from the top 3..I think Sam will most likely be in the top 10 this year, but I do not see him getting in the top 3.. The new Bread of riders are just a step above.
-4 and I am below threshold! WTF PB? @ mnorris I am not saying I could do better or even knocking him I am saying his performance in Australia last year was great and then he could only deliver 5th on the WC circuit. So the small win margin here doesn't warrant specialized to say "gee wiz... We got Aaron Gwin, when we should have kept and paid more to an injury troubled rider who said he was faster and stronger than before and then only finished 5th this season".
If he had won by 9 seconds or some tremendous amount I could see Massini64's comment being sensible.
The new breed is awesome, but so is Hill... his splits were really good last season, especially on the tech. stuff. I think he's probably at a disadvantage on flats on some tracks, but way more fun to watch IMHO. Really anyone in the top 10 ( or even top 80 ) in the WC is really fast. Also don't forget that w/ Troy out early Sam had to carry the Specialized flag solo all season, which has got to be tough.
Rope-A-Dope was there too and he is pretty darn fast. Sam is at a huge disadvantage when we are talking time on clock and line choice. Compared to the new breed of rider Sam created that ride clipped in and un-weight their bikes over nasty lines with the ride style Sam made popular. Steve Smith. Enough said.
Sam Schooled the "New Breed". Fair call on specy not being upset, but credit where credit's due. Hill and Kovarik have more skills than any "New Breed", even if they don't beat them.
Most races the top 5 are split by only a couple of seconds so saying its a far cry from the top 3 is a bit off. Any of the top 10 riders in the wc's can win any race they enter if they are having a good day and in the right mindset. We will just have to wait and see but my money is on these three killing it this year: Steve smith, Sam hill and Danny hart.
Fastest on the day doesn't mean most skilled. It's a combination of lots of things, including luck of the run. Top of the podium every race shows skill. With age, injury and experience comes hesitation, doesn't mean you lack skill.
