Qualifying Photo Epic: Starting From Zero - Maribor DH World Cup 2019
Photo Epic presented by Five Ten
With a fresh season comes fresh opportunities. The previous season is swiftly forgotten and everyone starts from zero. Qualifying day in Maribor gave riders their first opportunity to get points on the board in a long season where consistency will reap rewards come World Cup finals in September. There’s always a buzz of nervous excitement at the first round of the year, the great unknown of who’s hot and who’s not… Today we were given our first clues. Although that said, our first indication of the pecking order may still remain somewhat blurry.
The word “rain” has been muttered up and down the pits all week, it wasn’t a case of if, it was a case of when. Having practiced on a dry track all weekend, in true World Cup fashion mother nature threw a curveball minutes before the start of elite qualifying as the heavens opened and soaked the track, changing the dynamic of the qualifying session in doing so. Those outside the protected places would have a nervous wait in the start hut as they contemplated rain-soaked roots and hardpack sections more akin to an ice rink than a mountain bike track. Plenty of big hitters would be caught out, atop the list was the man who won last time Maribor hosted a World Cup. Greg Minnaar will not take to the start ramp tomorrow. It’s days like these that protected riders sigh in relief.
The two riders to master and adapt to the changing conditions the quickest were Tracey Hannah and Mark Wallace who’ll both have the honour of wearing the leader's jersey as they drop in last tomorrow. In behind Wallace is Gwin who’ll be hungry to return to the top step given it’s been over a year since he stood on the 1st place step, but he’s not the only one knocking on the door. Names like Iles, Greenland, Vergier, Brosnan, and Harrison follow in quick succession. Tracey Hannah seized the initiative today in the worsening conditions and looks comfortable wet or dry, and whilst it’s no surprise to see Atherton and Seagrave hot on her heels, it’s the rider down in 15th position who had eyebrows raising the furthest. Marine Cabirou was going green and up at all the splits until she hit the dirt in the final sector. She looks to be relishing her move to SCOTT and will be one to watch all season. In the junior categories, it was the two that dominated 2018 who got out the blocks the quickest, Holl and Daprela starting this season where they left off at the end of ‘18.
Just a little off the top.
Slovenian storms seem to be swirling around leaving tomorrow's forecast a mystery.
Brook and Luca sharing their shoulder trauma stories.
The man. MW.
Loic Bruni enjoying the view before the inevitable clouds rolled in.
Name that rider with signature WC move.
Danny Hart digging into a rooty compression before the rains came.
Jamie Edmondson was having a rough morning.
Another local going well is Devinci's Jure Zabjek, his 2018 was plagued by injuries but it looks like he's back up to speed now.
It's good to see George Brannigan back swinging off a downhill bike. After a while on the sidelines with injury, he returns and qualifies 10th.
Anna Newkirk has some good support behind her this season and slotted into second, just under 10 seconds back from Vali Holl.
Greg Minnaar will be resigned to spectating tomorrow but you can count on him to come out all guns blazing in Fort William. A very happy hunting ground for Minnaar.
Tracey Hannah looked fastest in practice and backed it up with a win in qualifying. With points being awarded in qualifying that means she is now the current Series leader.
Just off the top 10 and in 11th for Jacob Dickson
Nina Hoffmann found some extra speed in the tank for fourth place.
Easily one of the fastest in practice, Alex Fayolle dodged a bullet in his qualifier. After a run marred by crashes he would finish as lucky number 60 to claim the final spot on the start list
Sam Blenkinsop's run wasn't what he was looking for, but luckily he is a protected rider and will still go through to the finals
Kye A'Hern ended up 3rd when the clock stopped ticking, albeit five seconds back on Daprela.
The rock garden has claimed many victims, both bikes and bodies.
Legends of Maribor's past.
Cathrovision getting the scoop on the best-thought-out lines in the biz.
Charlie Harrison stoked on today's result and ready to get to racing tomorrow.
A solid start to the season for Tahnee Seagrave who'll look to go two better tomorrow.
Laurie Greenland wasn't hesitating through the rock garden, it showed in both his riding and qualifying result.
Troy Brosnan takes sixth in qualifying today.
Charlie Harrison had his first ever top ten qualifying result. Harrison takes 7th.
Loris Vergier kept it fast and smooth in the grease to qualify fifth today.
A strong showing for Monika Hrastnik so far on home soil, she's been getting some of the loudest cheers from the crowd.
Another World Cup and another winning qualifying run from Vali Holl
Marine Cabirou was flying down the course and was set for the fastest time according to the splits. Unfortunately, that was all taken away near the bottom.
3rd in juniors for Mille Johnset
What a run for Canadian Mark Wallace who made short work of the rain to qualify first ahead of Aaron Gwin.
Still number one, but not the last man down the hill tomorrow. Will Pierron ride the hot seat until the end?
A top 10 for Bruni and his rainbow stripes today.
How hard did Rachel Atherton push? Certainly not as hard as she always does on Sundays...
Daprela's still on top for 2019 - 2.83 seconds up on Shandro this afternoon.
Neko Mullaly roosting off into the deep dark woods.
The round one winning machine could only take the first two splits and had to settle for second today.
Despite a crash on one of the open turns near the top, Gee Atherton was able to make it down in 33rd.
At the very top of Maribor lay a pot of gold.
When the rain starts to fall on hard packed sections of track things pretty much turn into an ice rink. The riders who came down before the rain-saturated and softened things up a bit definitely had their hands full.
The track turned from heaven to hell in a matter of moments.
2nd in qualifying for Rachel Atherton behind Tracey Hannah
The final corner ends just past the tree line, making it extremely slippery for riders already leaned over and fully committed. Sadly this crash resulted in a very broken wrist, and we wish the rider a speedy and strong recovery.
Brook MacDonald has a lot more to show tomorrow having slid out in the second turn.
Finn Iles was on fire today and took third in qualies.
Mariana Salazar was fastest through the speed trap en-route to 9th place.
A strong start to World Cup life for Ethan Shandro in second.
Loic got the rainbow stripes dirty for the first time win 2019
And then things started to get really dark.
25th for the defending champ, Amaury Pierron.
Tracey Hannah's new World Cup leaders vest
Loic was fastest in timed training yesterday and kept things dialed back a bit in the wet. 9th on the day with lots of speed in reserve
Looks who's back. George Brannigan's back. 10th in his first WC qualies back after a long injury hiatus.
Today was a hard one to swallow for many. Not only did crashing mean first-year elite Henry Kerr failed to qualify, but it also left him with some pretty nasty battle scars too.
One of those days for more than a few names, big and small.
When fresh first mixes with fresh rain things get really messy in a hurry
The sun came out once the day was done, but it was still raining. With more of the wet stuff in the forecast for tomorrow, the finals might get a bit wild.
MENTIONS: @natedh9 @davetrumpore @mdelorme @andy9 @rossbellphoto @FiveTen
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Speedy recovery Eliot.
I feel guilty.
Have you ever done a MX-race? Ok, a 20 min. ride down a mountain is pretty much the same, but for you and me, it is very difficult, to compare different pads under such conditions.
For you, me and at least 99% of the other readers here.
On the other side, there are sponsored riders. Sponsored by: manufacturers of ellbow pads, etc.
By not riding with their stuff, they bring me the message: This stuff doesn't work!
So, what do we pay (by buying their products) these manufacturers for, if they don't care for functional products?
I'm not sure to be honest, but I'm surprised there isn't more protection, mind you, perhaps it ain't cool like skinsuits. I mean it's not like they race against the clock or anything....