Photo Epic: Canadian Slip and Slide - Mont Sainte Anne World Cup DH, Qualifying
Weather here in the northeastern corner of North America is subject to change. The old saying in the Maritimes goes, "If you don't like the weather, wait five minutes. It will change." Today was no exception to the rule. As temperatures and humidity have been building, so too has the chance of a deluge. We woke up to sunny skies, which quickly clouded over in the first twenty minutes of B practice. It threatened to rain all morning, and it even spat a bit here and there, but by the time practice was over the skies looked to be clearing. Things were bright and sunny when the Junior Men and Elite Women were on track and then, bang! Rain came down in sheets as the Elite Men started off. The first out of the gate had the best shot. Clean lines in the rock gardens didn't last long and things got slick fast.
Jacob Dickson qualified fastest for the Junior Men. Both Andrew Crimmins and Laurie Greenland had crashes in their runs that cost them precious time. Greenland came off on the run in to the rock roller, and Crimmins by the bottom. Both lost at least four seconds. For the women, Rachel Atherton was fastest of the day, almost five seconds up on Ragot. Manon Carpenter took third.
The Elite Men's race was an entirely different beast. While the women and juniors had clear skies, the men were faced with twenty minutes of heavy rain that started just before they got under way. Without tear-offs and mud spikes, many of the racers were under prepared for their runs. The first dozen down the track probably had the best chance before lines disappeared, rocks became slippery with mud, and visibility became seriously impaired. Aaron Gwin tried to put the power down and snapped his crank set. Loic Bruni crashed hard and did his run accompanied by some course tape. Bernard Kerr also had an off on the motorway under the gondola. Troy Brosnan kept the balance of speed and control to take the win, followed by Danny Hart and Marcelo Gutierrez. With a slight chance of scattered thunderstorms forecast for tomorrow who knows what will happen. The weather is fickle here, and the only certainty is that the racing will be interesting.
FULL QUALIFICATION RESULTS HERE
About the Photographers
Dave Trumpore • Age: 35 • Years Shooting: 4
Dave spent the bulk of the past 17 years racing professionally before realizing that despite qualifying for the random World Cup final here and there, the next generation was just way too fast and way more talented. Upon hanging up his racing boots in 2010, it would be a few years until Dave picked up a camera and started shooting the odd race here and there as a way to stay in touch with all the friends he had made over the years, and the rest as they say is history. In just a few years time his photos have graced the pages of just about every MTB magazine and major media outlet, while his commercial client list includes a who's who of the cycling industry, and he is lucky enough to shoot regularly with some of the best riders on the planet. Currently at Pinkbike, Dave shoots the Downhill WC and the Enduro World Series as well as contributing to the occasional editorial story.
Matthew Delorme • Age: 40 • Years Shooting: 8
Matthew DeLorme is just one of Pinkbike’s motley crew of World Cup Photographers. He currently lives out of a Ogio bag, and calls the road his home. Delorme works for Trek Bicycle, covering their MTB racing programs. He can usually be found laying in the dirt trackside, cracking jokes and saying things that make little to no sense. He enjoys capturing accessory moments and the journey every bit as much as catching the action shot.
Nathan Hughes • Age: 28 • Years Shooting: 2
Nathan Hughes was snared as mainstay Pinbike media crew for the 2013 World Cup season and has been trapped behind the lens and the keyboard ever since. In between the biggest bike events of the year Nathan can be found on client shoots, making far-off travel stories and trying to catch a moment to spin the pedals himself. A great appreciation of the wilderness, the fear of a normal life and the quest for the perfect picture will have him hooked and looking to raise the bar for years to come.
MENTIONS: @natedh9 / @mdelorme / @davetrump
Jacob Dickson qualified fastest for the Junior Men. Both Andrew Crimmins and Laurie Greenland had crashes in their runs that cost them precious time. Greenland came off on the run in to the rock roller, and Crimmins by the bottom. Both lost at least four seconds. For the women, Rachel Atherton was fastest of the day, almost five seconds up on Ragot. Manon Carpenter took third.
The Elite Men's race was an entirely different beast. While the women and juniors had clear skies, the men were faced with twenty minutes of heavy rain that started just before they got under way. Without tear-offs and mud spikes, many of the racers were under prepared for their runs. The first dozen down the track probably had the best chance before lines disappeared, rocks became slippery with mud, and visibility became seriously impaired. Aaron Gwin tried to put the power down and snapped his crank set. Loic Bruni crashed hard and did his run accompanied by some course tape. Bernard Kerr also had an off on the motorway under the gondola. Troy Brosnan kept the balance of speed and control to take the win, followed by Danny Hart and Marcelo Gutierrez. With a slight chance of scattered thunderstorms forecast for tomorrow who knows what will happen. The weather is fickle here, and the only certainty is that the racing will be interesting.
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 Instagram/start list check at the top of the lift first thing this morning with Polygon videographer, Jules. |
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| And then the weather moved in. |
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| It's always bound to be a good time when you see spikes getting mounted up in Mont Sainte Anne. |
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| The dirt before qualifying was hero dirt. Then things got loose. |
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| Atherton spying the conditions on her way up for her race run. |
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| Riders ready, watch the gate... Emmeline Ragot starting her engines for first practice. |
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| The last chance for reflection before dropping out of the start gate and into wet and wild slopes of Mont Sainte Anne. |
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| Manon Carpenter in the start gate preparing to go from dark to light |
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| Tahnee Seagrave has found speed and consistency this year and sits 4th after qualifying. However, she's still a long 14 seconds from the top spot. |
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| We've seen a lot of rain already this season. Too much in fact, but today's was pretty next level for the elite men. |
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| A pickaxe... because live TV requires some very delicate adjustments. |
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| The results sheet shows Andrew Crimmins just 0.011 behind Jacob Dickson, but what it doesn't show is the massive crash he took just after this photo was taken. There's a lot more in the tank for tomorrow. |
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| Andrew Crimmins rolling No Hecklers Rock. Crimmins lost about six seconds in his crash. |
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| Sixth for seeding and a sick slice of style for Stewart. |
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| Laurie Greenland qualified fourth despite two crashes. He and Crimmins will be battling it out tomorrow for that top spot once more. |
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| The stars finally aligned for Jacob Dickson who ripped his way to the top junior spot. |
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| Thibault Laly, currently 4th in the junior overall standings had a bit of a rough time in the qualification run, finishing way off the back. Hopefully he can regroup and get back into the mix tomorrow. |
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| Rachel Atherton once again is the woman to beat and ended the day a comfortable 4 seconds up on her nearest rival. |
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| Emmeline Ragot was almost five seconds off Atherton. That will be a bit of time to find out there tomorrow morning if she is to win. |
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| Numero uno, Rachel Atherton, has 4.51 seconds to play with on the rest of the field. |
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| Manon is sitting third but is a long way back from Emmeline and Rachel. |
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| Troy Brosnan has been looking fast in practice. Today he was fast in qualifying. Fastness confirmed. |
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| Mud, wet rocks, and slick roots are no match for the Bulldog. |
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| Marcelo Gutierrez is showing the same pace that landed him on the podium in Fort WIlliam, and after a 3rd in qualifying here at Mont Sainte Anne, we fully expect to see him on one of the top steps when all is said and done tomorrow. |
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| Brosnan's in touch with the title chase and today's incredible performance in the heavy rain gives him a much-deserved shunt in the right direction. |
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| Full consensus with all eyeballs on track that Danny Hart is on fire and a second place quali seals it. |
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| Sam Hill is either keeping cards close to his chest or struggling to go full gas with his shoulder still recovering from surgery. 33rd for last year's victor. |
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| Foot out flat out and loose as always, Connor Fearon rounded out the top five in qualifying. |
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| Stevie Smith might just be spending much of tomorrow afternoon in the hotseat after rolling in 54th this afternoon. |
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| Aaron Gwin found disaster almost immediately on his quali run, snapping his crank clean off. |
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| Brendan Fairclough continues to have one of his best seasons to date and finished his day in 6th, very much in touch with the leaders. |
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| Rough tracks and freak rainstorms don't bother Troy Brosnan one bit, and while many others struggled, he charged down the track to take the top position. |
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| After Gwin crashed out in the first turn it was Loic Bruni who would blaze the trail of water and set the line for everyone else to follow. Struggling with braking points and sitting water everywhere, it was a wild ride that resulted in one massive crash and a few close calls en route to 16th. |
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| Loic Bruni tearing down the soaking slabs like it was another kind of summer's day. |
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| Canadian national champ, Matt Beer, made the cut by a whisker after a crash in split 2. |
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| Sick Mick hasn't raced a World Cup final since Round 1 at Lourdes. Today he got back on the horse and galloped into 27th in the rain. Not too shabby for the hero down on his luck of late. |
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| Danny Hart qualified second. If it is wet tomorrow can he take a win here in MSA? |
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| Greg Minnaar qualified thirteenth. Given his performances of the season so far, that result is no way to gauge how he might run tomorrow. |
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| Minnaar took it conservative after the downpour and slotted into the top 20 with ease. |
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| Ratty laying her flat in practice. |
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| Josh Bryceland putting the hammer down in the lower rocks. |
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| Ratty didn't have much trouble in the rain. He was fourth fastest in the slip show. |
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| Traction, or anti-traction. You decide. |
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| The rain turned some tool boxes into greasy lakes. |
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| Yesterday's dust was a bit harder to wash off today. |
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| Better to take care of the hands after the beating they take at Mont Sainte Anne. |
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| Everyone was looking for traction. How they get it is another story. |
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| Bernard Kerr was on a good one until he had a massive crash under the gondola on the fastest part of the track. |
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| Dean Lucas was all smiles as Steve Smith looked a bit worried after a big crash left him unsure of his place in the finals. In the end all was not lost and he will line up tomorrow in 54th. |
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| "I don't know, she said she better have five gallons of maple syrup here by 5 five o'clock. She keeps giving me really threatening looks." |
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| Danny Hart's bike gets fitted out with what would turn out to be some life-saving accessories later in the day. |
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| Why jump from the water fall when you can rappel through it? The only person wetter than everyone on course today. |
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| Brook MacDonald rinsed off with a couple of back flips at the end of the day. |
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| Aaron Bartlet got his fairy tales a bit confused and thought if he kissed this toad hanging out track side after the rain storm it might turn into a princess. |
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| When you try and get a shot of Aaron Gwin and just have these clowns in the background. Until tomorrow. |
About the Photographers
Dave spent the bulk of the past 17 years racing professionally before realizing that despite qualifying for the random World Cup final here and there, the next generation was just way too fast and way more talented. Upon hanging up his racing boots in 2010, it would be a few years until Dave picked up a camera and started shooting the odd race here and there as a way to stay in touch with all the friends he had made over the years, and the rest as they say is history. In just a few years time his photos have graced the pages of just about every MTB magazine and major media outlet, while his commercial client list includes a who's who of the cycling industry, and he is lucky enough to shoot regularly with some of the best riders on the planet. Currently at Pinkbike, Dave shoots the Downhill WC and the Enduro World Series as well as contributing to the occasional editorial story.
Matthew DeLorme is just one of Pinkbike’s motley crew of World Cup Photographers. He currently lives out of a Ogio bag, and calls the road his home. Delorme works for Trek Bicycle, covering their MTB racing programs. He can usually be found laying in the dirt trackside, cracking jokes and saying things that make little to no sense. He enjoys capturing accessory moments and the journey every bit as much as catching the action shot.
Nathan Hughes was snared as mainstay Pinbike media crew for the 2013 World Cup season and has been trapped behind the lens and the keyboard ever since. In between the biggest bike events of the year Nathan can be found on client shoots, making far-off travel stories and trying to catch a moment to spin the pedals himself. A great appreciation of the wilderness, the fear of a normal life and the quest for the perfect picture will have him hooked and looking to raise the bar for years to come.
MENTIONS: @natedh9 / @mdelorme / @davetrump
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What to say about Gwinner? rotten luck. Hopefully he gets a clean run tomorrow. Put some aluminium cranks on his bike perhaps? I heard those "shimano" ones are solid.
So far I haven't seen any reports that make it clear.
Can anybody explain what is happening here?
0.011, not 0.001.
and
Go Crimmins!