Norway Qualifying Photos - UCI World Cup 2012
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 With today's qualie results, and this entire season's shakeup of the top 10, is old school on the way out and the new school crop of shredders like Brook Macdonald, Loic Bruni, Steve Smith, George Brannigan about to take over? |
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| Stevie looking pinned on his qualifying run |
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| We so want him to get his first world cup win here. Fastest by 4.8 seconds today |
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| Maybe tomorrow will finally be his "Sunday" |
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| His first ever qualifier win with teammate George Brannigan in 3rd. Chicoutimi will be holding their breath tomorrow (as will most of Canada's race fans.) |
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| Robin Wallner on his qualifying run. Great to see a Scandanavian up there, especially so close to home, his best world cup qualifying ever. |
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| The Norwegian fans were cheering like crazy for Wallner, even though he's from Sweden. |
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| George Brannigan. It looks like his 4th time in yesterdays timed session was not a coincidence. 3rd place today. |
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| Josh Bryceland flying over the Norwegian crowds for the 4th fastest time of the day. |
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| Bryceland in the bottom woods, sending it as usual |
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| First ride with the rainbow stripes for Minnaar. |
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| Greg was 5th in qualifying but he was coasting. Much more in the tank for the new World Champ |
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| Even with a 5th place finish Minnaar managed to extended his lead over Gee for second in the overall, but only by 5 points. |
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| Sam Hill disappearing in the morning fog. |
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| Sam has been loving this track, but qualified in 7th today after scrubbing the hell out of the upper jumps. He'll have to drop the hammer tomorrow and get some extra pedal stroked in and find some seconds up on the track to take home a win this season. |
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| Concentration through the rocks from the master of greasy rocks. |
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| Gee Atherton, 8th fastest today, but all eyes will be on him and Greg tomorrow. |
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| Mick was one of the few who managed to huck this gap. Ninth fastest today. |
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| Never back down! Steve Peat, 10th fastest qualifier. |
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| Marc Beaumont flat bottomed the step down gap yesterday and decided to pre jump it and pump into it today. Slightly slower, but way less possible drama. |
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| The Devinci Global Racing guys were doing runs together, which obviously paid off. Smith, Brannigan and Beer all three in the top six, all they need now is a fast girl on the team. |
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| Gwin crashed in the rock garden yesterday and did no practice runs today at all, and just a roll-out of the start gate in qualifying. He's seen here coasting down the freeride course. |
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| Aaron Gwin's crash yesterday had him with an extremely sore hand today. He was watching riders through the rocks by the end of the top 10. Always learning. |
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| Matti Lehikoinen may have qualified 73rd, but he was fastest at the speed trap - 70.926 kph ...take a tip kids, kiss your stem |
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| Brook Macdonald went down hard again today in qualies. Yesterday he rolled around the pits with people asking what was all over his arm.. "oh that? It's just blood." The Bulldog is a tough kid. |
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| Ben Reid pushed up and down the rock garden and was riding until the last possible second of practice today. |
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| Togs and video makers showing their support for the women. |
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| Rachel, is it any surprise that she was fastest in qualifying by 6.9 seconds. It will take a miracle for someone to topple the queen of the hill |
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| With her result here today she took home 50 points and the difference between her and Emmeline Ragot now is 100 points. |
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| Manon Carpenter with another solid run. Second time of the day and fastest through the speed trap. |
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| Morgane Charre, proving that Leogang was no fluke, and seen here sporting her rainbow jersey at last. |
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| The 2012 World Champion 4th place today but 11.546 behind Rachel. |
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| Can she back up her win last race with a podium tomorrow? |
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| Casey Brown burst onto the international scene this year with a 6th place earlier in the season. She put it down in the rocks a few times today, but was easily going the biggest of all the girls (and bigger than most of the guys) off of the top jumps. Hopefully she can get herself onto the podium tomorrow and do it for Revelstoke. |
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| No surprises in the junior ladies. Tahnee Seagrave. |
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| Loic Bruni. Fastest junior. Again... |
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| Ben Reid, another run through the rocks. |
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| Johann Potgieter getting a warm welcome from the Norway hecklers. |
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| It rained all Thursday night and I got talking to the Devinci mechanic. It turns out Steve Smith is running these bad boys, new from Schwalbe. Apparently they're the bastard love child of Muddy Mary's and Dirty Dan's (They're as yet un-named, please call them Dirty Mary's) |
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| Expect to see all the fashionable riders wearing these suspenders soon. The RAD name says it all. FOX |
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| Words fail me... Stream lining, or an attempt at making a pair of brothel creepers? Who knows, go Norco! |
Photos and captions by Fraser Britton, Vanja Kodermac, and Keith Valentine.
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Check out Brook's sick drift into the berm after he squashed the huge step down in the middle of the course!
www.pinkbike.com/photo/8655574
www.pinkbike.com/photo/8655571
We all know you're a stud bro! ...but this time....maybe smile just a little bit even if you don't get the top spot on the podium?
You have a very handsome smile.
Sincerely,
Everyone
Please refrain from calling women riders "girls". This is something that appears in every article that features women riders. These women are professionals and continuing to refer to them as "girls" goes a long way in reinforcing sexist thinking. Or go the other direction and refer to the men as "boys".
I doubt there is any malicious intent in the word choice of the contributors. However, there is a level of respect and recognition in referring to female riders as women.