Seriously. I love me some Sam Hill, but I really didn't think he'd manage a podium on that track on those conditions. He did slay the upper-section, which bodes well not that they're heading to the steeper and techy tracks. Bring on Ft. Bill!!!
That first bit looked like australia, dry and dusty as all hell, then they went to cairns......haha, seriously though was good to see some cairns footage of the dry though. So happy to see some whoop footage too!, wish the UCI had that sections covered.
I love the attitude from the team manager Page; He's happy for all of his athletes. I know Sam wants to win, but at least he has a smile on his face and not mean mugging. First place or last, Sam is still the man.
Yeah, I thought red bull was supposed to take it to the next level. Their coverage is pretty pathetic. Bring back Freecaster.tv… they did it best! Or someone please show the red bull producers some past Freecaster.tv coverage so they know where the bar is set.
logistics from my understanding, the cameras were/are not wireless so they had to run cables, due to the insanely rainforest terrain and the spectators walking around it would have been very hard if not impossible to get the whoops with reliable footage. I was disappointed too.
He maybe fit, but he was ranked 19th in the last section of the course. He is definitely not as fit as his competition. Check out the Geek Stats on Dirt
Keep in mind Sam is coming back from a injury and hasnt had that much time to put in allot of training, so I reckon he did pretty good considering that.
Chyu - He is obviously fit. He came 7th in Pietermaritzburg and 5th in Cairns. The two most demanding tracks fitness wise. Just because he has not won on those tracks doesnt mean he is not fit. He obviously just cannot output the power of some other riders. Everyone has different strengths and weaknesses and he has done really well at two tracks that traditionally would have not suited him.
A couple of wins and he's in contention to be champion. Dude held his own on two tracks that don't suit his style. I only expect better things to come once they go to some proper tracks.
@cmkneeland that's exactly it, a win for Sam at Fort William and his confidence will be immense for the rest of the season. He is looking good for this year I think. 2 tracks out of the way that don't suit him, now time to move on to the good stuff. Bring on Fort William
It's funny that I actually give the factual information on his slowest sector, the one based on pure sprinting fitness and you fan boys can't deal with it. Sam absolutely slays it on steep, technical tracks- no question. If we get more of those tracks in the future, the competition will be in trouble. However, the more we see flatter, more sprinting oriented tracks he is not as well suited as his competition. His split times prove this, end of story.
Is Sam fit? Yes, for sure- you can't podium without being fit. Is he as fit as his competition? So far, when fitness really matters he is not that great. Bring on the steep tracks and Sam will crush it.
Sam got fit back when he finished 7th at stromlo, its just his injuries over the years has put him on the back foot. While the injuries were finished a while ago remember that it is also time off so his spent a while chasing his fitness back to a high level while the other guys were improving. His definitely looking back to sam hills form this season and decent results on two quite physical tracks, 5th on a track that the riders are saying is more physical than pietermaritzberg is awesome.
@ka-brap I love these breakdowns. anyone else notice Neko pretty much mimics sam? definitely one to watch this season I think too.
The pulse is a bloody good bike, looks awesome and goes through bumps very well. As for pedalling, I have to say I didnt notice any problems with it. Don't know if its a fact or not that it doesn't pedal well, that was just what the pinkbike review said. Personally, I'd say its as good as anything else being raced at the minute.
Two top-10's...one being a podium...on courses that aren't ones he normally bodes well on. All indicators are pointing towards Sam's return to the top in any of the next rounds. It won't be a cakewalk, mind you. There's so much talent at the top right now. Based on the first two rounds, we might see one of the tightest points-races in a long, long time. Seems like it's been two guys fighting it out for several years...this year could be a solid handful of guys in contention at the final race!!
Yeah for sure man, Fort William will be an absolute cracker of a race. There's a lot of riders who are quite capable of a win - lets hope Sam is the best of them!
the way Sam was blowing up those corners in the dry you can be pretty sure the snakes are a lot more afraid of him than he is of them. Saint Patrick shoulda been riding a nukeproof
I know Sam wants to win, but at least he has a smile on his face and not mean mugging.
First place or last, Sam is still the man.
is that right?
Bring on Fort William
Link:
dirtmountainbike.com/mountain-biking-events/downhill/uci-world-cup/world-cup-round-2-geek-stats.html
Is Sam fit? Yes, for sure- you can't podium without being fit. Is he as fit as his competition? So far, when fitness really matters he is not that great. Bring on the steep tracks and Sam will crush it.
@ka-brap
I love these breakdowns. anyone else notice Neko pretty much mimics sam? definitely one to watch this season I think too.
mpora.com/videos/rmbwPw1Fu