Seeding Runs: iXS European Downhill Cup 2, Willingen – Results, Photo Epic and Video
It almost felt like a trip from hell to heaven. From yesterday's pouring rain and plenty of fog the weather changed over night to what you can call paradise. Today was seeding time here in Willingen at the second round of the iXS European DH Cup and the conditions could not have been any better. The course dried out quickly and the surface got faster and faster each run.
Although the track seems to be an easy one, there were some serious moments today seeing wheels blowing up, riders going down and collecting countless punctures. It was Jure Zabjek, the winner of the first round in Slovenia, who had the fastest time of the day in the elite men. He hit his marks very well but still there is no big margin to the rest of the field. Ondrej Stephanek and Matt Walker were the closest sitting in second and third respectively.
In the elite women's race Monika Hrastnik came out swinging. She wasn't on track too often in practise but looking extremely confident in her timed run. The margin she is leading with added up to 5.475 seconds. Filipa Peres and Simone Wechselberger complete the top 3.
The one who stood out of the crowd in today's qualification was without a doubt Valentina Hoell. The Austrian U17 female rider uses to impress the industry every time she rides a bike and today was no different. Valentina won her category and would have been first in the elite women as well. Her time was half a second faster than the winning run by Monika Hrastnik.
Today was a big contrast to yesterday's conditions
The riders enjoyed the conditions and caught some proper airtime today
Inside or outside was a tough decision as both lines had their advantages.
Valentina Hoell sent it like a boss and will be last women on the hill in the U17 female category
Janosch Klaus won the qualification in the U17 male category
The rocks were brutal today as they took no prisoners
Simone Wechselberger currently sits in third and is three seconds off the second place
Monika Hrastnik had only a hand full of runs in practise but was pinned in the seeding and took the win by over five seconds
Number six came in 6th, Rastislav Baranek
Ondrej Stephanek wasn't riding yesterday but that did not affect the Czech rider as he crossed the line in second just 0.5 off Jure Zabjek
The first few jumps are perfect to get into the flow of the course
Chris Cumming, winner in the U17 male in Kranjska Gora, wasn't up to speed and had to settle for 5th
Willi Luetzeler won the seeding in the masters category but he has some serious competition with Nino Antic just one second off
Filipa Peres came in second and is 5.475 s off the leader Monika Hrastnik
Jozef Ondic had a big mistake in the bottom section and came in 54th. As a protected rider he still will be able to hunt the win in tomorrow's super final
Max Wegener looked fast all day and won the U19 male seeding
Sara Boehm crashed out pretty bad in practice. She rolled out of the gate for her seeding but called it a day a few meters later, still she will be able to race tomorrow
Quite a few riders struggled to get the new wood section dialed
Joshua Barth had a good run which put him into 9th
The bark of the roots slowly came off in the new wood section what caused some decent shapes
Silas Grandy is another rider who will be in tomorrows super final
Basil Weber of the Team Project came in 10th
Jure Zabjek will be looking for his second win. He won today and we all know he can do it tomorrow as well
Ride where and when ever you want!
The weather could not have been any better and tomorrow's forecast predicts same conditions for raceday
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I wish they hadn't moved away from Tissot Timing!
I I yay!