Australian National DH Championships - Day One Practice

Mar 13, 2015 at 0:08
by Richard Cunningham  

compulsory pan shot
No shortage of speed on the new Mystic course.

Racers got the chance to put wheels to dirt on the Mystic DH track in Bright, a popular stop on the Australian DH circuit which has been reworked for the national championships this year. The 400 meter (1312 foot) drop promises to be fast and dusty if the perfect weather holds up. After yesterday's track walk, everyone was hot to get some practice laps behind them to dial in their setups and to start searching for speed. The course may look deceptively easy in some sections, but by midday, it had already claimed a number of victims.


Team Patrol with a little first run slip-up

Some first runs didn t go to plan
This off-camber lead-in caught more than a few competitors off guard.

The course has a little bit of everything - all served dry as a bone - with bermed flow sections, jagged rocks, shaded roots, and a new wide-open G-out/road-crossing jump. The terrain is monochromatic, which makes it hard to read the surface and can render the many sharp-edged rocks invisible in the wooded segments. It all ends in a long, flat sprint to the line, so the winners here will be the ones who are holding aces in every corner of the DH skillset.


g outs

Those roots

rocks
The flip flop berms

Bright Dust and magic light

The flat sprint to the finish tent is LONG
A sampler of the nationals course hints at the diversity of the 400-vertical-meter descent through the Victorian woods. The chute leading to the road crossing G-out (upper left) is a commitment to speed, while the wooded sections promise to be a test of concentration. The flat sprint to the finishing box (lower right) is not going to be fun.


Connor Fearon was first down for first practice and looking fast
Connor Fearon was first down for first practice and looking fast.


Bergamont
Perfect form makes it look so easy.


Troy Brosnan always sneaks up on us photographers with easily the quietest bike out there.
Troy Brosnan was putting in hot laps from the start.


Tracey Hannah last run berming LittleTrace13
Tracey Hannah was on fire all day.


Dean Lucas always looks good
Dean Lucas, always looking good.


Remy Morton tipping it in
Remy Morton doing a good job through the bomb holes.


Waiting for that Kovarik slide but the new M16 looks to have it covered
Good to see Kovarik back in the hunt - wringing out the Intense M16.


Mick finding the light
Mick Hannah was easily one of the fastest down the course today.


The new road sender was a nice addition
Another look at the road crossing sender.


Tegan Malloy late runs
Tegan Malloy will be another woman to watch here.


Remmy Morton did a lot of runs today and was one of the quickest I saw today
Remy Morton did a lot of runs and, without seeing actual times, he was the quickest man on the mountain today.


Half way down the scenery is epic. Good spot for a rest and throw some Shakas Shelly Flood
Taking in the scenery at the half way point. That's it for day one of the Bright Nationals. Stay tuned for timed practice and tech reports.


View full size and additional shots from day one at the Aussie National DH here.


Author Info:
RichardCunningham avatar

Member since Mar 23, 2011
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64 Comments
  • 17 0
 I went Paragliding there on a holiday in 2011, the small town of Bright was brilliant. The whole time in your beautiful country I wish I had my Downhill bike with me. Brilliant Memories sat in the rain in England reading this report. Cheers Guys, cheered me up
  • 10 0
 Seems inexplicable to see amateurs racing in NZ a few weeks ago, riding the new Devinci Wilson 27.5 while Dean Lucas - a member (currently at least) of DGR - has battled the entire Australian season on his old 26".
  • 3 3
 I'm sure they'll give him the new 27.5" Wilson for the first world cup in a month or so. It may not make sense financially to ship the bike from Canada to Australia to France in a one month span.
  • 7 0
 You would think he would want to get used to the new bike before racing a wc.
  • 9 2
 unless it makes so little difference there is nothing new to get used to?
  • 3 1
 It costs about $200 US to ship a bike. That's not much. I would think that, from a brand representation perspective alone, that'd be worth it. Let alone the fact that he would want to be spending time on a new bike before the world cup begins. Just seems strange to me. Privateers are racing the new bike but one of the team riders isn't? Imagine going to a BDS round on your new V10 and seeing Peaty riding last year's model (I know - extreme example and Dean Lucas is not in the same league as Peaty, but I reckon the point remains).
  • 2 0
 Come to England and every man and his dog has a bike with specs to WC level or better as there's no sponsor restrictions on the kit they can run.
  • 7 0
 Seems like a nice track, judging from the pics alone. I would so love every DH-Race on the gave of earth would have a live stream for is to enjoy...
  • 3 1
 Face, not gave.
  • 1 0
 There is a live stream
www.mtba.asn.au/livestream
DH is on 3:00pm AEST 15/03/2015
  • 1 0
 Well @MrEtnie you will be happy to know the finals will be streamed live. Go to www.mtba.asn.au/livestream . Women xco Starts at 9am men's xco at 12 midday and Downhill group a starts at 3:30 pm all Aust est time.
  • 1 0
 Yo. Thanks guys, for the hint. Watching. Smile
  • 10 0
 Intense M16!
  • 4 1
 www.ridemonkey.com/attachments/dsc_9435-jpg.119289 Looks fast!
  • 2 7
flag gabriel-mission9 (Mar 13, 2015 at 10:56) (Below Threshold)
 Cable routing leaves a little to be desired. Cables on the bottom of the downtube, on a dh bike? Really Intense?
  • 5 2
 Now this is a real mans bike! www.ridemonkey.com/attachments/img_20150307_132006-jpg.119300
  • 2 4
 I'd rather have a carbon one as Intense wouldn't be involved in the manufacture.
  • 1 0
 @jclnv There will be a carbon model
  • 9 2
 " without seeing actual times, he was the quickest man on the mountain today."

Eh? How does that work then?
  • 9 0
 The power of assumption based on watching everyone too else I'd guess.
  • 1 0
 Magical time traveling elves. Duh.
  • 8 1
 So Hill doesn't even ride the National Champs?
  • 13 0
 Kane says some riders are showing up today. We shall see.
  • 6 1
 Our nationals have always been an event of odd outcomes. Racers have stopped at the top of the track and waited for five to ten seconds to ensure they don't win and thus did not have to wear the national Jersey.... But this is now a thing of the past. It is great to see so many riders hitting it up ano it should be a great event.
  • 5 0
 Sam responded to a instagram question asking wether he will be at National Champs and he replied, no.

Can be seen right here....

instagram.com/samhill13/p/zvqOPSC0pb
  • 3 0
 Why would you not want to wear the National jersey? Surely not just sponsorship as it can be accommodated, non?
  • 2 0
 It doesn't make sense to me either. I don't think anyone, least not Australians, would want to avoid being the national champ! Are you having us on?
  • 3 0
 New Nukeproof bike not wanting to be seen until round 1 of UCI?
  • 7 0
 @BeardlessMarinRider The National Champ use to have to wear a full jersey with the National Colours across the chest (like road cycling). Sponsors weren't happy with this as it didn't allow the product name to be displayed. So riders were asked not to win National Champs so they wouldn't have to wear the jersey. I believe the UCI compromised by changing the national jersey to being the national flag on the sleeve. So we no longer have riders slowing at National Champs Smile
  • 9 0
 Very interesting info @giantvt2, thanks. At this time and age it is clear who rules this world. Corporations are above nations.
  • 6 1
 My take is that Sam's probably trying to avoid injury this early in the season. Sponsorship or not I think he wants to win world cup races and world champs. It might be unnecessary risk to run nationals. He's been the national champ before.
  • 6 0
 Hasn't stopped Peaty from winning 8 british champs though!
  • 1 1
 I think the sponsorship is BS to be honest. There is far more money on the roadie side of the sport and they have no issue riding national jerseys or the rainbow stripes with little to no sponsorship on.
  • 3 0
 Sam hasn't been big on doing Nationals rounds for a long time and he runs his training the way he knows works for him. His priorities have always been on the WC's. Look at it from his point of view, he's got to fly from the other side of the country and he has two young kids at home. Why would he give up family time, to do a few National rounds when it's likely he'll be paying out of his own pocket (speculating) and his contract doesn't require him to race Nats (speculating again, but that's been the case in the past)? I'd do the same thing in his shoes.
  • 5 1
 Gotta say, Tracey may not be the fastest rider on the planet, but she just looks good on a bike, very composed & collected, attacking without looking over the edge. Can't help but root for someone so fun to watch.
  • 7 4
 Must be good if it's only 400 m drop and they are on DH bikes, even with a pedal at the end. Must be a short track, or rooted everywhere. Best way to build a real DH track is to not build berms and leave the roots.
  • 5 1
 It's fairly tech and steep for the first half, a lot of roots, but still has a good slope on the second half, not a massive amount of pedaling. I recall it's around 6 mins I think
  • 6 0
 looks awesome apart from the sprint at the end. Why? Just why? I say put the finish line at the beginning of the final sprint, and if you really really must know who can sprint along a fire road fastest at the end of a dh run, run it as a seperate race. On CX bikes.
  • 6 0
 Kovarik!!!
  • 1 0
 F*** YEah!!
  • 2 0
 Fuck yeah!!!
  • 4 1
 I cant even see her face but I love her.
  • 2 0
 Aye maaaayttteee
  • 4 1
 Yay! 27.5 Precept 200!!! Connor Fear-no-one!
  • 2 0
 Bright is probably my favorite town in Australia. Such a nice town with awesome trails!!!
  • 6 4
 I'm watching from the UK and confused, is this uphill or downhill mountain biking?






*Gets coat to leave*
  • 4 3
 *has almost 2000 feet of vertical descent. UK averages like 800
  • 7 0
 I'm also confused. Having never been I'm also confused about how Australians drink tea. How do you pour it out of the teapot into the cup? Surely it would just fall into the sky if you're always upside down?
  • 4 0
 Dam. The joke. My head.
  • 7 0
 They actually have a surprisingly simple solution. As all their furniture obviously needs to be nailed down, they simply use what we Brits would consider the underside of the table as their main surface for putting plates and cups on. This also serves the purpose of providing them with shelter from the hot Aussie sun, so its a win-win. Damn clever those Australians.
  • 1 0
 Am I the only one noticing something up with Brosnan's stanchion tubes? Or is so dusty that it looks like metal up at the lower clamps of a different color?
  • 4 1
 Flat sprint to the finish line? Kinda like Fontana.............. hmmm
  • 2 0
 too bad the Yeti boys won't be tearing it up. I'd love to see Graves and Rude fire off a couple killer runs.
  • 3 0
 New Intense M16 ??
  • 3 0
 where is sam hill ?
  • 1 0
 Live stream of the Downhill starts at 3:00pm AEST on Sunday 15th
www.mtba.asn.au/livestream
  • 1 0
 Can we find more photos somewhere?
  • 2 0
 more photo's here - www.downhill247.com/news
  • 1 0
 Cheers mate
  • 2 0
 sweet pics
  • 1 0
 no spy pics of the intense M16?? nooo I can't wait
  • 1 0
 These photos are amazing. Looks so fast and fun!
  • 2 1
 Strayyyyaaa!!!
  • 1 0
 is sam competing?







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