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RACE REPORT:
IXS SWISS CUP

Words: Blair Christmas

   

Crans-Montana, Switzerland
September 3rd, 2006

Yesterday was the 5th race of the Ixs swiss cup series over here and it was a cracker of a course . A ginormous turnout with the world cup final next weekend so everyone and their demo 9 was in race mode. Including my new Transit, which is fully macked out with foldout bed, overhead storage and plenty of space for my girlfiend and horse.

So the course was cool as f**k with more corners than a demo 9 and plenty of speed the whole way down. I personally saw lots of grinning swiss faces and the occasional englishman even had a slightly upturned frown.

It started from miles up a big gondola with 3 minutes of sweet as singletrack featuring lovingly manicured berm after lovingly manicured berm with all manner of roots, rocks and braking bumps linking them (Horse country), the bottom was pedally and plain but fast for demo 9s.  As per usual it was all lines on Saturday but that all went out the window as corners blew and firm softened and soft firmed.

Seeding revealed who was fast ( swiss on demo 9s ) and who was not ( me ) with Blenkinslozzles teammate Lorenzo Suding posting fastest by a couple of seconds . Come race day it turned out to be ultra pedally and hard (for me) to keep speed up out of the turns. Tyre choice was easy for me as I have 2 tyres but I seen a few semi slicks and what not floating about.

Race run was a disturbing ensemble of demo 9s and swiss in skinsuits . A guy in a skinsuit got 3rd, he’s Cams twin brother and is fat and ginger . He beat me by 14 seconds. Some guy called Damien won, with Claudia second and the aforementioned nemisis of Cole 3rd. Lorenzo got his shorts caught on the top of his forks and went over the bars coming to rest on a steel cable. Luckily his balls broke the fall. I was way back and Skinner was 16th I think. But a sweet as weekend all round.

Schadming next, I leave tomorrow (Girlfriend in tow) and am told it’s a sweet as track so Ill be looking to fill the mid pack and hopefully qualify. Have fun in the cold and rest assured I’m warm and living in my van and have jandals permanently attached to my hooves. 

This was the final round of the series.
COURSE LENGTH: 2.86


TOP PLACINGS:
//ELITE MEN
1 Mermoud Damien 04:52.39
2 Caluori Claudio 04:53.52
3 Beer Marcel 04:56.63
KIWIS:
13 Skinner Mike FBNZ 05:03.41
28 Christmas Blair HORSE
05:10.70

//ELITE WOMEN
1 Bossard Daniela GT. FAT WORK 05:37.17
2 Stadler Silja TEAM IXS SPORTSDIVISION 05:37.38
3 Reusser Pascaline MAGICDOWNHILL TEAM 05:40.33

Overall Series winners:

//ELITE MENS
1. Zbinden, Samuel [SPECIALIZED]
2. Mermoud, Damien [SUSPENSION CENTER]
3. Rankin, Nathan [2 STAGE BIKES]

Other Kiwis:
7 Cole Cameron FOX RACING/LAHAR
19 Blenkinsop Sam GRAVITY GROUP
27 Christmas Blair NZ STORMERS
39 Skinner Mike FBNZ
51 Holland Tom
54 Pattle Craig FBNZ

//ELITE WOMEN
1. Reusser, Pascaline [MAGICDOWNHILL TEAM]
2. Bossard, Daniela [ET. FAT WORK]
3. Stadler, Silja [TEAM IXS SPORTDIVISION]
4 Makgill Jennifer COUNTIES MTB CLUB

 

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