As predicted in yesterdays report, it rained in the morning. Riders were struggling in the morning with the conditions. Lines started out sloppy but cleaned up later in the session. The crowd in the larches were like a pack of dogs looking for blood. I don’t know if many riders managed to get through the session without an off. Sam Hill was looking fast through the Larches but couldn’t quite hold it together at the bottom. Peaty had an off cutting his leg requiring 3 stitches. Rachel Atherton was walking around the pits with her arm in a sling after a spill in the morning wrecking her chances of the title. Kieran Bennett’s been struggling with a hand injury for the last couple of days, which has caused problems with his shifting.
One rider dislocated their shoulder in the Larches and had to walk out because the ambulance couldn’t get through to them because the TV3 truck got stuck up the access road. N.Z. 2nd reserve Byron Scott and his band of vagrants were loitering around the bushes entertaining the punters between riders. Many riders were complaining about the masked men in the bushes. A lot of the Elite men were attempting the pond jump. Some were backing out at the last minute after swapping as they came onto the gravel. Apparently the UCI has requested that the organisers have a dive team on standby in case anyone lands in pond. Weasel and Barnie brought a touch of class to the spectating field.
There was a massive crowd for the 4cross. The sun had come out and dried the track out to make for perfect racing. A lot of the female riders had pulled out of the event after seeing Renee Junga being carted off earlier in the week. In the final Jill Kintner made the perfect start and lead from start to finish. Annecke Beerton from the Netherlands was second and Austrian rider Anita Molcik 3rd. At the press conference Kintner commented on the track being a bit scary at first and taking some time to get her head around it and that it was a track where you really needed to know how to handle your bike. She also commented on never seeing so many riders freaked out by a track.
There was plenty of action in the men’s field. There were a few surprise early exits. Cedric Gracia went out in the first round crashing with Reon Boe. None of the kiwis progressed into the second round. JK raced one of the most exciting races of the day coming from 3rd to pass into second on the last corner. Unfortunately he was disqualified after being pushed outside a gate on the second corner.
In the men’s semi Brian Lopes was involved in some jostling and was past, failing to reach the finals. British rider Dan Atherton was pushing hard all day making some slick passing moves to make the final.
In the final Michal Prokop snapped out of the gate for the first corner holeshot. Dan Atherton came from behind to move into second after railing the second corner berm. A few berms later he crashed and opened the way for Roger Rinderknecht and Guido Tschugg to finish 2nd and 3rd. Prokop was stoked with the win after missing out last year and coming back from a broken leg injury.
DH tomorrow. There could be some rain in the afternoon, which could make for some interesting riding |
