Everything going well today here for the Kiwi riders.
Almost all the riders are coming down covered in dust.
Feeling are mixed about the track some people love it most hate it. Rennie is riding really cautiously, probably saving himself for race run. He had a run in with a tree yeasterday so is probably a bit sore.
Watching from the chairlift is the best spectating position.
You see riders dissapearing into the trees and wondering if they will come out the other side. Its quite a suprise if they do.
As the track gets ridden in more tree roots are getting exposed and crazy high lines are appearing over the off camber tree root sections.
Nico started practice this morning on SPD's but after his first run he went back to flats. He's also ditched his XC wheel set and gone for a set of DEEMAX rims.
About 80 percent of riders are rolling on mud tyres even though it still quite dry.
The Helicopter was kept busy lifting people off the track today. I counted 2 in about an hour.
Rain started just falling after DH training finished but just before 4X training. Most 4X riders had swapped to mud tyres in time for qualification.
Reon Boe kept his dry tyres on for qualification and said " I wish I had changed to muds, I was sliding all over the place."
We're still waiting for qualification results but him time was looking good at around 58 seconds.
Only 2 hours of DH practice on the programme tomorrow, the XC finals are at about 11am tomorrow morning and 4X finals start at 6pm that night.

Funny story of the day:
Sitting on the lift with Greg Minnar and a Swiss family. Swiss dad started talking to Greg asking him about the track how he was riding n stuff.
Greg said "it is the steepest track I've ever had to race. We've never raced a track like this before."
Swiss dad then said to Greg " who do you think will win?"
Greg replied by saying "it could be anyone of about 10 riders on a track like this".
Minnar asked back who the Swiss Dad thought might win.
Swiss dad said "maybe Steve Peat or Minnar".
Minnar kept chatting to the family and about 10 seconds from the top Swiss Dad said "hey your Greg Minnar!"
I though it was funny.....

nice report - keep 'em coming!

faceplant wrote: Jebus! Look at the compression Reon's getting out of the sunday!

Awesome piccies dude.

Well, he is a big guy

at the swiss dad.

Check out the steepness in the vid
http://www.sicklines.com/2007/06/07/uci ... ampery-ch/

Check out the steepness in the vid
http://www.sicklines.com/2007/06/07/uci ... ampery-ch/

Crazy eh?
Steep stuff usually looks quite tame on POV camera, just goes to show how gnarly this course is.

did ya see cedrics dh bike its not a normal supreme, must be prototype or some thing, looked a bit like a session 10

nmdher wrote: did ya see cedrics dh bike its not a normal supreme, must be prototype or some thing, looked a bit like a session 10

I thought he was on trek for a second aswell!

oh and steve peat and cedric on flats!!?

Cool report & cheers for the great pic's! (It's great to get little updates on the races as they're happening) - go the Kiwi's!

Rooney wrote: oh and steve peat and cedric on flats!!?

can it be?

fatty wrote:

Rooney wrote: oh and steve peat and cedric on flats!!?

can it be?

Unlike most of Vorb, they don't get all caught up in the dogma of the flats v clpis issue, so they won't hesitate to use whichever pedal they feel gets the job done best. They are professionals.

Oli wrote:

fatty wrote:

Rooney wrote: oh and steve peat and cedric on flats!!?

can it be?

Unlike most of Vorb, they don't get all caught up in the dogma of the flats v clpis issue, so they won't hesitate to use whichever pedal they feel gets the job done best. They are professionals.

soorrrrrrry! shesh. Just ive never seen steve ride flats at a WC before.