Day 2 - 2013 World Champs - South Africa
 | They've improved the course each year we've been here with jumps or helping you to carry speed better. This time they've thrown some sweet new jumps into the mid section, but the track was raced last week so it's actually gotten pretty rough and it's a bit more technical at the top. It's hard work in the dust finding those moments of traction but I'm enjoying it man it's a good track. The pedal is looking brutal, but it's the same for everyone obviously so I'll dig deep and make it happen. It's just hard work burying yourself for that long and still being in control of the bike for the bottom!- Josh Bryceland, Santa Cruz Syndicate |
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 The sun rises over the 2013 World Championship downhill track here in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. |
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| Similar scenes to the Quebec mists out here in Africa... except this is bone-dry, golden dust blocking the vis and getting in your eyes. |
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| Real-life angry birds await the action in the trees. The nature is ferocious here, just like Attenborough told you. |
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| On route to the uplift, no cable-assisted luxuries in these parts. Beats pushing anyways. |
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| No chairlifts here in PMB, but a massive fleet of vans with trailers makes the uplift happen. Just save yourself about 45 minutes to get to the top on the highway. |
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| The stands aren't quite at capacity just yet, but you know there'll be quite a turn-out for the weekend. Biking is a big deal in Greg's PMB. |
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| Germany's Markus Schulte-Luenzum throwing a little style in the XC relay last night. |
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| Devinci mechanic Flo puts together Nick Beers bike late last night after a long day of many items showing up last minute. |
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| Theme of today: Intermittent cross-fire hurricanes. Nice little breeze on the mega jumps made everyone think twice about hitting the big ones today. |
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| Richie Rude boosting one of the final jumps without a care. This could be the weekend for the hard riding American junior. Richie Smash! |
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| You don't need to get airborne to get burned... Exfoliation stations for one poor XC competitor this morning. |
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| Wah Boom! Masters tries to taste the red dirt. |
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| Make way... More high velocity Kiwis coming through. |
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| Sam Hill fighting back with some intimidating Aussie power. |
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| Hill goes completely the opposite way to everyone else, good to see Sam is keeping up his old habits! |
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| Troy Brosnan injured his shoulder at Crank Worx, but if it's bothering the young gun, he isn't showing it. |
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| Rach and Gee keeping it GB for the three. |
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| Mark Fitzsimmons going over the details of the prototype shock with steel shaft that Brook will be riding this weekend. |
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| Bulldog getting amped testing out that sucker. |
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| Not the Bulldog's favorite stomping ground, he's been well off the podium here the last two years. he was 8th for last years champs, however. |
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| Mark fitted the prototype shock to Minnaar's bike yesterday and got it set up as an alternative to the air shock Greg plans on running; considering that Greg's bike is currently weighing in at 32.39 pounds, it's likely he won't take the weight penalty. |
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| Fine tuning the RAD DH shock on the local hero and you could say, race favorite's sled. |
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| Jill Kintner has done well here before and looking deadly fast. Her bmx and 4x background will give her a big advantage on the pedally and high speed track. |
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| Danny Hart blasting through some golden angel boners mid section. |
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| Danny Hart held the throttle wide open on his way into the gully and the massive tables. |
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| Everyone's got that extra something between their grip and brake lever including Danny. |
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| Someone asked the Redcar Rocket if he had ever landed to flat on the jumps here in PMB. Danny's response, "Probably, I don't know. There are much more important things to think about than that here." |
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| Hart's Vivid and some cool understated graphics in place. |
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| Team mate, Marcello, looks composed as always. Such rad style. |
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| Schwalbe Rock Razors for Marcelo's rear and Danny's on Hans Dampf.. |
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| Kathy Sessler posturing Peaty's new #allthelads TLD complete with charming family graphic. |
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| Braaap! Not the best corner for riders but is sure is for the photographers... |
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| Wyn Masters left his jandals home today and opted for a proper kit, even though he probably doesn't need one. |
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| Nick Beer on the final jump out of the woods on the top section. High winds today made hitting the jumps on the lower section a bit like playing Russian Roulette. |
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| Peaty's possible PMB race tyre. He's contemplating seeing off the drag by bringing the Maxxis High Roller semi slick back into fashion. |
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| It's great to be out in Africa! We've just had our first day of practice and the tracks looking super dry and really dusty. It's been good fun this morning just playing around on the big jumps with Greg and Josh and getting into the atmosphere of the whole World Championships. My win last weekend at the final round of the BDS definitely gives me a little bit of confidence coming into this race... It's a special one and it's good to be here!- Steve Peat, Santa Cruz Syndicate |
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| Jonty Neethling went down super hard in the gully this morning after his bars snapped off. He tore apart his crank in the wreck and banged his head in the process. |
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| Blinky styling on through the all African terrain. |
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| Ropelato getting hot on some not so 26" wheels. He cracked out a fifth in the Air DH at Crankworx, can the big boy rollers see him right here too? |
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| Jared Graves may be a major threat here in PMB. He's been crushing EWS rounds riding his Enduro bike on trails much more technical than this one. |
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| We have seen glimpses of the old Sam Hill all season long, and there can be no doubt he could not be hungrier to wear those rainbow stripes again. |
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| Sam Hill's record here isn't incredible, 11th, 8th, 4th for the last three events at PMB. Having said that he's on awesome form and fitness and was on the podium at last years champs. |
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| 15th for French fire Remi Thirion at last year's champs. But a lot has changed since then. |
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| Thirion hips the newly treed lower section of the track. Last year it looked like a nuclear bomb went off in here with slash littering a barren landscape. Now it's lush trees making for a great backdrop. |
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| Steve Smith flexes some DH muscle with his one off short travel bike here in SA. a 170mm travel 27.5" wheeled boXXer rounds out the package. |
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| Last round's winner, Stevie maximizing his runs in today dialling his new prototype 650b bike. |
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| Smith is having one hell of a season, especially after all his Quebec and Crankworx glory. With a custom bike for Worlds, Devinci is giving their boy everything he needs to come out on the top step of the podium come Sunday. He was 5th and 6th here for the last 2 years. |
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| Aaron Gwin took the win here in 2011 and was 2nd in 2012. He's been on the hunt for a result all season, could it Sunday be all stars and stripes? |
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| Gee Atherton has the SRM Powermeter in place, logging his heart rate, speed, power and cadence. The team sync the data with his GoPro footage and he can then be sure where he needs to pick things up a bit... as if that might be possible. |
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| Gee has been a force to be reckoned with this year like never before. Only the first day of practice and he's already ripping out throats. |
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| What's more scary than a rampaging Atherton? A Pietermaritzburg grasshopper comes close... They could probably fly off with a baboon, were they equipped with mandibles. |
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If all the techies out there aren't pumped as hell to see who gets the most out of their chosen setups, you'd best check your pulse. Ropelato winning Sea Otter on a 'niner would pale in comparison to him on the podium or, dare I say it, winning worlds. Graves' choice doesn't shock me in the least. Smith sounds and looks very confident on the 27.5 rig. He's the wild-card in my opinion, as I feel he's going to gain the most out of his choices. Blenkinsop is kind of in that category as well...all depends on how he hits them pedals when it matters.
My gut says Minnaar will deliver the goods on home-soil. Most-likely to spoil that parade would have to be Gee, Hannah, Gwin or Smith. My heart says PEAT!!! While that would surprise me, it sure as hell wouldn't shock me. He is still racing to win, despite what the results may say. He may be the old-man-on-the-block, but that's even more reason to not doubt his chances. Coincidentally, didn't he run a semi-slick High Roller when he won worlds in Canberra with a similar "experimental" nature to the bike setups?
Sunday can not come soon enough.
I need custom bumper stickers pronto!!!!
Not because 650b and droppers represent what is relevant to the world's gnarliest tracks, but they are relevant to this track. Should there be something wrong with choosing the right tool for the job to win a race? Sea otter was won on 29er, but again its track related
I remember how all the riders were running short-travel single-crown setups with air-shocks at Canberra in '09. This time around, the wheel-sizes are varying as well. VERY curious to see which gambles pay off. Perhaps an identical result to '09???
I don't see how a power meter could be that valuable for DH racing, even on this track. An athlete like Gee should be going 100% in every pedal section I would think, since there are spots to recover. And having a power meter in practice just seems like a way to wear yourself down trying to see how many watts you produce, and a distraction from the track. I don't get it, unless they are just trying to get gullible DH racers to buy power meters.
My Prediction: 1st: Minnaar 2nd: Hill 3rd: Smith
Gonna be a good race!
This is a question that comes up every single year as far as I can recall.
also kashima always has been a fad, an this could be foxes future fad
www.pinkbike.com/news/FOX-DH-Shock-prototype-2013-World-Champs.html
you would think a mod would already know this!
although it is worth noting that the seal design is far more important in reducing stiction, rather than stanchion/shaft coating. not a whole lot of people realize this and buy into proprietary shaft coatings!
of course, stepping down an alu shaft that small would not work.. hense why they went with steel. (its also explained in the PB article) pretty basic stuff!