6-9-07 // Online Exclusive: Champery WC Report #2

DH racers in middle earth... Colin Meagher

So not a whole lot happened today.

DH practice: people going fast in baggy clothing. Occasionally crashing.
XC practice: people going fast in tight clothing. Occasionally crashing.
4X practice and qualifying: people going fast in baggy clothing. Occasionally crashing.

Upshot of the day?

The XC racers started figuring out how not to crash in the woods (saddles were lowered).

The DH riders started to beat the track into submission. But she’s still a monster: for the second day in a row, the course was closed for almost an hour while some unlucky soul was evacuated out by helicopter again.

4X was a bit interesting… I neglected to mention in my earlier report that the 4X course incorporates a creek crossing—in the form of a gap jump. No dead sailors into the water, so all ended well. Lopes and Kintner killed it in qualifying.

So the fireworks officially start tomorrow: XC racing, and 4x racing and of course more DH practice. But since the officials need all the course marshals for the XC race, the DH crew only gets 2.5 hours of practice. From 8 am to 10:30 am. Since when do DH riders rise before 8 am? Seriously. Oh, wait, I forgot; this is a European World Cup, and this course is the hairiest one they’ve had in years—everyone’s going to be up for first chair…

Colin Meagher

Switzerland without a cow—are you kidding me? Colin Meagher

Jill Kintner on the Creek Gap on the 4X course at Champery Colin Meagher