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BC
NPS DH 5
Fort
William (11th)
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The track was the same as always - really bumpy.
I didn't feel so good in practice - I felt very slow, as
if I wasn't trying. In the seeding run my hands were
sore so I stopped for a bit, and finished 3rd last.
My race run didn't go as well as I hoped. I felt
like i was going too slow, but was unable to do anything
about it (like go faster!).
I finished 11th in the race, making me 9th overall in the
2006 NPS series.
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World Cup DH 6
Schladming, Austria
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We went out on the wednesday and walked the
track - it looked awesome, and the roots looked great!
Practice on Thursday and Friday, and the
Gump and I were flying - the fastest I've ridden all year.
I was confident on the bike, and on the track! |
In the qualifying run I got off to a great start, and hitting
all my lines just like in practice, until I caught up with
a Czech rider who wouldn't let me pass. I lost 10
seconds, missing qualifying for the race by 3.2 secpnds.
Very disappointing!
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Caersws
NPS Round 4 (20th)
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On Saturday the track was great - fast and
technical at the same time, but very dusty. The seeding
run went OK - I had a reasonable run and got 9th, but I knew
I could easily make up the time and do well.
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By Sunday the course was pretty much
the same, and the conditions were great - the sun was shining
and I practiced well. My race run was going amazingly
well until I hit a big root with my front wheel and went over
the bars, landing in the dustiest part of the track.
I was covered from head to toe in dust - it was even in my
teeth! End result - I didn't do too well!
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Innerleithen
NSP Round 2 (8th)
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The track was good and flowed well with
loads of tight corners - I hit my shoulders on the trees in
practice! My race run didn't go as well as planned.
I messed up the top section a wee bit, which meant I got 8th.
Not bad, considering I had a big crash and hurt my knee quite
badly.
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Rugog
Farm NPS Round 1 (6th)
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A little place in the middle of nowhere, 10 miles to the
nearest shop.
Friday the track was really fast with some amazing off-camber
corners which you just stuck the foot out and held on.
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Saturday, due to some heavy rain and
snow showers, the track became really boggy and wet which
made riding very difficult. By Sunday the track was
a mess, and you were no longer riding a bike but sledging
down a wet boggy hill. My race run was pretty average but
got 6th - my first race in elite, so I'm very pleased. |
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SDA
DH Series Rd 5
Innerleithen (2nd)
Saturday - The track was
the best I've ridden this year - it was fast through the trees
and was quite fast as well. Practice was going really
well, and I was flying!
Sunday - Race 1
I got off on a great start, hitting all the
corners really fast and just enjoying myself, which helped
me relax. I was lying 2nd after the first run.
2nd Run - I was really confident after the
first run, so I went a lot faster - until my pedal caught
a tree and stopped me dead, so I lost a wee bit time.
I took 1st on that run, but finished 2nd overall.
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Scottish
Champs
Dunkeld
(8th)
Saturday - I had a couple of practice runs
which were scary as it was very slippery. It even made
me wear body armour, which is a first!
Sunday - The track dried
up a wee bit, but I still wasn't feeling very good on the
track. I had a steady run and was 3rd in Race 1.
The 2nd run didn't go too well, coming off after the first
corner and washing out on a couple of others. |
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World
Cup Round 2
Fort
William (108th)
Although a bit bumpy, the track was good, but by the Sunday
it was wrecked, with braking bumps everywhere. I got
arm pump very quickly - as soon as the deer gate - and the
wind was unbelievable. You couldn't get enough speed
to skip over the jumps, you just went into everyone.
In the semi-finals I was going strong until
I hit a jump on the top section and the wind caught me and
blew me 10 metres off the track. I got back on and just
cruised down, missing the finals by 7 seconds. I ended
up 108th - disappointed! |
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SDA
- Ae Forest (5th)
Ae Forest - Saturday. The track
was a bit wet in the morning, but they used the best course
there. I was riding very well, but could still feel
my knee niggling.
Sunday. The track was dry and in prime condition.
In my first race run I took it steady to put a time in without
falling off, and it put me in 5th - only two seconds off
first place! It was raining for the second run, so
the course was slower. As a result, the times were
set in the first run.
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The track was awesome, (the beach was good too)!
The course really was amazing - really fast
and rocky! Practice went really well, riding pretty fast (2.39.673)
but felt I could go a lot faster. The weather stayed sunny,
making the track quite dusty and pretty slippy
My race run was going brilliant, I’d never hit any of
the top sections fast before until I hit a big rock on the
rock slab with my pedal, which flung me over the bars, smashing
my face and knee off the ground. I had to cruise to the bottom,
ending up 75th with a time of 2.53.883. |
Innerleithen
SDA Round 1 (3rd)
It is my home track so I have to be biased,
it was amazing, fast technical, dry and just worked really
well. I was expected to do well.
Practice went as well as it could, I was flying and I was
hitting things faster then ever, but in the first race run
I got very nervous and stiffened up which meant I wasn't
riding the bike but the bike was riding me!
The second run I was flying until I took a wee detour off
my line and stopped dead. I got 3rd in the end but I am
very happy with that.
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