Greg Minnaar Sets The Track Alight On First Day Of MTB World Cup
Saturday, March 17, 2012 at 2:20PM Hometown hero Greg Minnaar (Santa Cruz Syndicate) started the 2012 RockyRoads UCI MTB World Cup on just the note the local fans were asking for by posting the fastest time in qualifying for the season-opening downhill title decider in cool overcast conditions at the Cascades MTB Park.
Minnaar, who won here sensationally in 2009, and was narrowly edged off his throne by US star Aaron Gwin (Trek World Racing) in last year's World Cup, started second and posted 3:59.620 on the boldly reshaped downhill course. Together with Gwin, they were the only two riders to race in sub-four minutes.
“My run was pretty smooth. It was good, but I know technically I made a couple of mistakes. I didn't expect it to be so dry,” said Minnaar. “Unfortunately, there were a couple of corners where I came in and I ran a bit late, but it happens. It's a good start to the season; it shows my fitness is there. I know everyone is going for it. That's what downhill is and it's good to feel that I'm on pace, but I'll take a close look at the splits because I am pretty sure I lost a bit of time on top.”
The popular Pietermaritzburg star is racing on the encouragement of his ill father Jeff Minnaar, who is in intensive care in a city hospital. Defending champion Gwin was second fastest, setting the stage for a thrilling showdown in the downhill finals on Sunday afternoon. The field of 135 downhillers was cut to 80 for Sundays final.
The qualification runs were safely negotiated by most of the world top twenty riders, but Kiwi star Brook McDonald fell heavily on his run, hitting the hip flexor on the Money Maker jump right at the bottom, badly injuring his left knee and right cheek in the fall.
African champ Andrew "Needles" Neethling (Giant Factory Off-Road Team) started his 2012 season on a solid note, posting the tenth fastest time of the day.
“That was really good for a quali, really solid. I hit pretty much all my lines. I was probably cautious in bits, and over-cautious in others, but I am very happy with a lot of it,” said Neethling. “I'm nursing a hand that I gave a good bump yesterday, so I'm really glad. I think it's going to hold up just fine. It was frustrating because I was worried it was going to hamper me.”
Tracey Hannah (Hutchinson United Ride) started her comeback in spectacular fashion by blitzing the women's downhill qualification with the fastest time of the day by almost four seconds, followed by world champ Emmeline Ragot (MS Mondraker Team) and top-ranked Floriane Pugin (Scott 11).
Sister to Mick Hannah, Tracey is a former junior world champion, and after some success on the international circuit show bowed out of competitive riding for four years, before refocusing her energies on the 2012 season.
“I was a little nervous, but I just made sure I warmed up properly, so my heart rate was up,” said Hannah. “I was more excited to see where I was at with my time. I was more anxious. I was looking forward to this race for seeding, so I could get a feel of where I was at after the race and I was surprised!
“I had a great run and I knew it was good,” she added. “I knew my time was going to be good for me - it was the best that I could do. I guess I just surprised myself how much further ahead of the other girls I was.”
Saturday sees the long-awaited showdown for the RockyRoads UCI MTB World Cup cross-country titles in the junior, under 23 and senior ranks. The big crowd expected on course will be rallying behind local MTB icon Burry Stander (Specialized Racing), whose race in last year’s World Cup on the same course ended in heartbreak when he first bent a derailleur, and then crashed in the Rapid Rocks rock garden in the dying stages of the race.
“That rock garden deserves respect!” said Stander, who has adopted a more clinical approach to his training and preparation for the World Cup and Olympic season, using the Sports Science Institute of South Africa in Cape Town and personal trainers and dieticians to fine-tune his training. “It's going to be tough, but then this is what it is all about,” he added. “The best riders on a tough course.”
Stander will start with the Specialized Racing team that was rampant last season, with world champ Jaroslav Kulhavy and Stander's friend and ally Christoph Sauser in the team line-up, ready to take on the class of Swissman Nino Schurter (Scott Swisspower), who won here last week, Frenchman Julien Absalon (Orbea Racing Team), Spanish ace Jose Harmeda Ramos (Multivan Merida Biking Team) and every other rider in the world top fifteen rankings.
The women's title race will see a showdown between world champ Catharine Pendrell ((Luna Pro Team) and number one ranked Julie Bresset (BH-SR Suntour – Peisey Vallandry), one of seventeen national champions in the women's field.
QUALIFYING ROUND- MEN'S TOP TEN
- Greg Minnaar 3:59.620?
- Aaron Gwin +0.008?
- Steve Smith +0.871?
- Gee Atherton +1.767?
- Troy Brosnan +2.270?
- Michael Hannah +4.385?
- Cédric Gracia +5.055?
- Aurélien Giordaengo +5.901?
- Jared Graves +5.908?
- Andrew Neethling +6.347
QUALIFYING ROUND - WOMEN'S TOP TEN
- Tracey Hannah 4:36.853?
- Emmeline Ragot +3.556?
- Floriane Pugin +3.660?
- Sabrina Jonnier +3.984
- Jill Kintner +6.436?
- Myriam Nicole +11.381?
- Luana Mariade De Sousa Olivieria +13.465?
- Miriam Ruchti +14.760?
- Emilie Siegenthaler +15.371?
- Manon Carpenter +15.914
2012 UCI WOrld Cup Round 1 Pietermaritzburg
Thursday, March 15, 2012 at 10:37AM With a new Series sponsor, and a new television partner in the form of Red Bull Media House, it is only fitting that the 2012 RockyRoads UCI Mountain Bike World Cup presented by Shimano opens with totally redesigned courses in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, this coming weekend. Both the Olympic cross-country and Downhill disciplines will be represented in Pietermaritzburg, and it will be the first chance this year to see all of the top international stars gathered in one place.
Now in it's third year on the World Cup circuit, Pietermaritzburg is even more critical than ever this year, because the event is a test run for the World Championships to be held here next year. It is also the start of the final crucial Olympic qualifying period for the London Olympic Games, with riders vying to gain important ranking points that will determine how many starting spots each nation will receive for the men's and women's cross-country races at the Games.
Pietermaritzburg has stepped up to the challenge, with courses that riders are saying are more physically demanding than ever. In the women's cross-country, look for 2011 World Cup champion Julie Bresset (BH-SR Suntour-Peisey Vallandry) and reigning world champion Catharine Pendrel (Luna) to resume the battle that resulted in one of the closest finishes in history for the World Cup title last season. Others to watch include Maja Wloszczowska (CC Polkowice) and Irina Kalentieva (Topeak Ergon). Another name to keep an eye on is Willow Koerber Rockwell (Trek World Racing), a top rider returning to competition ten weeks after giving birth to her daughter.
In the men's field, the big question is whether Jaroslav Kulhavy (Specialized) can repeat his incredible performance of last year, when he won five World Cups, the World Cup title and became the world champion. After finishing second to Kulhavy multiple times last year, the defending Pietermaritzburg champion, Nino Schurter (Scott-Swisspower) hopes to break that streak, as does Julien Absalon (Orbea).
After the cross-country, attention turns to the Downhill on Sunday. Tracy Moseley, the defending women's champion in Pietermaritzburg and 2011 World Cup champion, is the biggest name missing from the start list, but the 2011 World Cup runner up, Floriane Pugin (Scott 11), leads a strong field that includes Myriam Nicole (Commencal/Riding Addiction), Sabrina Jonnier (Labyrinth Shimano) and world champion Emmeline Ragot.
For the men, Aaron Gwin (Trek World Racing) is the defending Pietermaritzburg winner, and the World Cup champion, after dominating last season. However, he will go up against hometown favourite Greg Minnaar (Santa Cruz Syndicate), who won here in 2010, and finished second last year. Also sure to be in the mix are Gee Atherton (GT Factory) and world champion Danny Hart (Giant Factory).
E Thirteen Riders Poised To Dominate MTB Racing In 2012
Wednesday, March 14, 2012 at 2:07PM E*thirteen and the Hive design and manufacture class-leading wheels, pedals, cranksets, chainrings, bottom brackets, drivetrain protection, and chain retention products for discerning cyclists worldwide.
2012 E13 Riders And Teams
- Jared Graves
- Sam Hill
- Troy Brosnan
- Wade Simmons
- Geoff Gulevich
- Jarrett Moore
- Wink Grant
- Gee Atherton
- Dan Atherton
- Rachel Atherton
- Marc Beaumont
- Ryan Leech
- Jay Hoots
- Mislav Mironovic
- Darcy Turenne
- Andrew Watson
- Catherine Vipond
- Nick Gedded
- Sam Dueck
- Ludovic May
- Jill Kitner
- Bryn Atkinson
- Steve Smith
- Nick Beer
- Gianluca Vernassa
- Nicolas Vouilloz
- Sam Blenkinsop
- Cameron Cole
- Patrick Thome
- Loïc Bruni
- Graham Agassiz
- Helen Wyman
- Barry Wicks
- Paul Basagoitia
- Matt Slaven
- Kris Sneddon
- Spencer Paxson
- Sean Babcock
- Karim Amour
- Mitch Delfs
- Connor Fearon
- Grant Fielder
- Cory Wallace
- Alex Stock
- Antoine Bizet
- Fabien Cousinié
- Mick Hannah
- Tracey Hannah
- Tim Bentley
- Guillaume Cauvin
- Brandon Fairclough
- Romain Paulhan
- Floriane Pugin
- Emilie Siegenthaler
- Noel Niederberger
- Adrian Weiss
- Mirco Weiss
- Myriam Nicole
- Thibaut Ruffin
- Gaetan Ruffin
- Kovarik Racing
- Chris Kovarik
- Claire Buchar
- Steve Wentz
- Phil Wheeler
- Mihai Moga
- Matt Thomson
- Chris Shewmake
- Doug Ewer
- Evan Powell
- Eric Carter
- Waylon Smith
- Adam Brayton
- Matej Charvat
- Will Curtis
- Max Houtzager
- Colby Pastore
- Manuel Ducci
- James McKnight
- Simone Lanteri
- Josef Murachelli
- Alessandro Seddaiu
- Valentina Macheda
- Wyn Master
- Carlo Caire
- Pietro Caire
- Justyn Norek
- Loris Revelli
- Paolo Rubino
- Luca Guglielmucci
- Tommaso Francardo
- Ryan Condrochoff
- Aaron Bradford
- Marshall Eames
- Forrest Arrakawa
- Scott Papola
- Josh Bryceland
- Ben Furbee
- Nate Furbee
- Cam McCaul
- Tibor Simai
- Andrew Taylor
- Steve Peat
- George Ryan
- Kiran McKinnion
- Jan Vacek
- Tracey Moseley
- Katrina Strand
- Kenny Burt
- Michael Broderick
- Mary McConneloug
- Neal Kindree
- Robert Jauch
- André Wagenknecht
- Thomas Schmidt
- Angie Hohenwarter
- Amir Kabbani
- Markus Klausmann
- Nino Antic
- Dave Goris
- Sandra Rübesam
- Jan Berkenkopf
- Wolfram Kurschat
- Jasper Jauch
- Harald Philipp
- Alex Balaud
- Alex Cure
- Olivier Giordanengo
- Fouad Gourirane
- Morgane Jonnier
- Maurian Marney
Magura TS Fork Announced
Tuesday, March 13, 2012 at 8:53AM ;)
The new MAGURA TS suspension fork series
MAGURA has completely revised its suspension fork range. Now featuring new design and new internals. The new forks answer to the name of MAGURA TS (Team Suspension). Whether it's a 26", 29" or 650B/27.5" for the latest trend – this season MAGURA offers a matching model for every wheel diameter and a wide range of applications.
Mountain bikes with large diameter wheels are in – they promise a smooth ride at high speed. But to make the most out of their potential you need to have a matching fork. That is why the component specialist MAGURA has expanded its product range for 2012 to cater for the new 29" and 650B/27.5" trends in mountain biking. The product range also includes new models for 26" wheels with 80 to 150 millimetres of travel for cross country, marathon and all mountain.
No compromise: MAGURA 29" suspension fork with M15 thru-axle
The new 29" forks are available with a travel of 80 up to 120 millimetres. Their design is engineered without compromise for high stiffness. The ultra-stable DAD arch (Double Arch Design) and the new MAGURA M15 thru-axles make a major contribution here. The steer tube options offered by MAGURA are the standard 1 1/8" and a tapered version. The tapered steer tubes can fit very short head tubes on small 29" frames.
MAGURA suspension forks for 650B/27.5"
MAGURA also has suspension forks to match the new trend in 650B/27.5" wheels with a travel of 120 to 150 millimetres. They are compatible with almost all 650B/27.5" tyres currently available on the market. The fork-design is weight-optimised. DAD (Double Arch Design) and QR15 thru-axles ensure high stiffness.
The MAGURA suspension fork series
All TS forks have been developed based on the SLE concept (Stiffer, Lighter, Easier). This means optimum stiffness at the lowest possible weight, extremely low maintenance, and a easy set up. With the Fork Master Concept (FMC) it is possible to manufacture forks with a sensitive response where special bushings, seals and surfaces work together with the Fork Master Grease (FMG) to deliver an exceptional ride. The forks feature progressive suspension characteristics that prevent over-response even in steep terrain. The TS8 R 150 is offered as a fixed travel version or with the LS (Lift Select) system.
M15 thru-axles with integrated tool
The new MAGURA M15 thru-axles have been especially developed for MAGURA 29" suspension forks. A special feature is the self-retaining thread that makes additional locking of the thru-axle unnecessary. Simply tighten the axle and the wheel is safely secured. The MAGURA Tool for Torx T25 bolts is concealed inside the thru-axle, so you have always got the tool for tightening the axle with you. At the same time it protects the thread against contamination. The tool can also be used on the most bolts of MAGURA MT hydraulic disc brakes and HS rim brakes. You can use them for changing brake pads or adjusting the lever settings, for example. This system of axle and integrated tool weighs only 58 grams.
Perfect fit between discs and 29" or 650B/27.5" wheels
29" and 650B/27.5" suspension forks are supplied exclusively with the PM7 disc brake mount for discs with a diameter of 180 millimetres and upwards. Large wheels also need large discs to ensure performance and durability.
Protection Caps
An intuitive feature are the Protection Caps at the lower end of the forks. They prevent damage to the drop outs and rebound dial while the wheel is removed. These are fitted to all MAGURA forks with thru-axles.
Specifications
• SLE design (Stiffer, Lighter, Easier)
• Travel of 80 to 150 millimetres
• 29" suspension fork with PM7 brake disc mount for brake disc
diameter 180 millimetres and above
• 29" suspension fork with M15 thru-axle
• 650B/27.5" suspension fork with QR15 thru-axle
• 26" suspension fork with 9 millimetre quick-release axle or QR15 thru-axle
• Colours: black and white
• Available in retail from May 2012
Bicycle, Downhill Mountain Bike, Mountain Bike |
2012 UCI World Cup Announces Red Bull As Official Media Partner
Thursday, March 8, 2012 at 12:04PM The International Cycling Union (UCI) is delighted to confirm that the Red Bull Media House GmbH (RBMH) is the new official media partner of the RockyRoads UCI Mountain Bike World Cup presented by Shimano.
Under this new partnership, RBMH will provide media services including HD TV production, webcasting and content syndication. Live streaming of all the World Cup Cross-country Olympic, Cross- country Eliminator and Downhill races will be featured onwww.redbull.com/bike and www.redbull.tv. The UCI and RBMH will collaborate closely to ensure that coverage of these events will be more dynamic, innovative and viewer-friendly, providing fans with unforgettable images of racing action.
'WITH RBMH ON BOARD, WE CAN BE SURE THAT TOP QUALITY IMAGES OF THIS SERIES CAN REACH FANS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD' – PAT MCQUAID, UCI PRESIDENT
RBMH will produce the official international live signal as well as highlight programmes that the UCI will provide to TV channels on all continents. Overall TV production will be improved with High Definition images and an increased number of cameras at events.
RBMH, which replaces Freecaster.tv as exclusive live streaming partner, will also hold worldwide non-exclusive internet rights to the UCI BMX World Championships as well as selected media rights in certain territories for the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships.
UCI President Mr Pat McQuaid welcomes the latest partner for the new-look mountain bike series: “The RockyRoads UCI Mountain Bike World Cup presented by Shimano has been given a boost for 2012, and with RBMH on board, we can be sure that top quality images of this series can reach fans throughout the world. This exciting World Cup series deserves innovative media coverage of the highest standard. With RBMH we have found the perfect solution. This new partnership can only serve to further develop our leading mountain bike series.”