Laurie Greenland Leads Junior World Cup

In a weekend of trying weather at the second stop of the UCI Downhill World Cup in Fort William, Scotland, Trek World Racing’s Laurie Greenland emerged with the coveted leader’s jersey and yet another 2nd place in the world class racing. Another highlight for the team was George Brannigan’s 9th place, his career best result on the tough 2km track.

Torrential rains and strong winds caused a complete cancellation of the Saturday World Cup schedule, resulting in no training or qualifying. This is mainly due to the fact that the gondola to the top of the hill cannot operate in high winds when transporting bikes. Additionally this venue is the only one on the circuit that doesn’t have an alternative access route to the top of the track via a fire road.

The schedule for Sunday was long, starting at 6.15am for training, followed by qualifying and then the finals. In George’s race run he was held up by a rider who’d had a mechanical problem, and he was offered a re-run by the UCI. Not an easy decision on a physical track but George’s decision to head to the top resulted in a 6 second improvement on his affected run, and his first top 10 result at Fort William.

George said: “After a full effort in qualifying and then again in the final, I wasn’t sure what to do when the Commissaires came over to me and offered a re-run, but I had a fair bit of time to recover and in the end it was the right thing to do. To be honest I’m pretty happy with 9th here.”

Laurie Greenland who finished 6th on this track last year, qualified in 3rd on Friday and was confident of being able to improve on his time of 5m 08s. In the final he improved another 5 seconds, was fastest in the most difficult technical middle sector, and took 2nd place to last year’s winner on this track, Martin Maes (BEL), The result was enough to take him into the lead in the overall series going into round 3.

Laurie said: “Pretty amazing feeling to be up on the podium on my own and being awarded the jersey, such a great feeling and an honour to wear it. I’d be lying if I said I was happy to get 2nd again….it’s 4 races in a row now, so I’m hungrier than ever for the win.”

A crash in the 2nd sector put an end to Brook MacDonald’s hopes after showing great speed all week. Fort William is one of his favourite tracks but a loose rock caught him out and the time loss was too great. Brook recovered though to be 2nd fastest rider of the day in the all-important final sector where fitness is key. Local hero Greg Williamson had a difficult run and finished 26th. Despite the disappointing run, he took home a good swag of points and has elevated his World Cup ranking by 40 positions.

The team heads to Leogang, Austria, this week for round 3 of the World Cup.

2016 Nukeproof Pulse Launched

Nukeproof have released details of the 2016 Pulse downhill bike, which has been developed in conjunction with Team Chain Reaction Cycles PayPal and designed to win World Cups.

Team riders Sam Hill, Mike Jones and Joe Smith have been testing this version of the bike since November 2014, with further testing being carried out by Nukeproof’s in-house development team.

The aluminium frame, designed around 27.5” wheels, has a 62 degree head angle, 440mm chainstay, 1232mm wheelbase and 425mm reach. It weighs in at 8.1lb and its release date will be unveiled at Eurobike this year.  

Watch Team Chain Reaction Cycles PayPal rider Joe Smith putting the 2016 Nukeproof Pulse through its paces:

Justin Leov Episode 2 2015 EWS Round 3

It’s Not Over 'til it’s Over!

With back to back EWS weekends I think everyone knew it would come down to who could recover the best from Ireland. It was in Peebles last year where I managed to score my first podium ever and with two days of racing so much can happen, so it's an exciting race. Coming from near perfect conditions in Ireland it was almost a given before I checked the weather forecast that we would see some typical Scottish weather over the week. It was pretty much what we expected but with extreme changes, we would see everything from blue skies to sideways rain with ice, axle-deep mud to fresh dusty loam! The week would see a lot of woollen clothing, rain jackets and waterproof gloves and our nutrition requirements would be huge this week.

So with the Tweedlove EWS there are basically two aspects, day one on the Innerleithen side and day two at Glentress, a few kms up the road. The first day at Innerleithen would see the more DH style trails; we would start with a physical stage but once through that it would be tight trees, tree roots and who could stay on. Day two on the Glentress side would have a mix of technical stages in the woods and flat out hammer to the wall endurance stages. This is where I learnt last year the race is won or lost and carrying speed while being in top physical condition would really make the difference. With these facts I had a simple game plan. Get through day one without any major dramas and then put all my energy into day two where the freshness would pay off.. Hopefully!

Practice this time around was over three days, it allowed a day on each side and one day of ‘choose which ever stage you want’. Learning these courses requires energy and there is always the fine line of how many times do you want to climb back to practice versus saving the energy with a single run. This time around we chose to ride both stage 1 and 2 twice and then a single on stage 3 and stage 4. For a first day of practice this was around 2000 meters of climbing. Getting the morning done with mild conditions we soon got to experience our first weather patterns coming in and rain showers to play in.

For the second day of training we would see rain on and off all day. This would break into blue sky moments at about a ratio of 20mins dry to 10mins wet. The climb back out from stage 5 would also show us sideways rain and being blasted by ice which felt like being on a windy sandy beach! Today we opted to start with a single on stage 6 , then ride stage 7 twice then stage 8 and finish with a couple of stage 5. This meant we could learn the fresher DH style courses and save energy on the longer more physical stages by only riding once.

After our morning roll down stage 6 it was evident this would be a key stage. It was nearly 13 mins long on the camera footage and had three decent climbs which would totally break up the field. I knew there would also be some controversy about this stage. It was so physical and basic in terms of technical aspects that some people would be struggling to be able to handle it. None the less I was happy, physical is what I train for as well as technical. We're not just racing Downhill, Enduro is meant to be in my opinion a mixture of both. With another 1800 meters climbed today in the rain I was starting to once again feel the body.

The morning of the last day of training I was feeling quite tired so I canned my original plan of a run on stage 1, 3 and 4 and opted for a single run on stage 1 and then put the feet up and rest the remaining day. It was the right call for me and by evening I was feeling human again and ready for the abuse I was going to get the following days.

Race Day 1: Innerleithen 4 stages with a forecast of blue skies! Happy days.

With around 7 hours from start to finish, this would be a stress free day in terms of liaison times. Each stage would allow us to cruise up and not have to drop the hammer at any point in the day to make a start time. Beginning on Stage 1 this would have us pedal straight out of the gate and then hit awkward speed zapping rocks before settling into the run on freshly cut wooded sections and steep chutes. It was a bit of shock to the system for first stage of the day and for some reason I felt a bit flustered. Crashing on right hander near the top of rocky section I instantly swore to myself and pushed on for the rest of the run annoyed. Not the start I had hoped for.

Stage 2 was wide open fast and some bar grabbing trees which were damn close at high speed. I liked this stage a lot and felt good in training going fast. This time around I threw down a fast run without crashing and slotted into 2nd for the stage behind Richie Rude. Back on track.

With a timing check and a feed station I didn't bother refilling my bladder as there would be water 30 mins up the next climb at another feed station (well I thought there would be at least) arriving there I was gutted to see all the water had gone and I would be on my own for the next hour before they hopefully refilled the water if I was lucky!

Stage 3 was flat out fast up top above the tree line then a moment of darkness as we entered the woods Clear and sharp vision is essential in our sport, in such conditions even more. High quality lens is a must. I had a clean run with no mistakes so another one checked off and happy for the final stage of the day. Climbing back up for stage 4 had us pass the previous empty feed station once more. Luckily for me this time there was water and I was a happy man. Neglecting fluid is something that you never want to do in these races.

Final stage of the day and this one would race us further down the hill than stage 3. It would be a similar terrain with tight woods and plenty of roots to deflect the wheels off line. Unfortunately for me it wasn't to be a clean run and although I felt my riding was well under control, I misjudged my speed into a right hander and down I went for the second time of the day. Finishing the stage I was annoyed again with myself for giving up some more time to leaders. Official time check would show I was 20 seconds down for the day behind Richie Rude and in 9th position.

Frustration didn't last long though and my focus changed to day two and how I would need not only a clean day but there would be no way I could leave anything on the stages. #fullgas!

I woke on Sunday to read some really disappointing news. The event would be cut from four stages today down to two due to some predicted weather and high winds that could potentially bring trees down in the forest. I could totally understand the safety aspects and knew the call needed to be made but still, I was gutted. I thought at this stage I could bring back enough time in two stages to maybe get back to a podium finish but that would be riding the socks off it so to speak. I thought my chances of being able to win would be a far push.

Setting off for the day we had much colder conditions than our previous day of blue skies. Cold winds and rain showers reminded me of the practice days before and with only stage 5 and stage 8 it was going to be super short day in the elements. Stage 5 would be a short fresh downhill stage that finished on slippery roots. The ruts were deep in practice so everyone was going to have a mission of stage for the race. It didn't take more than a few corners and I realised this was going to be a tough one to stay clean. The mud was incredible, every rut wanted to grab your wheels and if you slowed your speed down too much the mud was so thick it could throw you off as well. It was one of those stages you had to go fast and hold on and whatever you did, keep your feet on while in the ruts! I managed a fast clean run and 3rd for the stage. Richie had had a real problem In this stage losing his lead and with my clean run I had moved up the ladder to around 5th. I needed to empty everything I had for the final stage of the day if I was to achieve my goal of clawing myself back into a podium position.

There was a couple of key points to stage 8. It started further up the hill than previously planned due to the day being shortened. It now would have about 2 mins of stage 6 on the start of the stage and this is all bike park style corners where speed carrying is really important. We then would climb a short section before hitting the wide open part of the run and where it got fun! The middle of the run was again all about carrying your speed through flowy turns before the most aggressive short climb followed by a fire road downhill and then grind up the last short hill to have a fast and flowy descent to the finish. I needed to be aggressive for this one and I planned to hurt myself massively on the pedalling.

I would say this run was on the edge for me, I had some moments where I was at the seat of my pants but just held it together and then the hurt I put though my legs was incredible. This was one of those runs when I was in constant fight between wanting to stop pushing so hard because it hurt so bad and the desire to want to win so bad it pushed me to hold it at the absolute limit. I remember the feeling of not enough oxygen as I crossed the finish line but with nothing left on the stage I was totally happy with my day and super exited to see how I had done with the weekend’s standings.

A short 10min ride back to the finish arena and with the final time check I couldn’t believe what I was seeing on the timing board. I had bloody done it! I had brought back not only enough time to hit the podium but had just sneaked past Florian Nicolai and Greg Callaghan to take my first ever EWS victory! It was my biggest dream come true, speechless it didn't really sink in until the podium and hearing my name called out as the winner, I couldn't wipe the cheesy grin off my face. What a bloody weekend and what a bloody day!! Taking over the series lead from Jerome was another unexpected surprise and with a dominant ride from Tracy and another solid ride from Rene once again we were the top team for the weekend. You just can't ask for anything better than that!

I feel hugely proud to be series leader. It’s something to hold with respect and I've always looked up to the riders holding it. Heading into a short break it's now time to have a regroup and freshen the mind and body again. The next round in France will be another battle and will have its challenges but getting back to the higher mountains is something I'm really looking forward to and seeing some long stages again will be a lot of fun!

See you out there

Justin Leov's Diary Season 2 Episode 2 - EWS Emerald Enduro

It was almost like offseason again after the Rotorua EWS. Being back at home and training away, days were getting shorter and the change in temperature was turning towards winter. Seeing regular race coverage starting to pop up on the all the social media feeds got me excited to leave NZ and get back to the racing. With an eye on the climate in Ireland I was starting to prepare myself for what could be a muddy race, in similar conditions to the autumn.

New Zealand I was about to leave. This year is a bit of a special one for the Leov family; when we leave NZ we will be gone as a family until October. Usually with Tory and now Luca left at home we have made plans to setup base in Finale Ligure, Italy, and be able to enjoy our downtime in an Italian summer instead of a New Zealand winter. Packing for 6 months is always a challenge but once your on the plane, that's that.

Landing into Ireland just over a week early was my plan. I wanted to be able to chill out and get over the jet lag before practice kicked off.  Leaving NZ, Luca and Tory had been sick with colds and mine came as soon as I boarded my first flight. I thought I would try and blow it out with a good ride with the locals but all I did was make it worse.  Bed for a few days was the smartest call after that. With time up my sleeve I was able to recover and I was feeling back on track come the first practice day.

First impressions of the courses showed a mixture of fast, flowy and technical, importance to carry speed and blind roll overs you needed to learn.  Elevation was clearly a lot lower than our European locations but none the less the courses looked good. The event quickly got named the "social enduro" due to the liaison climbs being between 5-7 percent grades and easier transition times.

Practice was a bit like dusting out the cobwebs but my speed was there and it didn't take more than a couple of stages and my speed and comfort were back where they needed to be. I decided to ride every stage twice in training and although it would be big days I hoped the extra course knowledge would help more than the extra fatigue. This meant for a 2000m vertical day on Friday and 54km of off road goodness, and on Saturday 1600m and 45km. You can imagine my meals have been extra large after those days!

Race day was forecasted for perfect weather. The weather obviously influences the whole way you deal with the race, starting from choosing the right lenses for your goggles.

Stage 1 was a mixture of wide open, hold the handlebars tight and don't brake type of riding and carrying speed the best you can over tire grabbing rocks. It woke the body up and had potential to really bite if you got it wrong. I started the day with a clean fast run and finished 2nd behind Barel.

Stage 2 was the most physical and longest of the stages. Big rock slabs at the top and then fast pedalling straights. This was crazy with the crowd presence, and there was even a helicopter filming us from the start, so it felt very "rock star" for an enduro event. I put down great power through this stage but could only manage 4th this time around.

Stage 3 was again on the rock slab start but this time a head wind and the flattest stage of the weekend. Lots of cut of stumps were reaching for your pedals and sharp rocks to cut the tires. I was hurting in this stage but held it together to get my first stage victory of the weekend.

With Stage 4 coming up and then a quick lunch break I must of been in hurry to get back to eat because I backed up my stage 3 win with another win and started to have a small lead going into the remaining 3 stages. On entering the pits I found out I was leading but knew it wasn't going to an easy afternoon. Plenty of tough terrain to come. I've been in this situation before and you can't count on anything until you cross the finish line!

Stage 5 and I pushed a bit too hard off the start into the first woods. I nearly crashed on a root and needed to gather myself losing some valuable seconds steering off course. I told myself to calm down and the rest of the run was good. With that moment I dropped down a little to finish 8th for the stage.

Up to stage 6 and this was my favorite for the weekend. Fast and rocky and with the crowd it felt like my DH days again! My start was almost a mirror from Stage 5, this time nearly crashing on the upper rock section and losing my flow. This time a little bit better into 7th but not the perfect run.

We were now on the final stage of the weekend. Energy levels were good, bike was holding together and I was happy with my riding all day. I decided a smart clean run was what I should do for the final. I had no idea where I was sitting in the overall at this point but a crash or puncture would be devastating ( I've also been-there-done-that!). It was an enjoyable run, I hit my lines and rode smooth, so it was a great finish to a fun day racing bikes!

The finish line atmosphere was out of this world! Local boy Greg Callaghan had out ridden me in the last three stages to take the win but my consistency had landed me in 2nd overall and jumped me from 4th overall in the series points to 2nd, right behind Jerome. An awesome experience and an awesome crowd!!

Another big race for my team mates as well , Tracy taking out the woman's category and Rene back from injury to ride into 7th saw us the fastest team of the weekend. I now head to Scotland where it all begins again on Wednesday with the first day of practice! Got to rest these legs... See you later Ireland!

26TRIX Is Still Writing The Books – Ten Moments That Made It Into Bike History

Saalfelden Leogang in Salzburger Land, Austria, May 13^th 2015 – Since 2006 the worlds’ best riders have traveled to Bikepark Leogang to throw down their biggest tricks on the 26TRIX course. Over the years, spectators have seen numerous trick debuts, which have progressed the sport. In 2015, this FMB Gold Event will take place for the tenth time. To celebrate this occasion let’s check out the ten best moments: 

Out of nowhere, two Spanish brothers appeared in Leogang in 2006 and made it straight into the ranks of the top elite. The younger one, Andreu Lacondeguy stood out with outstanding tricks and style in his first international contest.  Andreu’s backflip, 360 and tailwhip all seemed to come with ease for this punk-rocking rider. Nearly a decade later, the freeride scene cannot imagine the sport without Andreu. In the same year, Greg Watts turned everyone’s head in the mountain bike world by pulling off the first ever double backflip in a mountain bike competition; Greg wrote mountain bike history at Leogang’s first edition of 26TRIX.

In 2009 little did we all know that the British rider, Sam Pilgrim, was going to be FMB World Tour Champion one day (2013). Six years ago, Sam embraced the new possibilities that the 26TRIX course offered with its big line. Without once riding the big airtime line during practice, Sam took the risk in his final run, landed a massive frontflip and took the win that day.

Two years later, progression once again returned to 26TRIX. Despite not making the podium in 2011, Cam McCaul did a squeaky-clean front flip superman. This stunt-like trick reinforced the message that 26TRIX is a home of world-class dirt jumping. In 2011, the Canadian athlete Brandon Semenuk added 26TRIX to his collection of victories. Brandon’s winning run back in 2011 included a backflip tailwhip followed by a double tailwhip and ended it with a frontflip over the last double - a progressive collection of tricks to lay down in one single run.

In 2012 the age of “combo’s” was born and technical riders like Thomas Genon took the stage. His astonishing run brought a whole new box of tricks like the Decade into the sport and from here nothing but airtime has stood in the way of progression.

Then, in 2013 more tricks dropped on the daily. The young Polish rider Szymon Godziek – currently booming on the best trick scene - landed a cashroll. A trick known in BMX but until then untouched in MTB contests. Szymon won the GoPro Best Trick that day in Leogang.

Staying true to the 26TRIX history – the best was still to come. Last year, the trick level was off the charts. Sam Reynolds landed his awesome bikeflip in his final run, and celebrated accordingly! But he was missing from the top spot because of Antoine Bizets double backflip nohand – the world’s first ever at a mountain bike contest! The Frenchman took Best Trick that day, but victory went to the dark horse of the season – Nicholi Rogatkin who established the level of the sport for the upcoming season. His winning run included a technical cashroll, massive lawn dart frontflip and a smooth triple tailwhip. Where will 26TRIX take the sport this year? On June 12^th and 13^th all will be revealed as the cream of the crop return to write more history in the books.