2012 WP Downhill Round 5

The final round of the WP DH series took place this past weekend at Jonkershoek in Stellenbosch. Even though it was the same track as last year, everything looked different as the pine plantation was completely cleared, leaving a uncovered track from top to bottom. The plus side was that this made spectating very easy as you could see almost 2 thirds othe track from the finish line.

Saturday's practice saw a mixed bag of weather, from a cold rainy morning to a sunny warm afternoon. The rain that fell in the days leading up to the weekend left behind some thick mud that made practice very interesting. Apart from a couple of riders, everybody took it easy and tried to stay upright and avoid the deep ruts that formed very quickly.

Sunday turned out to be a perfectly sunny winters day and riders were keen to get to the top and put in some proper practice runs before racing started. Times increased steadily as the track dried out some more and racing was tight with the top 5 separated by only 2.6 seconds at the end of the day. Luke Davis was typically smooth and took the top spot with a time of 2.24.88. 2nd spot went to Theo Erlangsen (also winner of the Junior Men's race) with a time of 2.25.18. Rounding up the top 3 was Adriaan Smit in 2.26.11.

The track builders, lead by Bennet Nel, and Vince Muir did an awesome job of preparing a smooth a flowy track during a very rainy month. Race organizers and marshals ensured everything went smooth and an injury free race rounded off everything nicely.

Thanks to our sponsors, Csixx, Unit, Ribs, Skullcandy, Action Cycles, Reeds, Somerset timbers, Cape Pine and Specialised for their respective contributions.

Top ten overal:
1. Luke Davis : 2.24.88
2. Theo Erlangsen : 2.25.18
3. Adriaan Smit : 2.26.11
4. Devon Katzen : 2.26.99
5. Dane Olsen : 2.27.52
6. Duran van Eeden : 2.28.20
7. Thomas Rood : 2.32.12
8. Myles Kelsey : 2.32.12
9. Mark Hopkins : 2.32.90
10 Jason Gorman : 2.33.34

The 2012 Tara Llanes Classic At Northstar

Join Northstar California for the 6th Annual Tara Llanes Classic taking place September 28 - 30, 2012.
We will have an XC Race on Saturday and a Super D Race on Sunday. Proceeds of the Tara Llanes Classic mountain bike race will go towards the Tara Llanes Road to Recovery Fund and the Reeve-Irvine Research Center to find a cure for spinal cord injury. In addition to the races, there will be an expo, kid's race, bike clinics, video screenings, BBQ, raffles and more!
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www.NorthstarCalifornia.com
www.tarallanesclassic.org/
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2012 Halo BDS Final From Llangollen By Wideopenmag

The track at Llangollen was hands down the best of the season with Martin and the One Giant Leap crew building a brutally loose, steep and fast gauntlet for the UK’s most talented racers.

2012/2013 Avid Zerode Team Ben Hill

Never ridden the Zerode, never seen the track.......... Shreds like a demon.

2012 Hafjell UCI World Cup With Team Specialized

The 2012 Downhill MTB World Cup season wrapped up this weekend in Hafjell, Norway and Monster Energy Specialized's Sam Hill (AUS) raced to 7th place under blue skies, on a track that had him smiling all week. Visit www.i-am-specialized.com for more.