Schladming Part 2 - DH Practice 1  
(14 comments)  Friday, 12-September-2008  01:20 AM - by Ryan 
So, just got in off the hill having watched the first DH practice session. A little greasy up top early in the day but most of the track is already either tacky and wonderful or a total dustbowl.


The word from everyone on the hill is that the course is flat-out amazing and I'd have to agree. Working our way down today there wasn't a single section that didn't look fun to ride and the last section where the track descends the final part of the Planai ski-run sheds a ludicrous amount of altitude in very little time.

The usual suspects are looking fast as hell already, Hill and Fairclough riding in a train and pinning everything, ditto the Athertons and the Syndicate. Steve Smith was looking quick on his lurid orange cove and the Mondraker team were solid as well.

Remember that the race for the top spots is super tight here, so Minnaar and Hill in particular are going to have to lay it all out there in both their semi and final runs if they want the overall title.

A little over half way down is where there's going to be the biggest chance to put time in with a number of sections of steep, rough, loose, slippery roots that have some mental lines through them that will reward the brave and punish the foolhardy. If either of them chooses to take the slow-but-safe options through here, they're going to need to produce a blinder of a ride on the rest of the course to stay in the mix.

Click through for more photos...

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