June 20 - Results and Write Up

Results are now officially up, check them out and then relax to some more great pics from our snappers Drifterjon, Kitman, and Dale. Don't miss the Boon video at the bottom!

Right, let's get this out of the way first. Adam built this track, knows this track, and kills this track. Greg from the Squadron who took 2nd fastest time was well impressed and scratching his chin to think where he could find any extra speed to beat him. I reckon Adam would say you'd find it in the gym! (Where he spends most of his time when he's not on the bike.) Wicked shot by Dale.


Another awesome shot by Drifterjon of Adam. He won by a full second with a 47.2 second run. Quite astonishing. Keep in mind Steve Peat took 48.7 seconds, but that was in the wet and on a 5 metre shorter course that he'd only ridden once or twice. Anyone who has seen Adam ride is envious of his speed and body language on the bike, which is remarkably similar to Peaty now that you mention it...

This photo is like Space Odyssey meets Predator - Shane flowing through the foliage. This is the upper section of the New Line course in all it's green glory. Thanks to the sunshine, the ferns have come up and changed a lot of lines. Have you tried riding the Black line lately? Nigh on impossible! Photo by Drifterjon.

There were two stories from today that will go down in the annals of the RG history books. The first was Andy H, Squadron rider and general nutter. His 224 was in the shop, so he brought an old jump bike with Junior Ts. The New Line is maybe the hardest trail on the hill for hardtails. When Andy crossed the line I literally could not fathom the digits on my stopwatch. 48.5 seconds. 3rd fastest. Basically the same as Greg on a World Cup race bike. How is this possible? Seriously!? Photo by Kitman.

And this is story number two. Mad Sam, under 16, showed up with a brand spanking new Iron Horse Sunday. Never ridden before. Replacing his old hardtail with 2003 Marzocchi forks. Sam has got bags of skill, so we all wanted to know how this could be applied to a proper downhill machine. Sam adapted to the bike like white on rice! His time? Right up there with the big boys...50.5. Fastest junior. I can't wait to see his name in lights. Photo by Kitman.

Sam H jumping the tape - which in this case is completely legal and highly encouraged! (My first attempt was FAIL.) Adam taped the ballsy gap jump in the middle of the course so it couldn't be rolled - that's what the chicken line is for anyway. This gap was not easy, and the landing was destroyed by the end of the day from casing. Not hear though...easy clean. Photo by Drifterjon.

This was our sole woman entrant, but thankfully she's becoming a regular at the Chase. Becky is pretty quick and very tough...I saw her go down hard near the finish, bouncing her bonce (head) off the ground and jumping up and running to the finish! She is one class chick! Let's just hope Nadia, Joan, and the others come back to give her some competition. Photo by Kitman.

This is how downhill feels to me, total focus while the rest of the world blurs by unnoticed. Greg H, second place with a 48.3 second run. Greg and Elliot are off to the Fort William NPS next weekend - best of luck guys, the Squadron is due some! Photo by Drifterjon.

I just like this one because it's colourful and perfect. By Kitman.

A gorgeous snapshot of the life of a Midlands downhiller at the Chase (it's pixelated here, prettier if you click on it). Telemark skiers call it earning your turns. We spend approximately 15x more time pushing than riding. That means the riding downhill at Stile Cop must be 15x better than...well...sitting on the couch, going to the pub, riding XC - you name it. Artwork by Drifterjon.

Gallery Links:

Drifterjon's Photos
Kitman's Photos
Dale's Photos