Adventure and Travel

South Africans Going Downhill: Vallnord World Champs track walk (Andorra)

· By Press Office · 15 comments

Registration took place on Sunday, which resulted in a rather frantic dash around trying to get our international racing licenses printed. Somehow Mark, Cobus and I had not put two and two together, and the angry man and bewildered young lady at the registration table managed to firmly tell us that showing a picture of it on our phones was not good enough. Note to self: if the CSA say “should you wish to have this licence printed you need to pay another R30 etc etc…” just make the effort to pay the extra R30 and the courier fee. Honestly, it’s not worth being scolded in French, Spanish, Catalan and English…

With registration out the way, we all eagerly bundled into the gondola to head off for track walk. Woo hoo! Glee! (PS Video is at the bottom of the post)

ccs-62657-0-92464900-1440511493.jpg

Shortly after this picture, we were on track and analysing every rock, root, bump and possible line choice. This went on for about an hour as we happily and confidently realised we could totally manage this track. A mechanic at Cedricate (Cedric Gracia’s shop) had said “Do you ride Cedric Gracia trail? Yeah? It’s similar to that”…which had perhaps lulled us all into a false sense of security. Here are some pics of the merry old times…

ccs-62657-0-47980300-1440511502.jpgStarting Gate.
ccs-62657-0-88995800-1440511502.jpgFirst bridge over the main road.
ccs-62657-0-33351600-1440511507.jpgJo considering a line through the rocks.
ccs-62657-0-90833700-1440511507.jpgA gappy with no green line.
ccs-62657-0-84565900-1440511501.jpgRika’s line choice…will I fit…hmmmmmm…
ccs-62657-0-13091200-1440511502.jpgThe start of the bermies.
ccs-62657-0-96484700-1440511500.jpgA wee road gap in the middle of the bermies…
ccs-62657-0-24434500-1440511501.jpgNaaice…
ccs-62657-0-55765600-1440511501.jpgI do love the grasses here…
ccs-62657-0-06956700-1440511497.jpg
ccs-62657-0-71223300-1440511499.jpgThen stuff started looking more serious… Cobus is standing on a dark grey berm of rock covered in oily looking mud…
ccs-62657-0-44912100-1440511500.jpgA rock chute one enters after ripping apart 10 metres of rock and fairy wonderland moss and ferns…
ccs-62657-0-71530200-1440511500.jpgDeciding how to walk down what we have to ride down…
ccs-62657-0-49414500-1440511496.jpgRika at the top of where stuff really starts to get steep. We puzzled this for ages, as it’s filled with roots and leads onto a bridge…

It was after this point on the walk when we all started to go quiet. It was all well and good analysing what root, bump, rock etc. to go around, over, next to…if we were just going to somersault down the mountain for the last 20% of the track. Nigel is typically a pretty positive person and sees lines for everyone…but when he just stopped and said “oh sh*t”… we knew that perhaps there was only one kind of line. The down line. Straight down.

ccs-62657-0-82185600-1440511496.jpgRoots. You’d think roots were good things, until you slip off them on to your face.
ccs-62657-0-87834700-1440511495.jpgRopes. For spectators and marshals to pull themselves up the mountain and lower themselves down…but why do that when you can just “roll down it”…
ccs-62657-0-22715200-1440511496.jpgThe ending chute. Originally we thought this was scary looking when we saw it earlier in the week. Now it’s the easiest part.
ccs-62657-0-44939200-1440511494.jpgRika loving the gradient.
ccs-62657-0-99487000-1440511494.jpgMy new best friends – the medics.
ccs-62657-0-36428400-1440511495.jpgUh oh.

Rika took much better pictures of the gradient…and these are her pics of areas we walked down.

ccs-62657-0-43480300-1440511508.jpgNegotiating the first steep bank full of roots.
ccs-62657-0-68793400-1440511508.jpgRock channel that is actually not too bad at all.
ccs-62657-0-97835100-1440511508.jpgRock chute from Rika’s camera, looks more realistic!
ccs-62657-0-28217500-1440511509.jpgBerms which are disintegrating as I type.
ccs-62657-0-52186900-1440511509.jpgVroooom.
ccs-62657-0-21514500-1440511510.jpgBraap.
ccs-62657-0-70502600-1440511510.jpgThis picture actually shows the steep gradient better than most…
ccs-62657-0-20263500-1440511511.jpgMark and I, specks in the landscape…I would later go head over heels in a similar area actually. My bike bounced like a rubber ball until it was lovingly caught by a tree.

And of course…the obligatory video:

Originally published on southafricansgoingdowhill. Follow the riders as they conquer the World Championships here.

Comments

Stretch

Aug 25, 2015, 3:22 PM

Good luck guys and girls..will be watching the results closely

Grebel

Aug 25, 2015, 5:10 PM

That track looks gnarly...!!! All the best guys [emoji106] Will be watching the blog

Captain Fastbastard Mayhem

Aug 25, 2015, 5:30 PM

Looks gnarly as balls!

KingTJ

Aug 25, 2015, 7:08 PM

if you are going though hell, just keep going!! Good Luck all..do us proud!! ( i know you will)

Guest

Aug 25, 2015, 8:56 PM

Represent !!

Shebeen

Aug 26, 2015, 11:44 AM

from what i can see XCO is yesterday/today.

 

dhi train all week and race tomorrow!

 

http://vallnordworldchampionships.com/en/program-2015/masters/

nonky

Aug 27, 2015, 8:26 AM

looks steep as f##k - good luck, guys.

Craig Rudder

Sep 1, 2015, 3:47 PM

Wow Inspirational... Good luck and enjoy

Stretch

Sep 1, 2015, 4:35 PM

Wow Inspirational... Good luck and enjoy

They already back in sa dude....
MEYER1

Sep 1, 2015, 5:08 PM

Is Rourke Croeser  there???

nigelhicks

Sep 3, 2015, 1:59 PM

Yes Rourke is over there now. He will be racing on Sat i believe

Velouria

Sep 5, 2015, 8:40 PM

RSA19910524 CROESER Rourke SOUTH AFRICA DNS

 

Any one know anything?

Velouria

Sep 7, 2015, 8:41 AM

RSA19910524 CROESER Rourke SOUTH AFRICA DNS

 

Any one know anything?

Seems like he was withdrawn.

 

Captain Fastbastard Mayhem

Sep 7, 2015, 8:49 AM

Seems like he was withdrawn.

 

Well, that sheds some light on it...

rpedro

Sep 8, 2015, 1:23 PM

Still waiting to find out why he DNS...

"RSA19910524 CROESER Rourke SOUTH AFRICA DNS"

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