Round 1 Nationals - Eagle Park SA

[Lizardskin]

So whos coming over to little ol Adelaide to race the first round of the Nationals? :)

http://www.eaglenatsa.com/

[roxy12]

yeh I will be, Im sure ill be a bit stale, but ill cruise around.

[Shan:)]

yeh im coming over for sure! sounds like a fun track.

[roxy12]

yeh im coming over for sure! sounds like a fun track.

reminder to self.....bring gift for person who kept me alive:D:p

[jo fox]

Unfortunately I won't be able to do the series this year.I go in for surgery on my collar bone on monday. I'm having a plate put in as well as having a piece of bone removed that is sticking out. :eek:
Hopefully I will be good for the champs in canberra in jan so I will see you all then. Good luck to all those who will be racing, I hope the girls have a good turnout.

FOXY

[Lizardskin]

Unfortunately I won't be able to do the series this year.I go in for surgery on my collar bone on monday. I'm having a plate put in as well as having a piece of bone removed that is sticking out. :eek:
Hopefully I will be good for the champs in canberra in jan so I will see you all then. Good luck to all those who will be racing, I hope the girls have a good turnout.

FOXY

Oh no. What happened? I am assuming a bike injury? (you never know something else might have happened.)

[MTB-ChiK]

This is what happened to Foxy: http://forums.farkin.net/showthread.php?t=102238

Ergh, I nearly felt sick hearing about the plate surgery & bone sticking out! Eww.. Hope all goes well with the Op :)

[Shan:)]

hay that really sux,
i hope all goes well with the operation and you have a quick recovery,
really sorry to hear that.
shan

[barneroo]

Yeah, I'm going over... not sure if I'm going to do DH or just XC... Flying with two bikes is a bit of a pain.
Does anyone know what the DH course is like? If I do it I won't get much time to practice.

[Lizardskin]

They just raced the masters games on the exact same track last weekend, and there are photos on here:

http://www.sportsphotographics.com.au/album.php?album_id=1230

I would say the track is not a fast track, its more technical with tight corners and rocks. Not too many big A lines. Its always dry and dusty up there (as its an old quarry).

Its good fun and easy for spectators to watch most of the track from a central position.

The XC track is good fun too. I would say its fairly technical in some spots with some tricky up hill rock climbs and fast flowy decents.

[BrumbyJack]

I just read the track report on the Eagle Park website and I must say this bit has be concerned...

DH COURSE DESCRIPTION
Technical and rocky. Two words that could be used to describe a 3 minute blast down through Eagle MTB Park. Pulling your goggles on in the start gate, you can watch the rider in front of you attack the course for the first 40 seconds or just soak up the sweeping views of Adelaide coastline. Demanding precision from riders, the course rewards flowing through switchbacks, techy corners, and high speed sections. Crossing over the top of the XC course twice (in the air of course), you are never far from the action featuring a creek gap, 8 metre vertical rock chute and knarly rock garden to test the nerve of even the best riders. Gap the lot if you have what it takes but show the garden some respect or it will bite back. Don’t get it right the first time? There will be ample transport with four purpose built trailers so you’re riding more than waiting.

Is it as bad as it sounds, or is that just creative editorial???

I can't ride. The kids or kid may go, depending on a response from my travel agent regarding Travel Insurance for our trip to Canada in 7 weeks!!!!

[Fitty]

Is any one able to tell me if you can still ride the xc course when the DH racing is on ?

[Lizardskin]

Is any one able to tell me if you can still ride the xc course when the DH racing is on ?

Yep of course you can.

The trails have been designed so there is no cross over or conflict between the 2 tracks. The XC course weaves its way away (and around) from shuttles and the DH track.

The XC track goes under a bridge/culvert thingo in two sections, which the DH track goes over.

BrumbyJack - dont be concerned about the track. Yes there is a big creek gap with a triple jump after it. But there is a B line to the right.

Yep there is a super steep vertical chute, but there is also a B line that goes around it.

Yes there is a rock garden, but if you go slow it is totally rideable. Just the faster you go, the closer the trees and rocks feel.....:eek:

Ill dig up some photos. There should be some on the Eagle website soon.....

[BrumbyJack]

Thanks LizardSkin, that's what I wanted to hear :D

Now I just have to hope that I get a positive response from the Insurance, then we all can come along :D

Pine_Forest_Princess is an U/15 female, but we have already paid for overseas travel and have to make sure we can get covered by our travel insurance if something goes pearshaped. They are just double checking with the broker as it is racing, not just recreational riding.

[racingroo]

Is any one able to tell me if you can still ride the xc course when the DH racing is on ?

But I think the national XC series is going on at the same time as the DH.. so that weekend the general public (eg people not registered to race) will probably not be able to ride.

[Lizardskin]

But I think the national XC series is going on at the same time as the DH.. so that weekend the general public (eg people not registered to race) will probably not be able to ride.


Yeah good point. Some of the XC race track will not be open as it will be used for the short course on the Sunday.

But all the rest of the XC tracks will be open to anyone on the Sunday.

BrumbyJack - Thats great to hear another U15 chick will be racing. We have 3 U15 girls in SA that are getting fast and will be stoked to hear another girl will be around to race against. :)

[Lizardskin]

Ok now for some photos!:):)


Top section of the track, steep cement roll down.
http://i5.pinkbike.com/photo/1553/pbpic1553450.jpg

Looking down the track
http://i5.pinkbike.com/photo/1553/pbpic1553449.jpg

Rocky double to the right, B line to the left.
http://i4.pinkbike.com/photo/1553/pbpic1553448.jpg

Pretty sign.. Oh and a bridge thingo that the DH track jumps over and goes to the right of the photo. XC track goes under.
http://i3.pinkbike.com/photo/1553/pbpic1553445.jpg

Creek Gap (where you cant really see the creek, but its maybe 2m in length). B line to the right over rocks.
http://i3.pinkbike.com/photo/1553/pbpic1553446.jpg

Looking up the track in near the rock garden.
http://i2.pinkbike.com/photo/1553/pbpic1553443.jpg

Steps in general rock garden area
http://i1.pinkbike.com/photo/1553/pbpic1553442.jpg

Rock garden area. C, B and A lines. From left to right.
http://i5.pinkbike.com/photo/1553/pbpic1553440.jpg

Bottom section steep chute entry (where people are standing)
http://i5.pinkbike.com/photo/1543/pbpic1543049.jpg

Bottom section with chute on the left side of picture.
http://i2.pinkbike.com/photo/1553/pbpic1553453.jpg

[BrumbyJack]

Thanks for the pics LizardSkin :D

We've just found out our insurance won't cover her if she is racing, so have to have a long hard think about it... she might go and just race XC or she might go and just take it easy instead of going hard.

[Lizardskin]

That sucks about the insurance. :(
Oh well, hope you still come over for it.

[BrumbyJack]

Nope, we aren't coming :(

My son is on his way though.... He isn't XC ski training in Canada like she is. We've told him to take lots of pics and tell us all about it :D

I'm really broke too as I have been off work for 2 months due to an injury in a ski race...

[MTB-ChiK]

Hey Lizard,

I'll be coming up for a look! Woohoo, can't wait to get out of this town for the weekend :D

I'm not racing tho...

Go on, tell me off, LOL

[Lizardskin]

What!!! Not racing! No fair! :(

You will want to be racing when you are here. Oh well, make sure you cheers us all on!

[Sarsha]

Hey Ladies,

Randal & I were going to come down and race but we can't get down this weekend which is a bummer. But we are all set for the Gold Coast round. But obvouisly I will be consentrating on the MTNX first. So good luck to all the girls.

Sarsha

[MTB-ChiK]

What!!! Not racing! No fair! :(

You will want to be racing when you are here. Oh well, make sure you cheers us all on!

Yeah I know :( It's half business trip, half chill out weekend for me before the Xmas rush.... But you're right, once I'm there I'll be wanting to ride :rolleyes: I'll be cheering you on don't you worry about that!

See you all soon!

[jo fox]

Wow, what a turn out. It was great to see so many girls turn up to a national round. Spewing I was not there, the track looks awesome.
Well done Claire for the win, it's good to see Emma back on the track.
We all have to look out for those u17's, emm's time would have put her in 5th place in elite, go girl.
Hope to see you all soon

Foxy:)

[roxy12]

Wow, what a turn out. It was great to see so many girls turn up to a national round. Spewing I was not there, the track looks awesome.


I wasnt overly impressed by the track, it was "fun" in the dry but sucked majorly once it was wet. It was very much like a big bmx track every corner had a berm etc etc. The rock garden was more rock armring then anything else.

But you didnt miss out on much the wether was shite. Makeing the ground for our runs very much like riding in wet cement, slow and horrid. It saw many elite men who nomaly kill the field be slaughtered due to fitness. Was very much a power track.

was still a fun weekend though, even though I died haha (damn fitness why cant it stay when were off the bikes!) Was great to see claire win her first round and was a very unpredictable race which made it all the more exciteing.


When will we see you racing again foxy?

[Lizardskin]

Wow, what a turn out. It was great to see so many girls turn up to a national round. Spewing I was not there, the track looks awesome.
Well done Claire for the win, it's good to see Emma back on the track.
We all have to look out for those u17's, emm's time would have put her in 5th place in elite, go girl.
Hope to see you all soon

Foxy:)

Yeah those girls are getting fast.

The track conditions changed a lot throughout the day. Not sure it was better when it was wetter because then your tyres didnt clag up, but then it was more slippy, when it dried up a bit more it was claggier, but faster.

Good fun though and I managed not to break anything in the first Nationals round, which was great. Bring on Gold Coast! :)

[Le Matelot]

Have put in a couple of DH photos from the Hendo's at the end of this album (http://picasaweb.google.com.au/lematelot56/AdelaideNationalXCOXCCRound34Nov07)

Elsewhere in it - the XC girls are mainly between photos 7552-7725 and 8058-8113.