DH Nationals 2021 Trail Build

nathanm

Eats Squid
What's the wrap up from Nationals @nathanm?
How did the track hold up and did it produce good racing?
Absolutely belted with rain at the Lunch break Saturday and the course had running water, everyone was looking suitably miserable other than the team riders who didn't have to line up for 30+ minutes to use one of the 3 wash bays whilst covered from asshole to lunchtime in thick mud. Heard a few masters rolled out of the start gate and back to the bus, though the elite womens XC field didn't have that luxury and showed some amazing grit to make it up those ridiculous climbs (the XC course went up the Blue flow trails) in the mud and rain and just plain horrible conditions.

Sun and wind yesterday and the course was apparently greasy up the top in the forest but perfect in the lower open section where I was. Plenty of chat about which bike to use, with lots of Enduro rigs getting around but DH bikes took the majority of the top positions.

Racing wasn't particularly close. Dan Booker the local Tassie pinner who built the trail and had plenty of "unofficial" practice in the weeks leading up to and including the course preview, seeded first and had plenty of local support including his mum whose a lovely woman and I had the unfortunate pleasure of sharing a st johns ambulance with her many years ago, but I digest.

Anyway, Troy won by 6 seconds. He is just so smooth and fast and in a different league.
Funny story, Jayne saw him on Saturday and asked if the "1" plate meant he was the number 1 Junior as he's so small.

Dan just took second from Dean Lucas in third so great result. Baxter Maiwald was less than a second back in 4th. 1-10 was separated by 14 seconds or only 8 if you take out Troy's result and Darcy Coutts was 11th 17 seconds behind troy and 11 behind Dan.

Saw Frenchy several times (including hooning up and down the course on his quad bike) and have to give kudos to him and his crew. It was a massive event and I know how much grief you cop running it. But it seem to go seamlessly and they did an absolutely amazing job and should be applauded for delivering an event of this calibre.
 

dirtart

Likes Bikes
For clarity, none of our staff had any real unofficial practice. The course was only completed a few days before the event- you could count the number of total passes the trail had on two hands. No staff had more than a few full laps each...

Racing wasn't particularly close. Dan Booker the local Tassie pinner who built the trail and had plenty of "unofficial" practice in the weeks leading up to and including the course preview, seeded first and had plenty of local support including his mum whose a lovely woman and I had the unfortunate pleasure of sharing a st johns ambulance with her many years ago, but I digest.

Anyway,
 

nathanm

Eats Squid
For clarity, none of our staff had any real unofficial practice. The course was only completed a few days before the event- you could count the number of total passes the trail had on two hands. No staff had more than a few full laps each...
Sorry should have added "" as that comment was meant purely tongue in cheek as a reference to early post about dan and darcy doing the promo run.

Anyway how you guys pulled that event off is beyond me and youve absolutely shut me up. Not a critical word will be spoken or written again.
 

moorey

call me Mia
For clarity, none of our staff had any real unofficial practice. The course was only completed a few days before the event- you could count the number of total passes the trail had on two hands. No staff had more than a few full laps each...
Yep, Dan is a weapon at home or abroad. Wasn’t at all surprised to see him there. Assume Darcy had same deal, and he didn’t do quite as well as I hoped (local lad).
As I said earlier, only heard good feedback from riders about the track. Good work.
 
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