Latest info from Spain on the first World Cup downhill of the year…

In general they are all liking it, at first some were a bit worried that it was a bit too smooth and fast (a fair few of those stumps that stumped Minnaar last year have been removed), but just after this mornings practice it seems to be cutting up a fair old bit into something suitably rough. The replacement section for the infamous rock slab seems to be well liked too, even if it does seem to be causing the biggest headache when it comes to line choice. The lower half of the course is a bit more flowing than last year, it’ll be interesting to see if the times drop despite the course probably being a fraction longer than last year. Oh, and the overnight rain doesn’t seem to have made any difference to the track at all, it’s still dusty as hell, and Victor (Dirt photog) seems to be getting roosted on a regular basis.

Couple of things I’ve seen, one was a guy smacking his bike into a tree so hard that his rear shock exploded! Another was an old Sunn Radicle going at a fair old lick, and not looking a minute out of date. Dan Stanbridge was hitting one section faster than anyone else I’ve seen with a unique line. The new entry rules don’t seem to be making the blindest bit of difference to the amount of muppets on the course. The Athertons are so desperate for another mechanic that I’ve even just seen their manager Dan Brown wielding a spanner. And I’ve also just spotted their prototype rear shocks on their 4X bike with ‘Atherton 07’ engraving visible. And finally I’ve just seen one spectator arrive by horse!

Ed H

VIGO WORLD CUP