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Not the Snowshoe or MSA thread: Vallnord Andorra!

jackalope

Mental acuity - 1%
Jan 9, 2004
7,596
5,894
in a single wide, cooking meth...

William42

fork ways
Jul 31, 2007
3,908
634
Sounds like Giant is embracing the 29er phase, no DH bike for 2019, I'd bet good money the "more from the giant camp tomorrow" from pinkbike is a new 29er DH bike from them. @kidwoo gun be real happy.

Fuckin reptiles.

That said, I'd probably ride one.
 

toodles

ridiculously corgi proportioned
Aug 24, 2004
5,479
4,719
Australia
Track walk pics of Andorra up on PB. That track looks so good - love the wide open taping and multi-line choice going on. Hopefully they can get one or two cameras up in those sections and also that steep AF chute near the end.
 

mykel

closer to Periwinkle
Apr 19, 2013
5,070
3,779
sw ontario canada
As a longtime not customer of giant bicycles this greatly affects me.

I'm focused more on the really important things in life.

https://www.pinkbike.com/news/north-shore-teeter-totters-to-be-dismantled-after-ontario-liability-ruling.html

I have ridden the teeter-totter that started this whole mess.

When all of this first started going down, I thought it was the bigger double-teeter. It was fun for few up and overs.

Could not find a pic, but some random video from the netz.


But nope, the one that caused the whole kerfuffle is this - a simple basic well built feature.



..and don't ya just love the double-black insurance mandated warnings - which was posted and didn't do squat. I really wish these things were a bit more realistic. This over-cautious categorizing is in some ways worse. Get some young kid that rides this a few times then drops into a more realistic BD trail and they get in over their heads real quick - talk about fostering a total false sense of ability.
 
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kidwoo

Artisanal Tweet Curator
Just like enduro is the worst thing in mountainbiking in 2019, teeter totters were the worst thing in mountainbiking in 2003. I in no way shape or form now or ever give a flying fuck about teeter totters anywhere, any how, or in any way.

I was making a joke.

At the expense of teeter totters.

Which deserve it.
 

jackalope

Mental acuity - 1%
Jan 9, 2004
7,596
5,894
in a single wide, cooking meth...
Looks like Loic and Troy on another level.
Surprise ladies results too.

https://www.pinkbike.com/news/results-qualifying-vallnord-world-cup-dh-2019.html
Impressive results for both Marine and Nina, although Tracey had something go wrong after being up by almost 2 secs on Nina after the 3rd split. Speaking of splits, I'm liking how Carina Cappelari managed a 1:53" at split 1, then a 1:48" at split 2. She's going to be difficult to beat if she can figure our her time travelling abilities.

As rad as this track is, it seems like it won't be super tight times except for perhaps Troy and Loic. Still, its going to be a baller race tomorrow - just hope the red cow can get some decent on course camera locations.
 

canadmos

Cake Tease
May 29, 2011
20,190
19,156
Canaderp
I have ridden the teeter-totter that started this whole mess.

When all of this first started going down, I thought it was the bigger double-teeter. It was fun for few up and overs.

Could not find a pic, but some random video from the netz.


But nope, the one that caused the whole kerfuffle is this - a simple basic well built feature.



..and don't ya just love the double-black insurance mandated warnings - which was posted and didn't do squat. I really wish these things were a bit more realistic. This over-cautious categorizing is in some ways worse. Get some young kid that rides this a few times then drops into a more realistic BD trail and they get in over their heads real quick - talk about fostering a total false sense of ability.
Kind of off topic, whatever this is teh Ridemonkeys! I went to that "bike park" last year, not realizing it was the same place. You should see it now, its completely barren except for a few bumps and one turn. But there are warning signs everywhere.

The only thing worth riding was this one turn, which somehow stretched a DHR2 right off the rim.
 

slyfink

Turbo Monkey
Sep 16, 2008
9,289
5,028
Ottawa, Canada
speaking of tired legs...


Vergier taking all the "big boy" lines... :shocked: will it tire him out, or does he have enough to hold on till the end?

This is shaping up to be another exciting race.
 

BigBoi

Monkey
Oct 31, 2011
310
50
Long Island, NY
What time is the DH men’s race tomorrow on the East Coast of the US? RedBull tv doesn’t currently mention anything other than a replay of the XC race.

Thank you!
 

6thElement

Schrodinger's Immigrant
Jul 29, 2008
15,827
13,063
What time is the DH men’s race tomorrow on the East Coast of the US? RedBull tv doesn’t currently mention anything other than a replay of the XC race.

Thank you!
From the link in the OP I presume 7:45 eastern.
 

6thElement

Schrodinger's Immigrant
Jul 29, 2008
15,827
13,063
Presume you must be browsing on a phone, via a computer in mountain time:
Capture.JPG
 

jackalope

Mental acuity - 1%
Jan 9, 2004
7,596
5,894
in a single wide, cooking meth...
Back at it with moar WC-DH, this time in the famed land of Mandorra, which of course is the home of CG, Commie bikes and duty free shopping. The track at the Vallnord resort is known for being steep AF and in this case, full of hub deep dust puddles, which obviously make for the best dirt poofies, much to the delight of PB and Vital photogs. I mean, can you ever have enough gravel showers in that one famous corner? (turns out the answer is a resounding "yes...yes you fucking can") Anyway, off we go with what we know:

* Pretty sure I've covered this before, but the area was first inhabited by blue, antenna having aliens hailing with Andor. They came here looking for a certain brash starship captain who knocked up this chick


* Eventually, humans moved into the land as well, and in this case it was the Ibe(e)rians, who are now famous for creating an app for your iphone that allows you to send a text to your Andoran wife's antenna to let her know to bring you a beer. Needless to say, it hasn't been downloaded a lot outside of Mandorra.

* The Mandorra coat of arms features 2 bulls equipped with udders, blue hooves and blue horns. Not sure how this is relevant, but I suspect it will become clear after the race.


* Andorra was at one time part of the Kingdom of Aragon in what is modern day Spain. I can only assume they have a palantir and a really cool sword somewhere in the Capital.

* It's 59 degrees (freedom units) in Vallnord right now...It felt like it was almost twice that here in central NC today...I should very much like to be in Vallnord right now.

Well that should do it for the pregame, so onto the big 5:

1.) The Spirit of Carlin Dunne - returning to his roots as a bad ass mountain biker, CD makes one last stop on the blue marble before going off to party with Ronnie Jame Dio and Kelly McGarry. Right before he drops in on a vintage Kona Stinky, there is a deep silence, followed by a ghostly wind noise, then full-on Holy Diver at volume 11

2.) Paul Revere - well fuck it, if ghosts are racin, then lets bring in the Father of the American Air Force, Paul No-Fear Revere. But wait, how in the wide world of fuck did Paul Revere create the USAF before there were even airplanes? Simple you dumb asses, he had a fleet of flying horses that he borrowed from the Greeks. During the Revolutionary War, he used them to great effect against the easily offended Brits by having his steeds take massive aerial horse dumps on the redcoat lines. This time, he takes the famed Pegasus down Vallnord track with a fury, yelling "The British Soccer Teams are finally going to win something, the British Soccer Teams are going to finally win something! Nah, just kidding"


* Kidwoos fanny pack - Just like Michael Cain in the 1981 horror classic "The Hand", RM's favorite Luddite was violently separated from one of his most prized possessions in a bad snowmobile accident. He was traumatized by the loss of his $170, made in America bum bag, but eventually through a lot of counseling and Franzia boxed wine, he overcame his grief and eventually came to hate the fetid man purse. So much so, he started hating anyone who used a hip satchel and devised a plan to shoot these dry backed riders with a paint gun. But it turns out his high end waist bag had a sentience of its own, and escaped to Mandorra to do something Woo has never done - claim a WC podium. Strapping itself to a Commie Supreme 29er, the WooSack rolls over everything in its path with ease thanks to the wonderful big wheels and takes the 3 spot.

* Ivanka Trump - I mean damn, this bitch is everywhere, ammirite? Not satisfied with making peace with North Korea, helping Neil Armstrong out of his spaceship onto the moon, writing MLK's "I have a dream" speech, and making Jesus a great last meal, Ivanka "Badonkadonk" Trump decides to try her hand at WC DH rally biking. And since everyone is basically only wearing skin suits flimsy kneepads, Ivanka takes it to an even more casual level with just a long T-shirt and some saucy sandals. And when you're this fucking dumb, why bother with a helmet?


* The Italian guy with jeans and a super non-Italian surname - hooray for privateers! Especially those who use a Commie DH bike for DH'ing, and a Mondraker DH bike for Enduroing. And I thought stretchy jeans were only for hipsters and dirt jumpers! Seriously, this dude is a straight up fucking bad ass and I would piss myself if he somehow ended up on the podium.


Senoritas -

1.) Nina! Hooray for privateers!
2.) Rach: methinks she was holding back a little in qualies
3.) The Marine
4.) Val Holl (timewise)
5.) Italian lady

* I actually think Trace is riding faster than any of them right now, but she'll be up by 5 seconds and blow up in one of the last corners. (le sigh)
 
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Gary

"S" is for "neo-luddite"
Aug 27, 2002
7,536
5,470
UK
That was awesome. Who cares about the time when there's big gaps and dust squibs to watch.
The USA kit being pure EVEL KNIEVEL just topped it off
 
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Gary

"S" is for "neo-luddite"
Aug 27, 2002
7,536
5,470
UK
REEEEEEEEESE

That was actually quite a stylish crash... just needed a 50to01 remount after the bike 360'd
 

chris_f

Monkey
Jun 20, 2007
390
409
Von Klebelsberg in loose-fitting jersey and jeans giving absolutely zero fucks!
 

dovbush66

Monkey
Aug 27, 2018
195
218
Ireland
This track is always fun as fuck to watch and the cameras are placed nicely imo. can't wait to watch les gets trackside next week.
 

chris_f

Monkey
Jun 20, 2007
390
409
That was an incredible race, and how they put more than five seconds into Hart was absolutely insane.