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Vallnord DHI 2013...

slyfink

Turbo Monkey
Sep 16, 2008
9,288
5,028
Ottawa, Canada
Just saw this over on Dirt: http://dirt.mpora.com/news/vallnord-2013-world-cup-track-helmet-cam.html

haven't had a chance to watch the viddies yet caus' I'm at work, but the description "we reckon it looks like it has the potential to be one of the best on the circuit" gets me really amped for the next race. Which is in what? 3 weeks?

it's obviously hard to call based on so little info, but the description of 'technical', 'fast' and 'steep' indicate a possible good showing for Gee, Smith and Bryceland.... and hopefully Gwin comes back with some vigour to really light up the season!
 

jnooth

Monkey
Sep 19, 2008
384
1
Vermont Country
hmm the track looks ok at best. but it doesnt look any better or worse than the first video I saw of the track in norway, so I remain optimistic. I remember thinking norway would be a big let down but once the course tape went up and I saw something other than a helmet cam it started to look sick
 

EVIL JN

Monkey
Jul 24, 2009
491
24
hmm the track looks ok at best. but it doesnt look any better or worse than the first video I saw of the track in norway, so I remain optimistic. I remember thinking norway would be a big let down but once the course tape went up and I saw something other than a helmet cam it started to look sick
+1

I think almost all tracks look boring on a helmet cam, even VDS looks kind of tame but it sure as hell is not in real life. So we'll just have to wait for some more footage.

At least the last track at Andorra was pretty sick
 
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frango

Turbo Monkey
Jun 13, 2007
1,454
5
+1

I think almost all tracks look boring on a helmet cam, even VDS looks kind of tame but it sure as hell is not in real life. So we'll just have to wait for some more footage.

At least the last track at Andorra was pretty sick
Well, I remember Warner died on VSD 3 times due heart attack and twice BC of huge rocks and roots. And you could all see it on his helmet cam ;>
 

norbar

KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause
Jun 7, 2007
11,346
1,587
Warsaw :/
Looks extremely 1 line-ish, but at least it's not beat and **** kicked like most of the rest of the older tracks right now.
Old Valnord was also one linish but yeah it looks kinda like a local track. Narrow, fast-ish but not super technical.
 

Sandwich

Pig my fish!
Staff member
May 23, 2002
21,031
5,921
borcester rhymes
Is is just me, or this track looks line enduro trail??
I thought the same thing. Very flat, not technically challenging, very pedal-y. Some of the comments suggest that it has very steep sections, so I'm guessing the helmut cams are just not doing it justice.
 

NwRider

Chimp
Dec 14, 2011
59
0
Bellingham, Wa
As far as the helmet cam goes, looks pretty disappointing. Might be a sick trail to ride, but to race. I dont think so. Seems as if World cup tracks are heading....downhill
 

Mo(n)arch

Turbo Monkey
Dec 27, 2010
4,441
1,422
Italy/south Tyrol
Looks like Taylor Vernon got injured during the Air DH race in les Deux Alps. According the dirt homepage he was airlifted out with three cracked vertebrae :eek:

Kid got some bad luck, that's for sure.

Healing vibes to him!
 

trib

not worthy of a Rux.
Jun 22, 2009
1,456
388
a junior trying to keep up with the current fastest rider in the mens field is going to get him super fast, very quickly. Perhaps too fast too soon?

Hope he heals up quick
 

slyfink

Turbo Monkey
Sep 16, 2008
9,288
5,028
Ottawa, Canada
not sayin' there isn't any racecraft to be learned or anything, caus' obviously there is, but in this instance he wasn't following Gee as Gee rode down the mountain to be with him after he heard about the crash.

healing vibes indeed. sucks to hear.
 
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EVIL JN

Monkey
Jul 24, 2009
491
24
Well it still looks rather average as far as testing the worlds best riders abilities. Probably a fun track to ride but i think it really lacks that omg, wtf awesomeness compared to the likes of VDS, Champery, MSA, Schladming, Maribor etc. Looks like what would be inbetween a red and black run in my local bike park.

Although it will probably rough up quite nicely before race time, bigger brake bumps and some roots coming ut for some sunshine, so there will no dubt be some good action. Might be really interesting if it rains. Thinking mr Hill might be on for a stormer, lots of turns and plenty of cutty oportunities
 

Pslide

Turbo Monkey
Are you guys watching all the way to the end? Because the last 1/3 looks pretty cool, steep natural, but hard to get on camera come race day. Although that fun looking ravine towards the end looks like it could be good filming.

Top sections did look average at best.
 

trib

not worthy of a Rux.
Jun 22, 2009
1,456
388
not sayin' there isn't any racecraft to be learned or anything, caus' obviously there is, but in this instance he wasn't following Gee as Gee rode down the mountain to be with him after he heard about the crash.

healing vibes indeed. sucks to hear.
that's kind of what I was trying to say (but didn't actually say at all, not my smartest move). It's a lot easier to go fast when you're trailing fast riders, go it alone and you've suddenly got no one to follow, still trying to go the same pace or faster.

I know that I ride faster when I'm following someone better than me, put me on the track on my own and I'm practically going backwards
 

EVIL JN

Monkey
Jul 24, 2009
491
24
Some rain and a couple of hundred of runs and we'll a proper track. Looks a fair bit better on this vid than the previous helmet cams.

Kind of strange though feels like the start of a new season with such a long break
 

William42

fork ways
Jul 31, 2007
3,908
634
Huh. I'm beginning to be dubious. I always think helmet cams undersell tracks - flat and ass to tire look the same. But the gracia video didn't do much to reassure me that it was better suited to a DH bike then to the rad new epic with its built in flat pack holder.
 

William42

fork ways
Jul 31, 2007
3,908
634
so is media coverage non-existent or is this race next weekend, and this thread was 2-3 weeks early?

nvm, just looked up the dates, looks like this thread was just a bit...early.
 
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General Lee

Turbo Monkey
Oct 16, 2003
2,860
0
The 802
Never judge a course by the helmet cam. Walked up the bottom bit last night, no flat bike park track here. Thumbs up from Mick

Pardon the instaspam pic for now.
Andorra.JPG
 

Cant Climb

Turbo Monkey
May 9, 2004
2,683
10
This track has 'some' top soil for a change.
The rest will scratch off once practice starts.

Helmet cams are generally useless IMO.
 

slyfink

Turbo Monkey
Sep 16, 2008
9,288
5,028
Ottawa, Canada
aside from the inanities of post 17, anyone know what Gwin's been up to in the past few weeks? Haven't seen any race reports that mention him... In an interview a while back he mentionned not having the terrain close to home to train at WC levels (a fact which was roundly contested by certain monkeys); so I'm wondering what his strategy to get back on form has been.

I'm stoked for this race. It'll be cool to see the battle heat up again between the current front-runners and to see whether Gee is on a "Gwinning" streak, or whether others will rise to the challenge.