Red
bull ride Pics and updates. Final results are in
.doc format and can be downloaded here.
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Australians
Dominate At World's Most Extreme Mountain Bike Contest
Reigning
17-year-old Australian World Junior Champion Sam Hill won the
2003 Red Bull Ride from an experienced international field of
28 competitors yesterday, January 21, at Jindabyne.
The mountain-biking
prodigy from Glen Forrest, WA, claimed victory in a flawless
final run of the day on a specially made course that is recognised
as the toughest ever created. Fellow West Australian John Waddell,
22, came second with Nathan Rennie, 22, of Kurrajong Heights,
NSW, placing third. |
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"The
wind was really strong for the big drops and it was really
smoky towards the end, but I don't think the day could have
gone any better," said Hill.
Australians
filled eight of the top 10 placings in the event, with Frenchman
Cedric Gracia - (rated number two in the world) finishing
seventh and British world no. 1 Steve Peat withdrawing due
to a knee injury incurred during training.
©
Pics are copyright Delly Carr/Red Bull Ride
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"The Australians
were taking it to a new level, really - I'm not sure why.
The ground's a lot harder here, but maybe the overseas guys
just don't have
the overall all-round ability," said Waddell.
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The
precipitous kilometre-long course included a nine metre (30ft)
vertical drop, a 14 metre (46ft) step down gap, rhythm jumps,
a wall ride and a 'sled-saw', a giant moving seesaw on rails
that's never been seen before. Highly-regarded US rider Shaums
March was unable to continue after taking on the 14m gap,
blowing his front tyre, buckling his wheel and snapping his
bike into two pieces on landing.
For
more information, check out the contest updates at www.redbullride.com
©
Pics are copyright Delly Carr/Red Bull Ride
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Tue,
21.1.03:
Red
bull ride day one.
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Australian
Grant Allen was the only competitor to attempt the daunting
8.5 metre (28 foot) drop on the practice day of the 2003 Red
Bull Ride, an international, extreme mountain bike contest
at Jindabyne today.
Recognised
across the globe for his fearless jumping and blasé
approach to huge drops, Allen completed his landing flawlessly.
Today's effort was a
solid endorsement of Allen's reputation in the mountain biking
Mecca of North America, and complemented his performance at
the 2002 Red Bull Ride, where he was the first to attempt
that course's 20ft vertical drop. |
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In intermittently
smoky conditions 27 invited competitors from nine countries
became the first riders to take on the toughest mountain bike
course ever created. Half a dozen bikes were broken and a
Canadian competitor suffered a broken wrist in an eventful
day leading up to tomorrow's competition day.
The new
course consists of 13 man-made and natural stunt sections
strung over a kilometre of steep and rocky trail, where competitors
from nine
countries will be judged on technique, control, fluidity and
overall impression. The difficulty of the line they take down
the mountain is also vital; Allen's giant drop is the largest
of four possible drops making up section five of the course.
Further
information on the Red Bull Ride can be sourced at
www.redbullride.com.
After the event, photography will be available at www.redbull-photofiles.com.
©
Pics are copyright Mark Watson/Red Bull Ride |
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19.1.03:
The World's Toughest Freeride Mountain Bike
Event - Set To Roll Today In Jindabyne
The Red Bull Ride 2003 will commences under clear conditions today,
on the toughest course ever created. Monday the 20th of January sees
the competitors familiarize themselves with the gruelling run in readiness
for the big day of competition Tuesday 21st January.
Twenty-seven of
the world's foremost freeriders from nine countries have converged
on Jindabyne, NSW, to take on a course significantly harder than the
kilometre-long track that dropped 300 vertical metres from start to
finish in 2002.
This January,
that course has been abandoned in favour of something harder: The
new track is longer and more spectacular, and includes a 30-foot vertical
drop, a 45-foot step down gap, rhythm jumps, wall rides and a sled
saw ? a giant moving see-saw on rails that's never been seen before
in mountain biking.
The AUD$15,000
event is a two-day invitation-only competition that will showcase
27 of the world's best and most unhinged competitors and free riders.
"Freeriding" is the process of mountain biking up, over
and down difficult man-made and natural terrain.
There's no stopwatch;
11 judges will base their scoring criteria on technique, control,
fluidity and overall impression. There are also no "soft"
options, as riders either take on a choice of difficult technical
lines through a section, or ride around an obstacle completely (aka
the "chicken" line).
Normally sleepy
Jindabyne is the gateway to the winter time ski fields of the Snowy
Mountains. The town remains untouched by the bushfires in the region.
For more information,
visit www.redbullride.com,
