SAN REMO DH CUP 22 APRIL 2007 April 22, 2007
Posted by paulwalton in : Kona Factory Team , trackbackJust Back from the 13th Annual SAN REMO DH CUP in
Italy.
At just over an hour from home it was one of the few races where I do not have any crazy travel stories, well other than the small roads and sketchy Italian Driving!
The weather made for a loose dusty track and the riders scrambling for grip on the fast and technical downhill. Day 1 was a lot of bike setup challenges with the fast track which grip and rolling were of equal importance and the suspension was crucial. The track is long and rough so we decided to go soft on the suspension to make sure the riders had control all the way down the track and keep the tyre pressure high for rolling and avoiding punctures on the rocky sections.The day ended up well with both riders content with there lines and confident for Race day.
Run 1 went well for
Tracy, (still nursing a finger injury she suffered a few weeks ago). She found it difficult to keep a good grip on the bars and really fought the pain to post a solid time, 8sec ahead of Emeline Ragot. Sabrina Jonnier was Tracy’s main opposition and she was down last in the girls, Tracy sat at the finish watching the clock, Sabrina was on form and on a track that she knows well so she managed a big lead over
Tracy. Tracy was surprised at the gap because she rode well and did not make many mistakes, however in the end it was her hands that let her down, this is always a tough track for
Tracy so she was content to have a solid second place…..
The men’s field was crammed with top names so Fabien needed a clean run to get a good position. This track is also the early season training ground for many teams so Fabien did not have any home ground advantage. During the previous few weeks we have worked extensively on the suspension and we had the right tools for this track! The grip was unpredictable due to the loose terrain, but it was not only a low tyre pressure that would get you down fast. There was talk in the pits of really fast times being set earlier in the week by teams testing so Fabien was a little concerned that he was going to have a tough race. He prepared really well and rode everything like he wanted, he pushed hard but not too hard, he wanted to have the flow of the track and not fight for grip. Everything worked out and he smoked the other riders by a big margin. He was the only rider to go Sub 4min.
Unfortunately, the second round was plagued with crashes and was eventually cancelled due to long delays caused by attending to the injured riders.So, as the race was to be decided by the faster of the 2 runs,
Tracy was placed second in women and Fabien first in men.Both Tracy and Fabien were disappointed to not have completed the second run as they knew they had more to give, but that’s Racing…..
Next Stop
Vigo!
RegardsPaul
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