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Ryanair, ok I got my flights there and back to Maribor for a penny, but when you are crammed into your seat with the blue and yellow brigade giving the hard sell for two hours you wonder why you didn't just spend that little bit extra to maybe get a decent flight. With most of the UK's finest downhill talent packed onto a Boeing 737 out of Stansted we were all in for the first bit of in flight entertainment Ryanair has ever provided. Screams of "We're all going to die" were to be heard from the back of the plane, as some large fella couldn't quite handle the descent into Gratz and poor little Kevin the steward on the plane didn't quite know what to do. Now I think this is another first, I don't think I have ever seen anyone hi side a suitcase down the stairs to the toilet and face plant the marble floor. Anyway moving on the same said fella came backup the stairs having pissed himself and then had to be dragged out of the airport by his awaiting parents, from the start you just knew this was going to be a good trip.
Maribor hasn't staged a world cup race since 2001, and thats a shame, the track is flat out, the weather has been awesome, the beer is dirt cheap and the women around just make the whole place an awesome location. I know I know the whole women comment makes this place sound a bit ride central, but hell, its hard not to notice. The hill here is massive, if you wanted you could probably build a thirty minute track from top to bottom. The gondola spooked many a rider out, old and rickety and at some stages a hundred foot plus off the floor makes an entertaining ride, but below you can see this hill is littered with tracks to ride. The general consensus the course was awesome. A mixture a flat out open sections and real loose rooty woods with big fat rock garden that only Keswick puts to shame. Adam Brayton owes me a fiver for writing that.  
Two solid days of practice took its toll on riders and bikes. Ben Cathro without any team support broke his last mech hanger and ended up running three days without a chain. If you want a hot shock try a DHX Air on a World Cup track like Brayton had to use after he blew his usual shock everywhere and ended up all over our chalet table. Sam Hill is becoming the hardest man to snap on the side of the track. Not only is he the fastest to catch, but you'll be lucky if he does a full run. I counted three runs in three days as he continued to section the top sections of the course, get to the fire road and then go and play on some other single track on the mountain, arrogance or just brilliance?
For the racing it was all about double acts and consistency. Rachel Atherton is showing her strength after having to sit out most of the season and came top of qualifying and the finals and won by a comfortable six seconds over Tracey Moseley. Tracey Hannah who was second in the qualifying ended up third overall and Floriane Pugin and Helen Gaskell . Floriane Pugin took the overall world cup junior title, and Sabrinna Jonnier took the overall world cup title. Hopefully an injury free season for 2008 can see Rachel become dominant in the womens field with a Sam Hill esque demolition of the field.
For the mens the seeding was again a tight affair with lots of the british riders not making the cut. Rowan Sorrell was the cut off point for the finals in 80th place. Fabien Barel hit the deck hard and had to be stretched off the track. Barel who has been looking lit all weekend was said to be walking around later on and is ok. Rob Breakwell and Billy Cheetham who had been looking rapid all weekend didn't make the cut, Joe Smith just squeezing in. Duncan Riffle and Nico Vink also didn't have the top twenty safety net to back them up and didn't make the finals. Fusions Florian Payet had yet another storming run to qualify in to the top ten. He keeps getting mentioned, but when you are a nut case it happens, Brayton probably could have shaved three seconds off his run time had he not gone massive over the quad into the finish back end out motorcross style. Marc Beaumont scored the third fastest time behind Gee Atherton and Sam Hill. Miami Bryce put in a stormer and was seen lacing it down the course to qualify fourth fastest.    Marc Beaumont - MBUK Santa Cruz When it finally came down to hot seat occupancy Dan Stanbridge with a 3:01 was the first person down the hill to spend any decent time and it wasn't until Brendan Fairclough came down and set a 2:57 and was the first person in the finals to go sub three minutes. He again had some staying power but Jules Camellini took over with another hot ride like he has been producing towards the tail end of this season. Marc Beaumont came but could not shift the frenchman and it was down to the final two Gee Atherton and Sam Hill. Gee came into the blasting into the finish arena and went a second quicker than Sam's qualifying time, but some say it was almost inevitable the outcome. Sam was pushed close in Fort William bee Gee and Fabien, but close isn't enough as he found another four seconds to wrap up the win the series and everyones respect in what has been a unbeatable season.  Gee Atherton - Team Animal Commencal - In the Dark of the Woods  Sam Hill - Iron Horse - Has Proved that he has most definately the man to beat Like the World Champs last weekend its an Iron Horse double as Sam and Sabrinna take the overalls titles. Floriane Pugin takes the Junior Womens Title and they two rockets have a title each now for the season. With Gumps win in Fort William, Josh Bryceland is now the Junior World Cup Champion. Its been one hell of an away tour this season, these past two weeks feeling the toughest with little break in between. The party will go on until the early hours, apparently Sram and Nissan have sorted a whole street for the party to erupt. Maribor is the first race on the calendar next year, let me know if you are up for coming out ten days early to rip up the hill.  Josh Bryceland - Santa Cruz - Junior World Cup Champion
Keep it on the wheels....
Yid
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