Migration

Right folks, it's time for an upgrade, so The Start Gate is going legit with a stand-alone URL. This blog will remain, no worries there, and if I can, I'll cross post. But, for now, if you're feeling inclined to check in on the journey, check in at thestartgate.com . It'll be business as usual, with improvements trickling through (like a better photo-viewing widget - coming soon!). In the meantime, here is a quick shot, the exceptionally brief explanation about it in the new link!

Lenzerheide Afterbang Slideshow

Right then, a little behind on posting!

I've tried something new here using a slideshow.  It is compiled of photos from the past week, starts out with the "art" and portraits, and moves into riding after that.  There are 88 photos - a lot I know, but I wanted to see how this would shake out, plus, I have a ton of photos and I thought I'd share.

Hopefully this works, for next time I'll cut it down on volume and add in some writing to help add context for those not "in the know".

Enjoy!

...

The Wild Women of The World Cup

The top women this weekend were on fire.  They were smashing sections with aggression, hitting the 60' jump at the bottom, and just killing it in general.  I thought I'd give them their own post, because frankly they deserve the separate recognition with a limelight, instead of the bottom dregs of the typical race report.  I am constantly impressed with the progression in the women's field.  The caliber of riding has increased ten-fold in recent years, and the competition is fierce.  For a little while, a couple of the girls seemed to have their own 3-person race each weekend, but now, there is a whole roster of faces knocking on the door for the win.  It's exciting, and I'm keen to see how the rest of the season plays out.

Emmeline Ragot is still in school finishing her degree, but the extra work doesn't seem to be slowing her down in the least.

Morgane Charre is a World Champion, but has yet to win a World Cup.  The focus in her eyes each weekend shows she is capable, and it's only a matter of time before she's on the top step.

It was Tracey Hannah's birthday this weekend, but she abstained from cake and ice cream, and instead she smashed this section while looking like she was going to scare the course into moving out of her way.

Rachel Atherton, diving into the last gnarly section on the way to another win.

Casey Brown is hilarious.  I showed her this photos and she said, "Oh, yeah...I was asleep my whole run, that's why I didn't do well..."  I think she's being modest about her Jedi skills. @caseybrowntown

Manon Carpenter has had a tough year, considering she is reigning World Champion and World Cup Champion from 2014.  She'll be back on form in no time though,

Emily Steigenthaler is back on from with a 4th this weekend after sitting out most of last year with an injury.  Now healed and on a new team, we're excited to have the Swiss Missile back on track. 

Jill Kintner showed up without support to this race and smashed out a 5th.  A great result for her, and a solid showing for American women!  I for one hope to see more of Jill at the World Cup rounds.

Tahnee Seagrave has been showing promise for many years, and now it's all coming to fruition; two 2nd place finishes back-to-back, she is now aiming for the #1 spot.

Momentum

To witness a massive moment in history (even if it is that of a niche sport), is a pretty surreal feeling.  This weekend, an American Racer, Aaron Gwin, won a World Cup round without a chain.  He broke it pedaling out of the starting hut, and all he had was momentum, gravity, and a little sheer grit to get him down the hill.  In a testament to his savage abilities on a bike, and steely mental state, he crossed the line .045 seconds ahead of second-place-finisher, Connor Fearon (a first-time podium finisher in his own right).  It was a dramatic Sunday; as a fan of the sport, and now a photojournalist documenting the series, the script couldn't have been better written.
The race at Leogang, Austria in 2015 will without a doubt be considered a paradigm shift in the world of downhill racing.  Friend and racer, Neko Mullaly had a similar run at the World Championships last year in Hafjell, Norway, and to now have two riders put down unfathomable runs is certainly bound to have repercussions on the sport.  What they are, it's hard to say, but I certainly think that trainers, managers, engineers, and riders are all going to have a powwow about what a "winning approach" to winning a race really means.  It's obviously physical, but how much technical skill have riders been losing in favor of vigorous training regiments all in the name of fitness?  Where is the balance between talent and coaching?  What role does the engineering play in the outcome of a race, is it truly all about the rider still?
We were all left in awe at the end of the day, and the only real explanation is that some people are just better that others, and there is only so much that can be done to level a playing field.  It is highly possible that we all witnessed the greatest run in the history of the sport.  That doesn't mean the rest to come will all be less exciting or moot - no, in fact I think the races will only get more interesting as riders do their best to show that they are capable of amazing feats as well.  With four rounds to go, there is a lot of racing left to be had, and who knows, maybe Gwin will one-up himself, or perhaps another rider will manage to shine even brighter - the other riders on the podium with Gwin are certainly capable of the unthinkable, and there are a fair few other former winners and contenders lurking outside the Top 5 as well.

This is the official write up I contributed to, this is a bio-piece I worked on over the weekend, and below are some more shots that I enjoyed from the weekend:
(Remember: click the pictures to see them in a slideshow-style viewer)

Gwin was looking on a mission in practice.

He was on-point, from start to finish.

It all culminated in the most astounding race win in recent memory.

Not everyone was quite as comfortable on track though...

He rode this out, no crash - impressive.

The course sweepers were giving it the beans too!

Finn Iles isn't just any course sweeper - big things to come from this kid.

Dave McMillan calls himself a professional spectator.

He has yet to qualify for a final.

 But, I think it's only a matter of time.

Below, a host of riders are seeking out the top step. A few are former winners looking to add another #1 to their trophy case; Sam Blenkisop (#13) is one of them, last winning in 2007 at Schladming in Austria, as is Brook MacDonald (#22), last winning in 2012 in Val d’Isere, France.  Connor Fearon (#36) found himself on the box in 2nd this weekend, his first podium and he nearly won.  George Brannigan (#26) is no stranger to the Top 5 and looking to find the top step with the rest of these guys this season as well.

It's fun to build report with riders, and Laurie here has become a friend over the years, so when he saw me sprawled on the ground like a toy soldier, he put some extra style on for the shot.  Below are an extended collection of photos I just happen to like from the weekend.

Andrew Crimmins on his way to a 1st place in Jr Men.

Remi Morton putting in the effort, only to have a mechanical about 30 seconds later.

 Greg Williamson tucking up against the pole in practice.

The text boxes don't like all the photos.  So, just for reference, the riders in descending order from above:

Loic Bruni; Mike Jones; Loin and Greg Minnaar; Harry Heath; Sam Dale (yes, he nearly ran me over, no regrets!); Neko Mullaly, putting the hurt on the first corner of the course. 

Galavanting

Scotland was something special!  What a weekend.  As usual, difficult to describe in words.  I saw so many friends whom I hadn't seen in ages, and made just as many new ones.  It was just too cool to be mixing it up out there with everyone and being present for wild moments.  The weekend is further summarized here:  Saturday was cancelled; Sunday was a 20 hour day (two parts).  Still better than a desk job!

Brendawg floating into the finish.

Now, after a drive across Scotland, an overnight ferry over the North Sea, and a ridiculously long drive across central Europe, I'm now in the sunning mountains of Austria.  We drove into the valley at night, so it wasn't until morning that the majesty of the Alps was unveiled.  Today was just a normal day with the pits being assembled, riders riding, and everyone just trying to not get bored.

Minnaar on point with his classic riding style and a record 17th win.

Luca Shaw showing he means business with a top-10 finish.

The language barrier has proved interesting, but I'm managing - just trying to not be a typical American abroad.  No international incidents so far, which I'll chalk up to a small victory.  I think not being allowed to drive on the autobahn perhaps played a leading roll in that as well (UK van, on non-UK roads meant the van owner didn't trust me to drive; "Let's just say I've had some bad experiences with American drivers...").  Fine by me, I slept a lot!

Tomorrow is track walk day, and the start of the next round of coverage, so keep an eye out for more to come!

Peaty and some furries.

#selfiesunday

Tommy.

Haysum and yours truly.

Wicked emo and artsy.

We're actually in a band.

Ran into the Bumble girls on the drive across Germany.

Leogang is in full bloom.

Welcome to the Alps.

This just seemed ironic to me.

Dave, getting those social media hits up.

Faffing about as they'd say.

Bulldog looking tough as.

Autopilot.

Ed is King of the Pits, for those who don't know.

Charlie and The Bird.