After crashing hard in last years downhill race on the First Divide trail and coming in last place I was hungry for redemption and was excited for another opportunity to race on my favorite trails in the world. The Downieville Downhill is a 15 mile long technically and physically demanding course that can easily destroy even the most modern and sophisticated bikes and can be unforgiving to those who choose to race down the steep, rocky, and fast trails of Downieville.
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| Sprinting out of the start gate at Packer Saddle. |
This year my race went very well and despite getting a tad bit sketchy in the difficult rock garden known as the "waterfall" and getting tangled up with another racer at one point I had my fastest times ever on the Downhill course and ended up finishing 3rd place in Expert Junior Men with a 49:35.
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| Expert Junior Men Downhill podium. |
I was able to pass five other racers in my category who started ahead of me and had no mechanicals or major crashes which can easily put a damper on anyone's race run. With my 5th place in the cross-country the day before and a 3rd place finish in downhill I ended up taking 3rd in the Junior All-Mountain World Championships a result I am very happy with.
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| Expert Junior Men All-Mountain podium. |
As always the Downieville Classic proved to be an awesome weekend of tough mountain bike racing and good times for four days in the Sierra! I can't wait to test my self against the burly trails and stout competition of Downieville next year.
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| Happy to finish 3rd in Downhill. |
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