Welcome to the final round of the Australian National Downhill Series! Nestled in the alpine country of Victoria there were hints this track would supply the goods. As competitors began showing up and walking the initial part of the track, from the bottom upwards, excitement grew and even grown men began to giggle with jitters of excitement as the track unfolded before their eyes.
First practice opened and every rider was emerging over the finish line wide eyed and large mouthed. The track was certainly delivering everything that everyone was hoping for. While chatting with Sam Hill he described the track as ‘a mini Val Di Sole’ which we agreed with completely. So, what did that mean? We’re pretty sure it meant you better watch out, because we all know just how well Sam Hill and Val Di Sole go together. As the practice began flowing the track started to wear in, lines began to form, ruts were dug and the dust gathered. Come Friday evening there was so much chatter about the pits of just how fun the track was that no one was actually concentrating on just how to find a fast line yet.
As the sun rose on Saturday and crowds gathered around the pits the first shuttles went up, the dust was un-settled and the racing began. Riders began picking lines, Sam was finding lines no one else could and everyone else had the joy of watching world class riders perform on a proper downhill track. As qualifying rolled around the clouds began to gather and the rain began to fall, would this affect qualifying? Would the dust become mud and turn this place into Sam Hills playground? The rain grew heavier, but the thick pine forest held back the moisture and after only a hand full of riders the dust kicked up yet again and the track seemed almost untouched by the heavy showers. Sam Hill appeared first as he held the no.1 plate, as he went past you could see that another gear had been engaged, could anyone catch Sam? Jack and Connor went past and the dust began to hang in the air, making it difficult to see much at all, would having an early qualifying run become an advantage due to visibility? Only time would tell. Troy having the number 32 came through much later in the field but looked just as quick with the visibility not seeming too much of an issue at all. As the final qualifier crossed the line it was pretty apparent that Sam Hill was in fact the man to catch on this track, Sam walked away Saturday with a commanding 9 second advantage over his closest rival; Jack Moir.
Race day arrived with a brisk and damp morning, but again after only a couple of riders the track was back at its dusty best. The track opened for practice and many did only one run to check the track for any new ruts that had been formed through the days earlier racing. As racing began riders began to tumble, bikes began to suffer and the course showed its teeth. Many riders were suffering mechanicals and coming off. It seemed if you could keep both wheels on the ground and stay upright there was a good chance you could walk away with the win. As the top ten began to traverse down the hill times began to tumble, as Troy passed the finish line he took the provisional hot seat with only Jack Moir and Sam Hill to come. Jack appeared around the corner and pedalled hard but couldn’t quite make up the time, this left only Sam Hill to come, the former team mates were in for a battle, would Sam keep it on the vertical and come down with a winning time? Sam appears around the corner pedalling hard, eyes flash from the clock to the track as we watch Sam manual over the line for the win by 1.10s.
This left Sam with a National Series white wash, claiming the fastest times at each round, not only for the finals, but also for qualifying and giving him a solid overall, a warning sign to competitors in the upcoming World Cup? There can only be one winner on the day, but as everyone walks away from the track there really are only smiles, this track had delivered some excellent racing and was a favorite track for many this National Series.
Article and images: Jason Stevens