CAVALIER & RANDO 1 AND 2 AT CRANKWORX WINTERPARK
(July 9, 2007) Gravity specialists Amiel Cavalier and Jared Rando of the Giant MTB Team won first and second respectively in the Pro Downhill competition at Crankworx Colorado on Sunday, July 8. The pair’s one-two punch is significant in two ways: 1) This is the first time for this event in Winterpark, Colorado and, 2) this marks the first time that Amiel has beaten Jared in a Pro DH event this year!
Here’s what Amiel has to say about the race:
The course at Winterpark was a very physical course consisting of long, banked turns followed by a lot of flat-out pedaling! The course was not the typical DH course. The overall time was 6 minutes 42 seconds! Yes, it was the first time I had beaten Jared this season. It felt good to win, although it took a while to find out the results… probably about half an hour.
Jared’s account of the event follows and shows how good friends and good team mates survive the months of competition on the road.
CRANKWORX COLORADO – WHEELING AND DEALING….
Traveling with Amiel is great but sometimes we have to make deals. Most situations (like, who gets the room with the biggest bed) are worked out with a quick game of cards--or the always effective “Rock, Paper, Scissors” technique. When it comes to racing however, the deals can be a little harder to make…..
This was the first time a Crankworx event had been held outside of Whistler and the venue was Winterpark, Colorado. I don’t think anything will ever match the event in Whistler, but nonetheless, it turned out to be a pretty enjoyable time, despite the track we had to race on.
Amiel and I arrived a few days before the “Pro Downhill” was set to take place. Initial reports were grim -- “Dude, it sucks” is something I usually hear about the Sea Otter DH but in the words of the wise and wiser Beavis and Butthead, this downhill “Sucked more than anything that has ever sucked before”
7 minutes of flat out pedaling with a few small jumps and the odd turn thrown in, all at the fantastic starting altitude of 10,500 feet is what we had to race on. I was ill prepared, with only my full on DH bike and 2.5” tires, but Amiel on the other hand had brought along his Reign X which, at 10Lbs lighter than the average DH bike, was perfect for the course.
Riding the DH bike down such a course at 10,500 feet was like riding a beach cruiser uphill, into the wind, towing a Volkswagen and breathing through a straw. Luckily we had the opportunity to do it twice (best of two runs format) to really get a feel for it…..
After the first Run, Amiel was in first place, 12 seconds faster than 2nd place. I was in 4th, 14 seconds behind Amiel. I was shattered and wasn’t sure whether it was the bike or whether my lungs had turned into peanuts overnight. Whatever it was, I wasn’t looking forward to doing it again as there was no way I could go that much faster. Then, being the good team mate Amiel is, he offered me his bike for the 2nd run.
Amiel pretty much had the race in the bag- no one was close to his time but, he figured that I might be able to make it up on the lighter bike, so there was a catch: If I beat his time, I would have to split the prize money for first with him. Most racers I know wouldn’t even make the offer - who wants to give up a win even to your team-mate? So I took him up on his offer and grabbed his bike for the 2nd run.
I had no idea how much difference the lighter bike would make. I nearly killed myself on the first couple of jumps due to stiffer suspension but it was definitely a lot faster on all the pedaling.
I was 12.5 seconds faster on Amiel’s bike, which left me 1.5 seconds short of beating his first run time. No one else went any faster so it was Team Giant 1st and 2nd by 10 seconds. Amiel was stoked on his win and I was stoked he lent me his bike so I could get second. Had I beat him, I would have been $100 poorer after paying his “bike usage fee” so getting second wasn’t all that bad after all.
So a huge thanks to everyone at Giant, Crankworx for giving out some descent prize money and, of course, Amiel -- for lending me his bike.
CONGRATULATIONS from Giant to Amiel and Jared for a terrific showing at Crankworx Colorado.
The Aussie pair and the rest of the Giant MTB team are headed to the US National Championships in Mt. Snow, VT from July 19-22.
9 July 2007
