Cannonball Festival Day 3 - Downhill Seeding
Day 3 saw the Pros post seeding runs for the coveted Australian Open Downhill, while amateurs and age groupers tackled an increasingly blown-out Flow trail.
Words by Georgina von Marburg
Images by Amelia Howler
After warming up lines and bones all morning, the Pros posted their Downhill seeding times this afternoon. It’s always debatable how much emphasis should be placed on a seeding run – some riders hold back, others go too hot, some try new lines, or others try to ride exactly how they will on race day. And in Cannonball’s case, the serious contenders bring downhill bikes, while others stick to their trusty trail bikes.
Regardless of speculation, the fastest times are usually a good indication of what will occur on race day. In this case, Sian A’Hern – the undisputed queen of Thredbo – stamped her authority on the Cannonball track with a 16 second lead over Ellie Smith, the winner of the All Mountain. In the mens, Jackson Frew put 5 seconds into the second place Luke Meier-Smith. But with a star-studded field of men close behind, will Frew’s local lines be enough to hold the win on Saturday?
The perfect weather is set to continue all week, but with clear skies comes drier conditions. Tomorrow, the Pros will race an already deteriorating Flow trail, and all categories will be competing in the heckle-fest that is the Pump Track Party!
Check out all the action from the festival’s days below:
