Qualification in Cairns - Brosnan on top

“It’s not so much the heat, it’s the humidity.”

Friday in Cairns dawned a little damp – and sticky and slippery. With rain occasionally blowing into Smithfield, there was enough time before 10am for riders to become a little unsure as to what the track would hold.

With conditions continually improving, a lot of the downhill course dried out and became tacky. But not everything. Some places have remained pretty treacherous, and will do through to the race runs. The Rock Garden has even prompted Rob Warner to say it’s the gnarliest rock garden he’s seen in recent years.

Asking riders from Australia, and other countries, the conditions on the trail are one thing – but the climatic conditions are another. While it’s certainly those from the Northern Hemisphere who are suffering a little more, the start of the day had the humidity soaring, and many people looking like they had been under a hose due to the sweat produced.

Brosnan and Atherton fastest down the hill

With official qualification taking place about lunch time, it was Adelaide’s Troy Brosnan who was fastest down the track, less than half a second faster than local legend Mick Hannah with Aaron Gwin further back.

Rachel Atherton was the fastest in women’s qualification – and with winning round 1 in Lourdes, plus winning here in 2014, she comes in as the outright favourite.

Is this a glimpse at the winners though? The top 10 in men’s qualification could easily hold 10 different winners tomorrow. We’re just going to have to wait and see.