Remi Thirion wins the Asia Pacific Downhill Champs
Bali isn’t usually the first place to come to mind when thinking of a world-class downhill race, but this year’s Asia Pacific Downhill Championships was exactly that.
Bali isn’t usually the first place to come to mind when thinking of a world-class downhill race, but this year’s Asia Pacific Downhill Championships was exactly that. With hundreds of entries from a record number of countries, including a handful of big name World Cup riders including Brook Macdonald, Wyn Masters, and defending champion Remi Thirion, the 2015 edition of the race was set to be massive.
After a quick shuttle in the back of a truck, alongside another eight or so riders, the track drops in overlooking the endless beach and palm forest. The track is located halfway between Klungkung and Padung Bai, about an hour up the coast from Denpesar airport and the party town of Kuta. The ground here hasn’t seen rain in over three months, making most of the track a combination of tennis ball sized rocks and ankle-deep dust. Designed by the Australian company Trailscapes, it winds down the side of the mountain, packed full of fast drops and too many off-camber, loose corners to count. Overlooking the race village, the final section of track is an almost vertical rocky chute, and throughout the week the soft ground caught out many riders within sight of the finish line.
The heat was a huge factor in the weekend. Consistent 30+ degree temperatures, combined with the almost 100% humidity, meant that any breeze or shade real estate was your most valuable asset. Pit tents were packed with sweating riders and crew trying to escape the harsh tropical sun, and local stalls selling cold water and beer were popping up every few metres.
By far the most popular division was the Masters category, with five sub-divisions to cope with the number of entries. The race is an opportunity for the country to show off its surprisingly large downhill scene. The local elite riders had an obvious advantage, looking much more aggressive and comfortable on the track than anyone else.
As riders began their first practice runs of the week, it became apparent that the ground here isn’t your average track surface. The bone-dry dust and loose rocks meant that riders were struggling to stay on the track, let alone get up to race pace. Limited line choice meant that the race was simply a game of who could ride the same line the fastest, meaning riders were pushing their limits on every corner. This made for some tight times, huge crashes, and great racing.
Come race day, the crowds were huge. Surprisingly large, considering the ridiculous traffic jam outside the event village. A funeral ceremony had blocked the busy road for a couple of hours, and traffic turned into a parking lot as far as the eye could see. Brook Macdonald and Wyn Masters missed practice and almost didn’t make it to the race, being forced to walk 5 kilometres through the mass of beeping cars and thousands of scooters filtering through.
Trailscapes builder and dirt jump legend Elliot Smith started the day off well for the international riders, winning Expert Male in his first race on a downhill bike in years. By the time the Elite race started, the bottom of the track was lined with thousands of cheering fans and riders. Young gun Jackson Davis took the hot seat early with a stormer of a run for 2:24.100. He was eventually taken out by Commencal rider Thibaut Ruffin, who came in with the second fastest time of the day, 2:20.678. 5th place qualifier Kazuki Shimizu was looking pinned until he came unstuck in the last chute, getting his front wheel stuck in the soft ground and nose-manualing 30 feet before plowing his head into the flat ground below. It was one of the biggest and scariest crashes that many riders had seen, and by some miracle he was released from hospital with only a badly bruised shoulder. The crowd went absolutely wild when local favourite Popo Ario came into sight, the ground shaking with the energy of thousands of people. Unfortunately his time fell just short of a podium. Remi Thirion looked cool, calm and relaxed throughout the week, and seemingly wasn’t affected by the pressure of a repeat win. He kept it low and smooth over the finish jump to take the fastest time of the day. The rider on everyone’s minds was Brook Macdonald. He had been looking incredibly fast and loose all week, in classic Bulldog style It was always going to be a showdown between him and Remi for the win, but unfortunately Brook caught a pedal on a straight section of track and crashed over the bars. He went huge on the finish line in frustration, hucking to the finish line and almost clipping his head on the banner.
The race is set to return next year, with rumors of a bigger and better track at a new location. If it’s anything like this year, it’ll be a great race and an awesome way to experience this amazing island and it’s culture.
