GB Downhill Riders - Post Race Reaction

 

Sunday 9 September

Report & Images: Joolze Dymond

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After that momentus rain and wind lashed final day of the championships, Joolze Dymond caught up with several of the GB Team's Downhill team, who had produced such a stirring display of riding and picked up four medals - this is what they told her:

 

Ruaridh Cunningham
That wasn't too bad a run was it? I didn't think I was actually going to win though, I hit a photographer on my run and I kinda got all sketchy and didn't really hold my speed that well so when I got to the bottom and turned round and looked at the board and realised I'd won it was just a huge surprise. I wasn't concentrating too much but on the way down every so often I'd hear a funny pronunciation of my name, which brought a smile to my face. The whole way they were just like screaming the whole way down was so loud and then I came towards the finish, I was pedalling towards the Nissan banner and I couldn't hear anything, I thought I must be well down on the times and I jumped over it. Still no noise and when I got to the bottom it went mental. I looked at the board and I'd won and I was like OH. I still can't believe I've won it really. It would be a dream come true if I could believe it's actually happened!

 

Everyone was saying it was going to come down between Josh and me, we're good mates have been for a few years, so I'm just gutted for him that he punctured. He's a good kid, at least he's got another shot at it next year, so if he gets it that'll be so cool, it'll be awesome.

 

The course itself was pretty sketchy the wind was horrific, it was raining and it was cold I was in my skinsuit with nothing on underneath it so I was freezing and yeah I was just happy to get to the bottom. It's got be close to the worst conditions I've ever ridden this track in. I thought my bike was going to blow off the gondola on the way up it was that windy, it blew round and hit the side it kind of scared me a bit. But at least it didn't damage the bike and I got down in one piece just? Hopefully tomorrow it will have sunk in what I've done!

 

Katy Curd
That was absolutely amazing I never thought I'd get this far. I only started downhilling in October last year, so this is quite a big step for me. I used to do a bit of dirt jumping and then decided to get into downhill. I just tagged along with a mate when he entered a race, thought it'd be a bit of fun to have a go and it went from there really. It's absolutely mint to be taking a medal in my first worlds. The weather conditions made it doubly hard out there, you could feel it gusting coming out all the corners. I had a pretty good run, a couple of mistakes here and there but other than that it was all good. The crowds cheering for you and the atmosphere coming down was amazing made you go even faster, it made you forget how tired you were.

Gee Atherton
It's been a long week. With the 4X and everything, I'm super stoked with today though. I had a good qualifying, I know a lot of the boys are on their game at the moment I knew it would be hard to do well here, but I wanted to do well so that we'd have a Brit near the end and get the crowds cheering, it worked out really well. I've never ridden this track in such bad conditions. Coming down near the end I think we got the worst stuff. I was tearing off strips everywhere just to be able to see it was that bad. Rach' is well happy, Dan did good as well top 10, so we're all pretty stoked.

 

Rachel Atherton
Yeah I'm pretty happy with picking up the silver today. It was a really tough run, it was so windy at the top and then you were pedalling at the bottom it was pretty horrendous at times. But with the crowd behind us it made us push on, it was cool. Hell yeah it was good beating my brothers, now all I have to do is trade this in for Gold.

 

Steve Peat
It was so windy up there today, you had to brake for the big left hand berms, then I got blown sideways, I sat back down and the saddle snapped off. I came to a dead stop over a berm. It was so windy going up on the chairlift the bike blew sideways and it was just held on by the tip of the seat, that could have weakened the seat I guess. The ankle was alright in the end, Jim (Webb) did an amazing job of taping it, and if it weren't for Jim I wouldn't have been starting this race. Absolutely gutted that my run ended like this, but of course I'm not retiring until I bag it.

 

Helen Gaskell
I was a bit disappointed with that! When I lined up for my run I could see the cloud and the mist coming in and it was so windy at the top as well. I tried so hard, but I felt like I wasn't getting anywhere because of the wind. I was pedalling a hundred percent more or so it seemed. I think Rachel did really well, but I'm pretty gutted for Tracy, she'll be so disappointed, but that's way it goes, that's racing.

 

Brendan Fairclough
I rode the top section good and I was feeling strong as I got to the bottom and then I had a lapse in concentration for a split second in the pedally section, caught my pedal on a rock and went over the bars, so I know I lost a lot of time there. I'm pretty peeved about that. I'm big time disappointed. Looking forward to the next World cup now so I can show what I can really do there.

Dan Atherton
That was pretty good, it all sort of clicked together. I just thought I'd have a smooth run, try to avoid the holes, conserve my energy and just pin it at the bottom. My race run came around and I went off the line, felt good, pulled a tear off, pulled too many off and I didn't think I had any left, so I was panicking all the way down, got to the woods and I thought I'll just try there might be one there, pulled and there was one there, so I was stoked. Pinned the woods good and I was on a high then. The top section was the worst thing. If it had just been windy it would have been okay, if it had just been raining it would have been okay, but the wind and the rain together just made it so hard. You just had to find a clear bit on your lenses and peep round it. It was hard. I'm happy enough with 10th spot. Two medals in the family is pretty good, I'm stoked, there's a bit of work to do yet to get up there with them, but hopefully next year we'll make that three!

Josh Bryceland
I very disappointed with today. I felt really good and was looking forward to a good result. I was riding well; I was on a really good run too, before I punctured. I took it easy on the seeding but I just unleashed today, and the next thing I know I've got a flat. It was about the first woods so it was pretty high up. I've another year as a junior so hopefully I'll get a good run then.

Fionn Griffiths
There was a big bad wind at the top of the course today. But I put my head down and tried to ride right through it. I had a couple of bobbles at the top but I got through them. I had one little off in the woods, I went straight on and straight into the trees, so I lost a little bit of time there. Apart from that it was pretty good. I rode stronger at the bottom; I think I did the bottom section faster. It's such a physically demanding course, it's a feat in itself to get down it at race pace, I'm just glad I'm in one piece and ready to ride again at the world cup in Slovenia.