#12DaysOfSilverline is back

#12DaysOfSilverline is back

We'll be giving away daily prizes on Twitter, so make sure you're following us to see all of the exciting stuff we have up for grabs just in time for Christmas!

Terms and Conditions:

1. Powerbox Limited reserves the right to publish the names of all winners. All winners are required to give their full co-operation to all requests by Powerbox Limited or a promoter in connection with publicity for the competition, their entry, the prize or otherwise

2. Employees and family and friends of Powerbox Limited or any third party involved are not permitted to enter the competition

3. Winners will be chosen at random and are non-negotiable

4. Winners will be notified by 5 pm each day and announced on Twitter

5. All winners must be following @silverlinetools and have re-tweeted relevant competition tweet to enter 

6. No winner shall be chosen more than once

7. The competition runs from Sunday 13th December until Thursday 24th December

8. The winner will be notified by 1pm on the last day of the competition

9. No cash alternative for any prize will be offered and prizes are non-transferable

10. The promoter is not responsible for inaccurate prize details supplied to any entrant by any third party connected with this competition

11. The competition is open to all residents of the European Union

12. The winner agrees to the use of his/her name and image in any publicity material. Any personal data relating to the winner or any other entrants will be used solely in accordance with current (UK) Data Protection Legislation and will not be disclosed to a third party without the entrant's prior consent.

13. By entering this competition, the entrant is indicating his/her agreement to be bound by these terms and conditions

14. If any winner of a competition is unable to take up a prize for any reason, or if Powerbox Limited has not been able, after making reasonable efforts, to make contact with the winner, Powerbox Limited reserve the right to award the prize (without notice to the first winner chosen) to an alternative winner. In this case the original winner will not be eligible for any share of the prize. Powerbox Limited shall not have any liability in such eventuality. 

15. Entries must be made in accordance with the competition instructions and are invalid if received any later than the specified closing time (which shall be GMT date and time)

Dixon and Collier join Tsingtao MV Agusta for 2016 British Supersport title fight

Dixon and Collier join Tsingtao MV Agusta for 2016 British Supersport title fight

Tsingtao MV Agusta has announced a three-strong rider line-up for their 2016 campaign with Jake Dixon and Joe Collier lining up in the British Supersport Championship, whilst Wayne Ryan will battle for the Pirelli National Superstock 600 title.

The iconic Italian manufacturer will continue to run a two-rider line-up in the Supersport class with 19-year-old Dixon, who finished third In last season's standings after scoring four race wins and a further nine podium finishes.

Dixon is joined by the reigning Supersport Evo champion Collier. The 20-year old dominated the class in 2015 with an impressive 14 race wins and only failed to finish on the podium in three of the 26 races during the season.

Meanwhile, 19-year-old Ryan remains in the Superstock 600 series for the 2016 season after scoring his first podium in the class at Thruxton and is confident of building on his debut campaign.

Dixon said: "It's been a good year for me in British Supersport: multiple race wins and podiums have showcased my ability - fortunately for me, that ability has caught the eyes of many. I'm delighted to be joining MV Agusta racing. It's such an iconic brand and I hope to be able to emulate the successes of our WWS team-mates. 2016 will be a massive adventure and one that I'm certain will bring success. I just wish it began tomorrow!"

Collier said: "I am happy to be making the step up to a big team with big plans for 2016. We are coming off the back of a good year and I am looking forward to riding a new bike and getting testing underway. I am excited about the new season and I want to do the best job possible and will be giving it 110 per cent to be fighting at the front."

Ryan said: "I'm really happy to be signed already before Christmas so big thanks to Dave Tyson for giving me this opportunity. I thought 2015 was going to be my last season racing, which would have been a shame after getting on the podium and running towards the front at the end of the year. I'm confident that we have the right equipment and team around us to be fighting for the podium week in week out in 2016."

Team owner Dave Tyson said: "With direct factory backing from MV Agusta, we are in a great place to challenge for the championship next season and I think the signings we have made shows the intention from both team and the manufacturer for the forthcoming season."

"I can't wait for it to start with a test with the factory team in January now with our three riders."

Mark Franklin, MV Agusta Europe Managing Director said: "We are very excited the team has secured three talented riders of this calibre. After a development year that has been challenging, the package is starting to improve and will be competitive for the 2016 season. I'm sure the combination of the machine with Jake, Joe and Wayne on board will see some solid results and progress."

The Athertons move to Trek

The Atherton family joins Trek Factory Racing Downhill for inaugural season

After four successful years with GT, Atherton Racing have announced their move from GT to Trek.

(Waterloo, WI) - Trek and Trek Factory Racing have announced the creation on a marquee World Cup-level Downhill racing program for the 2016 season. The new team will take on the full UCI World Cup series as well as select regional Red Bull events. Join Trek Factory Racing Downhill for it's inaugural season with Rachel Atherton (UK), Gee Atherton (UK), Dan Atherton (UK), and Taylor Vernon (UK).  

The Athertons rank among the most triumphant families in cycling. As a trio, they represent decades of downhill racing excellence on the professional circuit. A combined six World Championship titles, fifteen National Championships, two European Championships Championships, and over thirty World Cup wins decorate the family mantle. 

Trek is proud to partner with Dan, Gee, Rachel, and Taylor, and will offer full support to their exceptional competitive trajectory. Beyond their success in competition, these athletes are phenomenal ambassadors for the sport of downhill mountain biking The Athertons' wealth of experience also gives them a unique perspective on product development. Trek will rely on their expertise and input in the continued development of downhill bikes and equipment that have been raced to victory at the pinnacle of the sport. 

"We are delighted to be a part of Trek Factory Racing," said Team Director Dan Brown. 

"The team have substantial goals and we're really excited to have Trek's support and partnership. We're looking forward to bringing the passion and professionalism that Trek have demonstrated across their whole cycling portfolio to our World Cup Downhill campaign and beyond."

Trek Factory Racing's product development relationship with its athletes has been a successful recipe, and one Trek plans to replicate with the new downhill program. Trek will work with the new team on the continued development of the best bikes and equipment through active research and testing around all aspects of downhill racing. "A lot of people out there are already saying that the Session is the fastest bike on the circuit," said Gee Atherton. "Trek have shown how receptive they are to rider feedback, and we want to put our own stamp on the bikes."

Dan and Rachel Atherton are equally excited to participate in the development process. "Trek is super-motivated to develop the bikes and push the brand forward," said Dan.
"They are hungry to progress the sport as we are and we can't wait to get started."

Rachel added. "I'm stoked to be working with Trek. I remember watching my fellow Brit Tracy Moseley absolutely tearing apart the field at the Worlds in 2010 on her Trek Session, then going on to dominate the 2011 season. Trek is a brand with a lot of positive associations for me."

Gee, Rachel, and Taylor will ride the Trek Session, one of the most decorated mountain bikes in history, equipped with Bontrager components, wheels, and tires. Dan Atherton will be taking turns on the Trek Session and Slash depending on the race and terrain. 

Trek Factory Racing
Trek Factory Racing is a global professional cycling team that competes at the highest level with the utmost passion and respect to the sport. Woven around unique, rich personalities that create perfect unity, the team is open, engaging, and welcomes all to come and experience the grit and glory of professional cycling. 

Greenpower International Finals 2015

Greenpower Education Trust

International Final, Rockingham Motor Speedway, Corby, 10 - 11^th October 2015

110 school teams competed around the banked oval circuit in self-made electric racers 

After a successful Saturday, the second day of the International Final was soon upon us. Those that camped at Rockingham were greeted with a crisp and bright autumnal morning at the track. Teams started to arrive and the buzz in the pits was at an all-time high. Every single team had earned their place to be at the Final, and every team were ready to go racing for the last time this season.

The day started with a practice session, which gave teams a perfect opportunity to get both their set up and drivers dialled in to the track. The practice session was closely followed by our Formula 24 Parade, a tradition that we have honoured at our new venue. Every qualifying team proudly marched down the start/finish straight with their cars, waving flags and with team mascots such as Bromsgrove School's Chicken and Status Racing's pit penguin Headwig in tow. 

Much like a typical heat, the racing started with the first of the two IET Formula 24 races. Due to the volume of entrants and the length of the track, the race was started with a rolling start lead by the stunning BMW i8. Once the BMW i8 had passed the start line, the race was on. 2014 Champions, The Weald School had made a rookie error forgetting to turn their isolator on, which meant they managed to cruise to turn 1 and had to pull off the track, not the kind of start the champions were after. RLR 2 from Richard Lander School found themselves climbing from their qualification place of 7th up to 2nd place, a fantastic achievement for RLR 2's debut season. The race was led by Chipping Sodbury's Rotary Racer which crossed the finish line taking 1st position in Race 1.

With 75 cars competing, very few cars finished in their starting position on the grid. The Kit Car Final winners Retro Rocket continued with their winning streak placing as the highest kit car team in race 1. There were some fantastic performances throughout the field. For example, Power Pak: Hilibre High School Humanities College started in 70th but finished in 28th position. The champion of 2015 was to be decided in Race 2. 

The second race of the day was the 10th round of the IET Formula 24+ Championship and the Silverline Corporate Challenge. The 2015 F24+ season has been one of the best seasons to date, with extremely close racing and record-breaking numbers of entries to the championship. Jet from Cullimore Racing and Reprobation from Renishaw Plc both entered the final round of the season on equal championship points, so it was all to play for. Jet had not managed to beat Reprobation in the Lap Race held on the Saturday of the International Final weekend, but was it a tactical move? 

When the Union Flag was waved from the gantry by representatives Silverline Tools, the 40-car grid pulled away under their own power and started to make their way around the track. Jet II emerged first at turn 4, followed by Jet then Reprobation. Reprobation soon overtook the 2013 and 2014 championship winner, Jet, and was stalking Jet II, just waiting for the chance to overtake. This could give the team a fantastic hat-trick of titles - F24+ Race Winners, F24+ 2015 Champions and Silverline Corporate Challenge winners. Electric TubeofGlue from weCHOOK Racing, a car that had some solid podium finishes in the latter part of the season, found itself in 11th position and in a Renishaw sandwich, in-between REC - 349 and Probation IV. After having some issues in Saturday's Lap Race, GP14.EVO from PSEM managed to keep half of the field behind them with their consistent lap times and improved reliability. The end of the race was nearing and with just 5 minutes to go, Reprobation finally managed to overtake Jet II - what a fantastic end to the 2015 season! 

Whilst the celebrations were going on in the Renishaw pit, it was time for the second IET Formula 24 race of the day. Lots of teams had been furiously working on their cars during the F24+ race so that they could improve on their performance from the first race. After the BMW i8 safety car passed the start line, the flag dropped and all the competitors were racing for the final time this season. Chipping Sodbury's Rotary Racer put in a fantastic final show, equalling it's first performance of the day completing 44.1 miles in 90 minutes and confirmed their 2015 champion status. Sandbach School's newest car Dylan managed to fight off competition from The Purple Predator and RLR 2 to place on the second step of the podium. The top 5 had a bit of a shake up from Race 1 as Terazord from Bristol Grammar School swooped into 5th place, which was a massive improvement from placing 23rd in Race 1. Kit Car Champions sadly didn't replicate their earlier performance in Race 1, being beaten to the highest placing Kit Car by FR-7K from Foremarke Hall. Both cars from the Grampian Transport Museum team, Alford Spyder and Alford Bullet, also massively improved their performances, starting in 44th and 55th and finishing in 13th and 14th.

So the 2015 season has finally come to a close with new champions in each category. 2015 has been an amazing season for Greenpower, and we hope that you have all enjoyed it as much we have!

We hope you all have a fantastic off season, we would like to see lots of new scratch-built cars in 2016!

We would like to thank our major partners, Siemens, The IET & Silverline, for supporting us throughout the 2015 season.

Laura Horsfall

#RoadToRio Update - Silverline 49ers

#RoadToRio

The World Championships are fast approaching - it is now less than two leeks until we fly out to Bueno Aires in Argentina to take part. With little racing between the summer season and the Worlds, we decided to take a trip over to a regatta in La Rochelle in France to keep us sharp. 

It was a bad start to the event for us. We broke the only mast that we had out there on the way out to the first start. We raced on, borrowing a mast from another British team and, with the help of our Silverline tools, we just about made it back out in time for the 2nd race of the day - phew! The rest of the day went very well considering and we clocked a 5, 1, 1 to put us 4th overall. 

The next two days of racing were tricky, with some wacky conditions and a rig that we did not know. But we made the best of it and rolled into the medal race close to the lead in 3rd place. Unfortunately, the medal race did not go our way and we did move up but only into Silver. Still a cracking result, given what we went through and had to sail without a discard all series after missing the first race. 

After a great week off at home, including some cross training in Moths with some of the other guys in the British Sailing Team, it was time to get back to business at the National Ranker of the year, back on one of our better rigs again.

The race officer did a great job over the two days of racing to get in 10 races! We were on top form, winning seven out of the ten races and never finishing outside the top three. It was a great way to finish off our racing before we head to Argentina. We really feel as though we are just getting better and better, learning things each day and stepping closer to our ultimate goal of Olympic glory.

Silverline 49ers Road to Rio

Silverline 49ers update, September 2015

After having a few weeks off in the summer post-Rio, we were back in Brazil to pick up where we left off. When we left Rio in August it was glamour every day with breeze and plenty of sun. Then we came back in September and it was pretty much the opposite! Ten days of racing, light winds and no sun. Not ideal training conditions but we made the most of it and learnt as much as we could from the unusual conditions. We may not get to sail in some of those breeze directions until the Olympic Games so we made it count.

While we were out there, it was quite a change from the rest of our training this year. It was just us, our coach Ian and the Brazilian team of Dante and Thomas with their coach Javier. Exactly what we needed to put some real focus on a few key areas and work on them consistently. 

We then flew home, got our race boat prepped and ready for a couple of days racing. No need for any of this time off, just getting the hours in and getting everything done. From sorting out all our spares and Silverline tools for the Worlds, to prepping the kit we were going to be using back in the UK while our race boat was off to the Worlds.

Then it was time to get down to business and go racing at a RYA National Ranker, which is basically a chance for us to see how we are getting on against the rest of the Brits. Two days of top-quality racing and we were the winners! It was good to see our hard work paying off and we had made gains in the areas that we wanted to. It was the biggest margin we have ever beaten the other Brits by at a National Ranker.

With no rest again, we were straight into a British Sailing Team Podium camp, with loads of sailing, lectures and fitness to keep us on our toes. Finally we get a few days rest ahead of a little regatta in La Rochelle, France. There will be another good opportunity to practise our racing skills ahead of the Worlds. 

It's all starting to come together for us and we are feeling on good form, looking forward to every opportunity that presents itself. Thanks again for supporting the Silverline 49ers!

Follow @Silverline49ers for more updates! 

Red Bull Foxhunt with Rachel Atherton

Race Report: The Second Red Bull Foxhunt

Pentland Hills, Edinburgh, 26-27 September 2015

Bex Baraona, a 22 year old Enduro racer from Manchester, took the win this weekend at an event full of sunshine, big smiles and supportive riding from nearly 150 women. 

Rachel Atherton headed up the event which had more of a festival vibe than a race, with food and live music in the Red Bull tipis, and yoga sessions to stretch out tired limbs. 

The event entries had sold out within hours as mothers raced to support daughters, cycle groups flocked en masse and seasoned racers mixed it up with a lot of first-timers! The Scottish weather was very kind and stayed dry the entire weekend with glorious sunshine for Sunday's Finals! 

The course was a little more technical than last year with the start on an adjacent peak, plus rocks, heather and fast pedal sections, some jumps and a dual slalom section. There were lots of B-line options so that less-experienced riders wouldn't suffer!

A seeding run on Saturday sorted out rider position on the mass-start grid and Rachel was delighted to see three of the junior girls from the British Downhill Series category that she sponsors and mentors make the top 20 for places on the 2nd row of the grid.

Rachel - playing "the fox" - set off about 100m back from the pack, after a small gap to allow for the thrills and spills of a steep climb immediately after the start. 

The air positively rang with whoops and shouts as Rach bore down on the pack. She passed over 80 riders as 35 managed to elude her for the entire course. 

Rachel said: "I deliberately hung back a bit at the start because i wanted to be right in the mix for this run. It is absolutely awesome that all the riders have come out here to have a go this weekend. The level of riding at the front of the pack is really high but I'm just as stoked with those guys at the back who aren't that experienced but came out and had a great time! Big shout out to team physio Laura for 48th place!"

Results:

1 Bex Baraona 3. 53 

2 Cheri Mills 4.07

3 Fiona Beattie 4.08

35 Rachel Atherton

48 Laura Robson 

Martin takes his first Open Men's podium in Ainsa

Race Report: EWS Round 7, Zona Zero, Spain, 26-27 September 2015

There was thunder, lightning and floods in Ainsa this weekend heralding young Martin Maes' first Open Men's podium. Martin took 3rd place in his second season of racing the GC - even though he still qualifies to ride as a Junior until the end of this season. 

The race kicked off with a Prologue around the beautiful town of Ainsa. Because the points didn't count towards the race it wasn't too serious an affair, with some of the riders in fancy dress and our own Mark Maurissen setting up his own special version of a feed station - with tequila shots!

We're pleased to report that Martin took the prologue 2nd, and refused Mark's offer of a drink!

Saturday dawned fine for the serious business of the race and Martin was in good spirits as he headed up to the first liaison, prior to Stage 1, the obstacle-strewn Penas Cinglas. Martin rode smoothly to take sixth on the stage with Richie Rude taking the stage win, just four seconds ahead of Maes. 

Rude also took Stage 2, a really long stage (3.52km) with a brutal climb right at the end of the stage. Martin was pleased with his stamina on this stage, taking 3rd on the stage moving into 3rd place overall. 

A long liaison to Stage 3 posed little problems but a huge storm broke as riders made their way to Stage 3. The riders had practiced all week in glorious sunshine with bone dry, dusty and loose tracks. The surface of Stage 3 is full of loose stones and slick with loads of fossils. Martin said that with the rain he found it very difficult to judge the grip he could rely on for this stage. The thunder and lightning knocked out the live timing but once it was re-established it emerged that Richie Rude took this stage again with Martin dropping back to 6th place overall, 21st for the stage. 

Stage 4 was similarly slick. Martin regained confidence and said that he felt fast on the stage but was disappointed to finish 11th. Richie Rude took his 4th stage win.

If Day 1 was dramatic, Day 2 got really exciting!

Stage 5 was the shortest stage of the entire EWS and Martin felt entirely at home. He was totally pinned, taking an amazing two seconds out of the field over a one minute 23 second stage!

Stage 6 was super physical and technical with some fast pedalling sections. Martin said: "Stage 6 confirmed that I was having a great day! I always felt at the limits of myself and that I was riding exactly as I was capable of. I'm so happy to finally put it all together on a physical and technical stage." Nico Lau took the stage win with Richie Rude in 2nd and Martin was just 0.3 seconds back in 3rd. 

Stage 7 was "unreal". Martin said: "The last part of this stage was incredible fun. Once again i pinned it as hard as i could and ended up only one second back. I found a lot of flow and took 2.5 seconds on Vouilloz so i was very pleased."

Stage 8 was cancelled when a torrential rainstorm turned dry river beds into raging torrents in what organisers called "the most extreme weather the Series had ever faced". So results included stages 1-7 and Martin was 3rd, just 0.1 of a second behind Yoann Barelli, who took 2nd place. An awesome result for a rider who is just 18 years old. 

Martin said: "The level of the race was so tight, and i think everyone had so much fun. The riding was awesome and the whole atmosphere with so many spectators was buzzing."

Team Director Dan Brown said: "We are all stoked for Martin - we've expected this podium for him for a long time now, he's been riding out of his skin this week. Nice job Maes-dog!"

Results 

Stage 1 
1. Richie Rude 4.36.693
2. Nico Vouilloz 4.41.285
3. Fabien Bare 4.42.148
6. Martin Maes 4.43.931

Stage 2
1. Richie Rude 7.43.476
2. Yoann Barelli 7.48.008
3. Martin Maes 7.50.618

Stage 3
1. Richie Rude 4.03.385
2. Fracois Bailly-Maitre 4.03.851
3. Jared Graves 4.04.746
21. Martin Maes 4.10.07

Stage 4
1. Richie Rude
2. Nico Vouilloz 4.26.113
3. Yoann Barelli 4.26.194
11. Martin Maes 4.32.337

Stage 5
1. Martin Maes 1.23.190
2. Yoann Barelli 1.25.0409
3. Nico Vouilloz 1.26.036

Stage 6
1. Nico Lau 3.48.001
2. Richie Rude 3.49.131
3. Martin Maes 3.49.435

Stage 7
1. Jared Graves 4.21.288
2. Martin Maes 4.22.940
3. Nico Lau 4.23.046

Overall
1. Richie Rude 30.32.217
2. Yoann Barelli 30.52.444
3. Martin Maes 30.52.522

All the action from Red Bull Hardline

Ruaridh Cunningham takes the win and pays tribute to Gee Atherton 

Race Report: Red Bull Hardline, 12-13 September 2015, Dinas Mawddwy, Wales

Winning rider of Red Bull Hardline Ruaridh Cunningham paid tribute to Gee Atherton: "Gee was a man amongst boys this week. If he hadn't coaxed us through the jumps, I don't think we'd have made half of the course."

The second Red Bull Hardline was bigger, gnarlier and muddier than last year's test event. Once again the riders discovered a great camaraderie as they sectioned the track. Everyone was missing the course creator and inspiration, Dan Atherton, who was out injured in a crash during testing but Gee took the lead to master the track and raise confidence for all the riders. Even Dan's absence and a wet and windy morning couldn't dampen the excitement as they took to the course for their Saturday qualifying session. 

Qualifying was open with riders free to put in up to three runs and take their best times. The course was tacky with riders and bikes picking up a lot of mud. High winds up top meant that the riders started their runs from Dirty Ferns, just over halfway down the course. 

Gareth Brewin, a co-creator of the course, Taylor Vernon and Canadian Mark Wallace all took knocks in the practice that ruled them out of any further racing. 

Gee took the lead in run 1 with a time of 1.33.490, shaving hundredths of seconds off on run 2 to take the qualifying lead with 1.33.242. Veteran of last year's event Joe Smith took the second and Hardline newcomer Bernard Kerr took the third. 

Qualifying Results

1. Gee Atherton 1.33.242
2. Joe Smith 1.37.065
3. Bernard Kerr 1.38.501 

Sunday morning practice was dry, though Dan and Olly's dig crew were kept busy on last-minute repairs, clearing mud debris and smoothing out ruts that had formed on the approach to the jumps. 

Gee was first to send the Dirty Ferns jump and he led the pack down the mountain, all in one piece. Ruaridh Cunningham and Reese Wilson chose to put om a second practice run while the rest of the riders chilled and tried to converse their physical and mental energy for the Finals run. 

Lluis Lacondeguy and Kye Forte decided not to race after a series of crashes in practice. Kye had been suffering a concussion and Lluis said he felt sketchy and just wasn't enjoying riding in the wet.

As Gee left for his Finals run, Ruaridh popped his head into the GT Factory Racing pits to report that ground in the open was drying out to a pretty good condition. 

The vibe in the maximum capacity crowd switched up to full-scale nervous anticipation and the race was ON. 

First down was Al Bond, riding Dan Atherton's bike! Al was 1.05.43 at split 1 but he cased the big hip, went down, got up but punctured above the road gap and finished the run on his rim. 

Adam Brayton was slower than Bond at split 1, but he made time to go two seconds faster by split 2 and crossed the line in 4.11.0 to go into the hot seat! Adam said: "The crowds are awesome up there!"

Craig Evans, Adam's Hope Factory Racing team-mate was down about five seconds at split 1, 18 seconds back by split 3 but still looked as if he was having fun, finishing his run with a huge whip.

Reece Wilson is only in his third season of racing Downhill. He looked fast at split 1 but went down on the hip, to be down 11.7 seconds at split 3. He hit the cannon jump for the first time in his Finals run, styling it up over the Final fly off to cross into second.

Reece said: "I was actually enjoying it - a shame to crash but I'll be back again I'm sure."

Ruaridh Cunningham started his run fast, going five seconds up at split 1 and an unbelievable 17.8 seconds up at split 2. He was 28 km/h through the speed trap (actually the slowest rider) but he still went more than 30 seconds up at split 3, crossing the line 17.2 seconds ahead of Adam Brayton to take the hot seat. 

Third-fastest qualifier Bernard Kerr was six seconds down by split 2, crossing into second place, seven seconds back from Ruaridh. 

Second-place qualifier Joe Smith had the race's fastest speed through the trap (34 km/h) but he was two seconds back at split 2, 5.7 back at split 3 making up three seconds at the bottom of the course to go into second place with 3.57.402.

Then fastest qualifier Gee was on course. Last year Gee had qualified first but punctured on his Finals run so the GT Factory Racing team was holding its breath, knowing how important this run would be to him and how disappointed he had been not to show what he could do on this course. Alarm bells were raised when Gee was 5.9 seconds back at split 1. He had been so in control all week that it seemed an unlikely time without a mechanical. It soon became clear that history had repeated itself - Gee had punctured. His tyre came off the rim and he had to limp down to a hero's welcome.

Ruaridh said: "That was my first full run all week - my heart rate is about 240! Gee was so unlucky, I'm gutted for him. Without Gee showing us all the way this week, we wouldn't have done it. He was a man amongst boys - thanks man."

Finals Results

1. Ruaridh Cunningham 3.53.785
2. Joe Smith 3.57.402
3. Bernard Kerr 4.01.035

 All photos: Sven Martin

Rachel Atherton reclaims her rainbow stripes

Martin takes second in the Junior's but 2014 World Champion Gee crashes out

Race report: UCI World Championships, Vallnord 2015 

There were mixed emotions in the GT Factory Racing camp at the weekend. Massive celebrations for Rachel Atherton's recapture of her World Championship (amazingly it's her 3rd senior title and fourth overall - she won as a Junior in 2005). There was great excitement at Martin's 2nd place tinged with a touch of "what might have been" and of course crushing disappointment for Gee who went down hard after a pedal clip on a seemingly innocuous part of the course. 

Sunday dawned bright and sunny, the track had been a brutal and treacherous beast as it changed character every run, it was drying out fast but there were plenty of slick patches to catch riders unaware as well as dried-in ruts and loads of holes. 

First up was GT Factory Racing's young Belgian Enduro rider Martin Maes, who has already demonstrated his downhill prowess with a win at World Cup Round 2 Fort William. Martin had seeded 3rd on Friday. He kept his cool under the enormous pressure of Finals to put in a great run for 2nd place.

Martin said: "I'm stoked, I love to ride downhill with such brilliant team mates and the atmosphere here is so awesome - for me it's unreal. It's always a little difficult to come second but i'm still very happy! Thanks to GT and all of the team."

In the Women's race, Myriam Nicole, riding for local team Commencal/Riding Addiction was considered by many to be the biggest threat to Rachel for the title. Indeed it looked as though that might be the case when she went up by a huge 7 seconds at the first split, but a problem off camera left her with a twisted seat and put paid to her hopes of winning the title. 

Tracey Hannah put in a very proficient run to take the hot seat and there were just three women left on the hill - all from Great Britain. First down was Tahnee Seagrave who risked it all on a fast run but came unstuck on a rut in the woods, she ended up off track with her front wheel over the top of a berm, crossing the line into 3rd.

Reigning Champion Manon Carpenter also came out of the gate red-hot, she was up by 4 seconds at split 1 and had extended that to 4.5 seconds by split 2. A slippery root looked dangerous for her lower down but she recovered, finally going into the lead by almost 7 seconds.

And then it was all down to Rachel. A massive lead of 19 seconds in timed training had done little to calm Rachel's nerves. She looked careful and in control all the way down, totally mastering the course, but her speed was deceptively fast. She was up by 3.5 seconds at split 1 and nearly 5 at split 2. As she had prophesied she lost time to Manon at the bottom of the course but her technical prowess had ensured she had plenty of time to do so. She kept the jumps squashed and low to maintain speed in a demonstration ride to cross the line a convincing 3.2 seconds clear of the field and to take her 4th World Championships and he second "World Cup Overall,World Champs season double".

Rachel said: "Wow I can't believe it! I'm totally stoked. I knew it would be hard, you have to hang on so tight! I so wanted this title back, being beaten by Manon last year really kicked my ass, I'm so happy. Having a Brit 1, 2 is awesome!"

In the Men's race, Mike Jones took the hot seat by 2.64 seconds and for some time it looked like nobody would match his bottom section, Brook Macdonald was up at the 2nd split but crashed, Danny Hart was up at both splits but lost a lot of time at the bottom to cross in 2nd, then Marcelo Gutierrez bettered Danny to take 2nd (enough for an eventual 5th place on the podium). Greg Minaar attacked hard to smash Jones' time by more than 4 seconds with 5 riders left on the course including Gee. Gee has always said there is no point in taking it carefully at the Worlds. He was 3rd at the first split (down by 1.5 seconds) and then, on full gas to defend his title, he clipped a pedal and came down hard. Josh Bryceland went 2nd to Minaar but young French rider Loic Bruni smashed through split 1 to go 0.7 seconds up. He was 0.9 clear by split 2 and an awesome 2.3 seconds up as he crossed the line after the run of his life! Tony Brosnan and Aaron Gwin both crashed out leaving Loic a very happy winner. 

Gee said: "Pretty gutted to be honest but that's how it goes with World Champs, it's all or nothing. It's all about Rach today - I'm stoked for her."

Results

Women's Elite

1. Rachel Atherton 5.08.488

2. Manon Carpenter 5.11.726 + 3.238

3. Tracey Hannah 5.18.461 + 9.973

Men's Junior

1. Laurie Greenland 4.32.839

2. Martin Maes 4.36.103 + 3.264

3. Jackson Frew 4.44.424 + 11.585

Men's Elite

1. Loic Bruni 4.19.585

2. Greg Minaar 4.21.95 + 2.365

3. Josh Bryceland 4.24.361 + 4.776

All photos: Sven Martin

Red Bull Hardline T's & C's

Red Bull Hardline T's & C's

1. Entries must be made via Twitter by tweeting @silverlinetools explaining why you should win.

2. The prize consists of one car parking pass per winner.

3. Two passes will be given away to two separate winners.

4. Prizes are non-transferable and no cash alternative will be offered.

5. The winner will be chosen and notified by 5 pm on Friday 4th September 2015.

6. Travel and accommodation costs are not included in the prize. 

7. The promoter, Powerbox Limited reserves the right to publish the name of the winners. Winners are required to give their full co-operation to all requests by the promoter

8. The promoter, Powerbox Limited is not responsible for inaccurate prize details supplied to any entrant by any third party connected to this competition.

9. If the winner is unable to take up the prize for any reason, or if Powerbox Limited has not been able, after making reasonable efforts, to contact the winner, Powerbox Limited reserve the right to award the prize (without notice to the first winner chosen) to an alternative winner. In this case the first winner will not be eligible for any share of the prize. Powerbox Limited shall not have any liability in such eventuality. 

10. The competition is open to all residents of the UK and N.I.

11. By entering this competition, the entrant is indicating his/her agreement to be bound by these terms and conditions. 

12. Entrants must be made in accordance with the competition instructions. They are invalid if received any later than the specified closing time. 

13. Entries must be received by 3 pm GMT on Friday 4th September 215.

14. Employees and family and friends of Powerbox Limited or any third party involved are not permitted to enter the competition. 

15. Red Bull Hardline will take place on the 12th and 13th September 2015 at Dinas Mawddwy, Wales. 

For further event information click here

Another jewel in Rachel's Overall World Cup crown

Another jewel in Rachel's Overall World Cup crown 

Race Report: Val di Sole, Italy, 22-23 August 2015

Rachel took the win over the weekend at her beloved Val di Sole. She had already secured the Series Overall so this 6th win out of 7 (she was 2nd to Emmeline Ragot in World Cup Round 1 at Lourdes) was an added bonus. This was Rachel's 26th World Cup win, extending her claim to be the UK's most awarded mountain biker. 

Val di Sole is notoriously brutal; it's often hot, very dusty, plus it's long and physical. Friday's Qualifying Round was close with Rachel in 1st and Manon Carpenter just over two seconds back. Myriam Nicole was back on track after breaking her collarbone at Fort William BDS and staked her claim just 0.3 seconds behind Carpenter. 

By the time the women came on track for Finals there was deep dust, huge nets of exposed roots and a lot of holes. Fourth qualifier Tahnee Seagrave had a narrow escape with a big hole in the top section but held on to go into the hot seat by 2.5 seconds. Just three to go. 

Myriam Nicole, 3rd place qualifier, had clearly got her bike set-up dialled. She looked very stable, going up 1.6 seconds on Rachel's qualifying time at split 1. She was up a huge 9 seconds on Tahnee at split 2 and maintained that gap with a scorching lower section to take the hot seat by 9.1 seconds, over 3 seconds faster than Rachel's qualifying time of 4.14.283. Then Manon was on track. Manon was almost 5 seconds back at split 2 but carried good speed through the bottom section; it was not enough to catch Myriam and she went into 2nd place by 4.1 seconds. 

Rachel has talked about how exhausting she finds Val di Sole and had promised to go all out in the top section. She was true to her word, attacking straight out of the start gate and putting together a blistering run to take the win by 2.2 seconds, her 6th consecutive victory of the Series. 

Rachel said: "There were some very sketchy moments in there! I almost forgot about the racing trying not to crash! I really wanted the win here today but I knew that it wouldn't be easy. Manon and Pompon (Myriam) love these long tracks, and as the season goes on they are getting so fast - I'm scared for Andorra! So proud of the GB women for our top three in the Series."

The results for the Women's Series overall were a fantastic run for the UK with Rachel in 1st, Manon Carpenter in 2nd and Tahnee Seagrave in 3rd. Cause for a huge celebration!

In the Men's race Troy Brosnan, Aaron Gwin and Loic Bruni had qualified within 1.3 seconds of each other and three seconds clear of the rest of the field. Greg Minaar was in 4th and Gee in 5th +4.6 seconds back. Taylor qualified 30th. In the Series Overall it would be between Gwin and Minaar.

The top men were all absolutely flat out, especially through the steep lower sections of Val di Sole. Taylor battled some serious arm pump to finish 41st today, enough for 47th in this year's Overall rankings, his first year in the Elites!

When Gee came on course, Brook Macdonald was in the hot seat with 3.35.215. 

Gee had won here at the 2008 World Championships and had "done the World Cup double" with Rachel in 2013. He came out of the start gate 100% committed and rode a fantastic top section, looking really smooth. Gee went around the braking bumps and great line choice put him up 0.5 seconds at split 1. He continued to ride very smoothly taking the most direct routes down the hill to go just over 0.5 up at split 2. He hit a few little holes on the last left-hander to cross the line 1.2 seconds back on Brook whose lower section looked very fast indeed. 

Then Greg Minaar was on track; a spill at the Wall ended his chances of the overall win and he crossed the line in 51st. Loic Bruni went fastest at split 1 by 1.5 seconds, up by nearly 2 seconds at split 2; he crossed the line still fastest to take the hot seat. Aaron Gwin was last but one to go. With the pressure off, Gwin rode a brilliant race to go up at split 1 and take the lead by 1.589. Last man down Troy Brosnan was up at split 2 and the crowd went wild but a few small mistakes lost him time and he slotted into third. Gwin took the win and the Series. 

Gee's 6th place today was enough for 6th place in the Series Overall. This is the first time he has been out of the top 5 since 2005.

Gee said: "I'm disappointed. The crash that I took in qualifying at Round 1 at Lourdes and the ride down after that in the Finals with my wrist strapped to the bars [miraculously he somehow finished 48th] left me chasing from behind for the entire series. Congratulations to Gwin, he rode a great race and an awesome season."

In the Team Overall Standings, GT Factory Racing narrowly missed out on the Overall title to Specialized Racing. 

Team Director Dan Brown said: "All of us are gutted to miss the Team Overall by such a small margin. The team put in a mammoth effort all season and it's a shame to come so close, especially with us being in the lead as we came into this round. Next year it will be a different story."

Results

Women's Elite

1. Rachel Atherton 4.08.636
2. Myriam Nicole 4.10.875 + 2.239
3. Manon Carpenter 4.15.080 + 6.444

Women's Series Overall 

1. Rachel Atherton 
2. Manon Carpenter
3. Tahnee Seagrave 

Men's Elite 

1. Aaron Gwin 3.31.922
2. Loic Bruni 3.33.511 + 1.589
3. Troy Brosnan 3.33.776 + 1.854
4. Brook Macdonald 3.35.215 + 3.293
5. Josh Bryceland 3.36.327 + 4.405
6. Gee Atherton 3.36.437 + 4.515
41. Taylor Vernon 3.45.260 + 13.338

Men's Overall

1. Aaron Gwin 
2. Loic Bruni 
3. Troy Brosnan
4. Greg Minaar
5. Josh Bryceland
6. Gee Atherton 
47. Taylor Vernon 

Photos: Sven Martin

#TweetForTools T's & C's

Tweet for Tools T's & C's

1. Entries must be made via Twitter by following @silverlinetools and retweeting relevant #TweetForTools graphic.

2. The competition will be run until @silverlinetools reach 15,000 followers on Twitter.

3. The winner will be chosen at random and notified within 7 days of the competition closing.

4. The prize is £500 (RRP) worth of Silverline tools. The winner will select tools of their choice to the value of £500.

5. Prizes are non-transferable and no cash alternative will be offered.

6. The promoter, Powerbox Limited reserves the right to publish the name of the winner. The winner is required to give their full co-operation to all requests by the promoter. 

7. The promoter, Powerbox Limited is not responsible for inaccurate prize details supplied to any entrant by any third party connected to this competition.

8. The winners agree to the use of his/her name and image in any publicity material. Any personal data relating to the winner or any other entrants will be used solely in accordance with current (UK) Data Protection Legislation and will not be disclosed to any third party without the entrant's prior consent.

9. If the winner is unable to take up the prize for any reason, or if Powerbox Limited has not been able, after making reasonable efforts, to contact the winner, Powerbox Limited reserve the right to award the prize (without notice to the first winner chosen) to an alternative winner. In this case the first winner will not be eligible for any share of the prize. Powerbox Limited shall not have any liability in such eventuality. 

10. The competition is open to all residents of the UK and N.I.

11. By entering this competition, the entrant is indicating his/her agreement to be bound by these terms and conditions.

12. Entrants must be made in accordance with the competition instructions. They are invalid if received any later than the specified closing time. 

13. Employees and family and friends of Powerbox Limited or any third party involved are not permitted to enter the competition.

Silverline visit Rempart in France

Silverline headed to France recently, to meet up with heritage organisation Rempart and to take a look at some of their amazing restoration work.

Silverline has worked with Rempart since 2013 providing tool support. The tools we donate are used by volunteers when working on the restoration of historic buildings and sites around France. 

On the first day we visited two sites in South West France. The first was Chateau de Roquetaillade, a 14th century castle located in the Mazeres area near Bordeaux. The property has belonged to the same family for over 700 years! We met owner Sébastien and the small Rempart group who had been working on the castle for two weeks, using traditional mason techniques to restore part of the original dungeon, part of which required working high up on scaffolding. We ventured up to take a look and it was well worth the risk - the view from the top of the tower was amazing!

Next we headed to Chateau de Cazeneuve, which was just a short drive away. This 14th century chateau is located next to the river Ciron, and was home to Queen Margret of France (amongst others). As we waited for the restoration team to return from lunch we were taken on a short tour to 'The Queens Cave' - an isolated scenic area along the river bank where it is rumoured the Queen held 'licentious' parties. There was no partying for us however, as we made our way back to the work site to meet the team, which comprised an upbeat mix of ages and nationalities. We spent the rest of the afternoon meeting and interviewing the volunteers as they worked to restore and original part of the perimeter wall.

Our final day started at Chateau de Villandraut, just a few minutes' walk from the hotel. The village of Villandraut is the birthplace of Bertrand de Goth, who became Pope Clement V in 1305. This castle was one of his many residencies and was built to signify wealth and power. The volunteers here were restoring one of the main arches supporting the castle gallery. Groups of volunteers have also excavated the moat and have found some interesting artefacts, including coins and cannon balls. 

Our final site visit was possibly the most scenic. Chateau de Budos is surrounded by rolling hills and vineyards. This ruined castle belonged to Raymond Guilhem de Budos, nephew of Pope Clement V, and was built with similar architectural layout of the neighbouring castle in Villandraut. The team here included volunteers from France, Ghana  and Wales. The restoration of the main tower was the focus point of the work and the teams were camped outdoors within the grounds of the castle.

After two days, four amazing sites and many rounds of coffee and croissants, it was back to the office for some editing and good cup of English tea.

Check out the video here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFTwZebKvoo