Well, actually practice day was on and off showers all day with the team swapping between wets (Bontrager G Mud) and drys (Bontrager G5) all day.
The track was super slippery so the team were going as hard as they dared...By Sunday the sun was baking and the track had dried out well, definitely a day for G5s all round. The track at Llangynog is tight and technical at the top yet fairly groomed at the bottom with some fast berms.
First up for seeding was Kade Edwards for the Atherton Academy riding in Youth Category. Kade was fast but made a mistake which led to him dismounting his bike but he managed to keep on his feet and jump back on, crossing the line 3.74 seconds clear of the field!
Rachel had a text book run to take the seeding win by almost 8 seconds but insufficient gaps meant that Tahnee Seagrave had to overtake 2 riders on her run, even so she crossed the line into third just 0.2 seconds behind her good friend Manon Carpenter - what would Finals bring?
Gee and Taylor both put in steady runs to seed in 7th and 18th respectively.
Seeding - Youth Men
1. Kade Edwards, Atherton Academy - 2.47.692
2. Scott Riley, Revolution Bike Park - 2.51.434 + 3.742
3. Jamie Edmondson, Transition/FMD Racing - 2.53.749 + 6.057
4. Alec Geyser, We Love Mountains - 2.54.002 + 6.310
5. Jack Mills, Revolution Bike Park - 2.54.192 + 6.500
Seeding - Senior Championship Women
1. Rachel Atherton, Trek Factory Racing DH - 2.51.694
2. Manon Carpenter, Madison Saracen Factory Team - 2.51.434 + 3.742
3. Tahnee Seagrave, Transition/FMD Racing - 2.59.74 + 8.046
4. Sophia Paull - 3.37.724 + 46.030
5. Lucy Drees, Grips - 3.43.466+51.772
Seeding - Senior Championship Men
1. Greg Williamson, Cube Global Squad - 2.34.841
2. Danny Hart, MS Mondraker Team - 2.36.08 + 1.239
3. Jack Reading, One Vision Global Racing - 2.37.694 + 2.854
4. Steve Peat, Santa Cruz Syndicate - 2.37.796 + 2.955
5. Jay Williamson, Steve Peat Syndicate Global - 2.38.627 + 3.786
7. Gee Atherton, Trek Factory Racing DH - 2.39.565 + 4.724
18. Taylor Vernon, Trek Factory Racing DH - 2.43.581 + 8.74
In the Finals run, Kade was excited and positive after his seeding run, he was looking fast and assured but disaster struck and he crashed in his race run on a grassy turn, slamming straight into a tree. He lost valuable time getting back on his bike, crossing into 4th place.
Kade said: "Absolutely gutted, I know the speed is there, I just have to stay on my bike."
In the Women's Race, Tahnee went through into first, Manon never really getting into contention 5 seconds behind her. Rachel blasted down the hill, beating her seeding time by another 2 seconds, taking the National Champs win by a clear 8 seconds.
Rachel said: "I was really nervous coming into this weekend after Tahnee got so close at the World Cup but I soon forgot that once I started riding and having fun with all of the British riders. The tracl was wicked fun and I'm over the moon to take my 6th consecutive National Champs!"In the Men's race, Taylor Vernon put in an awesome run to cross into the hot-seat from his 18th place in seeding. He held that position for a while but eventually riders started to come through faster - he had done enough for an eventual 8th place.
Taylor said: "I rode fast and aggressive, it wasn't the perfect run but it was good, something just clicked, I'm stoked."
Gee had qualified in 7th but as in seeding, he struggled to find his flow, finishing in 9th. Gee said: "I struggled today to get up and over, hard to find my flow. Stoked for TV though, great run by the little bro."
Youth Men Finals
1. Henry Kerr, Revolution CT - 2.44.095
2. Jamie Edmondson, Transition/FMD Racing - 2.48.388 + 4.293
3. Riley Scott, Revolution Bike Park - 2.49.124 + 5.029
4. Kade Edwards, Atherton Academy - +5.647
5. Alec Geyer, We Love Mountains - +7.101
Senior Championship Women
1. Rachel Atherton, Trek Factory Racing DH - 2.44.095
2. Tahnee Seagrave, Transition/FMD Racing - 2.57.882 + 8.195
3. Manon Carpenter, Madison Saracen Factory Team - 3.03.582 + 13.895
4. Sophia Paull - 3.35.582 + 45.895
5. Lucy Drees, Grips - 3.37.488 + 47.801
Senior Championship Men
1. Greg Williamson, Cube Global Squad - 2.33.508
2. Danny Hart, MS Mondraker Team - 2.33.883 + 0.375
3. Steve Peat, Santa Cruz Syndicate - 2.35.760 + 2.252
4. Josh Bryceland, Santa Cruz Syndicate - 2.35.760 + 2.252
5. Marc Beaumont, Madison Saracen Factory Team - 2.36.286 + 2.778
8. Taylor Vernon, Trek Factory Racing DH - 2.36.829 + 3.321
9. Gee Atherton, Trek Factory Racing DH - 2.37.331 + 3.823
Images - Dan Hearn
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