This is actually slightly cut-down resolution, but even so if you go full screen I think it's pretty impressive personally. 14 mins of footage at this size = 360mb.

If you can't be bothered to watch the full thing, I recommend watching the first two minutes, then skip to 12 minutes in for the big crash 😉

Rode the bike yesterday for the first time since the crash and the leg has healed nicely, so fortunately no lasting damage!!

cheers
ed

watched this last night on vimeo, this is truly quality and a really interesting piano track to back it with.

Looks like you were riding really well, leaving loads of riders in your wake and annoying that it wasn't your error that took you off but another rider trying to go past you (I think i see him taking a couple of looks round your right before he went left and then your crash.)

Did you spend hours studying the footage to try to get his number or did you just think c'est la vie! (which is probably the better approach)

Cheers – I would love to blame it on him but actually it was my fault. If you watch the slow motion crash, you will see there were two riders ahead of me, I was sitting in their wheeltracks waiting for a straight section and then when I heard the guy behind sliding up the inside on the previous corner I made a push to get past them both but what you can't see on the vid is a drainage ditch running right across the track.

Usually you can hit it at full speed but I went high to the left to pass them and didn't realise it was much deeper that far to the left, so I edged right just as the guy in front of me edged left and I think my right hand clipped his left hip, just as we hit the ditch, which spun my bars around in a split second.

I think what was even more frustrating than the crash was missing out on qualifying by such a small margin. One of the marshals at the top of the short road climbed before the big descent down into the valley told me I was 56th, so I gave it beans down and coming out of the woods at the bottom somebody else shouted 49th, but by that time the finish line is in sight and the group in front were just too far ahead to claw anything else back!

It was still an amazing experience though, highly recommend it to anybody. Even if you don't like racing or downhill for that matter, it's worth going and riding in the open session, it's such an amazing experience.

Some nice smooth riding there.

Bit different to my run – I was amongst the cannon fodder in group 2 of the quali.

I've got to say you've also got to be lucky as well as skilful in this event. If you get randomly drawn at the very back of the qualifier grid, you would have to be superhuman to qualify from there.

Also the potential for mechanicals, other riders crashing into you etc. is huge. How did you get on overall? At least the weather was better this year!!

Fantastic video, and superb choice of music.
Watched it full screen. For me it was some of the best MTB footage I've ever seen. Brilliant.

You can ride a bit too eh? Mrs Stratobiker and I were well impressed with your riding skills. I did the Mega a couple of years ago. Your vid brought back some great memories.

Bon Chance for next year.

SB 🙂

Mrs Straobiker Says: "AWESOME, AWESOME – F'ING AWESOME"! By the way, how do we sponsor you for next year?

Nice video!

Edcase, nice video! Really well done and edited and some nice riding there too. Hard lines on the crash. Mind if I ask you a few questions about your camera / editing stuff?? If you don't mind you could mail me at doug at basquemtb.com

Cheers!

Great video, superb quality and I like the unusual soundtrack. Love the bit around that tricky steep wooden section where everyone seems to pause, then you shoot off past.

I came 134th in my qualifier, and 400 odd in the Affinity, but I was just happy to finish in the end, had quite a few stacks, one very painful one.

Good work. The Wim Mertens track was perfect.

Wow – Thanks for the positive feedback guys, I was in two minds whether to upload since it’s a long clip and I didn't think anyone would sit through it, but your comments have made it worthwhile.

I have a stack more footage from the trip including Pila in Italy and general Portes du Soleil, as well as plenty of footage to make a decent crash compendium 😉

I will go ahead and get some of that uploaded in the next week or so, keep an eye on that vimeo account.

Doug I will drop you a message shortly.

Cheers
ed

Great stuff Ed. You'll be snapping at Nico's heels next year! 😉

If you get randomly drawn at the very back of the qualifier grid

Apparently if you can show some decent previous race results when you register, you're more likely to be bumped up to the front rows of the grid.

Or just lie about it apparently too…

Interesting… I also noticed that journalists always get front row spots!!

Lovely video and editing. Sorry bout the crash, you were doing really well.