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Nissan Qashqai Urban Challenge - Newcastle
8th May 2007 - James
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This weekend saw the first round of the Nissan Qashqai Urban Challenge. Basically this is a series of events in five European cities - Newcastle, Milan, Madrid, Cologne and Paris. At each city a set of tour riders who go to every event, and a set of rider's specialist to the discipline attend.
Newcastle saw the North Shore round of the competition and is the first urban freeride event of its kind, it took place in Times Square, which had loads of space available for construction as well as for the huge crowds which gathered around the area. Also pretty handy were the bars and clubs alongside the arena, always a good thing when you need a tipple to keep you going.
Kyle Strait looking off the start ramp
The course was built by the same guys who build for some big-name mountain bike films, working late into the night to make sure the woodwork was setup perfectly. It kicked off with a big start ramp, ride off a log drop of around 3m into the first transition, a lot of 360's were thrown here in the finals, including a crazy attempt at a 360 tailwhip but more about that further down.. The speed you carried from the drop went straight into a step-up onto the boardwalk. Just after you landed the step-up it was straight into either a skinny, or a log drop. If the line wasn't perfect on the step-up, no way would you make the second part... this caught a lot of riders out, even Bearclaw commented that it presented difficulties, having never seen a trick like it. Lance McDermott was throwing backflips into the mix here, and Andreu Lacondeguy pulled awesome stretched superman's.
Darren Berrecloth rounding the corner after the skinny
Choice was either a skinny to wall drop (there was a see-saw but no-one on Saturday attempted it) or a drop into wall ride, this brought you into another step-up, a little tighter this time but still needing speed to get into it, an easy ride over the boardwalks dropped you into the satellite dish (it had many names over the weekend) the only rider to really trick this was Berrecloth, pulling an awesome tight 360 in his final run.
The UK riders contingent at the Qashqai Challenge
It was then a pedal to the finish to a huge kicker, McDermott was pulling his trademark front flip, over the finals there were tricks from the basic table, 360 tables, backflip tables, 360 tailwhips... you name it, it happened. Phil Sundbaum however owned this jump with an amazing 720 to net himself the title of Best Trick, pretty good after he quit his job just to get to Europe and ride the Qashqai Challenge, expect big things guys.
Paul Bas flipping the finish jump
With estimated crowds of 10,000 on Saturday for the finals, the riders stepped up to the plate, and with what seemed like Borat commentating (backflip, uh, I like!) the crowds were getting revved up to see the final runs. Qualifying saw some pretty mad tricks being laid down, and the first run of the finals was even better but what we saw for the final-final runs was off the scale!
Andreu can pull awesome supermans
Kyle Strait started proceedings, after a long while looking over the drop he kicked it off with an invert, to a backflip over the step-up and a huge double tailwhip over the final jump. Things were getting interesting!
Gee Atherton spent a long time staring over the drop, at the top everyone knew something was going on in his head because Gee never looks at something for that long, but we weren't expecting a massive 360 off the ramp, barspin on the step-up and a flip on the final jump... not bad for a downhiller... Ben Boyko looks like a quiet guy but his 360 x-up off the ramp, followed by a barspin and 360 tailwhip over the finish sent the crowds mad, and earned him a solid fourth place.
Gee looking over the drop, later pulling a clean 360
Everyone was waiting with baited breath for Bearclaw (no pun intended), once you mention freeride Darren Berrecloth isnt far away, and he showed the kids just what the old school riders can do. 360 off the start, tailwhip on the step-up, tuck no hands on the next step-up, 360 off the satellite and a massive boost off the finish jump into a 360 table. The crowd went MAD.
Darren Berrecloth tailwhipping the step-up
But things were only just getting interesting. Paul Bas went from a tailwhip, to a 360 into the tight step-up landing, no foot cancan and finishing with a flipwhip, again the crowd went mental!
Unfortunately Andreu Lacondeguy's shoulder injury got him on the step-up and forced him to stop his run, this kid has a bright future and is competing with Cam McCaul for most hyperactive guy EVER. Too much redbull?! Special mention goes out to Dan Atherton, inventive use of the course and huge boosters off the final jump, as well as his bag of tricks just wasnt enough for the finals, but he is a world cup downhiller too..
Andreu has a bright future, drinks too much RedBull
Lance McDermott had a solid start with a 360 off the ramp but a dodgy landing from a flip onto the stepup meant that his line was out and he had to start again, perseverance but little mistakes cost points unfortunately.
Finally the last guy to run was Christopher Hatton of France. On his last run he walked up the tower with a fullface helmet, as much body armour as possible and a look in his eye that meant something big was going down here, everyone on the tower waited for his wheels to start rolling.
He rolled into the start ramp, went into a 360 and kicked the bike round into a tailwhip, MENTAL on a drop this big, unfortunately he landed hard but the padding bounced him back onto his feet.
Christopher Hatton 360 Tailwhip
Bearclaw making his way to the podium
Respect for trying such a move on a drop of this size, which rounded up proceedings nicely, with the final results being:
1. Darren Berrecloth
2. Paul Basagoitia
3. Kyle Strait
4. Ben Boyko
5. Christopher Hatton
6. Grant Fielder
7. Amir Kabbani
8. Greg Watts
9. Gee Atherton
10. Andreu Lacondeguy
11. Brandon Semenuck
12. Lance McDermott
Podium, Strait 3rd, Claw 1st, Bas 2nd.
Many thanks go out to Tarek & the rasoulution guys for organising such an amazing event, Nissan the title sponsors have put a lot of money into our sport, sponsoring the UCI World Cup & the World Champs and the effort in organisation showed. Many people came out to learn about mountain biking freeride, with many people inside Times Square just having come to do their shopping, but stopped to watch people on bikes. More of the same please!
The tour stops in Milan next weekend for the Street competition, keep an eye on the site as we keep you up with all the news! Have a look at the official Nissan Qashqai Challenge website for all the info on riders, locations and rankings.
More pictures below..
Nissan Qashqai
Greg Watts almost lets the skinny beat him
Chopper going mad off the ramp, tailwhip!
McDermott flipping the step-up, check out the face
Strait high fives his way to the stand
Nissan Qashqai Urban Challenge - Newcastle winner Darren Berrecloth
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