DH World Cup 2014 - Pietermaritzberg Preview

It’s that time of year again, and this season our racing starts under the South African sun as the World Cup circus heads to Pietermaritzberg on Saturday.

GoPro DH World Cup Course Preview 2014

The approach to this season has been far less dramatic than last year, where big money moves of Sam Hill and Aaron Gwin stole all the press but proved to be ultimately underwhelming. This year’s biggest changes come in the form of a new team (Dirt/Orange, fronted by Ben Reid) and the wheel size debate rumbling on with at least two of the major manufacturers upping their game to 650B (GT and CRC).

The track at Pietermaritzberg remains largely unchanged, a technical top section, followed by the dreaded, dusty sprint, finished with a flowing bike park style jumps section.

Of any tracks on the circuit PMB is always the one that attracts the most controversy, many see the middle section as ‘not proper downhill’, an opinion cemented by the success of Jared Graves last year, who finished third on an Enduro frame and single crown forks.

This year’s field seems to resemble wacky racing more than a top level World Cup with prototype and one off bikes emerging from the woodwork. Restricted travel? Bigger wheels? Re-jjigged Enduro frames? The best route for finding speed in South Africa seems to be unclear at the moment, but either way we’ve had a great time spotting new kit this week!

The last race here was won by Greg Minnaar, with Mick Hannah in second. The women’s race was taken comfortably by Rachel Atherton.

Pietermaritzberg is traditionally a hard one to predict. Being a local boy, Greg Minnaar is never a bad shout for the win here. He knows the track and conditions better than anyone and historically has taken full advantage of this, having won in PMB more than any other rider.

Gee Atherton will be hungry for a win here, keen to make amends for the disappointing end to last season and keen to capitalise on Stevie Smith’s absence due to injury. Mick Hannah is maturing like a fine wine, getting quicker as the years go by, he just needs a stroke of luck to sneak on to that top step, and you can bet he’ll be fit enough for it in PMB.

Having said that with all the uncertainty surrounding new tech don’t be surprised if a wild card such as Aaron Gwin or even Sam Blenkinsop snatches the win.

Expect the women’s race to be snatched up by Rachel Atherton with Emmeline Ragot and Manon Carpenter battling for second and third place.

The race is live on Satruday at 13:15 over at Red Bull.