Check out the Australian National Championships' track with this head cam footage and comprehensive track walk.
Jump on board as we take a run down the Nationals' track just before it was bunted for the race;
Now check out the track in more detail;
Straight out of the starting gate riders are faced with a rock gap. Splitting the rocks is the fastest line but you want to keep low as you have to corner left as soon as you land. The trick is to keep low enough to make the corner but not clip your pedals on the rocks.
The left corner after the rock gap is followed by a right hand berm, these corners are tight and with dry conditions perfect for a bit of drift!
The next feature is this chute. Stick to the right of the picture and be rewarded with the concrete blocks to ride down but you have to veer out around to the left of the picture for the corner. If you drop to the left of the chute you have to make it stick as there is not much for your wheels to grip on but you do get a straight line down into the left hander at the bottom.
The view from the top of the chute illustrates this more. You can't straight line the left with the positioning of the bunting and the cut into the side of the hill.
The top quarter of the track runs along a ridge so the wind can have quite a major affect. A head wind saps energy on what is already a pedally part of the course, cross and tail winds are another story.
As riders head down the ridge they are greeted by various rock gardens and whoops. Here in this photo, the fast riders coming from the left will gap off these rocks and land some 3-4m past on the down side of the visible whoop.
A few shallow corners exsist as riders continue down the ridge.
The Eagle track is rocky and punctures will occur on the jagged rocks that litter the course.
Eagle Park
Riders come off the ridge at this right hand corner before traversing across the face of the hill.
The track has changed from last year's National Championships. The track zig zags down the face of the hill, unlike last year where it was more of a straight line affair!
As riders come down the face of the hill these rocks break up the track. Currently they are low enough to roll over but as the track wears this may no longer be the case. The obvious question is why not just drop/jump off them? Answer; You're already coming in with good pace and just after this feature is a right hander followed by a left hander.
This is the right hander after the rock feature before you turn left and hit the bridge jump.
The next section sees the riders perform a 180 degree turn. The fast line has been worn to the left of the photo up high allowing the rider to almost drop into the berm.
The track surface has lots of rocks and dust covering it. Riders can expect the smaller rocks to be pushed off the track/racing line as they are ridden over. The braking bumps and ruts though will form if conditions continue to stay this dry.
As you come into the wooded section riders are greeted by this steep, rocky chute. Plenty of crashes have occured here in past races
This is a jump where riders land on a set of rock steps. What is not evident in the photo, is that a few riders actually jump up into the side of the hill and wall ride along before dropping back down onto the track.
This rock double is not for the faint hearted, you must commit as the landing is rock solid, literally!
The track then ducks and weaves along through a series of switchbacks and bermed corners.
Riders are now in the final part of the track, this chute is not huge but after an energy sapping run will require committment.
The next challenge on the track for riders is another chute with a sweeping left hand berm at the bottom.
Once riders land this largish double they must turn tight right across a flat slippery corner.
Only a few corners to go before the finish, here you can either cut in tight or ride around the berm to the right.
The final corner before the finsh line is actually quite steep and tight. Eagle is a challenging track as it does not allow the rider to sit back and relax at any point, a lapse of concentration on this track will show in the results.
I was there last year with my 2 riders. Track changed a little bit up the top and down the bottom towards the finish line. More zig zaging now. Was supposed to be there again this year but shit happened during training. It is a 2 minutes track with lots of rocks.... you can hear someone smashing their wheel set on them. I saw Kovarik blew up his tire on that S corner on the ridge. Is the left hip jump near finish gone ? Should be a great race this year....
Really? Retarded? Nice. If you're going to troll comments at least come up with a flame worthy of our time. The DH track at The Ranch in Kamloops was inspired by a track in Australia...hence my first comment.
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