We are all probably getting ready for 2012 racing season, but I'm coming back to show you a bit of my 2011 racing.
I've been racing for Banshee Bikes Factory team with my team mate Adam Brayton and we had an awesome time. I spent almost all weekends of the season at the races. I did whole World Cup except South Africa, most of IXS European DH Cup, a few other races plus a lot of training and riding. It was simply fun with some solid results.
First of all, there is a video footage which hasn't been released yet. It shows some Worldcups, Dirt Jumps, MX and World Champs of 2011.
I was a bit unlucky this season in WC qualis. I was really confident when the season started, as I qualified myself for all races back in 2010. But I put myself under a little stress too. Here is the spot in La Bresse, where I crashed in Qualification. I was simply too fast and landed too far, a little bit nosedived for sure, haha.
Another missed finals - Fort William. I was really enjoying the course this year. I was training with Brayton all the week, having fun. I had really good run in the qualis, but slipped a bit off the line at the bottom, missed the bridge and fell into the stream...a minute from the finishline, haha. At least, I was happy to get 6th at first split.
We also had some fun at Brayton's - Keswick, UK. Lovely place, really. As Adam said: "The best place in the world".
One of the races of IXS EDC also visited my home country, Czech Republic. I think everybody was loving the track, except the pissing rain following us for whole weekend. I finished 3rd in the end.
I was also having fun on Worlds in Champery. The track is one of my favorites and I enjoyed a whole week of training. I also had a solid run in qualis, finishing 21st. BUT!!, the mud on Sunday was a thing. I was really looking forward to that, because I like mud and I've been racing there all World Cups before.. But this was crazy, again. I was feeling good until I crashed for the first time...after that I crashed 3 more times. Really wild run, who has not seen this in real, can't understand how massive this is.
I didn't ride my MX bike through the season too often. I had no time. Here is one of the autumn rides.
If you are interested in more pictures from 2011, you can see the whole album at my profile.
I would like to thanks to my 2011 sponsors, which helped me a lot to make this happened. *Banshee Bikes *Alpine-pro *Hant *Maxxis *RaceFace *Elka *WTB *e*13 *HT *Cane Creek *Crank Brothers *Ultim8shop.cz *Gravitymag.com *Krabcycles *Bluegrass Eagle *Inkospor *Framewrap *GoPro *Five.Ten
And another special thanks to Gravitymag.com's Patrik Prochazka, who traveled with me to some races and made the most of the pictures above, the first one is by Ken81.
French rider Antoine Dubourgnon is known for big mountain as well as dirt jumping and slopestyle riding, he really is an all rounder who likes to take elements from one discipline over to others and really show just how much fun it is possible to have on a bike given any terrain.
Although this is PDF is specifically for the Rune, the information is identical for Spitfire and rampant also since the pivots are the same and require same maintenance and care.
Last weekend the SKS-Slopestyle has taken place @ Winterberg, Germany as part of the Dirtmaster Festival 2011. Below you find some pics of me riding my Rampant during competition on the rebuilt course, that was extended this year with some new wooden obstacles. The Rampant makes it a lot easier to compensate the hard landings while still having the handling of a hardtail. 1st choice.
Since the slopestyle-track is located in a dip, it's easy for the people to view the ongoing action.
As every year some friends and myself rented a vacational home near the festival . Short ways for lot's of fun, party & action during the festival days.
Here you have the view from the middle of the 4x straight to the slopestyle course.
Since the wind was blowing during my runs I did it the safe and not risked to much, so I ended up 27th, pro class, from finally listed 45 and total over 80 starters.
Mike Montgomery has won the 2011 Teva Games slopestyle in convincing style. His final run included a big 720 along with a dialed run to seal the deal. When video is available we will be posting it.
Honourable mentions also have to go to banshee riders Paul Genovese (7th) and Jack Fogelquist (9th)... great work guys!
Paul Bas went down pretty hard on a double backflip by all accounts. We hope he isn't too badly hurt and makes a speedy recovery.
About two months ago, I put a foot down weird on a sketchy 360 and broke the third metatarsal in my right foot. Thankfully, my recovery was smooth and painless, with constant entertainment and good times that my friends and family brought! Not to mention, I got a killer cast-tan out of it! I got cleared to start easing into riding two weeks ago, so I spent a week building up strength riding cross country, and started jumping the week after. I’ve been collecting GoPro footage along the way, with some clips during my recovery, my x-rays, a bit of cross country riding, and finally jumping and downhilling again! It feels absolutely unreal to start riding again and I couldn’t be happier! Enjoy!
In pretty much a landslide victory Mike Montgomery has won the Pinkbike Best Trick Throwdown at Ranchstyle in Colorado with 353 votes.
The event took place yesterday at the Grassroots Ranch in Colorado and was filmed by a team of videographers. The video was then posted to Pinkbike where viewers had the opportunity to vote for a winner. Mike's winning trick was a backflip barhop, something that is mostly unseen in mountain bike competition. Greg Watts placed second with 121 votes, he threw down a myriad of tricks including a flip double barspin and no handed 360 to barspin. Third place was Ben Glassen, a relatively unknown rider from Nanaimo BC. His super steezy 360 nac earned him 65 votes, while Eric Lawrenuk's decade (or 360 downside whip to some) earned him fourth place with 47 votes.
Results
1. Mike Montgomery 353 2. Greg Watts 121 3. Ben Glassen 65 4. Eric Lawrenuk 47 5. Joe Perizzo 32 6. Jamie Goldman 13 7. Kelly Mcgarry 7 8. Anthony Messere 4 8. Jack Ludlam 10. Garrett Robertson 1 10. Nick Simcik 1 10. Reece Wallace 1 10. Scott Alleyn 1 10. Tyler McCaul 1
For all of Devon's coverage of Ranch Style head over to Pinkbike.com. To vote for best trick click here and you will probably want to vote for Mike ... I am just saying.
This is the best trick video, watch for the goods ... and by good I mean Mike ... Paul Genovese made the trip south from Fernie and threw down some big tricks. I spoke with him last night and he said he flipped the step down, 3'd the drop and did a tail whip in mid pack. Paul has shown before that he can hang with the big boys when he finished 6th at the 2010 Goat Style Jam in Creston.
Good luck to Paul, Mike and Matt Dennis ...
Oh and go vote for best trick ... I think Blue Steel has this one ...
The 2011 Grassroots Ranchstyle event is just heating up. Thursday was practice, Friday is more practice and a best trick contest, Saturday's big show includes the slopestyle event, and Sunday wraps things up with a killer dual slalom race.
Confirmed riders for the Slopestyle event include:
- Mike Montgomery (Banshee)
- Paul Genovese (Banshee) - Matt Dennis (Banshee) - Scott Alleyn - Mitch Chubey - Ben Glassen - Jamie Goldman - Tim Gooden - Ryan Howard - Eric Lawrenuk - Jack Ludlam - Kelly McGarry - Anthony Messere - Joseph Perrizo - Eric Porter - Garrett Robertson - Dylan Siggers - Nick Simcik - Kyle Strait - Paul Basagoita - Reece Wallace - Greg Watt
In February Cob and I headed down south in the X-Fusion Battle Bus with Theo and John for a seven day film trip in southern California. The video came out today on Pinkbike, and Theo killed it to say the least!
My good friend Aaron LaRocque has been in Taiwan for the past couple of weeks. We got him down to Kaohsiung on the weekend and he did some filming of my brother and I riding.
Mike Montgomery is in todays Pinkbike POD. He is not actually on a Banshee in the picture but he is still kind of a big deal.
And just when you thought the Banshee - Mike Montgomery relationship could not get any more amazing or special Banshee goes and custom paints the rest of Mike's bikes for the 2011 season. Mike has not even seen pictures of his new rides. I thought I would share them with everyone at the same time. Bikes ship Monday (Sunday for you in the West) ... I will give you all Mike's address so you can try to intercept these beauties before he gets them.
