<b>Good morning Taxco, let's go racing. Race promoter, Ernesto Rivas, discusses the growth of the race.</b> -Dave Trumpore
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<b>Riders ready? Watch the Jesus rays...beep beep beep beeeeeeep.</b> -Dave Trumpore
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<b>Only one run was allowed for practice in the morning and first man on course was Mitch Ropelato.</b> -Dave Trumpore
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<b>Narrow alleys and steep, endless stair sets at the top of the track get the arm pump started right away. As you can imagine, they also caused quite a few mechanicals.</b> -Dave Trumpore
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<b>I headed up to the top before the first shuttle to stake my claim on the high ground, but some eager spectators beat me to it once again.</b> -Dave Trumpore
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<b>Stairs, stairs, and more stairs. The hay bails may look comforting, but if you fall here, your day is over.</b> -Dave Trumpore
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<b>Marcelo Gutierrez was all business in the moring. No boosting the bottom jumps, just fast and low and into 2nd place, just a tamale's width behind Polc.</b> -Dave Trumpore
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<b>Jeremy Witek built the track here in Taxco, so it was only fitting that he was also racing. First guy out of the gate and the crowd began to get wild.</b> -Dave Trumpore
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<b>Urban tracks are narrow and are often quite difficult to shoot. Creative angles come at the risk of getting run over. #closerthanitlooks</b> -Dave Trumpore
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<b>Mexican rider, Adrian Martinez, received some of the loudest cheers of the day and had the speed and style to go with it.</b> -Dave Trumpore
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<b>Katie Holden was the only women here in Taxco and was racing amongst the guys...</b> -Dave Trumpore
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<b>Unfortunately Katie overshot a jump and put a huge gash in her thigh when her leg got caught up in her bike. A few stitches and cervesas later, and she was as good as new. She would have to sit out the race to everyone's dismay.</b> -Dave Trumpore
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<b>As if the stairs were not trecherous enough, today they were crowded with people all-too-eager to get a close up photo of local rider Erik Gollaz.</b> -Dave Trumpore
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<b>There weren't any trees to climb here and I'm no silverback, so I had to resort to hiding under an old bridge like a troll to get this shot.</b> -Dave Trollmpore
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<b>Bernardo Cruz isnt't just the king of whips. With a 3rd here today, he proved he has a ton of speed. We are all looking forward to seeing more of him on the World Cup circuit next season.</b> -Dave Trumpore
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<b>Even with all that speed, Bernardo always brings the style.</b> -Dave Trumpore
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<b>With the first race run in the books there was a brief siesta for lunch before riders headed back up for one more in this best-of-two run format.</b> -Dave Trumpore
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<b>The organization of the Taxco DH is second-to-none which is a very good thing. Sorting out any kind of timing and electrical issue here would be a nightmare. #wherecanipluginmyphonecharger</b> -Dave Trumpore
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<b>Art Babcock found out just how merciless the upper stair sets could be. He was one of many top riders with a mangled bike at the end of the day. Flat tires, broken chains, blown forks and wheels were a common sight here.</b> -Dave Trumpore
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<b>This section is so steep I had to slide down the wooden ramp on my butt while hanging onto the railing for dear life. Luis Guillermo Cervantes made it through a bit smoother than I did.</b> -Dave Trumpore
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<b>The multiple balconies along the track made for prime viewing locations. Lower down each of these would be packed full with screaming race fans.</b> -Dave Trumpore
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<b>Fans (and media squids like me) paid 100 pesos to watch and shoot from the balcony of this store. It was worth it to get up close as Neko Mulally flies over the big stepdown en route to 4th here in Taxco. #stokednottobebroken</b> -Dave Trumpore
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<b>Remi Metallier slotting through one of the many narrow and sketchy sections of track and into 5th place.</b> -Dave Trumpore
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<b>Churches, cobblestone alley ways and ancient archways provide the setting as Marcelo Gutierrez blazes down the track to 2nd place, just half a second behind Polc.</b> -Dave Trumpore
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<b>Greg Willimson found out the hard way why you don't want to crash in a street race. After a night in the hospital it was nice to see him hanging at the bottom of the track today cheering everyone else on.</b> -Dave Trumpore
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<b>Filip Polc returned to his winning ways again here on the streets of Taxco.</b> -Dave Trumpore
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<b>Polc and Marcelo have raised the bar when it comes to urban DH races, and really seem to be in a league of their own.</b> -Dave Trumpore
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<b>Is Polc celebrating his win or shaking out his stair-abused hands after his run?</b> -Dave Trumpore
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<b>Pope Brendog1 acknowledging his newest 3000 followers on instagram.</b> -Dave Trumpore
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<b>With the racing done, it was time for the Best Trick competition over the two finish line jumps.</b> -Dave Trumpore
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<b>Garret Buehler gets things started with a huge suicide.</b> -Dave Trumpore
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<b>Not everyone was successful in the Best Trick contest.</b> -Dave Trumpore
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<b>With a huge amount of spectators hanging out of windows and off of balconies, it was no surprise to find this guy two stories up in a giant bush. Prime viewing spots don't come easy.</b> -Dave Trumpore
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<b>Wil White doing what Wil White does best...BLASTING!</b> -Dave Trumpore
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<b>Remi Metallier relaxing amongst the chaos.</b> -Dave Trumpore
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<b>It may not have been a giant canyon gap at Rampage, but when Kelly McGarry was the first to flip the last jump, the thousands of fans went absolutely mental.</b> -Dave Trumpore
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<b>Geoff Gullevich's spring break went just to plan. He was here for the fans, and made sure they got to see a show with this corked backflip.</b> -Dave Trumpore
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<b>Best Trick winner, Antoine Bizet upside down, take one. Take a moment and just look at all the fans hanging about in this shot.</b> -Dave Trumpore
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<b>Best Trick winner, Antoine Bizet upside down, take two. This time it was a huge front flip on his DH bike.</b> -Dave Trumpore
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<b>Antoine earned his bottle of tequila today even if he may not drink it all.</b> -Dave Trumpore
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<b>Not to be outdone by Brendan, Mitch Ropelato whips the crowd into a frenzy despite a rough day on the race course.</b> -Dave Trumpore
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<b>This is what the receiving end of the product toss looks like.</b> -Dave Trumpore
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<b>Getting ourselves out of the venue and back to the hotel was its own adventure. Brendan, Mitch and I take refuge in a taxi after being chased by a few hundred rabid fans.</b> -Dave Trumpore
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<b>Ths is just a fraction of the fans that stuck around to watch the podium. Latin America has the best race fans on earth without a doubt.</b> -Dave Trumpore
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<b>And then there was the afterparty. The race directors hired a donkey loaded with beer and tequila and paraded us all through the streets. So long Taxco, Mexico and thank you Altius Events for putting on such an amazing race.</b> -Dave Trumpore
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If you ever attend an urban downhill race, don't tell your bike what it will be getting into. Stairs, hucks, harsh edges and thousands of fans will be waiting to end your race run. If you're Filip Polc, however, you can just stare those obstacles straight in the face and make them bow down to your ability. Enjoy the highlights of the Taxco Urban DH race from Mexico where Polc, took the victory just ahead of Marcelo Gutierrez and Bernardo Cruz. Polish off a rad race with an insane Best Trick contest and a tequila-fueled donkey ride and you're home free. Dave Trumpore survives to tell the tale...and can't wait to tell it again next year.
Take a ride with Brendog and Ropelato down the Taxco course
Take a ride with Brendog and Ropelato down the Taxco course
View replies to: Tequila-fueled Donkey Rides, 30-Foot Flips and DH Action - Taxco Race Day Slideshow
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