Garbanzo Downhill with Rueben Miller

This year I have been lucky enough to come over to Whistler BC to spend a summer here riding racing working and everything else that goes on here.
The Garbanzo downhill is one of the many events part of the annual freeride festiville crankworx. Crankworks is held every august and is the world biggest mountainbike bike festivlle.

One of the longest downhill races to be held in the world the Garbanzo starts at the very top of whistler bike park and finishes at the very bottom. Twisting and turning thru some of the most technical tracks on the mountain.

This year the week leading up to it consisted of rain, rain and some more rain. Come race day it was still raining. As i got to the top for my run it was pretty close to 0 degrees and windy with rain. I was about mid way to start in the elite field.

My run started good as i left the top into original sin, the track conditions were very muddy but as it was raining the roots were still clean so you could se the slippery bits. As i got about a 3rd of the way down and into in deep it started getting hard. I was tired from the previous pedal section and my goggles were starting to fog, the trak was geting harder by the second and my arms were getting tired. About halfway thru i caught the rider in front, who instead of pulling over decided to slow down in front of me. I finally got past him on a high line but lost my flow. As i came out of in dep there was a 200 metre up hill section into duffman, after already riding the length of two normal downhill tracks this was very hard. I pedaled so hard I was almost seeing stars and spewing into my helmit. Into duffman was a bit of a joke as i couldnt do much from being so rooted, i came over a small jump and onto a northshore bridge, as i landed my wheels slipped from underneath me and i was a goner. I fell about a metre onto the grond and had to climb back up and get my bike. From then on it took me awhile to find my flow again but started to get it back towards the bottom. The last section of track was the hardest as it opened up and got flat. With the finish in sight i gave it all i had, thru monkey hands and into the last corner of the giant dual track and over the last jump. I cross

ed the line with a 16.04 putting me in 40th place about 1:40 behing the winner Gee Atherton. Not the result I was after but i had a lot of fun!

By far the hardest downhill race I have ever done, would definatley reccomend it.

Ill be back next year for sure!

Thanks to http://www.bikehq.co.nz/ and ironhorse bikes

Cheers
Reuben Miller