<b>Norway is famous for a few things. Trolls and death metal are just two of them.</b> -Sven Martin
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<b>Travel advice - if you don't want to risk sleeping in a car park when you miss your shuttle, fly to Oslo Gardermoen and not Oslo Torp, which is a 5 hour train journey away from Hafjell! #cheapskatetravelplanning</b> -Duncan Philpott
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<b>As Monk Dawg from Trek World Racing says, "when in Europe, do as the Europes." A bit of tourism, rest and recovery in Paris enroute to Norway.</b> -Sven Martin
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<b>Poor boy. Fairclough lost his 15k follower Instagram account and had to begin a new one. GIve him a follow @Brendog1. No underscore this time. #devo</b> -Sven Martin
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<b>Happy memories for Stevie on this track.</b> -Duncan Philpott
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<b>The main change to the course is this wooden bridge to accomodate the XC race practice. Goal for the weekend: DH riders gapping XC riders.</b> -Duncan Philpott
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<b>Meanwhile on the XC course, competitors are struggling to understand the concept of a double jump.</b> -Duncan Philpott
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<b>One of Norway's best exports. Too bad he won't be racing here this weekend but he will be boosting, whipping and super-manning all the jump trails next to the World Cup track this week. Makken for King. #vanlife</b> -Sven Martin
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<b>Life behind bars. Handle bars that is. Makken.</b> -Sven Martin
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<b>Wyn Masters is a crack up on the track and in the pits. He always surprises you. I never took him for a hardcover reader, but here we are.</b> -Sven Martin
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<b>Ok so this is a public service announcement for all staff, media, marshals, saugniers, mechanics and team managers. The race that happened last year for you all will be happening Friday evening. Rumor has is it that Chris Ball is here again solely to try improve on his beating he received last year from a Vital employee.</b> -Sven Martin
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<b>Greg's 2013 bike is in the archives now after his World Champs win. Time to build up another from scratch, but we think the bars are in need of an update.</b> -Duncan Philpott
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<b>Matti Lehikoinen's had a tough career in World Cup downhill racing. Riddled with injuries, he's traveled over for the weekend to support Scanners and ex-teammates all round.</b> -Duncan Philpott
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<b>Your new 2013 UCI World Champion, Rachel Atherton, eyes out the first straightaway...straight into business here in Hafjell.</b> -Sven Martin
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<b>The classic Hafjell view that nearly everyone has already Instagrammed. #offtheback</b> -Sven Martin
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<b>Good to see young Taylor Vernon back with the team again. Not racing, still on the mend but here to support and scope next year's World Champs track.</b> -Sven Martin
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<b>With the course dry this year and a lot faster, a whole new take on the course is needed. Last years lines won't do the trick. </b> -Sven Martin
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<b>It's a long walk from the Gondola to the DH start. Gee hitched a backie from a bike park local.Gee</b> -Sven Martin
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<b>In Val d'Isere they do a footwear check before letting you up the lift. Guess it doesn't matter if you take them off anyway. Casey Brown searching for that way to "get a closer understanding of the course."</b> -Duncan Philpott
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<b>There's no more loam between sections here this year. Fast, dry and down to the dirt. Unlike the new fresh 'n tech XC track that has the lyrca crew up in arms.</b> -Sven Martin
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<b>This is Ragot's kind of course. Less pedaling and more tech.</b> -Sven Martin
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<b>In a World Cup first, there are probably more berms on the XC course than the downhill. Sven's been spotted all over the place today, sneaking in some Trans Provence training!</b> -Duncan Philpott
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<b>Course walk traffic in tech sections isn't unusual. You'll find a lot of the top riders hanging back nowadays to get clean views of lines.</b> -Duncan Philpott
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<b>After all the World Champs commotion, Peaty's got a long travel 29er in the workstand. Big wheels for Leogang what? #speculating</b> -Duncan Philpott
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<b>18-degrees and sunny, a stark contrast to last year. The start of the track remains unchanged save for a bit of buffing to the first few jumps.</b> -Duncan Philpott
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<b>Greg Minnaar is back again in rainbow stripes for first race after obtaining them.</b> -Duncan Philpott
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<b>You can paint a rock orange, but riders are still going to hit it!</b> -Duncan Philpott
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<b>No, this isn't the downhill track. Berms meet lycra here in Norway's XC course.</b> -Duncan Philpott
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<b>Heavy Metal central in Norway and there's no such thing as a rock garden.</b> -Duncan Philpott
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Two weeks after the dramatic World Championships in South Africa, the World Cup descends on Hafjell, Norway. First raced as a World Cup last year, the riders welcome the steeper, technical track which has actually seen a lot of abuse from local riders. The consensus is that the course is faster and probably rougher than 2012, when it was freshly cut. Enjoy the stories, death metal and Instagram failures thanks to Sven Martin and Duncan Philpott.
View replies to: SLIDESHOW: Hafjell, Norway World Cup Warm-up and Track Walk
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