A wild-eyed daredevil all his life, professional mountain biker Mark Weir had to be yanked away from a death-defying challenge on Dec. 27.Â
His house was burning down.
“At first I’m thinking, ‘I can control this. I’ve seen fires before,'” said Weir, 36. “I’m standing there with a garden hose, but the fire is totally refusing the water.”
The Novato home in which he grew up contained all his mountain biking medals and trophies from his storied 17-year career. Weir is one of the sport’s icons, known not only for his seven championships at the famed Downieville Classic in the Sierra (17 miles, 5,000 feet of elevation drop, less than 45 minutes) but also for pioneering various cycling equipment as cross country racing and downhilling merged into an all-mountain sport unto its own … Details & Pictures
The final stage before the halfway rest day on the Dakar Rally saw the longest single stage of the rally, at 600km. Competitors took on sand dunes, salt flats, and a 100km stretch of normal, boring highway as racing was neutralised to go round a natural reserve.
But despite the length of the stage it was arguably the quietest day of the rally. Perhaps drivers and riders simply aimed to …Â Details
Antarctica – The Ady Gil, which YachtPals readers will remember as the Earthrace Biodiesel Rocket, has sunk from damage it received during a collision with a Japanese whaling ship earlier this week. As you can see in this video footage of the crash, the whaling ship Shonan Maru 2 collided near the bow of the whaling protest boat Ady Gil while firing water cannons at the boat’s crew, seen diving for safety. Â
One of the protesters suffered broken ribs during the boat collision. New Zealander Simeon Houtman says he was …Â Details
A violent clash between a conservation boat and a Japanese whaler has left the smaller boat badly damaged. Both sides are trading blame for the collision, which took place in Antarctic waters.
Out-of-control boats, courtroom drama, defecting crew members — the stage is set for this year’s America’s Cup regatta to be the most controversial and dangerous yet.
“We’re going to war,†says a BMW ORACLE crewman as I climb aboard the team’s stealthy black 90-foot trimaran for a rare preview of software tycoon Larry Ellison’s new weapon.
The pale November sun is just up, burning away the last skeins of San Diego fog that hang over the harbor. I’m in full team storm gear, clutching a narrow piece of netting that’s been stretched among the three hulls, acting as a deck. An internal engine roars to life as … Details