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ABOUT 50 OF THE WORLD’S best downhill cyclists competed in Valparaíso, Chile’s 10th annual downhill street race on February 20th. Every year the race attracts thousands of spectators, and this year an estimated 15,000 people came to watch Viña del Mar (a nearby city) resident Mauricio “Taca” Acuña zoom through the 2km course in 2:38 to win a $1,000 prize.

1

Pergola exit

Race designers took out the front plate glass window of the pergola (gazebo) to turn it into a bike thoroughfare. One competitor came out of the pergola crooked, which led to a nasty, leg-breaking fall. Photos: author.

2

Speedy exit

The building across the street houses one of several flower stores in the area, all closed (as is nearly everything) on a Sunday.

3

Airborne

Valparaíso's poorly-maintained streets and pitched angles make a great canvas for designing a treacherous downhill race.

Intermission

Legally blind mountain bike racer risks his life to compete

Yak Attack Part 1: The race begins in Kathmandu [VID]

Rip the downhill mountain bike trails of western Washington

4

Ready for takeoff

Here the cyclist is coming off of Cerro La Loma, a conflictive area where gun violence is common. Later I met a young widow whose husband was killed by what she called a "bala loca" (literally: crazy bullet) while he was working in social services up on the hill.

5

Route scouting

The landing off this jump is dirt, and the main question is, will they are won't they clear the foot-high dirt hump at the bottom. Years of people walking up bare earth hills, coupled with winter rains, makes the dirt roads a challenge all on their own.

6

First air

Cerro La Loma, which is above Cerro Carcel, is considered one of the more dangerous hills to be on, and is generally avoided or ignored by visitors.

7

Canine spectator

Stray dogs are everywhere in Chile, and have historically been a "feature" of this race, along with broken glass and other unpredictable obstacles. This house dog peeked over for a bit, and then found something more interesting to do.

8

Small spectator

Since Valparaíso is on the coast, it usually gets a good breeze, but on February 20th, at the height of southern summer, up to 15,000 fans watched the race in searing sun and temperatures in the high 80s.

9

Tight turn

Seconds before, the second layer of tape was added by a wandering race coordinator. A mishmash of graffitied brick and concrete walls line most streets of this port city.

Intermission

Photo essay: Yak Attack high-altitude mountain bike race

Racing mountain bikes at Whistler with the pros

Matador sponsors Paul Bolla in world’s highest mountain bike race

10

Dropping in

This race made a city, which many deem unrideable, into a playground for the young and brave. But the course designer didn't ride it, proclaiming himself "not good enough."

11

Too close for comfort

Cyclists complained that the spectators were too close and blocked their view on occasion. Irresponsible spectating, along with poor crowd control, led to many injuries of cyclists and spectators alike. A friend of mine badly sliced one of her fingers on a piece of corrugated zinc trying to get off the race course.

12

Easy descent

Valparaiso is one of Chile's busiest ports. There are always cargo ships in the bay, either importing tooled goods or exporting raw materials and agricultural products. Economists consider this to be a weakness in the Chilean economy.

13

Riding tightly packed

Poor timing on the test run led to pile ups like this one, including one after a long drop that ended with one competitor breaking his jaw. Few spectators chose this spot to stand, preferring the jumps and banks to this relatively flat stretch.

14

Pergola landing

Plaza Anibal Pinto, where the race ended, turns into a nighttime meeting place for young people, selling cans of Becker beer (for about a dollar) and homemade sandwiches out of backpacks, amid impromptu drum concerts.

15

Cerro Abajo

Handwritten chalk signs advertise everything in Chile, from car parts to soup.

16

Post race

Parts of the city are poorly maintained, heavily graffitied, and filled with trash, though today's influx of visitors would put most cities' trash collecting to the test.