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This track looks very interesting, plenty old skool off camber is gonna be a good watch, catching out plenty riders I think, Greg Minnaar could do well here.
I can't make my mind up about this one, it looked a lot more off-camber on Bernard Kerrs track walk vid.
Does it favour 29ers or mullets, theres plenty berms, compressions and sections to really pedal your arse off, it could be anyones race this one. Plenty puzzlers coming to Jordi I bet.
This track has piqued my interest in actually watching some DH for the first time in a while. Looks like a real challenge
It's looking like a great track.
I too thought Minaar - multiple, accurate lines to hit rather than all out aggression... Same with Gwin and Bruni though.
I've no idea in the ladies.
This track has piqued my interest in actually watching some DH for the first time in a while. Looks like a real challenge
Aye, cos Maribor was like swinley.
The berms look like the ones made by kids in half term.
my fantasy lineup on pinkbike is all french apart from one austrian.
That also looked good it I was snowed under both days so there was no option to even think about watching it..
Nae joy, wfh when a world cup race is on is one of the only plus points of this situation! 😆
The top half doesn’t look anything special (on gopro anyway) but that middle section looks good and technical with then a flat out jump section to finish.
If we have some decent rain that middle bit is going to be awful to ride - which makes some good viewing based on Leogang and Maribor!
The top half doesn’t look anything special (on gopro anyway)
Oh aye. I think footage shot on a Gopro by some of the best MTB riders on the planet probably shouldn't be used to judge how "easy" something looks.
For example, there's a gap jump on the Vallnord track at the top near a building (at 1:19 on Claudio's run below) It looks like a wee thing...In reality it's a 3-4m gap with hardly any take-off ramp, you have to be going flat out to clear it, and the run in is on a bend covered in roots...They make it look easy.
The berms look like the ones made by kids in half term.
Quite a few of the riders were commenting during the track walk about how quickly they expected the berms to get blown away and expected them to shift quite a lot between walk, practice, quali then racing.
I don't know what the racing would be like, but it really looks like it'd be a great track to ride. Nice ground, nice mix of manmade and natural - I'd love to ride it.
The top half doesn’t look anything special (on gopro anyway)
Oh aye. I think footage shot on a Gopro by some of the best MTB riders on the planet probably shouldn’t be used to judge how “easy” something looks.
I mean in the context of World Cup tracks - not saying it’s easy or something I could ride. That’s why I also put (on gopro) in brackets as I know gopro footage from on top of a helmet massively flattens things out and makes it look slower.
Gee's track run is on youtube, and he's a good commentator; captures both the technicalities of the track but also how the race might pan out.
Anyone know the forecast? I'd hate it to turn into another mudfest. Maribor Race 2 was so much better than the Worlds and the Friday race.
EDIT To answer my own question Meteo says dry until Monday when there will be 3mm over the course of the day. So hopefully one dry race.
Bernard Kerr's latest LSD is worth a watch. Really difficult track to get right.
Reminds me of a lot of the Madeira videos, so Pombo could do well!
Really looking forward to it! Qualifying live timing available from lunchtime.
Anyone know the forecast? I’d hate it to turn into another mudfest. Maribor Race 2 was so much better than the Worlds and the Friday race.
EDIT To answer my own question Meteo says dry until Monday when there will be 3mm over the course of the day. So hopefully one dry race.
Second race is on Sunday
Tonnes of footage appearing now, viral, pink bike, red bull, all the team videos.
And yet again, Greg fastest in training. It's like he does it to wind them all up.
Definitely favouring the dedicated guys who've been working on their fitness!
Looks like a course that rewards doing a lot of easy (by their standards, not mine) things very well or perfectly. Also a long track.
Textbook Minnaar, but also think the length and change-ability of The track may favour the enduro guys and girls. Jack Moir especially.
However my world champs prediction of the motocross guys doing well (by pointing it at the biggest rut at top speed and hoping to hold on) was spectacularly wrong.
Bernard Kerr’s latest LSD is worth a watch. Really difficult track to get right.
Enjoyed that one, good to see a non-polished view of what's going on for him. It always strikes me how well the riders get on with each other, they seem to form smaller groups that help each other out with line choices and encouraging each other on. I know they don't share all of their secrets, keeping some back for race day, but I can't think of any other sport where direct competitors openly share knowledge with each other in such a friendly manner.
Jack Moir especially.
He's gone home to surf (although he could have surfed just down the road from Lousa too)
What is Bernard Kerr's LSD? I'll check it out. Please no dead funny drug references 😬
(Although I'd be kind of disappointed if we don't get a few, this being STW)
Big lead for Pompon. Unless Tracey or Tahnee made some big mistakes it must be difficult to go back to the top thinking 'where can I find 5 seconds'
What is Bernard Kerr’s LSD
It stands for LifeStyle Documentary - that definitely isn't wearing thin at all haha
Men on track now - Adam Brayton with a good early time
https://www.uci.org/mountain-bike/events/mercedes-benz-uci-mountain-bike-world-cup
What is Bernard Kerr’s LSD
He could do with a dose of LSD. He's a moaning faced arse. Everytime I see him he's moaning about something
He could do with a dose of LSD
You holding?
Is World Champ Reece Wilson back riding again? Course looks a bit like Inners on LSD, so could be good territory for him #optimistic
Is World Champ Reece Wilson back riding again?
No
Props to Matt Walker! missing top spot by a tenth in the last sector!
Yup - fastest in every split until the last sprint section. Looking good!
what would Matt Walker have to do to win the overall?
Just beat Loris both days?
Loris is on 500 points and Matt is on 357, so Loris needs a howler or 2 for Matt to overtake.
Loris would basically have to fly home tonight to lose the overall.
Looking forward to the race tomorrow. One of the perks of WFH 🙂
Saw something on IG that Bruni couldnt pull two timed runs together crashing in each of them, kinda surprised to see him then qualift 5th!
I saw one of his crashes on IG also and it looked hard, bike washed away on off camber roots and he went down hard!
https://www.pinkbike.com/news/start-lists-lousa-world-cup-1-2020.html
The bottom guys have no UCI ranking (guess they've dropped the requirement for this covid season). So could anyone theoretically show up on Saturday and race round 4?
Riding condition envy may stop me watching this today. But then it's not like I have anything better to do, given the quagmire outside.
Looking forward to the race tomorrow. One of the perks of WFH 🙂
I know it's working out perfectly. God bless these Friday races. I can do some light work, Friday arvo style, and watch race on my big monitor.
WFH and Friday racing - and Covid gets a bad rap?
I'm not sure Uci will back double races post covid as you've only got so many spectators for the whole week? There's a whole separate thread here, dunno how the riders feel about it but I bet the privateers are loving it, although they're not the biggest lobby in WC DH
Fannying around with pit areas has been cut in half anyway and better for t'environment
Ladies on now, Cabirou smashing it.
Also - doesn't it look absolutely wonderful, autumn colours, sunshine etc - there's going to be some great photos of this round!
I’m not sure Uci will back double races post covid as you’ve only got so many spectators for the whole week? There’s a whole separate thread here, dunno how the riders feel about it but I bet the privateers are loving it, although they’re not the biggest lobby in WC DH
As I understand it the venue pays the UCI a set fee for hosting.
Case in point, Whistler wont do one becasue they already have crankworks, and the town is pretty much "full" anyway in bike season.
Possibly additional money for selling tickets to the finish line area, but generally they are paying to get the tourism bucks into their town, and/or getting money from their own country's cycling federation.
I guess it depends if they are going to replace 8 single races with 4x double races or 8x double races as to whether the pro teams get on board.
Double the races (double the time on TV, you get another go if you crash) for barely any more time invested must be favourable to them as well as the privateers. however cut the season to 4 weeks and they may start to question their investment...
Jeepers that crash the Brit girl had. Hope she's OK.
Also – doesn’t it look absolutely wonderful, autumn colours, sunshine etc – there’s going to be some great photos of this round
Just thinking that, the leaves on the track and the low sun looks great. Best time of the year for photography so Sven martin probably having a great time
Really close at the top now!
Holy Shit Greg!
Fantastic racing! Minnaar was on fire.
Check out braytons crash on the replay am latecomers. Strange crash
why did Bruni go around the jump at the top, looked so much slower!
You have to wonder if it's worth dh racers having a can of Bam or something, if Vergier had been able to stop and fix/inflate his tyre quickly then he might have been able to salvage a few more places.
Brilliant race and so happy with the result.
Front flat too, who gets one of them? I think I speak for all pros 😃
Old Greg.is back!
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A brilliant result that, he looked so composed.
The overall is now wide open, going to be awesome on Sunday!
Fantastic race, great to see Greg on the top step again.
Although I'm gutted for Loris, can he still get enough points to win the overall?
That was brilliant to watch. Chuffed for Minnaar too
Vergier last means Matt Walker in with a shout for the overall on Sunday, should be a good race
They should do an autumn round in Portugal every year, takes it out of the Alps for once and the autumn colours were pleasing to the eye
Just need to find somewhere for the pits so you can avoid the motorway section. This armchair viewer was getting tired just watching that and I think that's reason enough
I'm off for a lie down. Sort it out you bunch of lousas
Bad day in the office for Vergier, that couldn't have gone much worse. At least he's not injured
Sven martin probably having a great time
He didn't make it out for some reason. All down to Boris for Vital. Looking forward to the shots though.
Incredible race as always. Matt Walker seems to have a very level head. Not surprised Madison have decided to go all-in with him.
Wow, I had a feeling Greg would podium but that was perfection, as soon as he started tucking at the top I was on the edge of my seat, just knew he was gonna smash the pedal sections near the bottom and that jump was huge, total masterclass for 22nd win, dont think Gwin will top that now.
Totally gutted for Loris though, I think sillyoldman n sharkattack jinxed him. 🙂
AlexSimon
Incredible race as always. Matt Walker seems to have a very level head. Not surprised Madison have decided to go all-in with him.
Seems to be coping well with the toxic environment
GReat race. I would love to see more double headers as a cheap way of increasing the number of races in the season. Perhaps consecutive weekends rather than 2 in 1 weekend we are seeing this year so riders have a chance to recover if they crash and maybe give the course designers and TV people more time to make the second course more different from the first where that’s practical.
What a race, didn't do much for my Fantasy League, but I'm chuffed to bits to see Minnaar win again.
Such a smart race, gift of maturity I suppose, but as often is the case with him, he seems to be cruising when others are pinned, avoided a big jump, maybe not because it was faster, but maybe it saved him some energy for that sprint.
Loris will be gutted, and this will be a big test for him. There's not hiding from it, he's going to have to congratulate his team mate, probably sit there and have dinner when the rest of the team congratulate him, and then get up in the morning and qualify all over again, possibly for his last race with the Syndicate.
total masterclass for 22nd win, dont think Gwin will top that now.
Gwin is 6 years younger than Minnaar and is one of the fastest racers of all time. He's had a couple of bad years with injuries and had most of 2020 off while the Europeans went racing. Do you really think he can't win just 2 more world cups?
I think he's guaranteed to take the record and probably push it even further out of reach.
Totally gutted for Loris though, I think sillyoldman n sharkattack jinxed him.
Sorry about that. That was a disastrous end to the day. No one wants to see the fastest qualifier go out like that.
Brayton's crash was a weird one. Very hard to see what he did wrong. Took off perfectly and then the front wheel fell out of the sky for no obvious reason. Hell of an impact as well to make him crawl off the track like that.
Another shocker for Finn. All the talent in the world but just can't keep his pants on for the one run that matters.
I cant see Gwin getting three more wins to be honest I think his best years are behind him and the frenchies will continue to dominate for a few more years, theres plenty youngsters coming through and its not unrealistic that Greg makes it 23 this weekend.
I still think Gwin's got some more wins in him fwiw
I really enjoyed that but as many have said above I'm gutted for Loris but ecstatic for Greg! Looks like Mikayla Parton is sitting out Sundays race which is no surprise after that mighty crash.
Is Brayton ok?
Looked painful if not mega serious...
Real shame for Loris, but it does make the Overall competition more interesting - esp with all the points being dished out for finals.
Gwin definitely has some more wins in him too.
10th place for privateer Jamie Edmondson, first season as Elite too...
Braytons Instagram says he's ok, don't think it mentioned if he is doing the second race or not though
he says he's ok for tomorrow
Nasty little jump that near the start, proper bucky, caught a few out as mentioned above.
It's always them shitty small ones (like kids build down the woods) with a short steep takeoff, no scoop, that boot the back wheel if you're not fast to squash it.
Great race , really chuffed for Jamie Edmonson with a 10th and Greg Williamson 8th . I think one of the big teams would be mad not to snap up young jamie. Minaar is justs the coolest man ever and brilliant to see , his race run apart from the wee stump drop looked so controlled.
good to See Mikayla is ok after her horror crash her results were getting better by the race. Hopefully Tracy hannah gets a good result for her final race . I like the 2 race format but the field does tend to get depleted after the first race.
I cant see Gwin getting three more wins to be honest I think his best years are behind him
I would happily take your money. I think you'd be a fool to write off Gwin just as he's coming back from injury and an enforced year out of racing.
Same for Loris, he looked hugely pissed off, which is the reaction you'd expect I suppose. I think Danny's just cruising isn't he? seems a shame, but you'd hardly be risking it all for the last 10th of a second when you've got all of the next off-season to get in shape for your new team. Props to Matt Walker though; he was flying and finding those teeny line choices that mean the difference between a podium and 10th, (top ten places covered by just 4.6 seconds!)
I’ve seen Matt Walker at quite a few uplifts, super nice lad whose doing so well, really hope he wins the overall. The only person quicker than him yesterday was Greg Minaar, quite an achievement in itself.
Matt is going really well. Fastest on the first 4 splits in quali and 3 in the final.
Hasn't he now had a 5th, 4th, 3rd and 2nd? Got to be no. 1 tomorrow!
I was watching the quali times with interest and then remembered there are no points available, so I wonder if some people might gamble on an early start time with the possibility of rain. Probably not, but the results will be less indicative than usual.
Regarding Hart - I can't see him deliberately cruising, but it takes a lot of things to fall into place for a fast run and I can imagine not everything is optimal right now.