Retires as a winner, can't fault that. Top top racer
If you’d asked her if she’d win a race this year, she’d say she wasn’t sure…
Reckon that’s just announcing she’s not doing Andorra, not stopping full stop. Yet.
+1 Tom Howard, the post reads more like no Andorra this weekend. There's certainly no final decision made on her career in that.
40th World Cup win baby! What the actual heck!!!!
Did she win at Fort William?
Didn't know that
She won the first round of the World Cup (in Switzerland? back in June?)
Fort William was the World Champs not a World Cup round this year.
For those that don't do instagram. She's definitely been doing some soul searching this week, there have been a bunch of pics of her shoulder scars/doc's diagrams/rehab work on her stories this week. Must be hard to be so defined by being a racer then have to try and see yourself in a new way. FWIW I think she's a bloody brilliant mum, Arna is a credit to her. And it seems like Rachel is pretty interested in broader 'outdoors' life these days, I'd like to see what she could do on that side of things with all her influence. Could be a great ambassador for forest school/outdoor access/mental health and the outdoors if she wanted to take things that way.
Thread title is pure Clickbake.
I have a feeling she did enough to make the world champs team hoping for a final hurrah at fort bill.
Another +1 on it being a bit premature to treat that Insta post as a retirement announcement.
I can totally see how it lays the ground for that possibility, given what she's said about the state of her shoulder, but it reads to me as "I am not racing Andorra" rather than "that's all folks".
TBF she could retire. She's got nothing left to prove. She won everything in her discipline, the rest of the women were racing for second place!
Having just read her post on Instagram the key line is “it’s hard to know how to proceed”
Can we change the thread title?
I kinda want her to retire now. To end after the come back and her 40th WC win would be a fitting end. I'd treat the rest of the season as a victory lap/parade.
But I'm not in her shoes or a racer and if it's all you've ever done it's going to be hard thing to replace.
Could be a great ambassador for forest school/outdoor access/mental health and the outdoors if she wanted to take things that way.
She does have a bike company to run.
Years ago, when I was racing cross country she was always at Cheddar along with Peaty and the others and she was winning then. She was magic then and in my eyes, is still magic whatever she decides
She missed the opportunity to retire after the WC win this year, and who can blame her for wanting a crack at a home world champs. I reckon if she does race and win another WC then she'll retire on a high.
She does have a bike company to run.
An excellent reason for keeping on riding. I wonder how many orders came in directly or indirectly off her win?
The world's results must surely have boosted sales.
Not forgetting kolb and Hatton bringing home the gold too.
With their order delivery ratio/time i'm not sure they currently need or can cope with extra orders. It'd be awesome to know more on that side though, there's got to be an STW article there on the company/bikes/everything.
Like Marc Marquez
Time to call it a day, before the next big crash.
Another +1 on it being a bit premature to treat that Insta post as a retirement announcement.
At least put a "?" on the thread title.
Bit clickbaity..
I still find it odd that you can just rock up to the highest level of MTB DH racing and decide whether you want to ride or not, rather than having to get a certain number of points etc or go through the ranks to get there. (no matter how good you are)
I still find it odd that you can just rock up to the highest level of MTB DH racing and decide whether you want to ride or not, rather than having to get a certain number of points etc or go through the ranks to get there. (no matter how good you are)
Not quite... you have to have an Elite licence to compete as an Elite... You have to earn the points to get an Elite licence.
I think the pregnancy/injury meant she retained her Elite status... Or maybe you keep it for a certain amount of time once you get it, not sure.
But for example, you or I couldn't rock up at a WC and Enter.
One of the following three criteria has to be met in order to enter a DH World Cup in the Elite class (age 19 and over):
1. Having obtained at least 40 UCI points in the UCI DHI individual reference ranking.
2. The national federations may enter a maximum of 3 supplementary riders per category. These riders must wear national team clothing.
3. Riders belonging to a UCI Elite MTB Team or a
UCI MTB Team (new for 2023)
Is Rach actually covered by point 3 there? Brayton isn't racing at Andorra because semi-finals points don't seem to count as UCI points and he doesn't have enough points, and isn't part of a factory team.
But for example, you or I couldn’t rock up at a WC and Enter.
Yes, actually, you can. You just have to cross the palm of the UCI with gold, in the form of a trade team. If you are a nominated rider as part of that team, you don’t need UCI points.
Yes, actually, you can. You just have to cross the palm of the UCI with gold, in the form of a trade team. If you are a nominated rider as part of that team, you don’t need UCI points.
Well that's quite a stretch isn't it
3. Riders belonging to a UCI Elite MTB Team or a
UCI MTB Team (new for 2023)
Which neither me or him are part of... So still, not really... apart from setting up your own UCI team LOL.
Isn't there some sort of special dispensation once you've won enough World Cups and World Championships?
How long had Missy Giove been out of the game for when she rocked up at Windham in 2016?
So still, not really… apart from setting up your own UCI team LOL.
that was his pint, i think. though i doubt a rider who set up his or her own uci team so that they can nominate themselves to race would ever get past qualifying.
it would be interesting to see someone rich set up a team for their child so that they could fulfill their dreams vicariously. the ultimate competitive dad.
it would be interesting to see someone rich set up a team for their child so that they could fulfill their dreams vicariously. the ultimate competitive dad.
Surely you'd just pay a works team to take on your son/daughter?
Pretty much like every motorsport team ever.
it would be interesting to see someone rich set up a team for their child so that they could fulfill their dreams vicariously. the ultimate competitive dad.
Weeksy’s trying his best 😉
that was his pint, i think. though i doubt a rider who set up his or her own uci team so that they can nominate themselves to race would ever get past qualifying.
Indeed, they'd be very very unlikely. You only have to look at some of the riders who rarely if ever make it to the big show.... then look at their YT/Insta... they're undoubtably exceptionally good riders... just incredible riders who win 'big' home/IXS/whatever races, but can rarely get past qually.
Weeksy’s trying his best
Sighs. If only i put up even 50% of the effort, time and dedication the lad puts in... you'd know how much that doesn't make me laugh.
Well that’s quite a stretch isn’t it
Well no, not really?
The point being, anyone can do it, it just requires some cash.
Then you can pay your entry fees, rock up, do some ‘B’ practice & try to qualify.
Pretty much like every motorsport team ever
the difference between motorsport and cycling is that the fastest bike won’t make you win.
the difference between motorsport and cycling is that the fastest bike won’t make you win.
Shush - of course riding an Atherton bike will make you win 😉
Thing is, she has had all the repairs done, no doubt trained as fully as possible, with the best advice, yet one mis-judged jump and... pop goes the shoulder. If she did race again I am not sure I could bear to watch. Sure, if anyone can make it through a race weekend with no mistakes Rachel can, but realistically it does not seem her body is up to it, which is what she is saying.
