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I am glad I don’t have to listen to those two commentators again.
Rochelle was the DS/owner of Women's road team, Team Wiggle High5 for a while and a reasonable enough road racer back in the day herself.
Her commentary though is just dire - it always has been, just a mix of cliches ("she's such a strong rider", "look at the injection of pace now", "attack off the front here...")
Like Hugh Porter but in a grating Aussie accent.
She's got very little knowledge or experience of MTB though, it seemed at various points in the commentary that she was just reading off a sheet of paper.
Also after watching leconte crash and lose quite a few places she later suggested that maybe she was trying a different tactic by not sitting at the front. You saw her crash, that's why she's not at the front.
I thought they made that look really easy, in particular they looked less laboured on some of the uphill sections than the men – though the rain maybe changed the pedalling/riding style required.
In WC XC it seems the men often go full gas right out the gate, while the womens race has a bit more nuance and tactics to it.
Possibly more so this time, as I see the women did 5 laps to the mens 7. Normally it is only a 1 lap difference.
I would question why the boards were in place, I suspect a few teams “complained” wouldn’t have changed the result. Neff over the rhythm section was sublime, flew over the jumps
The boards were put back in and one of the rock garden a-lines removed due to the conditions after the overnight rainfall as instigated by the weather protocols.
Cracking race and the way Neff settled into her pace was brilliant, just like Pidcock yesterday, push it on the safe parts, relax a bit on the techy parts.
As for commentators, it's not an easy job, they're trying to appeal to an audience that more than likely aren't aficionados of MTB like everyone on here seems to be.
Cracking ride there by Neff and it looked like Evie Richards really enjoyed herself!
Those Trek Supercalibers look pretty smart, first XC bike I've like the look of since my old S-Works Epic a few years back.
As for commentators, it’s not an easy job, they’re trying to appeal to an audience that more than likely aren’t aficionados of MTB like everyone on here seems to be.
I don't doubt it's hard but Rochelle Gilmore has form, both for being dull and for coming out with with tripe from the dark ages. She should have been replaced ages ago with someone with more talent and enthusiasm
Rochelle Gilmore has form
"Liam Carlin"
Liam Carlin?
Not this one I assume
Not unless he's quite tasty on an XC bike!
The Liam Carlin who looked very much like Liam Killeen, but was pronounced as such for a whole 90 minutes during (IIRC) the Commonwealth games a few years ago.
Very impressed about Neff's ability to dodge hesitating PFP on the big feature, she landed heavily on her front wheel but was able to ride on from that. Could have easily broken the wheel under bigger rider and also remembering that her hand was broken in June.
Edit. This part:
As for commentators, it’s not an easy job, they’re trying to appeal to an audience that more than likely aren’t aficionados of MTB like everyone on here seems to be.
I suspect that she's being paid for this though, like it's her actual job, so not unreasonable to have higher expectations.
The female commentator was just grating - repeating inane facts from the crib sheet - zero research.
I am not saying it is an easy job, but at least try and learn how to pronounce the riders names!
Cycling seems to attract grating commentators, see also Porter and the Irish chap on Eurosport. These two doing the Olympic coverage may be commentating for all English speaking channels so may be out of the BBC’s control
Cycling seems to attract grating commentators, see also Porter and the Irish chap on Eurosport.
Thing is, back in the day, it was (mostly) OK to just repeat crap since the audience, especially for the Olympics (and to a certain extent the Tour de France), don't really know or care what they're watching, it's just sport. Same for Wimbledon, the commentary there needs to appeal to "British people watching sport and supporting the British underdog", not "tennis aficionados".
But that commentary did none of that. It wasn't entertaining, it didn't describe the sport to a newcomer and it wasn't accurate or informative enough for the aficionados. Standard fare then is for the commentator to slip into a load of trite cliches:
"such a strong rider" - yes Rochelle, she's riding in the ****ing Olympics, I don't really expect her to be "a bit above average" or "not bad"...
"attack off the front" - ah yes, as opposed to those devastating attacks off the back... 🙄
Hugh Porter was certainly just as bad and Phil Liggett was getting that way towards the end of his time on TdF coverage. Really brings it home when you hear educated intelligent commentary from the likes of Ned Boulting and David Millar how good it can be.
Chris Boardman commentated on the Olympic MTB in London 2012, he was very good.
I heard a lot of riders 'losing motivation' when slowing down. probably not due to motivation, probably due to being knackered.
made it sound like they were slowing because they stopped trying.
Great race though. I'll make a point of showing it to my 6 year old daughter later. Great to see the women absolutely bossing the course. Yolanda Neff has some serious skills.
Should have got Rob Warner to do the commentary
Yolanda Neff has some serious skills
very much so. that save off the rock drop was quite something.
watching the WC XC, when lecomte is out front, the handling skills she's shown are phenomenal. just smooth and unfussed, looks like she's out on a sunday ride. neff was pretty similar, I wonder if you're not chasing, you are more focussed on the obstacles and not splitting attention between that and the wheel in front.
watching the WC XC, when lecomte is out front, the handling skills she’s shown are phenomenal. just smooth and unfussed, looks like she’s out on a sunday ride. neff was pretty similar, I wonder if you’re not chasing, you are more focussed on the obstacles and not splitting attention between that and the wheel in front.
Less stress to a point, you're leading so you're not focusing on trying to catch anyone, there's no one in your way and you know that your effort is doing the job, whereas if you're not leading and you think you should be / are capable of that little extra push can send you over the edge handling and concentration wise; he says after never having won a bike race in his life 😀
Was Lecomte using a dropper ? I tried to see, but couldn't make one out.
Was Lecomte using a dropper ? I tried to see, but couldn’t make one out.
Don't think so, she hasn't used on in the WC this year so I don't see why she would suddenly introduce one for this race.
Interesting comments from Neff
I can't get my head around how bonkers some of the features are on competition xc tracks are nowadays, and the fact people are riding them with no pads, on hardtails.
every bike I saw was full suss...
+1 with the shonky commentators. Get Reece on the job!
Scampers off to look at Supercaliber'
Ouch! Nearly £11k for the top one!
Cool advert though.....
https://www.trekbikes.com/gb/en_GB/supercaliber/
I thought exactly that, @MrsToast! I'd need an enduro bike if not a DH one to even think about riding some of those features. And then I'd take the chicken run 😉
This is what you get for watching it in a tiny window on your phone. 😬
(Still mental though!)
I can’t get my head around how bonkers some of the features are on competition xc tracks are nowadays, and the fact people are riding them with no pads, on hardtails.
The standard is really high and the skills on display considerable, Neff rode the rhythm section faster than anyone in either race from what I saw
she seemed to be making it up the rock wall without a pedalstroke, which was rare for the men for sure.
Neff and Prevot had a run-in before in a CX race (Hoogerheide?)colliding on a steep embankment and resulting in broken bones for Neff - she’s probably right to be wary of PFP!
Lecomte definitely not using a dropper post...
The women seem disproportionately good looking. Neff is a barbie doll, so was the Swedish winner at the last Olympics, and so are so many more of them.
The women seem disproportionately good looking. Neff is a barbie doll, so was the Swedish winner at the last Olympics, and so are so many more of them.
Slightly odd thing to say? I'm sure you're not being sexist, but it comes across a bit like that.
Do you also comment on the comparative attractiveness of MVDP, Alaphillipe, and Sagan? Ooh, hunky.
Thankfully the old days of a blue style fast rolling track are gone, the added skills required now make it way more interesting.
That jump was interesting to watch as well, was wondering why they were all pushing the bike out rather than naturally just dropping it, then seen how many had rigid seatposts!
That jump was interesting to watch as well, was wondering why they were all pushing the bike out rather than naturally just dropping it, then seen how many had rigid seatposts!
While I cant jump for toffee, I love a good drop.
However I once tried to ride a rigid bike with no dropper off the drops of doom in Swinley (red 8). Literally a 1 foot, if that, drop into a gentle downslope. Nearly crashed, hit my testicles. Fitted a dropper to the rigid bike that day. I do not understand how you do it.
I do not understand how you do it.
We wore tighter shorts back in the day.
That big drop was easily 5 foot, add in the extra drop of the downslope they are landing on and it could be a 7 or 8 foot vertical drop. That's pretty mental on an XC bike.
Interesting comments from Neff
Prevot seemed to have a couple of issues, she seemed to struggle a bit with the drops, I'm sure I spotted her walking the first drop on the opening loop. I was a bit surprised that someone of that pedigree would struggle on technical sections
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I was a bit surprised that someone of that pedigree would struggle on technical sections
Ask me who the poor descenders/technical riders were last week, based on recent WC performances, and my 3 go to names would be:
MVDP - crashed
PFP - crashed
Cink - trashed his bike off camera and retired
Was it Les gets where Cink was battling Fluckinger, and loosing 5-10 seconds every descent, and then deserately clawing it back on the climb?
Obviously its all relative, they're all better than everyone in this thread, etc.
The women seem disproportionately good looking. Neff is a barbie doll, so was the Swedish winner at the last Olympics, and so are so many more of them.
Pig
Obviously its all relative, they’re all better than everyone in this thread, etc.
I covered the Olympic Test Event at Hadleigh Farm - photos and an event report - and what was really interesting was reading the vast thread on here at the time which was slagging off the whole thing.
It should be in Glentress/Afan/ByC
There's not enough climbing
There's nothing technical
My kid could ride that, it's really dull
etc etc
Most people meant well but they wanted to see their idea of MTBing, not an Olympic XC course. However the courses are all man-made and they have to have a certain amount of elevation per lap, good views for spectators, a certain number of technical sections, some open bits for overtaking and a number of A/B/C lines where taking the harder A line results in time gains over taking the easier but longer C line.
As it turned out, the Test Event was very good (helped by some amazing weather) and actually a lot of people suddenly bought into it having seen pictures and videos of how tough the course was. Still pictures of a bloody great field in advance of anything being put there hadn't helped the image. A lot of riders didn't clear all sections and I think it became a bit of a wake-up call to some teams that they needed to work on technical riding at least as much as the fitness side of things.
And yeah - no average MTBer would have cleared everything, especially not at the speeds the XC race was doing it at!
I thoguht the Japan course looked awsome, seemed a bit more natural looking than rio despite being man made and designed/built by the same team (I tihnk I heard?). Guess maybe thats the year to bed in a bit maybe.
Really good that the wider mtb community is waking up to how technical xc has become. UK courses are mirroring this too a fair bit I think, though I'm not raced since pre-covid.
Slightly odd thing to say? I’m sure you’re not being sexist, but it comes across a bit like that.
Do you also comment on the comparative attractiveness of MVDP, Alaphillipe, and Sagan? Ooh, hunky.
Curious as to how it's odd? You are aware there's such a thing as physical attractiveness, and you are aware some people are more attractive than others. Do you think it's taboo to mention, when in a group, there seems to be a lot that are more attractive?
Sexist? You'll have to explain. It's not as far as I'm concerned.
I'm heterosexual - why would I comment on, or even be able to judge how good looking men are? Assuming you're heterosexual, do you think it's wrong to only look at females for a partner?
I think you're confused, and probably have probably had your common sense replaced with political correctness.
Pig
Very much doubt you're capable of making a rational argument as to why. Would love to hear you try.
🙂
The women racing XC at world level have spent many hours training and dedicated their lives to their sport. But I am sure it is all worthwhile because they are deemed to be attractive. Women, know your place! Don't try to ride mountain bikes....
Ignore STB, doesn't deserve the oxygen of publicity. Has nothing of value to add to this thread.
Arrrgh can’t be bothered…I’d agree it was a sexist comment. It had literally Neff-all to do with the topic.
Arrrgh can’t be bothered…I’d agree it was a sexist comment. It had literally Neff-all to do with the topic.
Explain how then?
Perhaps when discussing an F1 race, it would have nothing to do with the topic, which the best looking car was.
Looks like a load of self righteous, politically correct, humorless morons inhabit here.
Looks like a load of self righteous, politically correct, humorless morons inhabit here.
New here?
Coming back from the 70's
Is there anywhere with lap splits, particularly over some of the technical sections to see where Neff managed to take over a minute off her rivals - I was pretty convinced she was going too quick and would pay later but now wondering if she was just technically that much better and then matching her competitors on the climbs.
And also comparison on tech sections vs the men's race.
I’ve not seen anything with that level of detail.
She certainly works hard on the technical side though doing dh and time on mx bike which is only going to help. She’s always been extremely fast downhill.
Neff seemed to cope better technically with the climbs as well. Though that is easier when you are out on your own I guess.
I think you’re confused, and probably have probably had your common sense replaced with political correctness
No, but I've just had my moron-radar calibrated.
It was a sexist comment, just recognise the fact you've been called out in it, and stop digging yourself deeper.
"What's wrong with being sexy?"
And also comparison on tech sections vs the men’s race.
I read that Evie Richards was a bit salty about them closing some of the a-lines due to weather, as that was what a lot of them had trained on and got used to. She wanted them to keep them open (probably because as a Brit she's used to riding in crap weather).
Edit: Found the article! They reduced the number of laps due to the weather as well.
www.cyclingnews.com/amp/news/olympics-course-changes-take-their-toll-on-evie-richards-despite-blistering-start/
Deleted because I can't be arsed to get involved
As a straight man with eyes...
Sagan
Allaphillipe
Mvdp
But that has as much relevance to the thread as commenting on the attractiveness of Neff etc.
Great watching. I did wonder if the the course was a little weighted in favour or a lone rider it happened in both that the rough order was sorted pretty early doors and stayed that way. Are Neff and Pidcock really that much better than the rest of the field in their respective races? More overtaking would be more exciting!
Also I am down grading my ability from cross country orientated to full blown bimbler I could ride half that. Would be demanding the wooden ramp be laid out before me fir every obstacle!
Looks like a load of self righteous, politically correct, humorless morons inhabit here.
Sounds like you are really struggling with the 21st century.
And yes, Sagan is near the top. Unfortunately Pidcock would be near the bottom of the list. And what they look like certainly matters doesn't it...