UCI MTB (XC, DH, Enduro, Marathon) season 2022

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  • andyrac
    andyrac Posts: 1,198
    Schurter fined for 'failure to respect the instruction of the comms' & 'inappropriate behaviour at the finish of the race'.

    As there's no footage of the crash (as yet) no definitive blame can be apportioned.
    All Road/ Gravel: tbcWinter: tbcMTB: tbcRoad: tbc"Look at the time...." "he's fallen like an old lady on a cruise ship..."
  • dabber
    dabber Posts: 1,978
    Hope some phone footage will appear soon.
    “You may think that; I couldn’t possibly comment!”

    Wilier Cento Uno SR/Wilier Mortirolo/Specialized Roubaix Comp/Kona Hei Hei/Calibre Bossnut
  • JimD666
    JimD666 Posts: 2,293
    Just caught up with the XCountry (short and Olympic), would love to of screen what happened. Hopefully when GCN takes the reigns next year they may have better course coverage.

    Just started the DH with the women's. First thing that struck me was Atherton's return. It's about the only name I'd of recognised before I'd starting watching it. 7th in qualifying is insane. Looking forward to see how she gets on.
  • andyrac
    andyrac Posts: 1,198
    The rounds are coming thick & fast now;

    Another 'double header' weekend, and it's Vallnord, Andorra - and high altitude. As ever, Friday night means XCC, and a chance to see Schurter v Flueckiger.....
    All Road/ Gravel: tbcWinter: tbcMTB: tbcRoad: tbc"Look at the time...." "he's fallen like an old lady on a cruise ship..."
  • andyrac
    andyrac Posts: 1,198
    Nationals weekend. UK in Scotland....not seen any available streaming, which is disappointing.

    It was the XCC last night;

    Women's;

    Annie Last
    Hattie Harnden
    Evie Richards

    Men's:

    Charlie Aldridge
    Cam Orr
    Cameron Mason

    Good to see Evie back after quite a while off the bike, and in decent form, which is promising for future races. And Annie Last reverses the result from the CX Nationals to beat Hattie. European Elite XCC Champion Charlie Aldridge claims the British title.

    All Road/ Gravel: tbcWinter: tbcMTB: tbcRoad: tbc"Look at the time...." "he's fallen like an old lady on a cruise ship..."
  • andyrac
    andyrac Posts: 1,198
    https://www.pinkbike.com/news/racing-rumours-5-possible-changes-for-the-2023-world-cup-season.html

    Rumours regarding the move to Discovery.....
    All Road/ Gravel: tbcWinter: tbcMTB: tbcRoad: tbc"Look at the time...." "he's fallen like an old lady on a cruise ship..."
  • andyrac
    andyrac Posts: 1,198
    edited July 2022
    Next round of the World Cup, and another 'double header' from Snowshoe, West Virginia.
    The XCC is tonight at 22:20....

    It seems as if there a few riders missing through illness, or preparing for the Euros/Worlds in a month.
    All Road/ Gravel: tbcWinter: tbcMTB: tbcRoad: tbc"Look at the time...." "he's fallen like an old lady on a cruise ship..."
  • andyrac
    andyrac Posts: 1,198
    Commonwealth Games XC MTB races, at Cannock Chase today; looks like pretty small fields with it being between the two North America World Cups......
    However Sam Gaze should be favourite to defend his title, and women's XCO World Champion Evie Richards continues her comeback.
    All Road/ Gravel: tbcWinter: tbcMTB: tbcRoad: tbc"Look at the time...." "he's fallen like an old lady on a cruise ship..."
  • webboo
    webboo Posts: 6,087
    Currently not the most exciting of races.
    Course looks a bit tame compared with what they ride in the world cups.
  • andyrac
    andyrac Posts: 1,198
    No, not great; small fields and not exactly technical, or any decent climbs. More like Extreme Cyclocross....
    All Road/ Gravel: tbcWinter: tbcMTB: tbcRoad: tbc"Look at the time...." "he's fallen like an old lady on a cruise ship..."
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,553
    I thought it was a decent race though. The winner was clear from early on, as was the runner-up, but that race long battle for bronze was excellent, with an amazing plot twist at the end.
  • andyrac
    andyrac Posts: 1,198
    The race for bronze was good, a shame for Charlie, but the other two chasers must have fallen asleep to let the Namibian rider back....and he took full advantage.
    All Road/ Gravel: tbcWinter: tbcMTB: tbcRoad: tbc"Look at the time...." "he's fallen like an old lady on a cruise ship..."
  • JimD666
    JimD666 Posts: 2,293
    Just the 8 riders in the Women's race? Blimey. Have it on mute as herself is catching up with the swimming any reason given or just lack of entrants?
  • andyrac
    andyrac Posts: 1,198
    Most of the Commonwealth qualifying riders are riding the World Cup; however, one wonders why they couldn't fill the field with U23 riders, to gain experience. Canada didn't bother sending any riders, but had a road/track team. No riders from Wales either...
    All Road/ Gravel: tbcWinter: tbcMTB: tbcRoad: tbc"Look at the time...." "he's fallen like an old lady on a cruise ship..."
  • JimD666
    JimD666 Posts: 2,293
    It's nice to see Evie looking comfortable on the bike, here's hoping she's fully over her back issues
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    I don't watch much mountain biking but this is tedious. Poor field and ridiculously easy course that even I could get around with my limited technical skills. The commentator is obsessed with the gap Evie has having stabilised and seems unable to understand that she is just taking it easy whilst the riders behind are in a battle for medals.
  • r0bh
    r0bh Posts: 2,438
    JimD666 said:

    Just the 8 riders in the Women's race? Blimey. Have it on mute as herself is catching up with the swimming any reason given or just lack of entrants?

    It's not just the MTB, men's 10000m on the track only had 9 starters. Marathons only had 14 and 18.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    r0bh said:

    JimD666 said:

    Just the 8 riders in the Women's race? Blimey. Have it on mute as herself is catching up with the swimming any reason given or just lack of entrants?

    It's not just the MTB, men's 10000m on the track only had 9 starters. Marathons only had 14 and 18.
    Part of the issue with the marathon was that there was an agreement / rule that athletes would only run one of the 3 championships this year (Worlds, Europeans and CG). Not sure if that was just a home nations thing or for everyone.

    Events requiring equipment are a big issue for smaller nations with little funding and is noticeable in wheelchair events. Surprising for something like the 10,000m though.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    Why are these commentators so intent that Richard's is under pressure? She's in complete control and just doing what's needed.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    Pross said:

    Why are these commentators so intent that Richard's is under pressure? She's in complete control and just doing what's needed.


    So people don't change the channel and watch Teneable
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • andyrac
    andyrac Posts: 1,198
    Another World Cup weekend, and the second North American stop, this time across the border, in Monte Saint-Anne, Quebec.

    As ever the Short Track is tonight at 22:30, with the Downhill tomorrow, and XCO on Sunday evening.

    Nino is back tonight after his crash in last Friday's Short Track, but Vlad Dascalu will miss it due to his crash in the XCO race.
    All Road/ Gravel: tbcWinter: tbcMTB: tbcRoad: tbc"Look at the time...." "he's fallen like an old lady on a cruise ship..."
  • andyrac
    andyrac Posts: 1,198
    The new 2023 UCI World Cups, and EWS calendar has been published:

    https://www.pinkbike.com/news/uci-and-warner-bros-discovery-release-2023-world-cup-and-ews-calendar.html

    Albastadt is out, and no Petropolis - but in comes a Dutch round; Valkenburg....Mont Saint-Anne in early October could be interesting.
    All Road/ Gravel: tbcWinter: tbcMTB: tbcRoad: tbc"Look at the time...." "he's fallen like an old lady on a cruise ship..."
  • andyrac
    andyrac Posts: 1,198
    European XCO champs this weekend; men's on Friday evening, women's on Saturday lunchtime.

    Course preview, doesn't look massively technical, but should produce close racing:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsFk5ylOauQ&t=72s&ab_channel=Munich2022
    All Road/ Gravel: tbcWinter: tbcMTB: tbcRoad: tbc"Look at the time...." "he's fallen like an old lady on a cruise ship..."
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,655
    andyrac said:

    European XCO champs this weekend; men's on Friday evening, women's on Saturday lunchtime.

    Course preview, doesn't look massively technical, but should produce close racing:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsFk5ylOauQ&t=72s&ab_channel=Munich2022

    What's the start list like?
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,698
    edited August 2022
    I suspect better than the Royal Sportsday when most of the top riders were doing the world cups in the USofA...

    I think it does hold some prestige in MTB, although still some distance below WC, World Cup & Olympics.

    Must say holding it in a park - while I understand legacy and all that - seems a little short sighted when Munich is so close to proper mountains
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • andyrac
    andyrac Posts: 1,198
    If you remember last year's Euros in Novi Sad, Serbia, it was a glorified CX course; a city walls course with loads of stairs for descents, plenty of pavement, and gravel.
    Saying that, it produced some close racing.

    I haven't seen the final entry lists but the Lecomte, PFP, Terpstra are among the women taking part. Pidcock and Flueckiger are amongst the men. Should be interesting to see who has what form with one week to the Worlds in Les Gets.

    https://www.uec.ch/resources/2022 Events/mtb munich/entry_wom.pdf

    https://www.uec.ch/resources/2022 Events/mtb munich/entry_men.pdf
    All Road/ Gravel: tbcWinter: tbcMTB: tbcRoad: tbc"Look at the time...." "he's fallen like an old lady on a cruise ship..."
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    andyrac said:

    If you remember last year's Euros in Novi Sad, Serbia, it was a glorified CX course; a city walls course with loads of stairs for descents, plenty of pavement, and gravel.
    Saying that, it produced some close racing.

    I haven't seen the final entry lists but the Lecomte, PFP, Terpstra are among the women taking part. Pidcock and Flueckiger are amongst the men. Should be interesting to see who has what form with one week to the Worlds in Les Gets.

    https://www.uec.ch/resources/2022 Events/mtb munich/entry_wom.pdf

    https://www.uec.ch/resources/2022 Events/mtb munich/entry_men.pdf

    As someone who doesn't watch much MTB when I do watch I'm still surprised at how non-mountainy and man made the courses are these days. My own limited experience of racing MTBs is from the early 90s where it seemed to just be a course that made the most of the natural terrain and obstacles. I'm not sure if this is just that my viewing is mainly events like these multi-sport championships which are often in poor locations for mountain biking or if it is a more widespread thing in the sport?
  • andyrac
    andyrac Posts: 1,198
    The 90s course tended to be not very technical, and favoured fitness over technique. Most of the races were over long laps, which lasted about 3 hours, and weren't TV friendly.There's highlights of them on YouTube.

    Now we see much shorter laps, which enable far better TV coverage for viewers/sponsors, etc

    The multi sports championship courses don't tend to be like a World Cup course, as they have to be fairly close to the host city.
    Mont Saint-Anne, Nove Mesto for example are two of the most technical courses, whereas Leogang, Albstadt are less technical, but have numerous climbs.
    All Road/ Gravel: tbcWinter: tbcMTB: tbcRoad: tbc"Look at the time...." "he's fallen like an old lady on a cruise ship..."
  • andyrac
    andyrac Posts: 1,198
    Well, scratch Flucki from the Euros (and likely the Worlds)

    https://www.pinkbike.com/news/mathias-flueckiger-provisionally-suspended-after-testing-positive-for-zeranol.html
    All Road/ Gravel: tbcWinter: tbcMTB: tbcRoad: tbc"Look at the time...." "he's fallen like an old lady on a cruise ship..."
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,698
    God do i have to know what Zeranol is now too?
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver

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