UCI MTB World Cup (All forms!)

[jono]

MvdP's problem is over confidence in his limited XC skills. He had built up some skills once but the bikes have changed a lot since he stopped riding the MTB for a long time to concentrate on road. He needs saddle time on the MTB to regain those skills. Has he done the needed training on the MTB since dropping out of the TdF? I don't think he should go for the win and instead he should just concentrate on not crashing out on the first lap and try to actually finish an XCO race.

In Tokyo, he crashed riding a drop that he didn't believe was a drop. In Scotland he washed out on a loose corner in a flat turn on the start loop. I don't recall the nature of his first crash in the race this year, but I believe it involved a collision with another rider?

I don't doubt that there is an element of overconfidence and lack of familiarity with his bike, but there is also more than a little bit of bad luck and silly lack of focus in there as well. If he gets through the first few laps unscathed I think he can meet the demands of the course.

So t the very least I'd like to see him stay upright for the first few laps tomorrow. I think a top 10-12 finish would be respectable given his start position.

 

[senna6541]

MvdP's problem is over confidence in his limited XC skills. He had built up some skills once but the bikes have changed a lot since he stopped riding the MTB for a long time to concentrate on road. He needs saddle time on the MTB to regain those skills. Has he done the needed training on the MTB since dropping out of the TdF? I don't think he should go for the win and instead he should just concentrate on not crashing out on the first lap and try to actually finish an XCO race.

I don't think MVDP is lacking in XC skills, but rather he's never built up any race rhythm since he stopped racing with any regularity after 2019. The bikes have changed a lot - as in they've made it a lot easier to ride faster (especially on the techy stuff) than MVDP's setup 6 years ago when he was running 2.2's and no dropper. He's made stupid mistakes that us amateurs make like washing out his front wheel on a loose corner and trying to pass when there was no room. And of course the terrible mental error at the Olympics. That said, being the best all-around bike handler the world (which I would argue he clearly he is) does probably give him a sense of invincibility that can bite him once in a while. And no matter the discipline, he tends to be always pushing the limits in terms of finding the grip/carrying speed so he's always making himself vulnerable to crashes.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

I That said, being the best all-around bike handler the world (which I would argue he clearly he is) does probably give him a sense of invincibility that can bite him once in a while.

I'm not sure anybody on a MTB forum, or Pinkbike would agree with that........

 

[AmRacer]

That said, being the best all-around bike handler the world (which I would argue he clearly he is)

Pidcock

 

[Axel Hangleck]

Pidcock

I think some of the Downhillers are different level to XC racers......

 

[jono]

Starting to get interesting...

 

[Didinho]

Mathieu for once riding careful. And pacing himself. Curious if he can get to the front.

 

[jono]

Mathieu for once riding careful. And pacing himself. Curious if he can get to the front.

Several moments already where we've seen the technical skills aren't sharp. But the motor is so much stronger.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

He's really giving the descents respect but losing time; it's all about finishing and getting multiple racing laps under his belt.

 

[jono]

Brutal luck for Punchard.

 

[AmRacer]

Mathieu for the win

 

[jono]

6th in the end. MVDP can be happy with his result as a proof of concept, and would probably have podiumed with a better start position. But I don't think he can win against the current crew of XCO racers on a technical course like this without spending much more time in the sport.

 

[jono]

Just looking at the results from the other races, I was surprised to see that Isabella (and Ava) Holmgren dropped right into the U23 race after finishing the Tour de l'Avenir on Friday. Third for Isabella.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

Martin is something else on those descents....the time he gained = won him the race. Fabulous!! A good race for Braidot, and Matthias back to the front of the race. Good to see.

MvdP finished and was competitive - and obviously is rusty on the technical sections - loses too much time, and burns matches to get back - which is what happened on the final lap. Saying that, he got better as the race went on. If he spent more time racing the MTB he'd be more competitive. He improved massively from 2016 to 2019......

 

[AmRacer]

Martin is something else on those descents....the time he gained = won him the race. Fabulous!! A good race for Braidot, and Matthias back to the front of the race. Good to see.

MvdP finished and was competitive - and obviously is rusty on the technical sections - loses too much time, and burns matches to get back - which is what happened on the final lap. Saying that, he got better as the race went on. If he spent more time racing the MTB he'd be more competitive. He improved massively from 2016 to 2019......

Yeah, Pidcock can win from that start position.

 

[Ripper]

Martin is something else on those descents....the time he gained = won him the race. Fabulous!! A good race for Braidot, and Matthias back to the front of the race. Good to see.

MvdP finished and was competitive - and obviously is rusty on the technical sections - loses too much time, and burns matches to get back - which is what happened on the final lap. Saying that, he got better as the race went on. If he spent more time racing the MTB he'd be more competitive. He improved massively from 2016 to 2019......

I was just going to add that Luca Martin is something else to watch when I saw your post. He also just looks like he is having the best time

 

[Ripper]

Brutal luck for Punchard.

Yup, totally sucked. Still I think this is a career best world cup from Punchard, so pretty amazing. And he is a year younger than Martin. Cannondale Racing must be loving life right now

 

[Ripper]

And on another note ... Bella Holmgren comes from dominating a stage race that ended two days ago and places third. Holy cow

 

[Axel Hangleck]

And on another note ... Bella Holmgren comes from dominating a stage race that ended two days ago and places third. Holy cow

I'm guessing she needed seat time on the MTB after not racing for a few months - and a World Cup in the French Alps not far from the Avenir finish made sense. 3rd is pretty impressive after a hard week of racing, including two stages on Friday.

 

[jono]

I'm guessing she needed seat time on the MTB after not racing for a few months - and a World Cup in the French Alps not far from the Avenir finish made sense. 3rd is pretty impressive after a hard week of racing, including two stages on Friday.

The climbing legs certainly couldn't have been fresh after Friday's double day of climbing stages.

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

Mathieu has a bit to go if the wants the WC stripes. Better race by him, but he likely hasn't had enough seat time to beat guys who have been racing all season, but he still wakes up every day as Mathieu van der Poel, so counting him out is stupid. Great race overall, was really cheering for Punchard, crap luck that.

Great women's race, glad to see Courtney in the top 20.

 

[jono]

Great race overall, was really cheering for Punchard, crap luck that.

I'm not sure Punchard would have stayed with Braidot and Martin on the final lap, but damn did he sure seem to be having fun out there. Youngest rider in the field so I'm sure it's not the last time we'll see him at the front of the races. He also finished 5th in the XCC on Friday.

 

[Hugh Januss]

Martin is something else on those descents....the time he gained = won him the race. Fabulous!! A good race for Braidot, and Matthias back to the front of the race. Good to see.

MvdP finished and was competitive - and obviously is rusty on the technical sections - loses too much time, and burns matches to get back - which is what happened on the final lap. Saying that, he got better as the race went on. If he spent more time racing the MTB he'd be more competitive. He improved massively from 2016 to 2019......

I don't know that it's so much Van der Poel being rusty as it is the fact that he has been left behind a bit in the past 6 years by course design and bike design for the courses and by younger racers who have grown up on those courses and bikes. That said he definitely has a bigger engine than all of them, but would have to put in more time than he has available to him to master the skills part, like most of a season.

 

[jono]

I don't know that it's so much Van der Poel being rusty as it is the fact that he has been left behind a bit in the past 6 years by course design and bike design for the courses and by younger racers who have grown up on those courses and bikes. That said he definitely has a bigger engine than all of them, but would have to put in more time than he has available to him to master the skills part, like most of a season.

I would have liked to see how his times through the technical/descending sections compare with riders outside of the top 8 or so.

 

[senna6541]

Pidcock

Pidcock better on the MTB (mostly because he rides it a lot more often), but he's nowhere near the bike handler that MVDP is in CX or on the road. In CX he takes all kinds of time on Pidcock in and out of corners, over barriers, in the sand, technical power uphills sections that no one else (including Pidcock) can ride , etc. He does the same thing on the road and in races like PR...I'll give you Pidcock on mountain descents only because there's no reason for MVDP to ever push mountain descents cause he's never racing for a place.