UCI MTB World Cup (All forms!)

[Pantani_lives]

The MTB federation should adapt some of its rules to the 21 st century. It's absurd that the reigning world and Olympic champion isn't allowed to start on the first row. A bike change should be allowed. I'm surprised Pidcock didn't have to go to the nearest blacksmith to repair his bike himself.

The booing by the French spectators was disrespectful. The French TV commentators did say there was no reason for booing.

In spite of everything this was a massive win by Pidcock. Only Absalon won the gold medal twice before him. It was like a sports film with a happy ending.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

The MTB federation should adapt some of its rules to the 21 st century. It's absurd that the reigning world and Olympic champion isn't allowed to start on the first row. A bike change should be allowed. I'm surprised Pidcock didn't have to go to the nearest blacksmith to repair his bike himself.

I actually think MTB has got it right, and both Road & CX have it wrong; you have one bike, and you finish the race on it. If your machine breaks - it's just tough luck - and race over. No major motorsport allows you to come into the pits and get in another car/ bike.......cycle racing should be the same.
It might make manufacturers to make reliable equipment instead of trying to make everything light - and risking issues.

 

[Coffeeplanter]

There is always a portion of (un)luck involved when it comes to material, but mountain biking is eminently a sport of technique. Being able to take care of ones material during the race comes down to proper usage of technique. Taking the right lines, use the optimal A or B line, land on the correct spots, etc. If we were to make frames free to switch a large aspect of the sport goes lost.

 

[kingjr]

The MTB federation should adapt some of its rules to the 21 st century. It's absurd that the reigning world and Olympic champion isn't allowed to start on the first row. A bike change should be allowed. I'm surprised Pidcock didn't have to go to the nearest blacksmith to repair his bike himself.

The booing by the French spectators was disrespectful. The French TV commentators did say there was no reason for booing.

In spite of everything this was a massive win by Pidcock. Only Absalon won the gold medal twice before him. It was like a sports film with a happy ending.

Pidcock did start on the first row

 

[Ricco']

Not to speak that many competitors in MTB World Cups don't have the same level support of the top riders. While for the factory teams it may be easy to have an extra bike on place ready to switch, to riders with independent setups it may be more difficult and create a bigger gap between the field.

 

[Bolder]

There is always a portion of (un)luck involved when it comes to material, but mountain biking is eminently a sport of technique. Being able to take care of ones material during the race comes down to proper usage of technique. Taking the right lines, use the optimal A or B line, land on the correct spots, etc. If we were to make frames free to switch a large aspect of the sport goes lost.

Well, sure, I agree in principle. But I think a single bike change per race would be a good thing. With tubeless and sealants you can still get around to a service zone. I don't think Pidcock s issue was due to technique.

 

[OJRvE]

I am not sure how the ranking works. But I dont think it reflect the ability of certain riders. That UCI had to break the rules the to give Piddock an okayish start position a few years ago and even when they extended the field in a World Cuo XCC to give Gaze the 41st spot last year points to that.

 

[Coffeeplanter]

Well, sure, I agree in principle. But I think a single bike change per race would be a good thing. With tubeless and sealants you can still get around to a service zone. I don't think Pidcock s issue was due to technique.

It wasn’t, but if we give riders the opportunity to have an infinite amount of bike changes you accommodate to those who are less technically gifted and are more prone to have material defects, which goes against a lot of what XCO is. There is a luck factor, as well as a quality factor, and I think the latter should be protected.

Furthermore, having to finish on the same frame adds a race dynamic, as seen with Puck. She had to make a tactical decision to change wheels earlier on and decided not to: it cost her. Critical decision making is part of sports, and with get out of jail free cards we would abolish that too.

 

[Ripper]

It wasn’t, but if we give riders the opportunity to have an infinite amount of bike changes you accommodate to those who are less technically gifted and are more prone to have material defects, which goes against a lot of what XCO is. There is a luck factor, as well as a quality factor, and I think the latter should be protected.

Furthermore, having to finish on the same frame adds a race dynamic, as seen with Puck. She had to make a tactical decision to change wheels earlier on and decided not to: it cost her. Critical decision making is part of sports, and with get out of jail free cards we would abolish that too.

Also worth noting that your typical World Cup will have many, many more racers in the field. I don't think having additional bikes to swap out would be feasible.

 

[Davesta]

I actually think MTB has got it right, and both Road & CX have it wrong; you have one bike, and you finish the race on it. If your machine breaks - it's just tough luck - and race over. No major motorsport allows you to come into the pits and get in another car/ bike.......cycle racing should be the same.
It might make manufacturers to make reliable equipment instead of trying to make everything light - and risking issues.

I tend to agree. There’s also a knock-on effect at the grassroots level - in cyclocross there’s an advantage to having two bikes, especially in muddy conditions, so to be competitive in even low level amateur races people need to spend the extra money on a second bike. This creates a financial barrier to entry in the sport for those who can’t afford to be competitive, and particularly affects kids (or their parents) who may outgrow their two bikes and so require another two new bikes. The lower the financial burden of racing, the more people we get entering the sport, and the more competitive the elite categories then become.

Re Pidcock’s puncture - he’s said it was a silly mistake, and that he rode into a rock. So either took a bad line or didn’t get his weight distribution right over one of the features. So sounds like it was error rather than bad luck.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

1st August for road cycling means the transfer announcement season is upon us; for some reason, MTB teams don't follow this, and we wait a good few months, even January for transfer news.
PFP is likely to announce her news next week - likely to be Visma.
And Daniel Benson reckons 2 teams are strongly interested in Pidcock; and he has links to both bike manufacturers in the past, and a current sponsor.

 

[stonerider]

The MTB federation should adapt some of its rules to the 21 st century. It's absurd that the reigning world and Olympic champion isn't allowed to start on the first row. A bike change should be allowed.

I disagree. Forcing the riders finish on the same bike frame they started with insures that bike manufacturers are building durable frames, which benefits us amateurs tremendously.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

I disagree. Forcing the riders finish on the same bike frame they started with insures that bike manufacturers are building durable frames, which benefits us amateurs tremendously.

Yeah, that's what I always find ridiculous; bike manufacturers advertising a bike winning a major race, especially when the winner swapped bikes in the race. How about using durable material/ components that won't let ordinary people down when out on a ride - and can't get a spare from the car......

 

[jono]

I actually think MTB has got it right, and both Road & CX have it wrong; you have one bike, and you finish the race on it. If your machine breaks - it's just tough luck - and race over. No major motorsport allows you to come into the pits and get in another car/ bike.......cycle racing should be the same.
It might make manufacturers to make reliable equipment instead of trying to make everything light - and risking issues.

Such a change wouldn't affect the cross racing I do at all. We typically have dry courses, mechanicals are rare, and most of those are flats. But if you keep the traditional elite courses in Belgium you'd have to be prepared for races where half the field DNFs (or make all the races single-speed!)

 

[Barkintheeye]

Such a change wouldn't affect the cross racing I do at all. We typically have dry courses, mechanicals are rare, and most of those are flats. But if you keep the traditional elite courses in Belgium you'd have to be prepared for races where half the field DNFs (or make all the races single-speed!)

Agree with that. On muddy courses riders will decide whether or not to pit in order to save power and time on the course at the price of eventually losing time in the pit. This is an integral part of the sport and not so much about the bike being of good quality and holding up but rather the course conditions make changes a necessity, Obviously this is a serious problem to riders without solid support and sponsors.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

Looks like Filippo Colombo will return to the road with Q36.5, in the Arctic Race of Norway; his first road race since his bad crash in Arenburg in last year's Paris-Roubaix.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

I see MvdP has said in an interview he watched the MTB race and wondered 'what if'. And could target LA in 2028........
So, here we go again; another saga of 'will he/ won't he'. With the Dutch male ranking so low, they'll need to gain enough points to even get there.....and there aren't a lot of Dutch male XCO racers at the moment - that might mean him having to actually race on the MTB more regularly......Is that really going to happen?

 

[kingjr]

I see MvdP has said in an interview he watched the MTB race and wondered 'what if'. And could target LA in 2028........
So, here we go again; another saga of 'will he/ won't he'. With the Dutch male ranking so low, they'll need to gain enough points to even get there.....and there aren't a lot of Dutch male XCO racers at the moment - that might mean him having to actually race on the MTB more regularly......Is that really going to happen?

Why not? He has ticked pretty much all the boxes on the road.

 

[stonerider]

I see MvdP has said in an interview he watched the MTB race and wondered 'what if'. And could target LA in 2028........
So, here we go again; another saga of 'will he/ won't he'. With the Dutch male ranking so low, they'll need to gain enough points to even get there.....and there aren't a lot of Dutch male XCO racers at the moment - that might mean him having to actually race on the MTB more regularly......Is that really going to happen?

He's too wishy washy...can't make up his mind. I predict he will retire from cycling without ever winning an Olympic medal because he doesn't have the focus to make it a real target. This year he took too much time off after his spring success and huge contract extensions and was not able to hit his peak power numbers from the spring for the Olympic Road race.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

Why not? He has ticked pretty much all the boxes on the road.

I guess his team/sponsors want him at the Tour, even though it doesn't really suit him - and he'd be far better off racing the MTB in the summer after a break from the spring classics.
In an ideal world, he'd repeat what he did in 2019......when he was the best XCO racer that season.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

Looks like Adrien Boichis is off to the new Red Bull U23 team from Trinity Racing; what that means for his MTB is anyone's guess. He stepped up to the Elites this season, whilst still a U23.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

And as confirmed this morning, PFP to Visma Renta Bike...........Ineos have wished her well, and hope for a strong end to the season. I thought she had ridden her last MTB race at the Olympics.....

 

[stonerider]

And as confirmed this morning, PFP to Visma Renta Bike...........Ineos have wished her well, and hope for a strong end to the season. I thought she had ridden her last MTB race at the Olympics.....

If a rider stops mid-season without a physical injury, is a team obligated to pay them their full salary?

 

[Axel Hangleck]

If a rider stops mid-season without a physical injury, is a team obligated to pay them their full salary?

No idea.

Saying that, PFP joined Ineos autumn 2022, and rode in CX races quite soon, so maybe her contract is October - October???? I'm guessing she'll do some MTB races, maybe even World champs/ World Cups, which I wasn't expecting.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

What's this, a MTB rider winning a stage of the Tour de France-Femmes......I thought they were 2nd rate on the road........

Go Puck.