Mathieu van der Poel Olympic Crash: He Didn’t Know Ramp Had Been Removed

How did everyone else know ….

How did everyone else know ….

Exactly.

Still, does seem a bit odd they have a ramp there during practice, only to remove it for the race. Is that normal in elite XC racing?

Still, does seem a bit odd they have a ramp there during practice, only to remove it for the race. Is that normal in elite XC racing?

also it was back for the women. as a result of the vdp issue or due to some of the lowerdown women not being able to do the drop?

there looks to be a chicken line a few metres to riders left (for significant time penalty) that nobody has taken in either race

If the ramp was there in reconnaissance then he has a valid reason to be exceedingly upset….

I guess practice was open to men AND women at the same time and kept the ramp in for the benefit of the women (it was left in for the women’s race this AM).

Makes sense in that context, especially since some of the women were clearing it.

I suppose that could be the case. Definitely does seem to be a major communication error in the Dutch camp – no idea if it was MVDP not listening, his coach failing to tell him, or what.

If the ramp was there in reconnaissance then he has a valid reason to be exceedingly upset….

Again though, he appeared ot tbe the only rider in the entire field who made this mistake.

To win the Olympics you need to be the best in the world on that day. Being the best is not just the being the fittest but also the best prepared. He was not the best prepared, for whatever reason. He can not, and should not, blame anyone else.

there looks to be a chicken line a few metres to riders left (for significant time penalty) that nobody has taken in either race

That’ll be for me to push my 160mm endurosledge down*. Very thoughtful people the Japanese.

*To be honest I might make that drop/jump but I’m not betting on it.

Got to say I’m disappointed but not surprised that people are suggesting it was there for the benefit of some women implying that all men have the skills to ride without it but not the women.

Did Olly Wilkins tell him to ‘Just roll it’ 🙂

Got to say I’m disappointed but not surprised that people are suggesting it was there for the benefit of some women implying that all men have the skills to ride without it but not the women.

May also have been aimed at me. In which case I will attempt to defend the point that while the top riders of both genders are more than capable of these things, there is a greater drop off in talent towards the bottom of the field for the women – for which I assume is due to the lower participation. As in, the fourtieth best woman has a far greater deficit to Neff, than the fourtieth best man has to Pidcock.

Also, in the case of the world cup races, but not so much here, the mens field go near flat out from the start, while the women seem to have more tactics and nuance with sometimes a slower start. This can have the effect of more traffic around the big features especially in the early laps, which can make them appear less skilled as the other riders are causing them to slow up and therefore take the easier lines.

I’d personally love to try this course, including that drop, on my skill compensating trail bike. Would I do it half a wheel behind somebody else, whilst redlining my heartrate? no chance.

I’d want to be seen to have done something about it for the next race, whether strictly necessary or not…

Signage, course needs far more of it. Skull and crossbones for the dangerous stuff. Or the smiley for downhill, sad face for uphill slogs that old trail maps used to have.

That’s why there are A,B,C and even in some cases D lines. Can’t ride it, take a time penalty for an easier obstacle.

There’s no need to dumb down the A or even B lines, the best ladies are more than capable.

if one of the world’s most famous riders appeared to have almost crippled himself on a course I was responsible for I’d want to be seen to have done something about it for the next race, whether strictly necessary or not…

The fact no-one else did, and the fact it seems to have been a failure of management / communication / inability to listen and assimilate the info properly – I’d leave it as it was an make sure the briefing is reiterated. There’s a chuffin’ big penalty for failure on this obstacle, don’t like it, take the B or C line.

It’s also being confused because the change in conditions made replacing it sensible.

Also as I said yesterday. If Pidcock had been a bit closer, he’d have hit VDP, caused a pile up and could have taken himself and several others out. I know a crash can happen but if that had, and if it had then turned out the error is basically because VDP can’t assimilate some basic information given to him, I’d have been livid, ‘cos that’s not a racing incident, that’s dangerously incompetent.

if one of the world’s most famous riders appeared to have almost crippled himself on a course I was responsible for I’d want to be seen to have done something about it for the next race, whether strictly necessary or not…

If the dozens of other riders could do it lap after lap without issue, and an injured MVDP could do it in the subsequent 4 laps before he retired, I would say the course is fine.

Conversly, the wood section at Albstadt a few years back became literally impossible in the wet, it was changed the following year.
Les Gets this year (again, in the wet) had a corner that everyone dismounted for, I would expect it to be altered in the future.

Another counterpoint – video in link below – put the ramp in, and look what happens when the person in front (PFP) chooses to roll it. Excellent save from Neff.

https://www.pinkbike.com/news/jolanda-neff-the-team-invested-in-skills-and-technical-training-and-it-paid-off.html

weird to have the ramp there for all of practice- it just seems a bit more sensible to remove it before the end so that riders have a chance to see/do the feature in the exact race format.

This x 10

I think what we all forget is just how different the Olympics are to normal World Cup racing – the organisers, team manager, teammates and environment are all a one-off. Small changes in routine and preparation seem to have had a pretty big impact on a lot of riders depending on their country’s race program and overall investment in MTB. Add in the limits around training, travel and what not because of Covid and it must be pretty hard to be 100% on race day.

I’m just happy that there’s serious injury was avoided!

That’s a ridiculous save from Neff there.

& then the pass on the rock ramp -if you watch it closely she’d obviously decided to carry speed into the ramp to give her a chance of blasting past her rival when they hit it. Full commitment from her. Mightily impressive!

& then the pass on the rock ramp -if you watch it closely she’d obviously decided to carry speed into the ramp to give her a chance of blasting past her rival when they hit it. Full commitment from her. Mightily impressive!

yep – doubling up the rollers perfectly gives her the speed to fly up the rock ramp, and at the top starts pedalling again at full speed. contrast to PFP who brakes in the corner, tries to start pedalling earlier and messes it up – wrong gear, weight too far back?

Brilliant move, superb skill from Neff, and also excellent course design.

TBH, this is kind of what I was expecting from world cup short track when it started – features that allowed technical riding side by side for exciting overtakes, kind of like fourcross but with pedalling.

Neff not happy with Prevot it appears.

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/jolanda-neff-criticises-rivals-riding-after-tokyo-2020-olympic-mountain-bike-incident

I think these two have previous, going back years.

I also suggested yesterday that MVDP may have been attempting to do the same to Pidcock.

Multiple cross-discipline Prévot world champion said after the race that she and Neff arrived on the rock climb at the same time, and that if one did not brake they would hit each other. Prévot opted to brake, causing her to slip on the rocks.

from the article linked.

Prevot suggesting that Neff pretty much blocked her on the rocky climb after the doubles. didn;t look that way to me. Sounds like sour grapes.

It was exciting viewing… and so damn fast!