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Just watched the "Dan Atherton rides the GT Sanction" video on pinkbike. Probably going to get a deluged of abuse for this but it almost seems like he's taken a step back by taking up Enduro over DH?
I understand Enduro takes a huge amount of skill and is very good for sponsors and bike manufacturers as it is maybe more accessible than DH. But maybe would of liked to of seem him dedicate one more season to DH. It might be a massive generalisation but I sometimes think Enduro portrays the image of a discipline for the retired DH'er, Brian Lopes, Nicolas Vouilloz and Fabian Barel to name a few.
However it should be said he does look very fast in this video, and would'nt be surprised if he smoked everyone in Enduro this year.
He's been very open about his opinion as to why he's doing it. In short since his accident he couldn't get into the brain out/flat out mindset needed to be at the (very) sharp end of DH any more.
A lot of people go from DH to Enduro, I think some it comes down to the above reason in general, plus the burden of responsibilities of life getting in the way meaning the risks are too great.
I dont see why changing would be an issue.
No matter how good the suspension is (on an enduro bike) it's never going to be as good as a downhill bike, and yet you're riding similar sorts of tracks. So I think the geometry has to be absolutely perfect, tailor-made for each rider, you have to feel really comfortable on that bike, because the geometry is what's going to get you through, not how well the travel is working. For me personally I like a slack head angle and a low bottom bracket, maybe even as slack as 64 even on some tracks, that comes from the fact that enduro pretty much is a downhill race, but you have to ride to the top. - Dan Atherton
I think he has a good point there
Do you have a link to the Vid, I can't find it.
So Enduro is DH for people who like to earn the ride down - seems like an all round better sport 🙂
Id do that over DH.
Enduro also takes a lot more stamina and strength than downhill..
One reason why its a perfect step from downhill.
Looking at the speed the younger generations do then I dont blame any of the established racers to move into Enduro....
A lot of ex-DH riders will have the skills to blast most people in Enduro events. However in the longer races like the trans-Provence fitness will play a massive part and riders with a XC background may come to the fore. I did some gravity enduro last year and while the odd section was properly steep and played into the DH-ers hands, most of it was rideable at a decent pace by mere mortals which opens up the field massively.
The UCI are looking at Enduro favourably so guys like Barel, Atherton etc will be nicely placed if/when the discipline has some sort of World Championship.
Most people seem to gravitate towards more endurance based events as they get older. Even people who have only competed in endurance events tend to peak much later in life compared to people who take part in sprint type events.
I think it's natural that many former downhillers are turning to enduro, even ones who could arguably still win WC events (Tracey Mosley and Anne-Caroline Chausson spring to mind).
Dan is looking very relaxed on that compared to the footage from last year - especially the DH footage. As his results at the maxi etc were still very good last year he may be right up there but the experienced enduro boys are no push over. He is a total tank to come back to the level he has in such short time. Respect.
Some it also comes to more precious use of time as well.
Gone are the days I would happily spend all day pushing my DH bike up a hill to get maybe 30 minutes of actual riding in.
Looking at the speed the younger generations do then I dont blame any of the established racers to move into Enduro....
Remember when Greg was the next big thing to take over from Peaty?
Remember when Gee was the next big thing to take over from Peaty?
Remember when Sam Hill was the next big thing to take over from Peaty?
Remember when Danny was the next big thing to take over from Peaty?
Repeat ad nauseum. The podium's still a mixture of rookies and people who have been doing it for 10+ years.
Most people seem to gravitate towards more endurance based events as they get older. Even people who have only competed in endurance events tend to peak much later in life compared to people who take part in sprint type events.
He's still in his 20's! Ok he's had a crash but you're talking like he's in his 40's.
owever in the longer races like the trans-Provence fitness will play a massive part and riders with a XC background may come to the fore.
And yet the top 3 is in order a proper enduro racer and two downhillers 😉
However as why, riding as fast as you can on an unknown narrow and twisty singletrack for a rather long time is a down step for going down for 5 minute on a very wide track on which you've been practising for several times is unknown to me.
He's still in his 20's! Ok he's had a crash but you're talking like he's in his 40's.
Actually he's just turned 30 today. Happy Birthday Dan!
But maybe would of liked to of seem him dedicate one more season to DH
I reckon he got out at the right time. He knows he can't compete with fearless youngsters like Danny Hart, Troy Brosnan and Brook Macdonald and he's already shown he's right on the pace in enduro.
As mr plow says, there's already a very high standard of competition there - so it'll be great to see him mixing it up with the Euros this year!
The bloke broke his neck and nearly died - my confidence gets knocked if I fall off and graze my knee!
Fair play if he wants a new challenge. He's got the skills and the strength to dominate what looks like is becoming a really popular emerging race scene.
That's got to be more appealing than flogging his guts out to come 20th in the DH world cup.
To be honest, if my little brother and sister were more successful than me in my chosen sport I'd be making a sideways move too! Yes he benefits from that and has a great career but it must do his head in...
What we don't need is the XC brigade making the switch and kicking everyone's arses.
More this,
However as why, riding as fast as you can on an unknown narrow and twisty singletrack for a rather long time is a down step for going down for 5 minute on a very wide track on which you've been practising for several times is unknown to me.
Less this,
I reckon he got out at the right time. He knows he can't compete with fearless youngsters like Danny Hart, Troy Brosnan and Brook Macdonald and he's already shown he's right on the pace in enduro.
Remember when Sam Hill kicked everyones arse by 15 seconds? and came 2nd in the rain? There will always be kids who can do a fast run, but the world cups about consistency, and the world champs are about consistency and luck. Remember theres ~6 rounds for the kids to go flat out in the hope that one run will be crash free, but Barrel specialised in being able to go flat out for 1 run and getting it 100% right.
Yes Danny got the rainbow stripes, but that doesnt write everyone off old enough to drink does it?
stev0
but it almost seems like he's taken a step back by taking up Enduro over DH?
He is taking a step back. He's admitting that he can't give DH the 100% commitment it needs to be on the podium. He almost died, that'll make most people take a step back from something.
would'nt be surprised if he smoked everyone in Enduro this year.
I would.
Remember when Greg was the next big thing to take over from Peaty?
Repeat ad nauseum.
Sorry guy, maybe you haven't been keeping up on current events but Peaty has been making up the numbers (2009 champs aside). It's incredible that he's still riding but he's been poor on the steeper techy tracks that are now becoming the norm, most of his successes over the last few years have been on faster/pedallier tracks that he's always done well on.
nasherEnduro also takes a lot more stamina and strength than downhill..
Not more, just different.
There will always be kids who can do a fast run, but the world cups about consistency,
Dan was consistently half to 2/3rds the way down the results last year.
🙂
Sorry guy, maybe you haven't been keeping up on current events but Peaty has been making up the numbers
Give the man some credit, he's 37, most of the guys he was racing against have retired, taken up something else, done some comentating on freecaster, then gone onto enduro.
some nice riding in that vid... it did annoy me how many times he said "you know" and "pretty much" though.
You know?
Dave
You know?
Pretty much.
Bit harsh on Peat there....a World Cup 2nd, a World Cup 5th and then 17th at the Worlds in 2011 are the kind of results an up and coming youngster would kill for.
Granted he's unlikely to ever reach the previous heights of his career again but 'making up the numbers' paints the wrong kind of picture....some of the World Cup rounds attract 200+ entrants.....the guys in the bottom 2/3rds of an entry list that long could be perceived as making up the numbers.
My observations from the video;
a) I actually quite like how the bike looks. This is almost unheard of for a GT full-suss.
b) I though Dan said he wasn't ever going to ride without a neck brace following his crash?
if it was me id be putting on a neck brace everytime i went to the shops on my bike!
DH is a very intense discipline
your race can easily be ruined by one wrong line choice, missing a pedal etc etc
an enduro race in that sense is a lot less pressure and still lots of fun so i can see the appeal for dhers who want a bit less stress
Its sure going to be an interesting season of racing, for the first time in a while I really can't wait for it all to kick off.
For me enduro could be the ultimate aspirational and inspirational iteration of mountain biking as a good to watch competative sport and great to see more big names switch to it. It's a form of the sport that most riders either do when they can or aspire to be able to ride....just a lot faster! And once an established set of courses come through, some favouring DH skills and some XC like fitness with some loosing chuncks of time on the way up and others on the way down and with long and short events it is very compelling viewing.
It must also be a bike marketing man's wet dream with the kit having so much real world crossover.
thisisnotaspoonGive the man some credit, he's 37
deviantBit harsh on Peat there.
A bit harsh in my wording maybe. I'd give him all credit, to still be racing, qualifying, and getting the results he has, at his age is incredible. He is a legend but, his glory days are behind him. But my point was that many riders have replaced him at the top of the heap and his results have really only been on tracks that heavily favoured his style.
On a flat out, wide open "oldskool" track like Mt Saint Anne he is still fast but on the steeper, more technical tracks he clearly struggles. It's no slight on him, he's a legend of the sport but the up and comers are now the establishment.