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Is that to do with this incident? ^^^
Sorry to divert mid thread but the Joe Barnes thing - its the first time I have heard about it but am I understanding correctly:
He was in a race,
The course at a certain point was not taped,
His intention was to win/go as fast as possible,
He choose the fastest 'line' he could see at the untaped point,
That line happened to be a path/forest road etc,
anywhere there was tape he followed the 'course',
He's then accused of cheating for not following the 'trail' or 'line' it's assumed he would take despite the fact that there was no clearly marked 'course' at that point?
Or did he intentionally divert through/over/around a taped section of course and ride down a road/path/forest track?
Yoann Barelli seems pretty pissed about it!
rules on the mega were pretty clear, 2 or more unrelated people report someone cheating then they are out, it seems here not enough people around him could really be arsed at the time.
groundskeeperwilly - Member
The rules were you follow the tape where it exists, otherwise follow the trail
surely every other rider was a tellytubbie wih a go-pro on their lid?
surely there must be other footage from riders of the guy leaving the course, and other riders a few behind where he rejons?
all I see is one single very blurry vid from one single rider.
Thanks legend.
Re: Yohan Barelli - What or who was cheating at EWS France?
Here's another angle - he definitely didn't end up on that line by accident!
Jeezus that video makes it worse hes cut out about 50 places doing that
Why on earth is it being brushed under the carpet!?
What a prick 🙄
Carnage!
Slightly outside the tape there then 👿
It's still not obvious who it really was though is it?
Pretty obvious it's the same guy. In the video above you can see he's got a red top, no backpack and purpley long shorts.
In the original video when he passes Ben Deakin he (number 1613) is dressed identically.
So I'd say the original ID was spot on.
Ben discusses it on the latest HKT Podcast.
https://m.soundcloud.com/user-808908651/the-hkt-podcast-030-ben-deakin
Looks like the same guy to me:
[img] 
[/img]
Good collage its defo the same guy, hence why hes just deleted every comment associated to it/him on his social media, in the vain hope it will be forgotton
Ban and DQ
never mind!
Just listened to the Hookit podcast. Sounds like the lad's been getting a pretty hard time (receiving threats) so Deakin took the video down.
Fair play to Deakin, I think I'd say he's made his bed so needs to lie in it. A public confession and apology is needed.
The only thing he can be banned from here is UCC events, they're not UCI sanctioned so a ban will be relatively meaningless on a wider scale. He should definitely be marked as DQ though. Utter crap behaviour from a sponsored rider, suggest his team need to have a strong word with him and start a media campaign to apologise.
After the unfortunate weather conditions this year I'd hate for the organisers to be lumped with this crock of shite after working with what they had to get a race underway. It's still a mad race and a great event.
DQFor sure, but his team do need to say something or else they look complicit. Interesting to see how little the websites are commenting on this. All my links on Pinkbike have been deleted. Respect to stw for not doing that here.
Just had a quick listen to the relevant part and I think Deakin is being overly nice - he's saying "well I don't want to mess with a guys career' - but I'd say that this Joe Connell has done that himself.
If you're going to blatantly cheat as a sponsored rider then you should get the sack. No ifs, no buts.
What Joe Connell needs to do is come out and hold his hand up and apologise to at least mitigate some of the harm, if only to his reputation.
My pinkbike thread is still up
Maybe he could bare his soul on Oprah and tell everyone he is the real victim in all this.
My pinkbike thread is still up
Time to remove my tinfoil hat. Got a link?
Interesting to see how little the websites are commenting on this. All my links on Pinkbike have been deleted. Respect to stw for not doing that here.
I've commented before that I feel there's a space for proper journalism and opinion pieces in the MTB world. I'd much rather read some proper insider views rather than pages of same rose tinted reviews and sponsor driven rider interviews.
Manufacturers obviously hold too much weight for any established media to put their neck on the line.
Joe Connell has an instagram account. Two photos from qualifying but no photo or mention of the actual race.
The guy has made a bad decision and is probably in a very dark place now, watching his career hopes and his reputation crumble.
It's not going to be pretty, whatever happens next.
I'd wager that Focus' legal team have been on the case. I can't see any other reason that outlets have caved.
I expect Mark has told them to get ****ed.
Is that race suppose to be enjoyable?
who in the right mind would pay to do that?
Reckon if he does admit it it will be along the lines of 'red mist, didn't notice the tape, won't do it again'
Nobody'll buy that... TBH I'd totally get "Went there looking for a top result and didn't deal well with being stuck so far back, got frustrated being stuck in the queue watching the race slip away, lost my mind for a bit". If nothing else I suspect it's exactly what happened.
Reckon if he does admit it it will be along the lines of 'red mist, didn't notice the tape, won't do it again'
He bunny hopes the tape!
0:55
Young guy makes a stupid decision.
I hope he learns from it, and i hope he doesn't lose his ride with focus.
Clearly hops over the tape, best thing to do is publicly come forward, hold his hands up and say sorry. Nobody died, it will all blow over and he will learn from it.
I think if he came forward with an apology and admitting cheating in the heat of the moment people would move on, but the silence is deafening. It doesn't help that in that second video you can clearly see both Bryceland and Sam Hill stuck in the traffic he cut.
Bagstard - Member
Clearly hops over the tape, best thing to do is publicly come forward, hold his hands up and say sorry. Nobody died, it will all blow over and he will learn from it.
+1
Very much if he says hands up, I ballsed up and made a bad decision, please take me out of the results, no-one can really have any anger towards him and everyone can get on with not really wanting to ever do the Mega while thinking they ought to cos they're a mountianbiker.
Is that race suppose to be enjoyable?who in the right mind would pay to do that?
everyone can get on with not really wanting to ever do the Mega while thinking they ought to cos they're a mountianbiker.
Apologies if you've seen it before, but it seems like a good time to share this again...
http://unduro.co.uk/mtb/that-time-i-raced-the-megavalanche-and-got-a-free-helicopter-ride/
I'd quite like to ride the course, I wouldn't want to get caught up in all that mayhem particularly though.
superstu - Member
Joe Connell has an instagram account. Two photos from qualifying but no photo or mention of the actual race.
he did, there were loads of comments on his insta page about him cheating, he deleted them all, just left the nice positive ones on 🙄
gloating about finishing 27th, what a dick.....he deserves a internet bashing (which is the truth and just as the video proves) and ben deakin etc are being overly nice, he cheated with a gain to look good for his racing resume simple as that....
My favourite MA vid, well the first couple of minutes off the start.
Just a heaving mass of copulating bike. 🙂
Time to email Focus...
Be interesting to hear their view on it. Silence is what I expect. STW features lots of Focus stuff of late, maybe Mark can ask for a comment.
'tis a bit weird that no media have run with this.
If someone had taken a shortcut in the TdF the press would be all over it.
I'd put it down to lack of confidence on the legals rather than a conspiracy not to upset advertisers.