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Well it’s looking pretty interesting already.
Track looks pretty blown up. Sure I heard Oisin say there is rain forecast too.
Can the Irish lads back it up or will they blow up?
Regardless of the new format and tv coverage it’s been a belter of a season and should be an interesting final round.
I’m going for (to be controversial):
Troy Brosnan
Richie Rude
Big Greg
Tahnee
Nina
Hattie
Bernard mentioned he was practicing wet lines due to the forecast.
I think Kolb will have this one
The forecast I've seen has a fair bit of rain in spells overnight and tomorrow. Could make things quite spicy.
I know Oisin, Ronan and Bernard were all quite keen for a wet one. I just hope conditions are the same for the whole field.
Norton for the win. He's been right on the brink all year.
The problem is there's 10 or 15 riders who could win it and another 10 you've never heard of just about to pop off.
Absolute belter of a season so I'm looking forward to this one. Signed up for a monthly GCN+ sub to watch Snowshoe and this combined. Mrs a11y was away last weekend so I had plenty of time to watch my fill of DH, not sure how I'll manage this weekend. No chance of watching the semis so it'll be Junior and Elite DH finals only for me, if I'm lucky.
Coverage seemed to step up at Snowshoe - I thought even the drone shot was watchable unlike other rounds. Gwin's a great addition to the commentary team for DH too. Still think semis are a waste of time.
Looking forward to the finals tomorrow. It’s too close to predict
Semis are even more of a waste of time for this round I think because there are no points allocated...all the points are on the final run so why are we asking the riders to risk a crash for no benefit?
Coverage seemed to step up at Snowshoe – I thought even the drone shot was watchable unlike other rounds. Gwin’s a great addition to the commentary team for DH too. Still think semis are a waste of time.
Sums it up for me. Coverage was much better, and you're right about Gwin 👍
I reckon Finn could take the win here again, and I'll back Vali for the women's.
Really hoping to see someone who hasn't got a win this year on top of the men's podium - just so there's a different winner for every round.
Dak or Ronan would be my preferred winners. Bernard would be tolerable.
Should be good, it’s been such a good season this year despite the shenanigans. Realistically a two horse race for the men’s overall, Goldstone is over 150pts back from Bruni in third. <br />Would love to see Vergier take it here but he’s going to have to be very lucky to come out the overall winner. Looking forward to it.
Its looking wild already, the dust looks incredible, and with the right amount of rain it could be an improvement. The worry is it rains right through that 'better' stage and into 'much, much harder!'
Its going to be really interesting how riders approach the semis - in interviews so far you can tell they are all wondering about it - saying 'oh yeah ill just ride as normal' but actually... I bet there are people who are considering just rolling through the gate.
It may depend on the weather, and finally, what about the off chance where finals gets canned due to a storm and the UCI decide to take times from the previous session...?
Oh and - winners? It would be great for someone new again. Finn Isles would be a fairytale though.
Can you have 2 fairytales in a row? Last year was pretty perfect.
I'd like to see another new face on the box just to continue the theme of the season. Hopefully someone from way outside the podium regulars to strengthen the argument for not thinning the field to a handful of big names.
I'm home alone I'll be watching everything I can get. Might even have a shandy.
Watching the juniors, young French guy Pontvianne has absolutely smashed it, be interesting to see how his time stands up.
Track looks ideal conditions now, looking like that’s going to change. Beautiful colours on the trees from the drone shots, it’s unusual to see these autumn conditions but very pretty.
Im going to say Kolb ftw.
It was interesting listening to Marine Cabirou on wyntv. Her take seemed to be that she'll ride semis the same as any other semi, as it's a part of her building to finals process.
This looks exciting...
I concur that it's been an incredible season. Overall winner is going to be a matter of consistency rather than domination but we've had 3 first time winners this season and it shows what a depth of talent there is and how competitive it is at the front end.
Just wish I could get a day pass for GCN or Disco - I'd like to watch the final.
I'd like to see Bernard win, I think what he's doing is pretty awesome and I'd love to see him get that tiger.
Can't imagine how hard he has to work, running the team, doing frequent edits, building a clothing brand, travelling,training and racing. When does he sleep?
In his van, with the man by the looks of it😁
But yes. Would be awesome to see BK get it too. If it turns nasty weather wise, after seeing his hardline stuff this year, he could do it.
I'm not so sure about BK, however I can see Ethan Craik getting on the podium tomorrow. He's getting closer to a big result every race.
Juniors was pretty spectacular to watch, the track looks utterly brutal!!!
Craik in 4th in Qually is brilliant to see.
Vergier for the win and overall
Vergier for the win and overall
Yep I'm revising my previous post to agree with this.
I'd still rather see Dak or Ronan get a first win, but it's more important for loris to beat loic to the overall 🤞
Goldstone and Kolb top 3 and then maybe/hope a wildcard or two to round of the podiums. I kind of want Minnear to do well as he had such a crap season and he can't be too far from retirement.
I'm hoping for a Ronan Dinner or BK win with vergier doing whatever is needed to win the overall.
Heavy rain just started 5 mins before semi finals, this is gonna be a good race
Yes it’s looking pretty wet and wild. Going to be an interesting afternoon.
Wild racing. That rock slab where Tahnnee crashed looks like absolute death.
Vali's gap there almost surpassed Kovarik's from 2002!
Err... what did I just see? Ethan Craik beats Bruni by 2 then Jackson Goldstone comes down and smashes another 4 into the time? The guard has changed for sure. Next year will be wild.
amazing race finishing an amazing season
Another fantastic race. Where does Goldstone find that speed? Gonna go on to be one of the best ever, that kid.
Jackson just seems like he's out for a play on his bike almost like he's not trying while others are obviously pushing yet he still thumped them!
That was nuts. Big fan of all the new faces in the mix.
Jackson is on another level. Considering what he's gone through this year with sickness, surgery, weight loss etc. When he's fit he could just repeatedly smash everyone.
Bruni could have done more if he wasn't riding safe. Interesting to see the pressure get to him this year though. He's usually got the strongest head in the game but now the threat's are coming from everyone and he's had a few shaky runs.
the way Bruni had to unclip I'm not convinced he was playing it safe
Another race another edge of seat session.
Amazing, coverage has been piss poor, but the racing has been incredibly good. Such a shame for craik and kerr though. Really thought Craik had it after that run.
Just mind blowing racing this season, for me on Disco Plus the coverage has been really good apart from last week for some reason . There's a great opportunity for whoever gets the rights next year to broaden the sports appeal but hopefully not too much, nice it's still unsung ?
Ethan Craik comes from Portsmouth! How do you get to be a world class downhiller coming from Portsmouth?! Amazing.
Ethan Craik comes from Portsmouth! How do you get to be a world class downhiller coming from Portsmouth?! Amazing.
I blame his suspension engineer 🤣🤣🤣
BMX background?
Rogate, the best DH training in UK?
Super Bruni has sniffed the barmaids apron ! 😂😂😂💪💪💪
Rogate, the best DH training in UK? 👍👍 😄
Ethan Craik comes from Portsmouth! How do you get to be a world class downhiller coming from Portsmouth?! Amazing.<br /><br />
I heard he spent most of his formative years training at a little know location in… Swindon!
If you can ride greasy wet green chalk you can ride anything fast? Great race that, some of the crashes look gnarly. Jackson's run was nuts though, 4 seconds in that field is madness.
Fantastic racing, some of men's final runs were absolutely wild and loose, the very best type of racing. Loic's interview at the end was great, he's really likable and humble.
Jackson getting mobbed at the end was a little bit worrying! Perhaps so double barriers round the arenas on the cards for next year from the UCI maybe....!
What a great race and a great end to the season. Loved it I was really hoping Ethan could hang on in there and give us another winner for the last race.
Oh and Bruni chugged the entire bottle of fizz in one shot on the podium - respect!
Quite an interesting final video from Fox. I get the sense that they're not sure if they'll be there next season
Any word on why Kade wasn't allowed to race?
Really wanted Craik to take the win, but my resentment for Goldstone turned into pure admiration as that run unfolded.
He looks like the one to beat for 2024.
Any word on why Kade wasn’t allowed to race?
He was interviewed post race on Wyn TV (@17:49).. pretty pissed off about "sponsor bullshit".
Great race, great season.. roll on 2024!
Men's XC on now.. women's was a bit of a sketch-fest but maybe looks like it has dried out slightly.
post race on Wyn TV
Was the BK & Bruni stuff tongue in cheek or is there an actual mutual dislike there? BKs face when Bruni crossed the line to knock him off the hotseat BK's face was absolute thunder. I know anyone's going to be disappointed to miss out on a win but it looked like real anger from BK
Also sounded like no GT team for next year? Can't remember if that'd already been confirmed.. in any case Ethan Craig making a good case for himself.
Yes , no GT factory team pretty much confirmed but will be interesting to see if the carry on doing something with the privateers with Wyn Masters .
Mondraker are doing their own thing so the MS team will need a new frame sponsor and apparently YT are coming back with a proper team and have signed Vali Holl .
I wonder if a few of the smaller teams will pull out , with the new format it must be pretty hard to justify the money of flying riders , mechanics and staff all around the world if your riders aren't getting into finals .
BK's face in the hotseat was a picture. Absolutely gutted when everyone around him was buzzing for Bruni.
Already been confirmed ages ago that GT are pulling out of DH and Enduro. Lots of riders looking for a new home.
I'd love to know the real reason Kade couldn't ride. He's one of the most visible riders out there. Not challenging for the win but guaranteed fireworks on track every time, he's a beast. Why would you pull him if he's fit and wants to race? Must have had a serious falling out with someone.
BK’s face was absolute thunder. I know anyone’s going to be disappointed to miss out on a win but it looked like real anger from BK
He's always a terrible loser, but he seemed to have chilled out a bit by the time Wyn interviewed him.
I get the impression he rubs some people up the wrong way, but then loic can be pretty intense himself so 🤷
He was interviewed post race on Wyn TV (@17:49).. pretty pissed off about “sponsor bullshit”.
Yeah I was hoping the story had leaked out already. Someone on PB guessed it could be he was blocked from riding because he wasn't on pirelli tyres, which sounds feasible.
So many riders use tyres other than their sponsors with the logos sharpied out. Bruni's been on Contis most of this season and there's been a significant number of riders with blacked out Maxxis for eons now. If it was the case, Kade must have had more than a strongly worded conversation to be excluded from the start by the team's direction over something as personal as tyre preference.
I’d love to know the real reason Kade couldn’t ride. He’s one of the most visible riders out there. Not challenging for the win but guaranteed fireworks on track every time, he’s a beast. Why would you pull him if he’s fit and wants to race? Must have had a serious falling out with someone.
Agreed. A photo of him pulling a no-hander on a WC track with Trek on his frame must be almost as good publicity as getting a podium.
"Contractual obligations" is the phrase Ben Cathro used and seems to have been repeated elsewhere...
Kade only gets on the team because it's Kade, let's not kid ourselves he'll ever trouble the podium. Budget cutbacks may mean he's already on the way out, so he may have said no to the tyres or similar, they said well do one then, and the rest is history.
Not using your sponsors tyres has been "a thing" since racing started. I'd be genuinely surprised if the obligations that he fell foul of had anything to do with that, after all I've seen Continental with Maxxis logos and vice versa this season alone.
The XCO was a slog yesterday, its never great watching top racers getting off and running. But the course looked frankly terrifying, and I'm pleased we didn't see any serious offs. Pidcock coming home 9th and taking the rainbow stripes after doing just 4 rounds must a wake up to rest of the field surely?
BK’s face in the hotseat was a picture. Absolutely gutted when everyone around him was buzzing for Bruni.
Probably thought/hoped he had done enough. Hopefully he got a bit more philosophical about it when the next generation smashed his time to smithereens shortly afterwards. There's nothing wrong with showing your disappointment when you've given your all, I always find the jumping up and down and hugging, as if you're as happy as the bloke who just beat you, a bit forced.
Budget cutbacks may mean he’s already on the way out
Is that a rumour you've heard, or just thinking aloud? I would've thought Kade's popularity has everything to do with the stuff he does outside racing and being on the race team is just the way they make that happen.
He’s always a terrible loser
He's come so close this season to finally getting a win, I can imagine he sees that slipping away from him as the next generation start to dominate, I think I'd be cheesed off as well TBF.
Imagine being contractually obligated to sit out a race. I think that's just something quickly thought up for the summary videos.
A plausible explanation is that lots of teams were running out of wheels and tyres and maybe they gave his set to Loris or Valli to get them through the race. That would be upsetting which would explain the mood on Wyn TV.
Not Vali, she's on a different team.
Bodhi Kuhn crashed out, so that's one donor bike already. If it was because there weren't enough spares remaining with only two team riders left standing, that would be surprising given the budget and management, although not improbable with the amount of breakages.
I think they'd have overcome a logistical issue like lack of parts, my money is on him having a row with management about something (not sharpie-ing off-brand tyres is quite plausible) and it just escalating to the point where they pulled him.
I know we're all making largely uninformed guesses, but it's fun anyway.
Kade already said in an earlier interview he's enjoying jumping more than racing at the moment and in the latest wyntv confirmed he's not racing the (full) world cup circuit next year.
and in the latest wyntv confirmed he’s not racing the (full) world cup circuit next year.
I'm not surprised. Kade's in an unenviable situation, he's taking a seat in a race-team that's probably looking at the riders coming up from juniors and wondering why they employ a rider who will get through semis, but is at best a decent top 20 rider, but on the other hand is a fantastic talent, but occupies a similar space currently filled by Brandon Semenuk.
Didnt spot during the live coverage, but a 'fan' ran onto the track on the final run in, seconds before Goldstone came down. A marshall absolutely decked him and dragged him out of the way and Goldstone just missed them. Mentioned by Phil Atwill and can be seen in Cathro's review.
I mentioned earlier but the whole 'oh arent the crazy fans in Les Gets great' thing is starting to cause some somewhat idiotic, football pitch invasion style fan behaviour that needs nipping in the bud. Its not big or clever, someone is going to have their race run ruined or get hurt.
As always, the problem with racing is, unless you are on the podium, no one remembers where you came.
Even as a fan, i’d struggle to tell you who came outside the top 3 & i’d be outright guessing the top 10.
But Kade’s value isn’t in being a top 20 rider, it’s doing ridiculous things on bikes that normal people can’t, more often than not in the middle of a race run.
His ‘viralability’ or marketability is significantly more than someone hovering around the top 10 IMO.
Didnt spot during the live coverage, but a ‘fan’ ran onto the track on the final run in, seconds before Goldstone came down. A marshall absolutely decked him
Yes, it's here...
But Kade’s value isn’t in being a top 20 rider, it’s doing ridiculous things on bikes that normal people can’t, more often than not in the middle of a race run.
Yes, I agree with the sentiment, but its 2023 and every bike manufacturer is looking at how much everything costs. If you've a race team its focus should be on podiums, not arsing about, and if you have a budget for arsing about and you're Trek, are you going to spend it on Kade or Semenuk?
If you look at that last video I posted^ at 1.14 that's Kade on track on a trail bike with a pisspot helmet on.
Did he get the boot for riding the track outside of scheduled practice times? Seems much more plausible than all the tyre sponsor theories.
They’ve got a podium contender in Loris. If he doesn’t perform he doesn’t have many other selling points. (very fast, Lovely bloke, bit dull in videos.) if he wins he’s their most valuable asset. A close podium and he’s a talking point. One tiny mistake and he’s in the also rans.
If Kade can qualify for finals and then whip and nose manual his way down he’s pretty much got maybe the ~3rd most memorable run of the day sewn up. <br /><br />
and if you jumped out the bushes and put a gun to my head and asked what team Loris was on I might struggle. Do the same with Kade and I know it’s trek. <br /><br />
And to be honest, I’m upset about the above. I’d love if the racing was all about who is fastest and careers were built purely on results. Never forgiven rat boy for quitting racing to make you tube vids tbh. <br />but sadly that’s not the world we live in.
sharkattackFull Member
If you look at that last video I posted^ at 1.14 that’s Kade on track on a trail bike with a pisspot helmet on.Did he get the boot for riding the track outside of scheduled practice times? Seems much more plausible than all the tyre sponsor theories.
I can imagine that could be the case for sure. Was that some kind of Youtube skit?
Never forgiven rat boy for quitting racing to make you tube vids tbh
Insta clips you mean?
Not sure he could even be bothered to make YT vids consistently.
Kade is a great asset for Trek because he's one of the coolest riders on the circuit and the one the kids most want to be like. He's probably better value than Semenuk 'cos he's way cheaper and more relatable at the same time.
Good to hear he's mixing it up more next year. I expect he's got his eyes on Rampage as a goal in due course.
Not using your sponsors tyres has been “a thing” since racing started.<br /><br />
I accept this is entirely true but I think it’s fundamental y wrong. If you’re paid to promote and give the impression you use and your name to help sell it you should be expected to use it.
He was interviewed post race on Wyn TV (@17:49).. pretty pissed off about “sponsor bullshit”.<br /><br />
He can always quit and not take the pay cheques if he doesn’t like it. See if anyone else will offer him a better deal
Yes , no GT factory team pretty much confirmed
im not surprised. This was the first race this season they had a bike on the podium. Not much use for a race team
im not surprised. This was the first race this season they had a bike on the podium. Not much use for a race team
Considering what they do for non factory riders through Wyn Masters, plus their junior world champ, not to mention the Viris team at grass roots level, that seems pretty harsh. Using that logic we may as well just have Commencal, specialized and Santa Cruz at races then.
I get why they've bailed, but your statement seems cold.
I get why they’ve bailed, but your statement seems cold.<br /><br />
it is cold, but these are business decision made to get the best bang for the buck from the marketing budget. I’m sure there are people in these companies who can show the ROI for each marketing strategy. GT aware a brand as part of PON. It maybe they decide that using Wyn via the socials is better value for money than funding a race team. Who knows
It maybe they decide that using Wyn via the socials is better value for money than funding a race team.
Clearly someone up there has decided along those lines yes. But you do comment at times without any thoughts for the many many people who are looking for jobs now etc... It's just like "yeah tough, they're shit" and that's it LOL.
Did he get the boot for riding the track outside of scheduled practice times? Seems much more plausible than all the tyre sponsor theories.
That would be a simple disqualification, nothing to do with team/sponsors