Forum menu
What an awesome race. I'd love to know what Brosnan could have done without a crash. I might even watch that again, which I think I haven't done since that Val d'Isère race in 2012.
CaptainFlashheart - MemberWell, primarily because it's a tiny, insignificant minority sport, enjoyed by a tiny, insignificant minority of the population.
Even so, things like judo get lots of coverage because we have someone decent and aren't exactly majority sports. I think the non Olympic might be a good point.
Re. Superficial jest.
I did wonder after all the furores over doping in the tdf whether any xc/dh World Cup guys were doing it. I'm guessing the minority aspect probably makes it unlikely
Gwinns qualifying run was faster than everyone else's race run so it seems pretty certain he was going to win when he left the start gate.
Incredible to watch though, the man is on another level
ferralsEven so, things like judo get lots of coverage because we have someone decent and aren't exactly majority sports. I think the non Olympic might be a good point.
Judo is one of the biggest participant sports in the world.
ferralsRe. Superficial jest.
I did wonder after all the furores over doping in the tdf whether any xc/dh World Cup guys were doing it. I'm guessing the minority aspect probably makes it unlikely
XC and Enduro racers have been caught. It's probably safe to assume that there will be some in DH doing everything they can to get an advantage.
Thanks for this PSA. I think this, and the MsA one, has got me hooked. No problem watching on the slaptop.
XC and Enduro racers have been caught. It's probably safe to assume that there will be some in DH doing everything they can to get an advantage.
Indeed, but unless there's a product that can help with nerves and mental focus then I guess there's less of a payoff for doping in DH.
On a related note, I wonder if we'll see more racers bulking up for next season to try to hold the kind of lines Gwin takes?
Easy to get hooked on the dh, it's good viewing. Maven my other half looks forward to it. Sadly I can't get her interested in the xc which is my main interest. Been great having them in the evenings the last couple of weekends
Edit. In response to shifters comment.
chakapingIndeed, but unless there's a product that can help with nerves and mental focus then I guess there's less of a payoff for doping in DH.
Yeah, that's the old argument, but these guys are professional athletes and the sums of money at the top are not to be sniffed at. Sam Hill's Monster Sponsorship alone is rumoured to be in the region of £50kpa. If they are cycling 4-5 times a week on top of weights sessions, plyometrics, etc etc the ability to recover more quickly would be a huge advantage.
Same thing with injury. DH riders are pretty much plagued by them, it's the nature of the sport, p.e.d.s can certainly help speed recovery.
Sure, all the steroids in the world won't make me ride like Aaron Gwin, but if you have two riders of equal skill, and one of them has 10-15% more stamina to the sprint on the last section of a DH course after 3 or 4 minutes of a DH run then that's going to be a huge advantage.
Bas Rutten (UFC legend) always says "steroids won't help your chin" ie. in fighting you can still knock a man out regardless of what he's been taking. The flipside is though that the more alert/fitter fighter can see a shot coming, react more quickly, land shots more accurately and take more punishment. In DH if you're tired towards the end of a run, it'll affect your focus and cause mistakes. Maybe going a bit ot, but it's interesting.
Yes I had been thinking along the lines of recovery and/or pre-season training.
I've previously voiced my idle suspicions about certain racers privately, but it would be grossly unfair (and probably libelous) to repeat them here.
😉
edward2000r
so it seems pretty certain he was going to win
I'm not sure anything is certain in DH! The line between Hero and Zero is vanishingly small, especially on a dry dusty track where the levels of grip and roughness literally change between runs. For reference, see Brannigans race run 😛
^ Agreed, all he had to do was hold on. I said to myself if he doesn't crash he'll win
Another pressing question - what was going on with Warner's beard attempting to cover most of his face?
Is growing your beard halfway up your cheeks "a thing" now?