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World Champs is the perfect microcosm of the sport of DH. A week of hype and custom paint jobs ending with one race run to win it all.
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By rockitman
Get the full story here:
https://singletrackworld.com/2022/08/2022-downhill-world-champs-preview-and-talking-points/
'mon the UK riders... It would be so sweet to have one or two of them up on the podium - and we have seen a 'surprise' before when someone pulls it out the bag on race day.
Laurie will get it this time I reckon. He's on it.
Cycling must be the only sport that decides a world champion whilst negating previous results, to lose in the world's and yet win the overall must be quite an empty feeling as the emphasis is put on one race.
gavalar - The World Cup overall winner is always held in higher esteem than the World Champ's in DH. The World Champs is the biggest race, it's not the most important title.
Think of like the FA Cup final is the biggest game in England but the Premier League winner is the most important title.
Red Bull Live feed is Geo restricted according to my app!
How do we watch it?
@cyclelife, not again, I swear this is why I had to endure BBC commentary in past seasons
I'll be gobsmacked if Pierron doesn't win this, he's pretty much got the overall in the bag already. He's been almost unbeatable this season.
Also, Myriam Nicole I suspect will win it for the women.
Jackson Goldstone junior men and Gracey Hemstreet or Phoebe Gale for the junior women.
Gonna be a good one to watch. I think red bull have a way around watching it in UK?
It's 2 different streams for different regions, presuming you're in the UK then use this one
https://www.redbull.com/int-en/events/uci-mountain-bike-world-championships-en
The 2022 UCI MTB World Championships live stream with english commentary only, on Red Bull TV, is unfortunately subject to a geo-block. The stream is only available in the following regions:
Albania
France
Slovakia
Sweden
UK
For everywhere else, use this stream
https://www.redbull.com/int-en/events/uci-mountain-bike-world-championships-les-gets-all-languages
The stream is only available in the following regions:
..
UK
So why do they show it as bleeding blocked in the UK? Can't be that hard to set an app to work properly, what with all their resources??
It's also on Eurosport (2) - commentary by... ?
C'mon Minnaar!!
Do it for us middle-aged folk!
It's so hard to pick the Men's, but if I was a betting man I'd go Pierron. Women's, either Nicole or Hoell.
It’s so hard to pick the Men’s, but if I was a betting man I’d go Pierron. Women’s, either Nicole or Hoell.
Incredibly hard to pick the mens, but I too wouldn't bet against Pierron. Yeah, maybe the sensible thing would be riding conservatively to then focus on the final round of the world cup for the overall, but (as MSA showed) I don't think he's programmed to ride conservatively! Plus the prospect of winning world champs on home soil in front of home crowd, that's got to be worth something extra - although it'll boost the other Frenchies in the same way.
Women, Pompon for the win although Hoell's been superb recently as has Balanche.
Do we know if it's the usual amount of coverage via RB, i.e. just the elite women and men, or will the junior races be broadcast somewhere because it's world champs? I'll really like to see those too.
Do we know if it’s the usual amount of coverage via RB, i.e. just the elite women and men, or will the junior races be broadcast somewhere because it’s world champs? I’ll really like to see those too.
Just the usual elite men's & women's - the junior finals are at 9:30am on the Saturday, the first RBTV stream is midday for the women's elite.
I’ll be gobsmacked if Pierron doesn’t win this, he’s pretty much got the overall in the bag already. He’s been almost unbeatable this season.
All he had to do to win the overall was finish in the top 25 at the last race. I would have bet my house on him wrapping it up and I would have lost.
It's so wild and unpredictable. Picking the winner is just a guessing game.
Hoping for Laurie & Bernard to make the podium, but suspect it will probably be one of the French lads that take the top step.
Women's is probably a 3 way - Pompon, Cammie & Vali, but as has been said anything can happen at world champs!
For the women I would love Cammie to do it (Obviously I would prefer a UK rider but I am being realistic) I don't know if it was just me that sensed this, but when she came out of nowhere and won it in 2020 I got the feeling that the media felt it was a bit of a fluke. I didn't get the sense that anyone thought she would follow up with anything else in her career and they continued to hype the usual lot. So pleased she proved them wrong. Anyone else get that view or just me?
Is Cammie racing? She broke her collarbone in MSA.
Is Cammie racing? She broke her collarbone in MSA.
I thought the expectation was that she would be ready in time but maybe that was for the overall rather than the champs. Getting mixed info about Tahnee as well, I thought she was done for the season but some suggestion she will be racing
Qualifying is today (wierdly) as the race is saturday.
Also as its world champs as I understand it there is no cut off, everyone who completes qualifying gets to race, and they also go in UCI rank order. So not quite sure what the point is apart from a confidence boost/willy wave if you do well.
Is Cammie racing? She broke her collarbone in MSA.
The Vital video from yesterday had a woman with blonde hair and what looked like a swiss top crash on the road gap and get up holding her shoulder. But it doesnt seem to be her. There's a junior swiss woman. Or it may not have been a switzerland jersey at all
It's not real qualifying it's like the equivalent of timed training at the World Cup. You can put down a heater or play it safe. Starting order is already decided so there's no points chasing.
Bear in mind that because of how riders are selected for World Champs there will be lots of riders who have never raced a WC before and couldn't possibly qualify for one on a normal race weekend. Some of them won't make it past today.
The first riders you see on the live feed (which I've just noticed is 2 hours long ) could be interesting/scary to watch.
Has there been any live or recorded sessions yet on any of the channels?
Those links to unrestricted feeds go to the Geo restricted streams!
Looked back through the live timing and Tahnee is a DNS and Cammie is in 6th.
I'd be happy to see the finals go down like this...
1st. Jordan Williams: 3:31.361
2nd. Jackson Goldstone: 3:35.100
Nice one Jordan.
Greenland dnf in qualis. Harts time looking like he crashed somewhere near the top.
Greenland was up all last night with a stomach bug according to his Instagram post this morning, so he just crossed the beam in qualifying to make sure he’s in finals on Saturday.
The Vital video from yesterday had a woman with blonde hair and what looked like a swiss top crash on the road gap and get up holding her shoulder. But it doesnt seem to be her. There’s a junior swiss woman. Or it may not have been a switzerland jersey at all
Is this your pitch to be next years live commentator?
That's rough. I've been up all night with the squits in Les Gets, it can happen to anyone.
The young lady hitting the deck on the road gap (first clip in the vid) is 18 year old Delia Da Mocogno. Turn the volume up and you can tell it was a real stinger.
Turn the volume up and you can tell it was a real stinger
Was that a bone snapping? Please say no.
The first riders you see on the live feed (which I’ve just noticed is 2 hours long ) could be interesting/scary to watch.
The first ever World Champs I watched, maybe 2016 or so, was eye-opening. I was used to watching World Cups with riders zipping down everything with no bother, and suddenly there were riders tripodding their way down, sliding on their arses, you name it.
Really illustrated just how hard these tracks are, in a way that World Cup coverage can't quite capture!
Was that a bone snapping?
Quite possibly! But if you watch it on slow motion you can see the moment her wheel tacos. Horrible, horrible crash,
Hope it doesn't claim more victims during the race.
113 elite men entered, but only 80 qualified, so it did have some meaning. Danny and Laurie qualify as they are protected riders (top 20), so 82 elite men total.
Watched the Junior Women's XC today but didn't hang around for the boys. Was hot enough watching, looked very hard work!
Gwin and Hoell.
Yes, Gwin.
T-Bone just needs to find that sweet spot between wreckers and checkers. Other than AP, he's the most likely to win it.
Wow wow wow it's incredibly steep!
Well this weather sucks. Thunderstorms and heavy rain at the moment, could change things up for tomorrow.
Thunderstorms and heavy rain at the moment
Its 20 yrs since I biked at Les Gets, and I remember the runs down from where the DH starts were incredibly slippy mud (very much clay)
Lets hope it makes it fun !
I guess most will not bother riding today if raining. Certainly the lifts will be shut until thunderstorms pass
Sunny now. But proper wet.
Was chatting to Danny Hart as he was checking out lines. He's ok but feels like he's been hit by a bus
Sunny warm dry currently.
Going to be a scorcher.
Just off up to watch juniors races.
Jackson Goldstone crashed.
Williams world champ
It was nuts to see him in the podium, looked rather happy 😁