The second World Cup DH of the year took place in Poland. Here are the results, race report and highlights vids from Bielsko-Biala.

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By ben_haworth

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Bielsko-Biala World Cup DH results, report and highlights video

Looked like a decent race. But paywalling coverage of a relatively small corner of cycling sport and offering such meagre highlights to everyone else will kill any chance for it to build an audience. And so many teams/sponsors are not getting seen at all.

Ride of the day was Vermette

I still don’t like the overall format but the commentary with proper racers in there is great – for all Rob Warner’s enthusiasm, I think this is winning (maybe the low numbers in the finals is just a way of ensuring a ready supply of expert pundits for the booth ?!)

But paywalling coverage of a relatively small corner of cycling sport…

Agreed.  If my wife wasn’t a big SkyTV fan, I’d not have watched at all as the crumbs from the table aren’t worth it

Good race in all the categories. Good to see Ronan getting the result that he deserves. Didn’t take Amaury long to get back up to speed, expect to see him threatening the podium from the next round. Shame about Dakota’s run; he absolutely nailed it in the semis.

Women’s racing is also really tight at the top, top 5 covered by just 3 seconds.

Bored of the moaning about the coverage, time to get over it really. The racing is just as good as its always been.

Bored of the moaning about the coverage, time to get over it really. The racing is just as good as its always been.

Amaury’s return run wasn’t in the highlights, neither was Dakota’s.  I’ll take your word for it though.

 I’ll take your word for it though

You know that for the same price per month as a single pint in any city-centre pub, you can watch the whole thing? All weekend if you want?

What a great race – Ronan really threw down a massive run.

Does anyone know what 0.064 sec translates to in physical distance?  I tried the maths but it’s Monday and my brain isn’t braining properly yet (should be ok by Wednesday lol)_

Looked like a decent race. But paywalling coverage of a relatively small corner of cycling sport and offering such meagre highlights to everyone else will kill any chance for it to build an audience.

<cough>tiz-cycling.io</cough>

Bruni’s run looked unebeatable but Ronan put down an absoloute heater. Gutted for Lachlan what a result that would have been, just lost concentration for a split second.

Great racing as usual. So pleased to see Ronan win, think Loris might have taken it if not for that mishap though.

Good to see Marine win again too, and Cami close behind. Hope the women’s stays nice and close this season.

Didn’t take Amaury long to get back up to speed, expect to see him threatening the podium from the next round.

He was on the podium.

And I’ve paid so I’m allowed to whinge about the commentary.

Gwin was OK, but getting Greg in was a terrible decision. He had some good insight, but he’s so dour and low energy. Took the commentary in the exact opposite direction it needs to go.

I know they won’t get shot of Ric, but at least supplement him with someone who can show some genuine excitement.

He was on the podium.

Yes, I got him and Luca the wrong wat around in my head

but getting Greg in was a terrible decision.

Yeah wasn’t the most charismatic. I think Ric and Gwin make for a decent pair – for any given value of ‘decent’ commentary.

I know they won’t get shot of Ric, but at least supplement him with someone who can show some genuine excitement

They’re using Josh Carlson as a roving reporter but he’d be a welcome addition to the proper commentary

That’s a good shout Bob.

They seem determined not to admit Ric is the wrong man for the job though.

still don’t like the overall format but the commentary with proper racers in there is great –

Gwin was good and insightful but was often cut off by Rick.

Lost count of the number of times Rick said “Can he do enough to unseat Bruni in the hot seat?” when the rider was already 1.9 down at the last split and about 50m from the finish line. He’s crap.

Minaar should stick to riding bikes.

Cough tiz cycling cough.

I know they won’t get shot of Ric, but at least supplement him with someone who can show some genuine excitement.

Isn’t that what Cedric was doing?

#bringbackCedric

haha, it’s the humour that keeps me coming back to STW

Ric/Rick isn’t brilliant but I think it’s pretty hard to fill all the airtime without occasionally sounding inane* – I bet he’s trying to sound more animated than he probably usually does and struggling a bit and that likely explains why he butts-in to the pundits too; he just needs to learn to shut up when he can.  I think I’ve enjoyed all the pros (Greg least, I admit)
*(Yeh, Alpin, I noticed the “has he made up 2.3 seconds in the last 100 metres?” a few times too)

you can watch the whole thing? All weekend if you want?

Am I missing something here – can you see qualis and semis somehow ??

Tahnee and Rachael were the best pro’s from the commentary I heard recently

Dunno?, didn’t get to watch it thanks to Eurosport/discovery+ stopping the live feed at the last women down the hill and switching over to **** super bikes

The current coverage is rubbish – what is the point in the qualifying, then semi finals? Why don’t they show the semi’s?

Why can’t they get a female commentator for the women’s race?

Why don’t they show a start order so you know how many more are left?

So much room for them to improve.

Tahnee at Fort Bill has been the best commentary person this year.

She was probably still buzzing from her own run though.

Can someone else with amazon prime/discovery+/eurosport check to see if they can find the race repeat on their feed, I thought id watch it today but there’s no sign of it

I’ve managed to avoid the results (so far)

In Daprela’s run Ric made a comment about Daprela’s Andorra win when Greg was second and something about social media afterwards…

Greg didn’t answer that comment and barely spoke for the rest of the broadcast. Anyone got any ideas? Daprela has since shown himself to not be the most savvy online poster for other reasons.

Does anyone know what 0.064 sec translates to in physical distance?

The speed traps were recording ~50kmph, which would mean ~90cm.

Probably less than that in reality though as it seems unlikely the average speed over the course was 50kmph.

@somafunk , try here (I think it should work):

https://www.discoveryplus.com/gb/video/sport/dplus-sport-dplus-sport-sport/uci-downhill-world-cup-elite-bielsko-biala

 it seems unlikely the average speed over the course was 50kmph

very roughly, they said at the start it was a 2km long course (not sure what level of precision they are working to here).

At three minutes, thats an average of 40kph.

try here (I think it should work):

Ta scaredypants but I signed up through amazon prime for discovery+/eurosport and I don’t have a specific log in for the standalone dicovery+ channel.

Having watched the Minaar video I think he’s still sore with SC , seemed reluctant to say anything when any Syndicate rider was on course .

Just spoke to an Amazon customer service assistant regarding the no-show of the mens race, they just kept repeating that the road cycling was on and was broadcast without issues. They couldn’t seem to understand that the mtb race wasn’t shown so ive canceled amazon prime/discovery+/eurosport, never watched anything on prime anyway so no loss.

Signed up directly through eurosport for same price of £6.99/month and now finally watching it,

Probably less than that in reality though as it seems unlikely the average speed over the course was 50kmph

🤔🤣

Another thread about an amazing race derailed by people whinging about commentary/format.  Get over it.

Ronan Dunne’s run was incredible – loved watching his GoPro footage with him screaming ‘Pedal ya ****’ at himself about 2/3 way down!  Brilliant.

I signed up through amazon prime for discovery+

So did I – afraid I can’t remember how, though

Just finished watching it on discovery+/eurosport sign up, brilliant race and so happy for ronan but damn shame for dakota.

Another thread about an amazing race derailed by people whinging about commentary/format.  Get over it.

Who would have thought people paying for something and then not getting it would lead to complaints.

Personally I had no complaints watching it on tiz.  Great race, all in all.

Anyone know what the social media spat Ric keeps referring to between Loic and Daprella (something about ‘after Andora’)?  That’s two weeks in a row he’s mentioned it.  I’m guessing it wasn’t about the thing.  That won’t get brought up in the commentary, I’d imagine.

Just to reiterate for the evening shift:

you can watch the whole thing? All weekend if you want?

Am I missing something here – can you see qualis and semis somehow ??

Brilliant race. Watched it live on the hooky link from PB mentioned above, whilst kayaking down the Basingstoke canal on the most glorious day, doesn’t get much better than that.

Ronans go pro is utterly mental. This is what beating Bruni looks like.

F e c king hell he’s fast…….

Anyone know what the social media spat Ric keeps referring to between Loic and Daprella (something about ‘after Andora’)? That’s two weeks in a row he’s mentioned it. I’m guessing it wasn’t about the thing. That won’t get brought up in the commentary, I’d imagine.

I think it was last year or possibly the season before when Daprella won in Andorra because he came down before the rain started , all the other guys just about managed to get down as the course had turned to ice but Bruni manged to put in a pretty amazing run and got around tenth I think . Bruni commented on Duprellas post race Instagram post , something along the lines that he only won because of the rain . Pretty small fry considering recent developments but I suppose they can’t mention that .