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! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UwqZrXWzAc 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…

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.

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-mFkuSXds4[/video]

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.

My favourite MA vid, well the first couple of minutes off the start.

I remember it well, being one of the victims in the pile up 🙂

chakaping – Member

’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.

See the discussion a couple of pages back. The MTB world is massively protective of it’s cheats, any other sport (not just road) would instantly be reporting cheating

’tis a bit weird that no media have run with this.

I’d imagine it’s probably more to do with no-one really caring in reality. A few people on here who arn’t affected by it at all, some professionally offended types & that’s about it.

I think in every single quali & main race I did there was bending the rules/cheating occuring.

I’d go so far as to say in most races I do, there is talk of people ‘taking the piss’, being creative, questionable cheating etc.

I guess the difference is this guy was a bit more blatent. Doesn’t make it right for sure, does it deserve the guy being threatened by a mob of strangers, people baying for blood, demanding he be sacked etc – probably not.

Hob Nob – Member 

’tis a bit weird that no media have run with this.

I’d imagine it’s probably more to do with no-one really caring in reality. A few people on here who arn’t affected by it at all, some professionally offended types & that’s about it.

this sums it up, us angry keyboard warriors seem to be the only ones bothered by it, id have defo been bothered by it on the day had I seen it and been racing….as clearly the 2 vids seem to suggest they swear and call him a cheat…also barelli and deakins comments clearly don’t condone it and are pissed off but letting it slide….

its more disappointing in him that hes just decided to ignore all of the claims, delete comments everywhere and hope it just goes away, without even apologising, pretty arrogant indeed

It is a fair point actually. Top 5 (or whatever) maybe, but “guy who placed in a position you’d never have noticed, did it by cheating” isn’t a great attention grabber

I’d imagine it’s probably more to do with no-one really caring in reality. A few people on here who arn’t affected by it at all, some professionally offended types & that’s about it.

Very much this

You’re right. Why am I bothered?
He’s the one who is going to be known as Joe ‘the cheat’ Connell on internet coverage with a comments section.
I’m out of here and off for a ride.

I’d imagine it’s probably more to do with no-one really caring in reality.

I dunno, when you look at some of the contrived drivel the MTB media puts out in the hunt for clicks – the bar is pretty low to begin with.

Then suddenly there’s a really juicy story about cheating in one of the most famous races in the MTB world, with clear evidence and witnesses. Ironclad stuff. But nobody’s biting.

I admit that I am “professionally outraged”, but as a journalist rather than a reader.

What struck me was the utter bunfight/carnage of a load of startroopers on big bikes trying to roll down a narrow mountain path.
What’s the point of that’s? That’s like going for a lakeside drive on bank holiday Monday, sounds like a great idea in principle but the reality is a log jam of frustration.

And yes to the posts above.

Hob Nob – Member

’tis a bit weird that no media have run with this.

I’d imagine it’s probably more to do with no-one really caring in reality. A few people on here who arn’t affected by it at all, some professionally offended types & that’s about it.

As a race organisers I hate seeing stuff like this in bike races, EWS is worse! Spectators everywhere, people pushing up tracks etc… Everyone that watches EWS elite riders POV and see all the unsafe practices. Then they turn up a local races and do the same.

You try your best to improve safety standard in your series and the UK in general via BEMBA. Then you watch the EWS and bang your head against the wall!

I’ve always thought the “avalanche” in Megavalanche refeered to horde of riders descending the mountain willy-nilly (and possibly arse over tit as well).

gfrew88 – Member 
Is that race suppose to be enjoyable?
who in the right mind would pay to do that?

Years ago everyone raved about the Mega and lots of encouragement to do it. One of those bucket list things every MTB rider should do. Saw the videos and while a bit crazy it looked like something I could maybe survive with bike and bones intact. Thought I may give it a go some day, but for laugh purposes, not competitively (I’d finish last anyway probably).

Now it’s got so big, egos so big, so competitive, and everyone’s prepared to take a lot of risks, deliberately crash into others to get the best line, cheat, etc. It doesn’t look attractive to me any more and I think my chances of surviving without injury to self or ride over bike breakage is slim. I’m not aggressive enough to barge my way through and get out of danger so I’m likely to get the shit kicked out of me or run over.

Anyway, as for this incident. If this was TdF and someone cheated like that, it would be all over the news. MTB coverage though is limited at the best of times. Unfair that social media lays into him, or just what you’d have to expect if you do something as stupid as that?

It’s not just a cheeky cut line, it’s a massive deliberate short cut in full view of everyone. I don’t get what he was thinking to do that.

Time to email Focus…

Really? get a life.

As a race organisers I hate seeing stuff like this in bike races, EWS is worse! Spectators everywhere, people pushing up tracks etc… Everyone that watches EWS elite riders POV and see all the unsafe practices. Then they turn up a local races and do the same.

You try your best to improve safety standard in your series and the UK in general via BEMBA. Then you watch the EWS and bang your head against the wall!

Don’t I know it – 6 weeks & counting of being broken from another idiotic rider incident causing me to have a massive crash at the Ireland EWS!

Don’t I know it – 6 weeks & counting of being broken from another idiotic rider incident causing me to have a massive crash at the Ireland EWS!

Exactly, thats why the biggest races in the world need to start dealing with issues like this properly etc…

Years ago everyone raved about the Mega and lots of encouragement to do it. One of those bucket list things every MTB rider should do. Saw the videos and while a bit crazy it looked like something I could maybe survive with bike and bones intact. Thought I may give it a go some day, but for laugh purposes, not competitively (I’d finish last anyway probably).

Now it’s got so big, egos so big, so competitive, and everyone’s prepared to take a lot of risks, deliberately crash into others to get the best line, cheat, etc. It doesn’t look attractive to me any more and I think my chances of surviving without injury to self or ride over bike breakage is slim. I’m not aggressive enough to barge my way through and get out of danger so I’m likely to get the shit kicked out of me or run over.

It’s actually got smaller over the years with less entrants.

The disparities of riding standards at the Mega is huge though. From full time pro riders, some of whom are the fastest riders in the world, to first time Alps riders who are so far out of their depth, it can’t be any fun at all.

Generally neither of those, or people close to those ends of the spectrum are the issue though, its the mid pack warriors who cause the problems. I don;’t know what it is about that race, but there is definitely a ‘lads of tour’ mentality going on with some spectacular egos on display.

Thankfully I have qualified well in the few times i’ve done it, so never had to suffer the full Mega experience of a total sh*t show of people everywhere. its fairly spaced out at the front & everyone is hauling, from top to bottom, so no traffic.

’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.
Tour De France: Biggest bike race in the world with many of the riders household names.

This: Bloke most people have never heard of cheats in race most people have never heard of.

I meant the relevant specialist media doug, not the TV and newspapers.

meh. french line to get from also ran to slighty higher placed also ran…

Opportunity for the ultimate enduro line at today’s TDF.

I’d agree there’s no reason anyone of us should care but, there is no reason he should get away with it.

Is the mega actually a serious race then or just (as I’d assumed) a mountain bike sportive that some people forget is really just for fun?

for the front row…

Surly if a sponsored rider is cheating in an amateur race it’s even worse lol

I’m not sure who was sponsored by Surly…