Rachel Atherton for BBC Sports Personality of the Year?

I know previous years the BBC has pretty much snubbed the sport and what Rachel has achieved but after this year they should surely acknowledge her with equal praise?

A 5 second clip won’t cut it?

I’m sure if even a fraction the UK’s MTB community took the effort to vote for her, Rachel would get the recognition she deserves.

That said I don’t know the process of SPOTY?

Sports journalists do the short list so basically lobby them. Worst possible year though with a tour de France and possible veltua double, Olympics, Lewis Hamilton, Andy Murray and a few others.

Given the sporting year I doubt she’d make the top 50

When it comes to bikey things, Laura Trott is a better bet this year.

if even a fraction the UK’s MTB community took the effort to vote for her, Rachel would get the recognition she deserves.

Or they could vote for whoever they think should win it? I’m pretty sure that most of the “UK’s MTB community” are interested in sports other than DH.

the BBC has pretty much snubbed the sport and what Rachel has achieved

Ladies Downhill is such a mainstream sport as well. What are they thinking? The 10’s of thousands who attend every weekend! 🙄

When it comes to it don’t the general public have to at least heard of the nominees, if I mentioned Rachel Atherton to anyone I meet today I bet their response would be who?

More importantly, who cares? Does MTB really need recognition from the BBC and the people who actually vote for SPOTY?

Plus, I actually like the sport and still find it boring to watch, and the people who vote for SPOTY are not going to be the sort to huddle round their laptop streaming Red Bull video highlights of 80 almost identical looking riders going past the same four or five camera positions.

Simple formula: Easy to televise: More likely to win SPOTY

Tremendous athlete and deserves recognition – but not a hope in hell for SPOTY. DH is one part of a minority sport that few care about. The only good thing is that at least the trails aren’t too crowded.

Little known sports person who rides bikes in a little known sport as it doesn’t get media coverage. No chance and even more so in such a successful Olympic year.

More importantly, who cares? Does MTB really need recognition from the BBC and the people who actually vote for SPOTY?

One of the things that SPOTY does is and can do is to promote and recognise achievement from a wide range of sports that would normally not be covered.
Rachel Atherton completes downhill World Cup’s first ‘perfect season’ – http://www.bbc.com/sport/cycling/37267397

is it that time of year already?

she may be fastest women DH racer in recent times but she’s a big fish in a small pond with very little competition.

No.

As per Jambo.

Beeb (and other media) go for safe tried and tested bets. They are scared to innovate. One thing the Oly showed was that there are loads of sports that the Beeb could get behind and promote if their (highly/over-paid) executives showed some imagination.

No point holding your breath though

she may be fastest women DH racer in recent times but she’s a big fish in a small pond with very little competition

Yep and if we ignore it she will probably go back to the housework or something… A genuine British success story, maybe promotion of it would get more people into the sport and interested which would only be a good thing.

U OK HUN?

I dunno…what’s she ever done on grit?

Technical Slab as a downhill route?

It’s not going to happen is it?

If DH made it to the Olympics then she’d make the short list no problem if she took a medal, if the Brits took Gold, Silver and Bronze (you’d bet money on it wouldn’t you) the UK media would be all over her and the other Brit riders – I mean, it’s not like track cycling is a massive spectator sport either – but it didn’t, nor will it ever as long as the UCI manage Mountain Biking.

Rach and Gee are the very best chance of DH getting mainstream recognition, they’re grown up mainstream media savvy, but I’d bet money that would won’t see DH in non-mountain bike media save a few cut and paste bits tucked in the bottom for years to come, if ever.

Yeah, maybe sandwich 🙂

If DH made it to the Olympics then she’d make the shortlist

If she does an ‘Anne-Caro’ and races bmx at Tokyo she’d be in with a better chance. DH isn’t going to be an Olympic sport anytime soon

The fact that sports as dull as football, golf and F1 get so much coverage means that sports that involve dynamicism and imagination will miss out.

About as much chance a Mo.

She should get more recognition, but I bet we have people dominating in other minority sports as well who get no publicity.

The SPOTY threads always astonish me how few people understand how the shortlist is created and think that the minority sport we love must take priority over the – whether we like it or not – bigger, more commercial and more popular sports.

Hopefully she makes the list then its just phone / text voting on the night. She won’t win.

Even with “only” a Silver Jessica Ennis-Hill must have a very good chance eapecially if she announces her retirement between now and December

Just been a feature about her on BBC news this morning. She took the sports presenter round a course and talked about World Champs and Olympic medals.

Nah. Not known enough and its a minority sport.
I didn’t know she had won much until this week and whilst not a hardened downhiller I would expect to have some idea of what’s going on in the MTB world.

I hear she’s won every round of the World champs AND the world cup, or whatever.
A stonking achievement! I learned that from the BBC. I wouldn’t have known that just relying on the discussion in this forum…

No chance. She is a hero for thousands, but so what?

Too much competition.

A stonking achievement! I learned that from the BBC. I wouldn’t have known that just relying on the discussion in this forum…

I think it’s been on the news, along with reports and discussion with such titles as Downhill WC This weekend…. The BBC has also had a feature on every race this year I think on the website – top tip for the BBC Sport site is to sign in and pick my sports, puts Cycling up on the order it’s shown.

The BBC are running out of sports to cover so I wouldn’t be surprised to see them do more coverage of MTB, they got a taste of it with the last 2 Olympics and we’re pretty good at it too. When Manon Carpenter won her Worlds and Overall in 2014 BBC Wales were covering it well with online articles and she got 3rd in the Welsh SPOTY so it’s possible. Plus:

Football is limited to a televised radio results show and highlights.
They lost F1 to Sky and C4.
Snooker is covered by Eurosport and Quest.
WRC went to Dave.
Tennis has gone to Eurosport.
Golf is on Sky.
Darts is moving away.
Moto GP has been snatched by BTSport
Cricket has been given the Sky treatment too.
The boat race is on ITV.

They’re basically left with athletics and the odd protected event like Wimbledon. That’s not enough to keep their large Sport Dept going really. If they thought it was worthwhile they may put highlights of DH or Enduro events on BBC3 as part of their Youth budget. Get enough traction and it could end up on the terrestrial channels.