UCI XCO world cup racing thread 2018

Was it my imagination or were the wheels on Nino’s bike bigger than those on Gaze’s ? I though Nino was one of the last riders still using 27.5 in XC races.

I’ll try and find it but I saw a twitter video from a spectator – from a side view it looked a lot more like Nino was coming back and almost level before his foot came out.

The short track needs to be as technical as the main course otherwise everyone will use a hardtail and full sus will be obsolete, which would be a real shame and could limit how technical tracks could get.

No – surely this just favours the factory teams who will bring 2 bikes to each race?

I though Nino was one of the last riders still using 27.5 in XC races.

Scott remade the spark and scale last year. One of the changes was smaller headtube so nino can ride the 29er

Ah, so that’s why he can’t sprint as well as he used to. All that inertia 🙂

The riders have to use the same bike for the short track and main race.

The riders have to use the same bike for the short track and main race.

My bad, missed this. Are there any setup changes allowed or are the bikes held exactly as they are?

The optimist in me says this could lead to some interesting tech

nino rocking the etap eagle for the race is a sign it must be fairly close surely, good job it wasn’t that that went wrong at the end. awesome race, new kids stepping up now kulhavy and absalon have passed their best

I believe the bikes should remain the same but willing to be corrected on that as i cant be bothered finding and reading the rules!

Surprised to see Kulhavy down the order i thought he had more, maybe he will in later rounds. Absalon i feel should have called it a day but guess he needs to do this this year whilst he builds his team.

Schurter can take something from the fact of how wasted Gaze looked and his fight to the line being unlucky with pedal slip. I reckon he will be out to smash next race, be interesting to see if he can!!

Absalon had a bad crash in practise and was riding with a strapped up wrist. Not sure how much that slowed him. He was due to retire last year so winter training might not have been quite so extreme as usual

The optimist in me says this could lead to some interesting tech

Or…. everyone just sticks with hardtails.

I thought the race was awesome, although i suspected that Gaze would get it at the end: Schurter tried, and failed, to drop him without ever really troubling him.

I wonder how much the timing of the event benefitted the Southern Hemisphere lot, if at all.

https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/gbcyclingteam/article/20180516-gb-cyclingteam-news-Race-guide–2018-Mercedes-Benz-UCI-Mountain-Bike-World-Cup–Albstadt-0

Absalons retired. Again.

If the track stays that slippery it’ll be carnage..

Yeah, I’d be on my arse too

Well the xcc has shaken things up! Mvdp won and schurter DNF’d so will be starting on row three!

and MVDP has a broken wrist !

https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/gbcyclingteam/article/20180523-gb-cyclingteam-news-Race-Guide–UCI-Mountain-Bike-World-Cup–Nove-Mesto-0

I always watch elite men and women on red bull TV, but would like to watch the short courses and the U23 races, but red bull don’t screen these, are they screened any where else?

https://www.redbull.tv/live/AP-1VMKXKMDW2111/mercedes-benz-uci-mountain-bike-world-cup

http://mtbnmnm.com/en/

PinkBike course preview photo extravaganza:

Who’s the rider on the course preview above?

Apologies if its bin dun, but: champagne, ice cream, real food…

A rider moving on up.

The Rob meets Kate film’s really cool, live he gap jump!

looks like the short track is live at 4:50pm today.

Novo Mesto drop by martinddd[/url], on Flickr

Novo Mesto gnarock by martinddd[/url], on Flickr

darn it, the top ones a video clip – dunt work tho – so made public

Must admit that I thought Albstadt was a bit meh…. Probably had expections for it to be as good as the first round but that’d take some beating.  I didn’t watch the womens, perhaps that would have been better.

I do like Novo Mesto as a course though and looking forward to watching the short track tonight.

Well I guess that settled the “Can Sam Gaze out sprint Nino” question.

The guy as an absolute animal. I guess it was actually MvP that he was sprinting up against. He pulled out more than a bike length on him, more like a 10 man tandem by the time he got to the line. I just read that he weighs 85kg too. The power he can lay down must be immense.

I think I can forgive his cockishness from the commonwealth after that. Decent interview from Gaze at the end too.

Shame to see Annie drop back so much after a flying start. She looked to be really suffering too.

I was sceptical about the inclusion of xcc as part of xco but watching that earlier was great!

Visiting the food bank:

Neff & The Dentist by martinddd[/url], on Flickr

Prevot by martinddd[/url], on Flickr

2018-05-27_11-41-58 by martinddd[/url], on Flickr

Wow, Annika has got some sprint in her legs!

1st & 2nd by martinddd[/url], on Flickr

Brilliant race especially the finish and what a course

Oooooooof sooooooo close. XCO at its best. Fantastic course.

Two fantastic races, with great finishes. Gutted for Gaze and MVDP, great ride from Cooper though and good to see Batty back on the podium.

So my wfie just surprised me with tickets to World Champs in September as a  30th birthday present.  Guess we’re going to Switzerland!  Whoop!

https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/mtb/article/20180705-mountain-bike-Race-guide–Mercedes-Benz-UCI-Mountain-Bike-World-Cup-and-UCI-Four-Cross-World-Championships-0

Feels like ages since we had an XCO to watch.

Hoping Anna Van der Breggen gets to show off a bit, be nice to see come crossover from other forms of cycling from the top riders.