DH is fun and cool. The uk mtb media has always supported it and from around the mid nighties kinda dropped xc abit. Media attention helped lots of riders profiles and built us a number of good uk riders. New, young riders look upto these guys in the media and want to be them. And so on and on generation after generation.
Tracks are built, young riders learn on them, then make them tougher. The next kids learn on these and make them tougher. Generation after generation get better.
DH had coverage, coverage brought sponsorship, sponsorship brought high profile uk riders. Youngsters wanted to be them, tracks got better, excellent national series got tougher and some of them uk riders gave back to the sport.
Steve Peat – Marc Beaumont, Brenbon fairclough, josh b
Will Longden-Manons team manager
Chain reactions team manager-nigel page.
Etc etc
Both the atherton bros have said in interviews when they were growing up wanting to beat our top riders etc.
Its just left us with a legacy that I hope continues.
Where ad in xc it just didnt happen after our heyday years of early nighties when we were world beaters.