Hello Vital MTB Visitor,
We’re conducting a survey and would appreciate your input. Your answers will help Vital and the MTB industry better understand what riders like you want. Survey results will be used to recognize top brands. Make your voice heard!
Five lucky people will be selected at random to win a Vital MTB t-shirt.
Thanks in advance,
The Vital MTB Crew
66M people in the UK. 4K new cases everyday. About half the population has at least one dose of the vaccine (which is showing to work pretty well, even without the booster).
Add to that number the subset that has already had it and the further roll out of the vaccine over the month of April and I have to think they could have had the race with very (very) minimal risk.
This isn't COVID from March of 2020. Its now April 2021. We have a vaccine, we understand how to treat it, the case fatality rate continues to fall.
We have to make decisions with the most up to date information, not in a state of perpetual fear.
What am I missing>?
There is still hope for the event to happen this year. It would be a massive disappointment for Reece to be wearing the rainbow stripes and not be able to race in his home country.
I'm sure money is a part of it, but there are race cancellations going on elsewhere in Europe. Many have been postponed already and just not talked about as much as they are not high profile races. Paris-Roubaix was recently postponed, and that is probably the biggest one-day classic/monument on the road cycling calendar. The original race date was allegedly stopped by the local prefect (even though soccer/football was still ongoing) though France's national lockdown is probably also partly to blame.
I think part of the justification for cancelling some of the road races lately was that they couldn't stop people from lining the streets. But it would seem like they could close Ft. William to the public and focus on making it a fuller, more robust streaming production.
Maybe they cancelled it because none of the teams will have their bikes by then?
There have been a ton of world tour and non world tour races already this year. In Europe and some in the middle east. And, Paris Roubaix is over 100+ miles of roads and involves thousands of support staff, police, shut roads, a velodrome and yes, hundreds of thousands of people line the streets.
No comparison to a MTB race at a controllable venue. MTB racing is far safer and easier to manage with tiny (by comparison crowds) in often private venues. But races getting canceled because there's just not enough money to manage the Covid restrictions and still keep fans away. With road cycling the money is in the TV contracts. Same with motocross which is running full gazz now too.
As mentioned, its likely the highlands and islands council will dictate what can and cannot be arranged as well. It may not be wholly up to Nevis range/organisers.
Which is a bummer for us racing fans
Well the UK is going ahead with vaccinations very strongly, but it's a beacon of light in an otherwise very dark world. Worldwide travel is still very much something that is far from easy, so that might play into the decision a lot?
Jeff you mentioned 4k cases per day with 66 million inhabitants. In Slovenia (granted, one of the worse-off countries in Europe lately) we have just passed back over 1000 new cases per day on Tuesday (this is a 7-day rolling average, mind you) after a low low of just under 700 3 weeks ago and the absolute daily peak of 3500 around January 1st. And we have entered a 'stringent lockdown' (it's actually a joke and something that makes it seem the joke of our government is doing something, while at the same time doing diddly squat) until 12th in an effort to take the number of new cases down a bit, since apparently the 'UK strain' is rampant now.
So it might be a consequence of the worldwide situation as opposed to the local situation.
https://youtu.be/1WJO1FIqBx8
https://youtu.be/1WJO1FIqBx8
In racing, no one owes you anything!
On one hand, I think she’s placing more blame on herself for not being proactive. However, seeing what happened in the offseason, I personally can’t help but think Trek was not as upfront and honest with her. Yes, it’s a business, but to not be upfront with her - someone who has consistently performed (maybe more so than any other Trek gravity athlete) - seems pretty bad. The whole “let’s wait and see after the season” delay, then sign two massive DH riders and only to say, “sorry, we don’t have budget” reflects poorly on Trek.
It also raises questions about where they think they’ll sell bikes. Investing so heavily on the DH side - remember Reese also signed a big extension - which doesn’t sell much bikes and ignoring the Enduro team, which is a bike built for more people, seems like it will deliver much in return.
If the Loris or Vali deals fell through, maybe it would have changed things for her.. I think I recall reading that Reece was on a contract year.. If he didn't win the worlds, he might be the one shopping for a new ride.. How much more heat would Trek be getting for letting the world champ go? Remember what happened with Specialized and Kate Kourtney? Also, if you were in Treks position, would pass up the opportunity to get two of the highest profile racers out there right now?
As for bike sales, enduro bikes out sell DH bikes big time. I don't think any of the big companies are in the DH game for bike sales.. Mostly exposure and marketing mixed in with some R&D.. The biggest knock against enduro is that it's too hard to give it coverage like DH.. Also, I still think we will be seeing some events cut from the calendar this year again.. Hard to load up too much on racers that might not be racing..
Another of people talking about Trek having record sales numbers, but those numbers aren't staying consistent. They are selling everything they can get, but there's also a lot of uncertainty as to when the next shipment of bikes will be available. Lead times on the new Session are already getting out there..
Post a reply to: 2021 Mountain Bike Team Rumors