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The way it is now, for me, makes me more stoked on non-series races with purses and less categorization. I feel I've reached (or am getting close) to semi-pro speed, but alas there is no more semi-pro category. Now my field is bloated with a boatload of racers with staggeringly varying degrees of skill. Now that technically shouldn't impede my ability to do well, but with so many folks practicing, racing, etc. it makes it a bit hard to know how fast I have to go and what chances I have to take, etc.. To do consistently well to move up is a task. Maybe that's the way it should be, maybe it make a better racer. Maybe not, I'm still kind of a noob.
much love
This will make the qualifying series more competitive and attract bigger sponsorships=more racing. (While in turn, will do the same for WC's.) Once you qualify out of the league into the WC's, you're on team that has a permanent place in the WC series, making it more consistent for fans to follow. Something like what Troy Brosnan did was amazing. If he were in a qualifying league and wiped the floor with the competition then he'd move up to WC's the next year. Note: don't get hung up on this rider example.
Basically, all I'm describing here is the hierarchy used in auto racing.
I think 30 two man teams seems ideal for World Cups. It'll be even more "elite" if it takes several years to get to it through navigating and dominating several qualifying leagues. However, implementing this sort of change would take many years, unless someone (individual or company) with a bunch of money and/or know-how does something about it. But look at what Yeti has down with the Mountain States Cup.
This sport that we all love is just starting to ramp up again with the industry sponsors as well as the big outside conglomerates. Why would we limit the field, the industrys are trying to tap into? This is a great chance for our sport to gain international press, money and a much needed shot in the arm that the outside sponsors are seeing value in. Don't limit the demographics by eliminating half of the field.
Just my .02
I am against limiting the field for world cups. You have to meet strict enough requirements for entry as it is already.
At Maribor in sloppy conditions you had to wash your bike after every run just to be aloud to ride the gondola. This made turn over time for practice runs much slower with a lot less time on the track. Add in hiking sections of the course multiple times to work on better lines and in total with 2 days of practice and a qualifying run I had 6 or 7 runs. I was unable to get up to speed on a new track and I knew it. Crashing twice in my sloppy qualifier and throwing my run away was an unfortunate end to a long few days, BUT I learned a ton. And that is what it takes to become faster as a racer, experience.
You cannot get World Cup experience racing Nationals. Sure there will be the occasional few world cup riders who show up and smoke it, but this still does not prepare you. The level of racing is no where near what a world cup is today. Hopefully it will get there sometime in the future, but until then, world cups reign supreme.
The large field in practice is the same for everyone so I don't see this as unfair. What I do see as unfair is the top 80 practice. WHY do riders who have already raced a track multiple times before need more practice than the rider who has never been here before? It should be the other way around. Why not just make practice sessions all day long instead? Or have specific top 80 practice session, 81 through 160 practice session, and 161 through 240 practice?
The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. My 2 euro cents
I like the comments about a 2nd tier world circuit. It would be great but the $$$ in mountain biking just wouldn't support it right now. Maybe it will one day and I will be happy. I will have a Dirt Fantasy team on such a 2nd tier series and I will be rooting for the young guns and up and coming types to make it to the big league.
It seems like you don't like my example of surfing and the ASP but think about golf (PGA), Tennis (ATP), or the Tour de France. All of these, and probably every elite level of competition, has some strict standard to narrow a field of wanna-be's to can-be's. Heck, even Lance Armstrong has to re-qualify for the Tour this year. If Tiger Woods dropped off the radar, he would have to work hard, to get back to the top. I personally know of some Pro level golfers who would love the chance to play on the PGA tour - they might do well if given the chance. But just like every other Pro, they have to work hard, spend money, travel to strange places, live as cheap as possible, battle the elements, and climb the latter and beg, borrow, and steal to get a chance to play against the best in the world and get on the tour.
I see a World Cup as the PGA and unless it remains elite and for the best it might loose its appeal. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a break away series that was maybe a invite only event for the very, very top riders........The huckers do many of those already.
Keep up the debate.
what makes a good racer definitely isn't genetics... it's passion + accessibility and opportunity to race and train. if we the world cup is "invitation only" or "elite only" then there's a point at which it will become stagnant and many young guns will be denied the chance to step up their games and enter into it.
all that being said i think the topic should've been "too many men in the world cup" because on the women's side that is definitely not an issue! (unless you are a total jerk and think women shouldn't be allowed to race at all...)
So I guess my point is that the making the World Cups more exclusive would only squash racing enthusiasm here more, since there is no stepping stone series to get there already.
All that said, see you at the Triple Dhip!!
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