2023 Racing Talk

Regarding Whistler and WC DH, regardless of how big Crankworx is they need to jump through all the UCI hoops to even apply for a WC level event. This includes hosting regional, provincial, and national level UCI sanctioned events. WBP has been ticking off these boxes over the last number of years. 

In June they did a Canada Cup XC so checking off that national box. 

https://www.uci.org/competition-details/2023/MTB/69507

In 2022 they hosted BC Cup DH.

Let's hope they've ticked all the boxes 

If we look at the 2024 calendar there is a slim chance? 

UCI MTB WORLD CUP – XCO 21-22.09.2024 Outside Europe

UCI MTB WORLD CUP – DHI 21-22.09.2024 Outside Europe

UCI MTB WORLD CUP – EDR 28-29.09.2024 Outside Europe

UCI MTB WORLD CUP – DHI 28-29.09.2024 Outside Europe

UCI MTB WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS – XCM 28-29.09.2024 Snowshoe (USA)

UCI MTB WORLD CUP – XCO 05-06.10.2024 Outside Europe

UCI MTB WORLD CUP – DHI 05-06.10.2024 Outside Europe

Whistler then Snowshoe then MSA? 

I would say most mountains in North America are either too big and don’t need the advertising revenue from a WC event or they are too small and can’t afford the buy in costs for an event.

It would be great to see a true World Cup with at least  3 dates in North America and Europe each and 1 extra in some other destination New Zealand or Japan etc .

Commenting on a few posts above: 
-Whistler has stated numerous times that they wanted to build a 'world cup track'. And people have mentioned 'someday' they want to have a race there, etc. In the past, Whistler never had a world cup DH track, which is another reason they could have never even had a world cup. Everyone kept saying for years they should have an event, but on what track?? The Canadian Open course was OK but far from 'world cup' especially if it had Whistler's name on it. Now they have the track.
-Yes, if they hosted a world cup they would cut a final section down the main ski run and put jumps on it for TV, etc. The 'finish bowl' would have to be up on the ski slope just above the Creekside lift. 
-Yes, it is VERY tight in Creekside but enough room for a finish corral up on the bottom of the slope, etc. 
-World cup pits are often unfortunately not right by the finish. Listen to the Fox Dialed video series, they've often pretty far from the finish. I could even see them let the teams have a small pit area over at Creekside, then any big trucks and stuff over in the normal whistler lots. Keep in mind too that all of the big team trucks and semis, etc are in Europe. Team pit needs will be far less for a North American stop. 
-Whistler shuttles thousands of people a day during ski season. They could/would run some of those buses to connect Creekside and Whistler bases better during an event like this. 
-Another item: Part of the reason for the routing of the 1199 track was because it was run close to fiber optics/power lines installed for the Olympics so that it would be 'easy to broadcast'.  
-Again, they hosted the Olympics at Creekside. A world cup DH race is do-able. 
 

Another big factor is by doing it in creekside they can make all their normal daily summer $$$ which is a lot while the race is happening on the other side of the mtn.   Put screens up in the village for people who aren’t fully invested to watch and maybe they get invested or at least interested.

I think Snowshoe would be a great enduro venue, not as big as the European mountains obviously, but using the existing fire and access roads there is probably 5 different ways to get up that mountain the western side even pops out on a paved road. There is all the bike park trails obviously but they have probably even more pedal trails that weave all around the mountain as well.   

Not sure edr makes a ton of sense at snowshoe speaking they already are doing xc and dh.  It’s already a huge event for them in the summer.  Also if edr is using the non bike park trails what are the fans supposed to ride?

Pretty sure sugarloaf will be back at some point.  they are taking off to focus on bringing more public trails to the mountain.  What better way to advertise new stuff than an ews especially with Adam up there.

USAC World Champs Team Selections email came in this morn...

USA Cycling Announces 2023 Mountain Bike World Championship Teams
July 11, 2023
36 athletes have been selected to the Mountain Bike team competing at the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships in Glasgow, Scotland.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships will make history in Glasgow, Scotland as the first World Championship where thirteen events will be contested across seven disciplines in ten days. Athletes will compete in the downhill races on August 3-5, Marathon on August 6, and Cross-Country events on August 8-12, 2023.
This event is one of the first automatic Olympic qualifiers for the Cross-County event at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Olympic selection procedures can be viewed, here.

All of the Elite Cross-Country racers are veterans of the Mountain Bike World Championships roster. With Olympic qualifying on the line, all six elite racers, Christopher Blevins (Durango, Colo.; Specialized Factory Racing) Haley Batten (Park City, Utah; Specialized Factory Racing), Savilia Blunk (Inverness, Calif.; Rockrider FORD Racing Team), Kate Courtney (Kentfield, Calif.; SCOTT-SRAM Factory Racing), Gwendalyn Gibson (Ramona, Calif.; Trek Factory Racing) and Kelsey Urban (Kentfield, Calif.; Team 31), will be vying for a podium position.

On the downhill side, Luca Shaw (Hendersonville, N.C.; Canyon Cllctv), Dakotah Norton (Clinton, Tenn.; Intense Factory Racing), and Anna Newkirk (Riehen, Switzerland; Beyond Racing) have all had Top 10 performances at the first three World Cups of the year in the Elite categories. Meanwhile, Ryan Pinkerton (Aliso Viejo, Calif.; GT Factory Racing) and Riley Miller (East Burke, Vt.; Killington Mountain School) have both landed on the podium at Val di Sole and Leogang, respectively. Aaron Gwin (Murietta, Calif.; Intense Factory Racing) was an automatic qualifier, but declined his position due to injury.
The Team USA Roster is as follows:
Cross-Country

Elite Men
Christopher Blevins (Durango, Colo.; Specialized Factory Racing)
 

Elite Women
Haley Batten (Park City, Utah; Specialized Factory Racing)
Savilia Blunk (Inverness, Calif.; Rockrider FORD Racing Team)
Kate Courtney (Kentfield, Calif.; SCOTT-SRAM Factory Racing)
Gwendalyn Gibson (Ramona, Calif.; Trek Factory Racing)
Kelsey Urban (Kentfield, Calif.; Team 31)
 

U23 Men
Riley Amos (Durango, Colo.; Trek Factory Racing)
Carson Beard (Middlesex, Vt.; Team Segment 28)
Brayden Johnson (Littleton, Colo.; Bear National Team)
Bjorn Riley (Boulder, Colo.; Trek Future Racing)
 

U23 Women
Bailey Cioppa (Durango, Colo.; Bear National Team)
Madigan Munro (Boulder, Colo.; Trek Factory Racing)
Sofia Waite (Littleton, Colo.; WE Development)
 

Junior Men
Daniel English (San Ramon, Calif.; Bear National Team)
Raulito Gutierrez (Temecula, Calif.; Bear National Team)
Nicholas Konecny (Breckenridge, Colo.; Bear National Team)
Magnus White (Boulder, Colo.; Boulder Junior Cycling)
 

Junior Women
Andie Aagard (Highland, Utah; Bear National Team)
Kellie Harrington (Pittsfield, Mass.; Bear National Team)
Vida Lopez de San Roman (Sebastopol, Calif.; Bear National Team)
 

Downhill

Elite Men
Austin Dooley (Yucaipa, Calif.; Commencal / Schwalbe)
Christopher Grice (Brevard, N.C.; Generation Specialized)
Dylan Maples (Orangevale, Calif.; Commencal USA)
Neko Mulally (Pisgah Forest, N.C.; Frameworks Racing)
Dakotah Norton (Clinton, Tenn.; Intense Factory Racing)
Luca Shaw (Hendersonville, N.C.; Canyon Cllctv)
Dante Silva (Chula Vista, Calif.; Canyon Cllctv)
 

Elite Women
Abby Hogie (Heidelberg, Germany; Beyond Racing)
Anna Newkirk (Riehen, Switzerland; Beyond Racing)
 

Junior Men
Nate Kitchen (Bakersfield, Calif.; KHS Factory Team)
Ryan Pinkerton (Aliso Viejo, Calif.; GT Factory Racing)
Evan Medcalf (Albuquerque, N.M.; Commencal USA)
Gavin Tomlinson (Burbank, Calif.)
 

Junior Women
Riley Miller (East Burke, Vt.; Killington Mountain School)
Taylor Ostgaard (Selah, Wash.; Transition Factory Racing)
Abby Ronca (Bethlehem, Pa.; The Gravity Academy)

For more information on Team USA at the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships, click here.

Entire bike park is closed during the WC. 

Another year, another missed World Champs opportunity for Gwin. His window to get one is rapidly closing.

Re Creekside

Park the trucks up top in the parking lot and use the levels below for pits? No need for big tents and stuff because it's all underground. Main spectator parking south of the village and run shuttle busses up from there.

I know.  So the fans and teams a like hit the trails near the resort that they can pedal to.  If an edr closed those down there would be very little to nothing open to ride without leaving the mountain which is a decent trip.  As much as I enjoy spectating the best of the best I’m not going to take time off work and spend a few grand if I can’t ride anywhere.

The window has shut and is not boarded up 

There are definitely some big names in there, but would have been nice to see 5-10 more. Figured there'd be a lot more than in years past given the new 1199 track, the world cup DH schedule having such a huge break and not enough racing to begin with. I assume it's just too costly for teams to send riders, bikes, mechanics, etc. around the globe for 'just' a Crankworx. That said, I would think North American brands would make a big push to have more riders here. It's also Whistler... would assume most world cup riders would love to come over for a week or riding/training/racing--so it's probably team money. 

Hmm seems to be difficult to send a rider to Whistler and then one week later to Glasgow 🤔… 

Ratty on formula?

Yes, on one of Jono Jones' videos you can see the fork's a Nero, I don't know what shock he's running though.

Edit; I've just seen his instagram and it's a MOD.

LOAM ALERT!

I am enjoying a couple days in Andorra, and the crew at Vallnord have been working on some new sections for the World Cup track.

Looks good and raw. Not ultra steep, but enough to make the section interesting, should be plenty of lines.

The previous track will always be better for me, but you can't argue this guys are putting in the work. Looks sick.

Jess Blewitt "explodes" her foot at Hardline (Her term, remains to be seen what the damage is)

ugh, that's so rough! bernard's POV from yesterday was so rad with her following him (until she wrecked her ankle).

was on a zoom call early this morning with all the female riders out there (minus jess). tahnee and crew pushing each other and getting some good practice working through the features earlier this week. the comradery of the women who stepped up to experiment with the course was exciting to see. will have more on that soon.

here's a red bull raw from practice and they've said that hardline quali on saturday is canceled due to weather. race is still on for sunday (for now), but weather doesn't look all that great.

Bit of a random one, but curious what’s going on with Brendog… No Fox logos on the fork, not tagging them. Also seems to have picked up Pirelli as a sponsor recently and Sram not so long ago. Wonder if he’ll be on different suspension next? 

I don't get it. Nope!

Huck to flat feature! I nominate you for suck of the day!

Do the British have World Cup tracks? 
Or Australia?  

I've never ridden anywhere except the US tracks and Whistler.

Brits have Fort William (Scotland)

Aus has held world cups/champs at both Cairns and Mt Stromlo (Canberra)

Stromlo is a mild hill at best, Cairns it OK but has nothing on Europe.

We also have Bright, Mt Beauty and Thredbo in the Mountains, but never held a world cup. A Thredbo world cup would be pretty epic, but $$$, facilities and arguably not a hard enough track without building something else which there was rumours of.

HARDLINE WILL NOT BE LIVE and now closed to spectators. official statement below

Due to extreme weather conditions in the Dyfi Valley, for the safety of the public, the Red Bull Hardline event on Sunday 16th July will be closed to spectators.

While the event site will be fully closed to the public, we are still hoping to run the Red Bull Hardline finals tomorrow (Sunday) - provided weather conditions allow rider safety. We are closely monitoring the weather conditions in close cooperation with the Red Bull Hardline athletes.

The Red Bull Hardline finals will not be broadcast live tomorrow at 2pm as previously scheduled. Provided course conditions allow, Red Bull Hardline will be available to watch post-race via Red Bull TV and Red Bull Bike YouTube.

I'm pretty sure it will be Bromont, Snowshoe, MSA. The travel time is too short to get rigs from the west coast to the east in time to set up. Also, Bromont has been putting in an epic amount of work this summer building new stuff and working on old stuff. 

Bromont is the best little mountain! Do you know if they are interested in a WC? It's been a while since they have hosted one.