🔴 FREE, LIVE RACING & RACE TALK 🔴 Loudenvielle - Peyragudes DH and EDR World Cup Double Header

The World Cup of tripodding 

One thing to also keep in mind is that when it's so slippery, medical assistance to injured riders can be affected, and that usually plays a major role in cancelling a race. Not saying this was the reason. 

Can’t screw up a broadcast if you just cancel the race 😎

Get over it. If you want let Cedric and Aaron explain it to you.

Don't send beginners on a difficult track in suboptimal conditions. Also what's the point in letting training and junior racing destroy the racetrack before the elite race?

I always wondered why they werent changing schedules more often in years past and rather had a race that was unfair due to changing conditions. Or just not enjoyable to watch.

As WBD are trying to push the sport, this is a logical consequence. Wether you like it or not.

At this point, refreshing the UCI_mtbseries instagram is almost as exciting as watching the races. 

Come on, cancelling the whole race due to the mud seems too much. It would be slow and ugly, yes, but somebody will master it better than the rest and be the happiest person in the world for that, and we get to watch it. That is what this sport does best, providing epic moments every race.

Riding in this conditions is probably safer and more fair than last weekend in Andorra (with higher speeds, bigger jumps and inconsistent conditions) Riders don't have to do the jumps up top if it is too windy, the rest is just hard to stay on two wheels. There are nets and pads which seem to be pretty well laid out.

Somebody might have bad luck and get injured yes. As in every other race. Somebody might opt not to race, no shame on that.

As long as the lifts work and the medical staff can be operative, why not have a race?

I guess some riders found the conditions much easier to deal with than others.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CwsDMWKMvTk/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA%3D

Also, unpopular opinion: there is still too many people between the tape in the WC. Nobody would have told Danny Hart or Myriam Nicole "you cannot race in this conditions, it is too muddy"

In my opinion, it would be best to have more local and national races, and leave the World Cup (Series) to the very best, highest paid riders. 

Less people destroying the track, less hours of dull streaming, more consistent race conditions for the top riders.

After seeing that, it really doesn't feel like they took the right decision today...

Agreed. Watching the footage you posted I thought it was the right call. Then seeing Dom's run made me reevaluate.

Obviously we havent seen on track conditions today, and it sounds like juniors did practice briefly before finals were cancelled, but I hope the conditions were truly aweful. I'm recalling the 2020/21 Leogang tracks, and they conditions racers braved there. We really dont need race cancellations just because a steep offcamber track is muddy. If there is one seriously dangerous thing about DH its high speeds, and you basically take that factor out in this case. Things might look sloppy and lots of nice white kits and shoes getting dirty, but that's racing.

Also we're scheduled to race Port du Soleil in september, and MSA in October...if those races arent even worse then the organizers should all go buy lottery tickets.

course building consideration needs to take weather into account. super neato that there's a steep, tricky course that is epic in the dry or post-rain.  if everyone local knows that the dirt would be too slippery if rainy/muddy, why build the course so steep as to prevent riding or safe medical treatments/evacuations?

crappy day for DH. EC would have raced in his undies and on rims only.

i ask a serious question here. would teams/riders/brands ever consider boycotting world cup DH and focusing on something like crankworx in 2024 and/or national series? since $ is apparently tight based on 2024 rumors, there are fewer crankworx races (so less $ spent on travel) and if all riders are there, the competition would be fierce with great vibe and great coverage. do world champs like normal, but forget the cluster that WC became in a single year.

Cedric is definitely taking a bit of flak for his skill in the commentary booth, but let's take a moment to remember what a legend he is behind bars... jumps on his bikes and throws down a top to bottom run on a very difficult course! (Ignore the "Enduro" typo that someone left in the thumbnail... &nbsp

Track didn't even look that bad for 90% of its length. 

I gotta say, there are an awful lot of cuts in that footage. I'm sure most of those are talking or looking at the track. I get the feeling there may have been a few tripod slip-n-slides in there.

That said, they shouldn't have canceled the race.

I've been noticing conversations about how changing the rules at the top, like the number of participants in elite world cups, can shift the incentives for racers and teams and help bring about this structural change where national series carry more of the load with rider development -- up until the point where a rider crosses to the (really) elite. I wonder if anyone with NORBA (?) or USAC (or another nation) could speak to this. My naive question is: what's the business model? I don't see how fewer spots at the international level on its own can drive that kind of change at the national level. I'd guess the last thing less wealthy nations want to do is be responsible for their own organizations that can provide racing, pay, support and media attention all the way up the step just below the elite. And wealthier nations might just prefer to let the international org do it for them too, saving the $ and getting the benefit of their riders being in the big international show earlier in their careers. So for people spreading the vision of a smaller, sharper elite, I'm wondering what the mechanism is that makes the plan work. It feels lame to put it in these terms (sorry) but how would it make money? Thanks

jack rice got audio interviews w/ a handful of mechanics and riders on the cancellation. listen here - https://www.vitalmtb.com/features/opinions-cancellation-junior-world-cu…

Simple answer-feeder series, you don't have to overthink stuff when other more grown up sports (moto gp, formula XYZ...) had it all figured out years ago.

THAT'S RACING IT'S HARD SOMETIMES https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iP96aOIEpo

IF THE TRACK IS ANNIHILATED THAT'S WHAT SPIKES AND TEAROFFS ARE FOR

PROBLEM SOLVED

I think, like many on vital have already said, that the business model is about creating a very shiny, exclusive product (5 or so elite teams, 20 to 30 elite riders total, tracks and racing format optimized for tv coverage) that can be sold and will generate investment money (this is what is meant by "growing the sport," -- that phrase is about money, not about more riders or more venues or anything else), and that potential money from being a part of the shiny product will then incentivize national programs. 

Unfortunately, I think the promise of more money (and less competition) will keep the big teams from abandoning the world cup and taking up shop at another race series like crankworx. 

Regarding the cancellation, it does seem kind of ridiculous that there is not a known back-up plan in place to accommodate inclement weather. 

exactly, why else do those ethings exist? 

If they cant run lifts from high wind, or there is lightning, those are the kind of issues that create umanageable risk, but a slippery track...?

I think brands in particular will look at what is getting them the most exposure. If the World Cups aren’t getting the viewership promised and Crankworx is after partnering with Red Bull then it’s an option to consider, especially for some of the smaller teams/riders that aren’t consistently making the wc final. For Crankworx and it’s fans it’s a big win to have a top calibre dh race to go alongside the slope style. Better combo then the Uci dh / xc model. All that said though 1- Crankworx is still under UCI and they want the World Cup to be the top dog. Not idea what Crankworx gains for being a Uci event whether it’s insurance etc but they are. 2- it’s probably more travel for Crankworx then WC. Yes there’s fewer races for CWX but they are spread out around the globe and datewise far apart. At least wc is doing these tight blocks even though there’s been some big gaps. Lastly - outside of the 1199 course the CWX tracks haven’t been that exciting that I watched. Watching the Innsbruck race it looked like a fun trail to ride whereas I wouldn’t want to go anywhere near VDS

fox dialed, bernard and eddie vlogs from today. moir's junior practice carnage vid too.

full attack from today  - en francais.

There's been talk about the Youth racing being called off because of scheduling issues with the broadcast. In the background of I believe the Moi Moi TV episode, you can hear someone on a radio discussing just that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejx_nifAw2Y

i get it for sure, and it's a pipe dream to think big teams/brands/riders would avoid world cup. also no argument that crankworx tracks aren't terribly exciting, too. it would just be nice to stick it to the pocketbooks of those in charge by having everyone go race where they're welcomed.

DH isn't road. it's not even XC. the audience and market is minuscule, it's generally scrappy and fringe by nature, and it will never be F1 with a series on netflix or tens of millions of people tuning in. i don't call this outlook pessimism, i call it reality. we can have a thriving, healthy sport and community with successful athletes known around the globe. but it won't get there through weaseled money and wasted time based on false promises of galactic stardom and "tv" exposure.

the more i've talked w/ people today, it seems like it comes down to ESO/warner bros/discovery decisions, not really the UCI, so it would appear the UCI isn't "the bad guy" in the drama of andorra and loudenvielle. heck, i just learned that warner bros/disco bought ESO (don't know when that happened), so is ESO really a thing anymore? does everyone just work for WBD now?

this also a pipe dream b/c it's prob not worth the cost of dragging it out, but is there any legal recourse for teams/riders against warner bros/eso/uci for not delivering on a promised product? the excuses of track safety being the reason for no racing imply incompetence or negligence on the part of the organizing body. the UCI or eso had to sign off on the race meeting requirements based on the rulebook, right? from the armchair, no b zone or ability for safety officials to operate in simple rainy conditions is a failure to deliver what was promised to those who paid and entered in the race.

all of this is just a bummer. i love downhill and love the people in it. it's such a pure form of sport and competition. it just sucks to think the pinnacle of our sport is being bastardized for the sake of a few to get famous or make a buck.

sorry, long rant.

Guys... GoPro has a Loudenville crash compilation.  It might make you pee...

https://youtu.be/OY1Ukkrl80s?si=EytEBsW22qJwvueq

Seriously...wear a helmet for the last one.  You're gonna feel it 

Is Chris Ball an actual ghost now? Come out and say something about what’s been going on this year. Answer some questions. Make a statement. Do the opposite of nothing.