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Visually, he's definitely cheating this one without that ramp photo cell or a buried timing loop at base of the ramp (and timing loops up top don't tend to be pinpoint accurate for starts because they pick up a rider "within range" of the loop.
With timing systems, you can use a combination of whatever you want to work. In this case, you can see there is no photo cell to break the beam on the start ramp. But does look like he has a chip on his fork. So what they are doing is what most race timing companies like most.
Physical trigger at the top (because in dusty environments photo cells can get triggered by airborne debris or even covered/delayed by dust) & at the bottom they either have photo cells as a hard trigger to stop & use the chip to automatically upload the rider's # for quick data entry.
Or they are letting the chip's buried timing loop trigger the finish AND pull rider data for automatic entry.
If I'm not wrong, for UCI DH World Cup, they have a triple redundant system.
Video camera that is synced with the timing system clock aimed at the start gate & finish line in conjunction with the photo cells top & bottom acting as official recording hard triggers to start & stop & buried timing loops top & bottom to pick up the specific rider # leaving gate & crossing finish.
So if the photo cells and buried loop BOTH don't pick up the start trigger or record rider #, officials literally pull up the video screen that has a clock on it & manually enter the time on screen.
That's been going on since Lopes & Carter raced. Lopes tried racing with XC bar ends with a fishing rod to smash gate poles.
They just built the start hut lane far enough out that the wall kept you from swinging wide. This is just a badly designed start hut.
Check out Fat tire fotos with the proof I needed 😆
As far as races in Whistler go, a beam further down the ramp is the primary timing. Pretty sure it'll be the same down under.
He definitely did that on purpose. Appears there is a photo eye below the arm on the right by the ramp?? Not sure which is the primary timing source and which is back up?? If the photo eye is primary he might have cost himself time "swerving around" the arm as his tire would have started his time as he was swerving back??? Make timing arms longer!!!!
It was mentioned by me on Moving the needle Podcast. Despite what others think or have written here there are most definitely visa issues or VISA Waiver issues for nearly every non EU based rider. This includes riders from the UK, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. You are only allowed to be in the Schengen region 90 days out of every 180 days. Switzerland and Poland are both Schengen states and although Andorra isn't you still need a a Schengen Visa or Etias to enter as you can only enter from a Schengen state. (If you are travelling without a VISA because ETIAS hasn't fully kicked in yet, the same rule applies for Visa Waiver - 90 days out of 180 - Leaving the EU does not "reset" your 90 days)
Currently 9 UCI races in EU - World Cups + World Champs - 9x7 = 63 days.
In race both blocks there are "4 weeks off" where its not financially feasible (except perhaps for UK riders) to return home. 3 in the first block and one in the second block. - 4x7=28 Days
Add two days for return travel (flying home monday after each race block. - 2 days. -
Thats adds up to 93 days which already over the limit.... So to remain legal you would have to leave EU somehow (UK Turkey etc) for at least a week during one of those " off weeks"
But if you are one of the top riders you would have already come to Europe Early for preseason team testing or a warm up test event in Portugal / Spain/France etc... so add in another 10-14 days and you are looking at over 100 days.
Next year when the ETIAS does come online and there is better digital tracking of EU travel days it will become harder to race legally without cost prohibitive in and out travel on off weeks.
There are a more than a couple of pro surfers, moto riders and MTB racers who travel on two passports to avoid going over 90 days but this is technically not really legal either but works (for now)
Then for South Africans and South and Central Americans it gets even more complex and complicated. As you have to apply for Schengen Travel visa and need to document all your booked and confirmed accomodation, and travel details ahead of time. And if you are doing it legitimately it gets even more complicated when applying for a business visa, depending on which country you apply through (normally where the team you are registered with is based) - you will need all sorts of accompanying documents, police clearance certificates, proof of income, proof of international ranking, proof of entry in a major International series, insurance, ties to home, and supporting statements from the UCI which is normally not to hard to get when i needed the in the past. But the tricky thing is dealing with the various conulates where you reside. It can often take in excess of three months.
Bashing gates with elbows, hands, cranks and pedals is all a part of slalom. If you aint making contact with the gates you aint doing it right.
I'm 100% for shenanigans like this, makes it interesting. 😆
When I referred to "issues" I meant there is no new rules, laws or regulatory changes to the EU visa waiver stay duration etc.. As you point out it's 90 out of 180 days, same as europeans get when they come to the US.
I've already seen Jackson and Asa in Andorra after Poland, so I assume many racers will "check out" of Schengen for a week or two in Andorra and then slot in under the 90 days per 180? The UK racers should be fine as it's a quick trip home.
So ya, my point is that these "issues" are just the realities of being and adult in a professional sport, not easy, but nothing changed really other than there's two more races in europe than last year. Time for DH teams and racers to get serious? Road cycling and other sports make it work.
So it's the same for Europeans who come to the US, except there's very few world series races in the US so that point has zero relevance?
And nothing has changed except for more races in Europe which require people to be there longer and now have to deal with this time limit?
Got it.
Exactly
Thanks for this, Sven. It's super insightful to see what riders and media need to go through to keep the dream alive.
There are most definitely more issues.
There is a change in LAW and regulation moving forward of the EU using Eitas system more accurately tracking visitors days. (no more hoping the border agent gives up counting all your days with the multitude of entry/exit stamps in your passport.
There is a change with having more World Cups in this calendar year. There is a change this year in scheduling in having more "inconvenient" (from a travel logistics perspective) one week gaps.
There is a change in the level of professionalism and pressure in results from the top World Series teams, leading to more team test camps and pre season racing, all adding to additional days in the EU.
Easy to say time for the DH teams and racers to get serious and get work visas when the WBD / UCI make it hard to get two - three year rider contracts in MTB in order to secure proper Professional Worker Sports visas. Near impossible task if you from certain countires dealing with certain consulates.
As for Road cycling and Other Sports its a big reason why so many base themselves in Monaco or Andorra which is not in my eyes should not be the best or only solution.
While i applaud the increase to 10 World Cups- Having a few less World Cups in EU and having a few more in Australasia / Asia, Africa, South America, North America is the solution to the 90 out of 180 day EU travel rules.
For the media it is even more difficult another 4 (28 days) stand alone EDR World Cups. Although a few are on those "week off" dates.
"Whoops, did I accidentally move my entire body to get my bike around the start wand?"
Sven, you're the best. Thanks for the detailed breakdown. Don't know where else in the universe we would be able to see this info.
Again, no additional issues related to the 90 in 180 days rule. That has not changed, things are just getting more "real" because non-EU riders now have to stay in the EU nations longer for more races and team-camps etc.... What you've just very nicely and succinctly highlighted is that DH is finally getting serious/more professional and as a result teams and riders are gonna have to get serious about getting longer stay visas and not racing as "tourists". If the majority of WCs were in the US then I think teams and riders would have sorted Visas beyond the ESTA program already. But EU seems lenient on the "why" people enter, at least more lenient than the US
Reality is that to date non-EU riders and their teams have been lucky, athletes going to the EU to compete, earn their living and Prize money (albeit not much), all on what is essentially a Visa Waiver program for tourists.
So to reiterate, I'm not saying there's no challenges to having to spend close to your 90 days in the EU, just that the system and it's rules, this year, has not changed in any meaningful way, EITAS will likely just make it easier to count your days now, or even do it for us?
Wild that could happen again, and so soon. Bold. Gotta think he consulted the rule book himself and decided it was going to hold. Icky. Totally bike racing.
Imagine getting publicly called out as a cheater by TBrosnan, the gentleman racer…wow!
Your mention on the pod was what made me ask. Really appreciate the perfection of the response!
Now...about that 3rd pole that magically yet very deliberately appeared before finals .
Did UCI:
A. Know about the Q1 gate dodge prior to finals
B. Ignore their own additional barricade
C. Feign ignorance of it's addition/Blame a Do-Gooder for it's addition
D. Suddenly become incapable of enforcing on screen infractions despite doing so more than once in the past
E. Protect a superstar
F. Decide Harnden is NOT a superstar worthy of protection
G. Take the money & run
@bizutch AGAIN, your points A-E have been discussed and settled here days ago. clearly the UCI didn't care about the color of the poles on the jump and they used the timing blow-up as the outside barrier in that section as well as in one other place on track. that was how they marked the course with their official B Line around the jump. it had been in play since day 1, despite the insanely confusing layout of the markers.
iXS Cup Willingen course preview
crankworx full tilt (basically 3x?) - what is it video and embed to live webcast (friday evening 7pm california time)
The primary is a photo-cell. The wand is an indicator only.
We don't do gate starts like BMX.
There's also no starting procedure for DHI listed in the tech regs. XCO is quite descriptive, but DH is generally that riders can go in any of the last 5 second beeps.
i dunno brother... while not a terrible idea, full tilt just feels like 'we have 4x at home'. (and wtf do people mean when they say 4x is 'owned' by someone else? like the name? or the format and uci wont allow you to run it i dont get it)
it also reminds me of the epic chaos of 'downhill BMX' in the ol x games days.which, like 4x, also seemed superior to this format. it seems like we're struggling to find the next thing in between airDH, slalom, pump track, speedNstyle, full tilt...
the track is quite short, i suppose. aside from like an outright crash, has there been a single overtake so far?
it looks like a holeshot event. from the comfort of my desk chair here...
UCI short track spoilers..
The top five women's finishers in the short track race all finished on the same second, has that ever happened before? Seems crazy.
Also Blevins is having a good year.
I can't say as I'm very excited about Full Tilt. Similar to Four Cross, it just makes it so you Have to be an asshole and a bully to win. That's not very sporting.
Cannot being as fast as Gilchrist and still looking to ride around a start gate. The dude absolutely roasted everyone in the Full Gate Start competition…they said there were a lot of flats but I couldn’t ignore the KENDA on dude’s flaccid rear rubber
4x and to lesser extent BMX has always been about being an”asshole” aka aggressive. I think it makes things exciting.
Best way to nuke a collarbone or scaphoid is line up on mountain bikes with no barrier versus a dude with no soul.
"cough...Bootes...cough"
Can I at least only refer to it as PoleLand from this point forward?
You ever dropped the clutch in a front wheel drive car - Its called torque steer mate!
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