2026 Race Talk

This detail is especially bizarre when the announcers are wearing ear pieces with a whole team of people feeding them information on the other side. 

Now that I think about it, I wonder if they were pretending it was open because ‘the athletes deciding to skip the jump because it’s faster’ is a better narrative than ‘the course builders messed up and the jump took out multiple racers’

Lawlor comes through with the first episode of The Weekend 2026, following Luca Shaw, Matt Walker and Remi Thirion this round.

I knew it! What a shitty decision. Gotta believe this, as a brand new venue in Asia would’ve been one of the ones to DEFINITELY have boots on the ground. 

I’m doubly disappointed. Not only on the noticeable drop in quality it brought, but that they were shady with it. Spin it as some sort of pro move, that you’re holding it down in Digital Mountain Bike Studio Four or whatever. Or just say it. I could hear MBeaumont struggling with the location charade but RicMc was saying “here in Korea” …and they only had what?—three people there as mans on the street? Carlson did they make you pay for your own flight? 

You motherfuckers! Team fees up, media fees up, travel costs up, and you dumbshits hamstring your weakest link by cheaping out? Chris Ball n them the types to plan a big party and at the last minute say it’s BYOB and can I get a ride… 

The riders bailed these chumps out on this one for sure. The disconnect was palpable. 

Growing the sport!

 

If they're going to have a remote studio in the UK (which sucks) that at least means they could get Brits to commentate for way cheaper than having to fly them out to a race. Rob Warner, Rachel Atherton, Gee Atherton, Brendan Fairclough, Ratboy are all right there. They all either have way more commentating skill, have raced more recently than 1200 BC, or both. 

Ric wasn't that bad, but was definitely not "good", and whoever the new guy is was atrocious. He just repeated what Ric said, and said "when I was racing when the wheel was first invented". I could have corrected them on half the things they said, just from watching Ed Bull, WynTV, Vital Raw, Pinkbike videos, Charlie Coquillard, BKs vlogs, and everyone's IG stories. The commentators should be the most up to date on info, not me, a random dude watching YouTube on the shitter. 

It’s kinda crazy that they still don’t understand how splits work. ie - The (#) is the split ranking. Green vs red is just against the leaders sum. They will say something like “he’s the fastest thru the 1st section” just because it’s green. When it reality they are maybe 10th and the leader was 11th. 

If you got this bookmarked as Littermag, what do you have Cam Zink's bike company bookmarked as?
Quiz to see if you truly are OG(actually I can't remember him & Strait's old skallywag crew nickname so hoping you do). 

2six stallions

My observations: Top jump injuries = lawsuits. Course builder, event organizer, sanctioning body ALL are competent enough to get it right first time. That was a failure of management & a refusal to take ownership of a design flaw every racer, mechanic, team manager & media could have spotted immediately. Go around spitting out into the lander is an automatic NO GO. These are professionals with decades of experience & that should have NEVER been left in the course. Next, Wyn's statement that if it was left that way, spotters at top AND bottom are mandatory is only flawed because they can't be guaranteed to stop a 30mph "death from above" collision when it's built that way. But he's correct that even that 1 simple precaution was negligence.  

People casing a poorly made jump & others clearing it, I can't say is dangerous. Merging riders on a flat tire, a desire not to huck it, a blown shock...or heaven forbid...a hardtail...with airborne blind senders was so egregious, it infuriates me.

Then...with Lou Ferguson & Wyn in the hospital, the "commen-potatos" remarking every 3rd rider that they were going around it for "wind" was insulting & outrageous. I'm in North Carolina & knew on Friday night here in the US that it was shut down. 
 

Yet again...I don't care what "Rick & Morty"...I mean Rick & Mark....had going on Saturday, but holy heck what a complete crap show to not know anything about it.  The insult to our intelligence & dedication to this sport is absurd.  I want Warner Brothers to melt.

I’ll concede it because I didn’t really follow those kids much back then. I do have Chainsmoke 2 laying around where Kyle was 11ish years old dirt jumping...

There’s a box in my garage that has an issue of “Plush” magazine if that ages me correctly. 

Rik's ok as an anchorman, I guess BUT if he's going to be sat in a West London studio he's going to have to take MORE NOTES and be up to date with any course changes, for example. A quick scan of forums and socials on the build up will give him enough factoids to take up plenty of the dead air.

But he needs a colourful and knowledgeable co-commentator, at least the XC race, despite being a run&bike mudfest had Oli Beckinsale who is experienced enough to keep Rik on track.

Squamish enduro from yesterday. Local race but a few EDR racers use it as a preseason benchmark with a couple of National champs and the women’s world champ lining up. Props to the filmers as this got posted 2 hours after the podium. Jonathan Helly and Elly Hoskins took the top steps.

Charlie Murray no longer an EDR man. Yeesh.

Just passing this along: The Monster Energy Pro Downhill Series second race of the series is this weekend at Mountain Creek Bike Park in New Jersey. Last year's winners in New Jersey were Aaron Gwin and current US National Champ Kailey Skelton. $4,000 first place prize for Pro winners. Juniors can choose to race in the Pro class. Last year Aletha Ostgaard raced in 3 of the Series races and took two firsts and a second. 

With a 3-week gap between the Monster Energy race and the World Cup in Loudenvielle, maybe more World Cup racers will enter this week.

Here’s who’s registered https://www.bikereg.com/Confirmed/75302

Apparently online registration for the Pro women and men is closed, but I have no idea if anyone can register in person this week. 

Last year Dakotah Norton and Neko Mulally raced there, but they're not currently registered. Evan Medcalf is registered. He qualified 3rd in Q1 in Korea.

I know Neko is coming to Creek, not sure if he's racing or not. He has an event where you can sign up to do track walk with him and talk about lines, tips, etc.

dak said he was on his way up there, too.

I hope to go up for a day but work is so screwed right now.  Anyone know if they are open for a bonus day Wednesday this year?

Another one bites it..

Could you pay an ex pro, ala Melamed as hes done in Squamish, to run an ebike, chase current EDR pros for as much footage as he can muster on world cup stages, dropping off sd cards at liaisons for quick uploads. Follow a different pro each stage etc.

Would be easier for this to work with women's racing but it's always easier to follow than lead right? Not sure if that stacks up at world cup level.

I really loved littermag. Can anyone explain the vital connection and when clappin yo dome II will be released?

Just a few more years until I announce my unretirement for enduro, once all the pros have retired and it's just a couple of other washed out dads at the starting line.

The race week schedule is posted at: https://prodownhillseries.com/mt-creek-schedule

For Wednesday, May 6, it says: "Bike Park Open: Public Lift Hours 12:00 - 6:00 p.m.

(Not sure if that's what you were looking for, so I'm just passing that along.)

Spomer was LitterMag aka Gordo aka...the Hoff-maker. . He started as a hyper stoked grom photog who took blue sky pics of West Coast legends. He'd cross post on RideMonkey, MTBR & other forums to pull people in. 

Back when we were all hyper stoked on the sport blowing up & Spomer was by far the most positive & hyped of us all.  And the king of "The Hoff Word Bubble".e need to bring that back to the galleries along with LitterOTB  @sspomer   

Official 2026 Mountain States Cup press release 🤘

Mountain States Cup Returns in 2026 with Four-Stop Downhill Series

USA Cycling-sanctioned series will offer a $50,000 purse and live broadcast coverage for every racer in every category

BOULDER, Colo., May 5, 2026 — The Mountain States Cup will return in 2026 for the first time since 2012, reviving a long-running downhill mountain bike circuit in the Rocky Mountain region. The four-stop, USA Cycling-sanctioned series will hold events in New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming and Colorado, with $12,500 in prize money at each stop and equal payouts for men and women.

The series previously helped launch the careers of top professional riders including Aaron Gwin, Melissa Buhl and Mitch Ropelato, and served as a proving ground for developing riders. Its return gives junior, amateur and privateer riders a regional pathway tied to USA Cycling rankings.

“The Mountain States Cup gives amateur riders the chance to line up alongside world-class athletes,” said Todd Wells, a three-time mountain bike Olympian. “That’s how you find out what it actually takes to compete at the next level.”

Four Rounds Across Four States, With Live Coverage for Every Racer

Events are expected to draw 300–500 participants for multi-day race weekends that include practice, qualifying and finals. On race day, every racer’s timed run will be broadcast live on-site and online. Large screens at the base will show the feed and results, with professional announcers across the venue and broadcast-grade footage of each race run. No domestic downhill series has offered this level of live coverage across all racing categories.

“The Mountain West has no shortage of terrain or talent, but it has lacked a consistent development series,” said Shawn Neer, series director for Mountain States Cup. “If you’re a junior or a privateer out here, there hasn’t been a clear next step. Bringing the series back is about rebuilding that bridge.”

The series will operate as a season-long championship, with points awarded at each stop. Overall champions will be crowned at Purgatory Resort, the host venue for the 2030 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships.

Mountain States Cup 2026 Schedule

• Chile Challenge, Angel Fire, New Mexico: June 11–14
• Wasatch Cup, Solitude, Utah: July 2–5
• Full Tilt at Targhee, Grand Targhee, Wyoming: August 13–16
• Durango Classic, Purgatory, Colorado: August 27–30

More information, including registration and event details, is available at mountainstatescup.com.

For brand and broadcast partnerships, visit partners.msclive.tv.

###

About Mountain States Cup
The Mountain States Cup is a USA Cycling-sanctioned downhill mountain bike race series held at resort venues across the Rocky Mountain West. Founded by former professional downhill racer Shawn Neer, a two-time World Championships selectee and UCI Gold Medalist, the series features multi-day competitions for riders ranging from beginners to professionals, with equal prize money for men and women. Returning in 2026, Mountain States Cup is focused on rebuilding a competitive regional pathway for U.S. gravity racing.

@bizutch / re: littermag and "photo grom..." - i was almost 30 years old at the time HAHA.

Didn't want you to face any charges for shirtless dirt jumping teen pics...

100% believable to not throw shade on the jump that severely injured TWO important World Cup downhillers in an afternoon. 
Media will justify any narrative to appeal to a broader base & appease the pockets. 

Ferguson crashed on it.  Who was the second?

Wyn. He was aiming for 100 starts. Also, wyntv is awesome in every single way. 

I can’t remember if it was Charlie Cs wet track did video or somewhere else, but evidently WYN’s crash was on a jump further down the track. Downtime post race with Neko and company indicated the same. I thought it was the big jump everyone was casing as well this whole time, but I guess it’s further down.