Hello Vital MTB Visitor,
We’re conducting a survey and would appreciate your input. Your answers will help Vital and the MTB industry better understand what riders like you want. Survey results will be used to recognize top brands. Make your voice heard!
Five lucky people will be selected at random to win a Vital MTB t-shirt.
Thanks in advance,
The Vital MTB Crew
FastAF Debrief. Like most of their debriefs, it's pretty fun. (My opinion, of course.)
I wasn't aware that Tahnee Seagrave's elbow is messed up. They discuss it and ask her about it during the first 4 minutes of the video.
I know! I kept expecting it to be gone in the next rider . I think that’s what was most surprising l, they just kept showing it . It would have been pretty easy to just cut that shot short but a couple seconds for each rider . Instead , we get the gratuitous zoom in. So funny . Production director is going to get a talking to on that one
What could have been for Amaury:
Stem protection foam?
Anything else would be too heavy. Saw on a few commi riders.
He recovered amazingly fast from that one.
I really can't believe how little time he lost. I watched the side by side with Asa and Amaury, and Amaury only lost 3 seconds from that slideout. When I was racing, I always assumed any crash was at least 5 seconds, because typically you're continuing to go slow for a long time even after you get up. Love the helmet cams and play by play videos we're spoiled with these days.
how crazy would it be if it was a mini pump to adjust tire pressure on the fly...
Pretty sure that's exactly what it is
It wouldn't be. Those little electric pumps are not exactly light and mounting one on the rim like that would throw the balance of the wheel completely off. That balance is super important, especially at this level of racing. It's just a piece of foam to protect the valve stem from rock strikes since there was so much loose rock on the track. You could do a pump like that built into the hub, that wouldn't throw the balance of the wheel off.
Wow, part way through the Downtime recap and it sounds like this race was a total junk show from a safety/organizational standpoint.
I would like to officially retract my "it looks underwhelming" comment leading up to the race. It's still far from my favourite course, but it was definitely kept me on my toes.
Amaury's might not have won, but his had to be the run of the weekend, right? I'm not sure anyone has ever recovered from a crash that quickly and to still podium is wild.
It's been posted somewhere up thread, but for posterity...
Sam Hill , Val di Sole 2008
The foam is for SRAM riders running bluetooth valve stems to protect it from rock strikes. Apparently they've been running them a while.
To have any sort of crash in a world cup final in 2026 and still podium is bonkers. On a 2:40 track too. I can understand that Asa winning his debut is massive news and the story of this round but Amaury on that sort of pace has scrambled my brain, it really shouldn't be possible to do that. Adjustable tire pressure on the fly exists for enduro moto, but they mount the pump concentrically inside the hub with a tube out to the valve. They also have a battery to run it and engine to keep the battery charged, so there's that detail to iron out.
Can someone explain to me the new rules for 2026 for the rider's POV cameras? I know that Bernard mentioned he couldn't use his camera for the qualies, and some time limits or something. Seems like UCI, and Warner Brother don't understand promotion of the sport by these racers. It is always the best footage of the week.
Article 4.1.042 of UCI's Rules look like it controls use of cameras. Text:
"4.1.042
Cameras are not permitted during final for cross-country and during qualifying rounds and final for downhill/four cross/cross-country eliminator. The riders are responsible for securing the fixation of the cameras on the bike or on the visor/peak of the helmet in order to avoid any danger. The UCI can decide to allow a camera during final but only for the usage of the TV production company.
Comment: 1. see also, in particular, articles 1.3.001-1.3.003 and 1.3.031 Part 1 of the UCI Regulations 2. cameras may be used during training sessions in DHI (article 4.3.021) under the conditions laid down in this article."
Wb didn’t pay the uci all that money for you to get better coverage for free from someone else.
For posterity. The current helmet camera rules have been in place since 2018
Let's not forget that it is partially for rider safety too, the cameras affect the forces that are applied to your head in a crash and how the foam in the helmet deforms and cracks and can lead to more significant injuries.
This argument is slightly antiquated, famously attributed to Schumacher's accident which was... Different. A probably not so quality helmet (by todays standards) with a HORRIBLY mounted camera, directly to the the shell. (Apparently with a large bolt, through the shell. Not the adhesive pads with large platforms to disperse energy like now.)
Every single DH racer I see mounts the camera to the peak, which will break away if you basically BREATHE on it. Obviously NO mounting to the shell should be allowed. You could even argue in terms of rotational forces, chin mounts should not be allowed.
But otherwise, I don't see a specific reason to not allow cameras that are mounted to the visor. It's the most optimal place to mount for various reasons. Notably, safety.
Jury's kinda out on chest mount. Chest pros help but obviously it will cause extra stress in a smaller zone... But that said supercross allows for chest mounted cameras for track previews. While also not allowing cameras at all in the night show. Ultimately it's about control first, and safety can be used as a scapegoat for their content/media control. I mean the racers still wear the gopros during practice right? Sooo
World Cup rules state the camera must be mounted to the visor.
The fact that Sam Hill did it twice (crash and podium) is insane
People also seem to forget how dominant Sam Hill was in his prime, he was 6s up on Peat in that Val di Sole run before the crash and he won Champery 07 qualification by 14 seconds!!!
I also recall a race (Bromont or MSA?) where Sam crashed during his run in the Specialized years and still was on the podium (may have even won?). Anyone else recall that? I remember the video vividly, was a turn right after a road crossing and he went off track into the trees.
EDIT: Found it. It was Maribor in 2010 and he finished 5th. https://www.pinkbike.com/video/140561/
This reminds me of a situation a few years back when a guy raced a supermoto in the Manx Grand Prix (same course as the Isle of Man TT, but more accessible to racers). The rider was good enough to ride and the bike may have given him an advantage in the slower twisty sections, but he didn't have the flat out speed of the sports bikes. Though after review by a governing body he was allowed to ride, some or alot or more racers on track really didn't like the fact if a faster bike (40-50mph or 60-80km faster) came up behind him on a faster section, the consequences could be real bad.
Good on the Hard Tail guy for qualifying, giving it a go and for getting out of the way of faster riders, but full suspension bikes for Pro DH racing should be a minimum. Just my opinion.
WARNING - this is a tough watch. Healing vibes to Lou!
I’m surprised at the limit of her injuries after that.
Same here. The impact on her head and neck looks nasty. I wander is Mr Leatt will be on the phone and sending her/the team neck braces.
Whole lot of back and forth about the application of neck braces in a two wheeled environment
Post a reply to: 2026 South Korea world cup