All

there are post/view counts on the forum. i love the crowd in this forum. they are civil, knowledgable and calculated. please do not respond to this reply, let the team rumors carry on w/o these distractions.

@HAEKTPON - last warning - stop cluttering up this forum thread. you're posting too often, with too much nonsense.

YES OUR SAVIOUR ANGEL

Is there a way to get this idiot banned? Please if there is a moderator in here do something. He is seriously taking the fun out of this thread... I hope you’re happy with yourself, loser.

Could be, but the GOAT Minnaar had couple down years before refinding his form, too. I wouldn't count Gwin out just yet, I'm no fanboy but I think he's still has couple years left once he's able to focus on riding again.

That’s interesting, but to be honest, after the whole Crank-gate issue where his mechanic had to fall on the sword, it’s hard to take anything from him directly at face-value. Now, and I know this is likely a very unpopular opinion, but it feels like he is past his prime. Yes, he had a podium or two last year, but I think he has too much on his plate owning a team. He has lost the consistency he had for years. And bring on the thumbs down votes....

Tippie's expensive man

As far as I know he was expecting to renew the YT deal and they pulled the rug from under him saying there will be no WC racing team in... 2019? So he scrambled on his own and got the Intense deal, then YT said 'oh wait, we'll do some more racing'. With the current stuff they do seem very flaky when it comes to their pros. Has the budget run out a bit?

Loic had mentioned many times before that he had posters of the Syndicate adorning his walls back in the day. The respect is definitely there from both sides of the paddock between Loic and Santa Cruz. But that doesn't mean that he's moving to the Syndicate anytime soon.

Loic had mentioned many times before that he had posters of the Syndicate adorning his walls back in the day. The respect is definitely there from both sides of the paddock between Loic and Santa Cruz. But that doesn't mean that he's moving to the Syndicate anytime soon.

Great article, Eddie. Correct me if I'm wrong, but hasn't this all been done on purpose with the express intent of killing privateer racing? For their broadcast Red Bull wants recognizable names (top athletes only), lots of jumps and high speed for video (machine-built trails as opposed to technical, roots, etc), and close race times (smooth and fast instead of slow and tech). A few years ago, a top WC athlete and RB rider told me that RB was considering going to top-40 only with no qualifier so that the WC circuit was like a closed-off reality TV show for...

thankfully i had the inside line (pun) on that audio clip from the slideshow and i emailed him instantly : )

Ha - Eddie said he was available to write articles while in self-isolation - He wasn't joking!

Can't speak for other countries, but if you're a US rider you pretty much need to be rich to get into World Cups. DH isn't a cheap sport, but traveling the country for 5 races that get you UCI points (and not even that many) is crazy. Expecting people to max out credit cards and make objectively horrible financial decisions just to have a shot at participating is sad, and fundamentally bad for our sport. The UCI needs to start giving points for respected regional races like NW cups. They need to just accept these races will be run different...

Thanks for the feedback team. One point which might not have been crystal clear in my article. If you cant get the points, you enter via the national jersey. Then travel to your first world cup and if all the stars align and you qualify for finals. Then, in my opinion you have the speed, the talent and you've proved yourself. So you should be able to enter yourself into the following race. Giving 50th place 10 points is bullshit as its those points which dictate whether they race the next race, not their skill and not the fact that...

Bureaucracy, bureaucracy, and more bureaucracy. This is exactly why you don't want governing bodies that don't have enough experience in the fields to over-regulate things. 😝

Well said. A few years ago I got 5th at US Nationals and qualified for my first World Cup. I now work my ass off as a traveling nurse- often on call and overtime and get usually get up at 5 am, train, and then go work a 10 hr shift. Not at a desk. In surgery. Lifting more heavy things. Running down hallways. All so I can can afford to fly myself to any World Cups I’m able to qualify for. Where I am my own driver/mechanics/chef/trainer/mental coach/unexpected catastrophe solver. Life as a privateer is HARD WORK. Thank you...

Another issue: the UCI should take a look at how the FIS handles the comebacks of injured skiers. As far as I know when injured skiers come back they are in an "insured state" for a couple of races where they can keep their pre-injured starting position. So something like with Myriam Nicole should not happen. She was former World Champion, is current Vice World Champion but was not allowed to participate at A practice. I assume she was not protected, so a mechanical or crash in qualification would have taken her out of the race. I further assume such...

1. Let's stop playing the blame game with UCI. They're job is not to make money for the sport. They simply provide guidelines of qualification. They do not dictate business. 2. Everyone on every continent has the capacity to put on an event that is WELL funded, draws top riders AND can be BROADCAST delayed or live. 3. This is not pointing fingers at Windrock, the NW Cup, Snowshoe our Mtn. Creek, etc. It's pointing out that we have a serious crutch called RedBull TV. Every venue, every series, every promotion, every big race...they're responsible for raising their own money...