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The way Loic is talking it's like a different sport. Lol at retiring threats and black-and-white statements. Tests (scientific or otherwise) are showing 29 can MAYBE shave a few seconds. The wheel size makes it maybe one or two percent "easier," when a bad tire selection or poor suspension setup could cost you way more than that. What a dork, and what a non-issue to get butthurt about. There would be calls for lynchings if the UCI set regulations on DH head angle, bb height, tire choices or bar width, bike weights, etc but somehow wheel size is different.

I'm having trouble with the argument that bigger wheels somehow offer too much control or stability, coming from a team that spends such a significant amount of effort suspension testing with a dedicated telemetry bike in practice, with the goal of achieving better stability and control. And what if the bigger wheels are faster? It's not like they ride themselves down the track. That extra speed will still need to be controlled in addition to the steep price to pay for mistakes that scrub momentum as the bigger wheels do not accelerate as quickly. I'm not sure I'd agree that...

Bruni sure has a lot of skin in the anti-29er game, not sure that is going to work out well for him since he seems pretty stubborn. Also his arguments have a lot of circular logic. He has said that 29ers will make the sport too dangerous and fast, but then he says 27.5 makes the sport more loose and wild (aka more dangerous). Also the anti-29 crew keeps citing Ratboy leaving racing as a justification for being anti-29. Meanwhile he is flying around on a 29er for the majority of his latest edit, having a blast. Pretty sure that...

I disagree with the comments about the tracks changing the bikes. The new bikes will still be faster on the old tighter tracks just like in F1 where the new cars are faster around Monaco even though it is the epitome of old school. If we really want instability, let's mandate steep angles, short wheel bases and no more than 4" of travel. That will make the riders get really loose. At the end of the day WCDH is a show and marketing tool. The faster the bikes go the more entertaining the show. You can't stop progression through regulation...

The tracks aren't getting 'easier'. They are getting more open to benefit TV coverage. More open means faster which plays into the hands of the larger wheels.

You sound hypocritical Loic. You're OK with the suspension constantly improving, OK with carbon prototype everything, OK with an increase from 26 to 27.5, OK with the heaps of technology that keep air inside your tires despite what you do to them, but this is a bridge too far? You get to feel however you want, and you get to race whatever you want. You just don't elucidate good rationale for your decisions.

Thank you Sven for asking all the right questions.

So, his bike isn't ready and he doesn't like the tracks. And he wants race day schedule changes for potential weather events.