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Half speculating and half vague memories: the contract is signed a month or so beforehand, but the helmet handover event is a surprise. The timing is key, and bullseye perfect here: Aletha has the overall wrapped, A-Aron hands over the helmet before qualies at the last race on home soil. Chef’s kiss. 😘 👌🏻

Warner Bros should hire Mille as one of their hosts or interviewers for the race broadcast She would be levels ahead of what is on the broadcast now. Same inane sterile questions over and over again.

Keep a look out here this weekend because I'm marshaling and sector managing all day Friday and Saturday (Sunday is for spectating). If there's enough cell service I'll try to get some quick phone photos or line choice markups posted like last year.

Another vote from me for never ever bringing back protected riders. This way is so much more interesting. As a hardcore Canadian DH head, I was bummed Finn and Jackson didn't get in, but that's racing. The fastest guys on the weekend qualified. Having all the other Canadian dark horses get in made it extremely exciting. As far as the track marking goes, you go outside the marking, its a DQ. Simple as that. The thought of having a UCI official making a judgement call about whether or not someone "gained an advantage" by leaving the course sounds like a...

another +1 for never ever bringing back protected status. everyone has the same poles to ride in between. stay on course, go fast, make a result. keep human judgement out of it. (still absolutely gutted for lachie)

I made these spreadsheets to compare. It's only 2D not 3D so we can't compare all the permutations depending on Amaury's performance, but there are 3 basic sheets: AV vs JW, AV vs AP, and AP vs JW. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/17BtOlT4lYjbgaYc-gpQUiFYZWUtZ10f…

Keep your eyes peeled on Monday and you might see a fresh Loic Bruni interview.

maybe its time for a separate thread for 2032 Olympic event rumors?

Credit to Cathro and Pinkbike for calling out the finish line carnage on the Story of the race video.

The Crocs are in sport mode, he will be fine.

To give him his full credit; Graves actually has a couple of Australian national championships in short-track XC formats plus 4X rainbow stripes, EWS overall, DH worlds bronze and made the finals in Olympic BMX.

So... In terms of triple headers, this has got to be the best venue on the UCI MTB circuit right? The downhill track is sick, the XC track nearly looked like an enduro track I saw dudes gapping rock gardens on 120/120 bikes... And the enduro looked gnarlier than the DH including a night stage (on maybe the hardest section). Not sure how many other triple headers there are, or even double headers for that matter... But wow this new venue seems to have done everything 'right'

Probably should go in the general race thread but I like Chris from DT’s idea about drop order for finals: 1st seed drops last as always. However, the top 3-5 in the overall (assuming they make finals) 2nd-6th to last. This would first, hopefully make it so some of the faster racers are always toward the end instead of having a situation where someone rides the hot seat from in the 20s. More importantly, it would help build the overall story and provide context for how these runs play into the overall points situation rather than having people in the...

For those who wonder if the cheese roll stayed on the mountain. Go figure.

Marc Beaumont has done a remarkable progression, it's night and day.

That one may be a homemade version, but a company called Radar Laboratories has been selling these under the name "Loob Toob" for some years. And yes, it's a combination syringe/brush intended to make grease application faster & cleaner than a traditional tub & brush.