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You are a little mistaken on how the World Cup prize money system works, At world cups it's the local organizer that pays the prize money, not the UCI. World Champs is different, there it's the UCI that pay out. However, the UCI cover all the overall prize money for the season rankings (€10,000 for first place) But it's local organizers that have to budget for prize money etc... for each individual World Cup round. The problem then is that the UCIs business model is terrible, So blame lies at their feet. The prize money amounts haven't increased in a...

I'd say the gulf between the prize money in the road world tour (e.g. the prize money for winning the Tour de France general classification is just over US$0.5m, but the total prize pool is US$2.7m and that has to be spread out across all 21 stages and multiple race classifications) and the MTB world cup is probably a good reflection of their relative popularity... I've never had any sympathy for sportspeople believing they deserve to earn money just because they were blessed with the ability to kick a ball accurately or run fast or whatever so it would be...

Check the rampage injury list since 2015. It’s gone down tremendously, and the scale/exposure has gotten way gnarlier. Graham had the one massive crash where he missed the landing. 2016 was when the new format came into place at behest of the riders, after the 2015 shit show where the riders were being treated like expendable product for entertainment. That’s not a vibe I’ve ever gotten from hardline where it’s a rider founded and operated event. I’ve never been to hardline, but I attended rampage 8 years straight as a digger for 5yr and media 2yr. Poached my first year...

You would have a point if Hardline were mandatory to make a career in MTB but there are many different routes someone can take to make a career out of riding. Sure they may be "at work" but that work is still a choice. Even if it was in their contracts that they had to compete in Hardline, signing that contract is still a choice. Josh Bryceland is a great example of this, although his reasons were environmental rather than danger, when he realized he didn't agree with the direction of WCDH he pulled out and found another way to...

I think one of the most dangerous trends we're seeing are these quasi-mullet haircuts so many of these fellas are sporting. Sets a really bad example for the impressionable kids. At least the French brigade and their trash-stache's aren't here and making this really inappropriate for children's eyes.

Since when this forum feels like Twitter ?

Schroeder, so here is the thing with HardLine. The guys at it...the format appeals to them. Bruni, Vergier, Gwi & several other World Cuppers...they are 100% DH racers in style, form and mentality. The format isn't as much of a life/death risk to the crew at this event. They have the mentality that suits the features of this track. You & I are viewing it through a different perspective. The guys at this event are the risk takers of the sport whether this event existed or not. They'd be out someplace else hunting this same rush if they weren't at...

By every reasonable standard hardline started too far. But life is short and I don’t think anyone is at hardline who doesn’t understand the consequences and makes the choice to be there. The riders who frequent seem to thrive on the event.

Dan Atherton is definitely pushing these athletes, these dudes are gnarly, as a spectator though it seems more like a progression session for the athletes with a race thrown on the end. These riders are the best in the world and they’ll no when something is too far.

Absolutely not. Anyone who thinks Hardline or Rampage is too dangerous is an e-bike riding coward.

What people take exception to is the things they love being packaged up and sold of to the highest bidder for them to do what they like with in the pursuit of further enrichment. Everybody knows that that's how the world works without people patronisingly pointing it out to them. Just because that's how things are doesn't mean you have to surrender your will to it

Honestly I don't know that the training required to be competitive in ews is any worse than dh, different for sure tho. He said he moved to ews basically because got bored with dh, needed something different, a new challenge with some novelty to get motivated. Well now perhaps he's bored of enduro? So switching would perhaps be in character. And he was pretty clear about longish climbing sections in stages of the ews not being to his liking. Then again, he's trolled before with that ig post thanking nukeproof for six great years (six?) like he was moving on...

Regarding Danny am I the only one who thinks his value as a “personality” has gone through the roof since joining cube? He seems way more comfortable and clearly doesn’t give a shit what anyone has to say about him anymore. Personally I think he’s been hilarious on Brayton’s YT channel and Wyntv.

Seems like a hard working and appreciative dude too. I'd love to see him get a full time ride next year.