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If the race is shorted too much you lose the build. WB don't capture the the full rums even when they have time to. The long shots taken from orbit are pointless, you can't see anything which is going on. When the line is 3-4cm wide, what does such an angle show us? Yes it's technically filmed, and you can see a dot moving, but any of the detail which the sport *needs* is lost. It's also hard to think they take it very seriously, when for example Jackson's run in MSA: title on the line, home race, wearing the...

I'm not completely opposed as long as it's not 20 protected riders every weekend. By protected, I mean being a rider on a factory team that's guaranteed a spot because the team can afford to pay for it. That's what F1 is, and it's basically 3 separate races happening with 5-6 drivers in the same "race" every time gets boring unless you have a team sabotaging one of their own drivers and manipulating the whole series (McLaren - looking at you. It's not a conspiracy folks IYKYK). There would also need to be easier ways to rise and fall through...

Also spotted this factory Trek on the uplift trailer today. Was being ridden by some Irish guy 🤷🏼‍♂️

V+R Racing is just two mere peasants (well, a nurse and a medical device engineer). When we started out in 2019 the two of us were just buying DH bikes for junior riders who needed them. Many seasons and many riders later, we had two world cup DH juniors in '25 with one finishing second overall and the other finishing 10th overall. We obviously can't afford our own team, but we can still be a hat/helmet sponsor. I'm still driving my 16 year old car - it just comes down to priorities for us. And we're proof it doesn't have...

Probably a common choice of shoe but….

Ah, good point. Funny enough, I actually dug into this about a year ago and learned that in most cases, these sponsorships, regardless of the sport, exist because there’s an evangelist high up in the company. Someone who genuinely loves it. They probably know it’s not the best use of marketing dollars, but they’re passionate and, frankly, hard to fire. It really helps if there is a culture around supporting these things, too (WD-40 has this culture). My dad actually knew the guy who owned Interstate Batteries back in the day. He loved NASCAR. For him, it wasn’t about ROI...

I’ve long argued that unlocking more money in racing depends on bringing in more non-endemic,or at least semi-non-endemic, sponsors. Think Frameworks x WD-40. The challenge is that I cross paths with a lot of marketers, and its incredibly hard to justify putting millions into such a niche sport when that same budget could go into Meta or YouTube ads. With digital, you get instant analytics, optimization tools, and far less career risk. You can still reach the same demographic, but in a way that’s more measurable and scalable...with no tough conversations with the boss (really, ever). At the end of...

Why don't more major components manufacturers take over the teams? Or at least the bulk of team costs? Continental Atherton seems like a model that could become much more widespread. With everything else in the bike industry looking like a strain on frame manufacturers...doesn't it make more sense to have parts manufacturers like Shimano or Continental be the lead sponsor? Or at least equal?! Would YT have basically screwed all their talented riders if they had been more significantly partnered with Continentall? Pivot has an estimated 2025 annual revenue of $32 million. -Santa Cruz has an estimated 2025 annual revenue...

I think Vali Höll should star on Team RockShox United by RedBull Leogang Alliance. Different frame every week, the same as whomever’s in 2nd place. Continue roasting. That’d be sick. She could do it.

I’d love to see Kolb on the syndicate, seems like a great fit and Sven is practically their in house photographer. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Laurie moving on, maybe to Atherton bikes? I hope Mondraker keep things as they are and let that team continue building. From a marketing pov I don’t think they’d sign OO when they already have Ronan, Ireland’s not that big of a market.

Don't forget that someone like Danny Hart is also employed for MTB development. That's in some ways more important than results. At least in the initial phase. I also see him as a good linespotter althoug that might be not the main purpose. I would rather see him as a rider, but his time as a podium contender is probably over. But we need more Peatys as voaches and overall good performance oriented dudes at the top of the world rankings.

Well it's not supposed to be mutually exclusive. The lower half of riders are absolutely racing in locals/nationals or whatever else. If they have the means to attend a world cup, they can/should. It's up to the UCI to limit the field more or less.

I think it will be a very interesting off-season. Many riders who were unlucky this season will probably stay on the track. The new UCI rules are not good for the majority of riders, especially since there is no feeder series. I assume that riders ranked below 22nd will have a very difficult time. Greenland, Hatton, Hart, Wilson are some of the ones I'm worried about. Wilson has a team, just like Gwin. But both riding and managing seem difficult to me today. Kerr is good, but his injury has ruined his season. There will be a big shake-up and...

Some notes and numbers from Vali Höll’s quietly remarkable World Cup year. With one race left in the season, Vali has already clinched another overall championship despite winning “only” one World Cup race. She, Nina Hoffmann, and Loic Bruni are the only racers to successfully qualify in Q1 for every race this season. Qualifying: 2.4 - average qualifying position 7 - lowest qualifying position 5 - number of times fastest qualifier Finals: 8 - podiums 5 - lowest finish 1 - wins 2.6 - avg. finish Points 233.8 - average points per race (no other rider - male or female...

You mentioned only France and the US, so I limited my comment to those countries in my reply to you. You didn't restrict your comment to "this week." I merely pointed out that the French seem to do quite well when they race in the US, particularly as compared to the performance of the US racers.

I would like that, but having a moving throne on the hillside seems a bit excessive.

If you're risking your life at 10-12 downhill races per year, you get to celebrate any way you choose. That's it. I get it, it's a forum, but anyone trying to police finish line behavior really is, "an old cunt". Even if you're young. We are living in the golden age of gravity. Peak bikes, peak coverage (ok, arguable, but drones are way fun), and peak riding. And most importantly: peak riders. Between Zanna and Jackson there's a ton of great stories, attitudes, riding styles, and results. I loved Aaron winning everything for those 5 or so years, but as...

Yes, I've never really followed timed training live and have always just looked at the results, so I thought they did one timed run and that was it. Well, I'm always happy to learn something new, no matter how much of a dope I seem in the process!🙃

I think @dantecusolito should get a cool Vital t-shirt for bringing us live coverage and - hopefully - some major scoops.