2023 Racing Talk

5/11/2023 6:59am
sspomer wrote:
if my google skills are correct, jr xc in nove mesto starts in about 2 hours. i haven't found any links or placeholders to the free...

if my google skills are correct, jr xc in nove mesto starts in about 2 hours. i haven't found any links or placeholders to the free youtube live webcasts yet, but here's the world series youtube page and live tab. hopefully something shows up soon.

https://www.youtube.com/@uci_mtbworldseries/videos

https://www.youtube.com/@uci_mtbworldseries/streams - live stream tab

I think the free stuff will be on the new GMBN Racing channel: https://www.youtube.com/@gmbnracing/streams

Looks like Nove Mesto coverage starts there as of May 13 with the U23 racing.

1
dolface
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5/11/2023 2:18pm

Did a miss a post about what's up w/ Finn? Looks like he's riding at home and not doing stuff w/ the rest of the team?

Mr.Nally
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5/12/2023 12:52am
dolface wrote:

Did a miss a post about what's up w/ Finn? Looks like he's riding at home and not doing stuff w/ the rest of the team?

Shoulder injury, he posted about it on his Instagram. Looks like he is racing this weekend at the PNWcup

1
5/12/2023 9:23am

Allright, watching XCC at Eurosport as we speak. The camera work and coverage looks good. But the commentary for the Dutch-speaking Eurosport is horrific. A cringeworthy combo of road-focused commentators with a high dose of ''mainstream-ism'' thrown in. 

Probably exactly what the Eurosport wants in order to get ahold of as much eyes as possible, but damn do I miss the Redbull days with Rob Warner and all the other skilled commentators.  

And this was the XCC... Can't wait for the same commentators during DH are going to be talking about '' Death defying stunts and acrobatics.'' 

 

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chriskief
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5/12/2023 9:30am

English is ok with Bart, but Rick is no Rob.

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5/12/2023 10:57am

I posted this in the discovery thread, but figured it's relevant here too, as it probably gives a fair idea of what to expect when the REAL World Cup starts up in June :-)

-------------------------------------------------------

Quick report from watching the XCC (XC short track) race today on Eurosport (which I get as part of my cable TV package, so technically, "on TV" haha):

-The race was on Eurosport 1, immediately after the end of today's Giro stage - say what you will, it's pretty cool to see "our" little sport treated this way.

giro to tmb.jpg?VersionId=

-the production/camera work was good, and it was easy to get excited about the racing even though there were a few awkward lulls just as the broadcast started (just graphics with no VO for a couple of minutes).

euro.jpg?VersionId=fM

-Ric McLaughlin was the anchor with Bart Brentjens on the technical commentary. It all went reasonably well. Ric's pretty knowledgeable, but Rob's shoes are hard to fill...

-right after the racing, I got a bunch of notifications on my phone from my Eurosport app (which I just have for sports news in general, no streaming subscription). Again, kinda surreal to see "our" MTB notifications among the mainstream sports notifications like soccer, Giro, tennis, etc.

app

 All in all, I'd have to say it was a successful first appearance on this platform. I can only imagine that it makes it easier to convince potential sponsors to back teams when this kind of media exposure is available. Time will tell if it has any real impact I guess, but it does seem like something the industry and the racers would ultimately get behind. Your thoughts? 

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grambo
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5/12/2023 11:42am

It is absolutely cool to see that MTB world cup is on "TV", of course we will all miss Rob (and Rob + Bart combo on XC was awesome), but hopefully for DH coverage.

airwreck
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5/13/2023 12:06pm

RedBull tv's new series is a disappointment, big let down after Fast Life.

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5/14/2023 11:36am

NW Cup should be interesting today. Teagan Cruz was .1 back of Finn Illes in seeding

jofish
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5/14/2023 12:31pm

Didn’t catch the live show this weekend but they were pretty sharp with the instagram coverage posting the big moves while the race was in progress. Obviously a spoilers nightmare if you’re planning to watch the replay - but might be just the thing to get the casual viewers to switch over?

Colbird
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5/14/2023 1:11pm
airwreck wrote:

RedBull tv's new series is a disappointment, big let down after Fast Life.

What’s the name of the new show?

kcy4130
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5/15/2023 8:41am

Sorry if this is too off topic, but can anyone recommend a good post race xc podcast? I enjoy the wc dh post race downtime podcasts with Neko and Eliot, lots of insights. Just wondering if there's something similar for xc? 

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ZAKBROWN!
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5/15/2023 10:26am
kcy4130 wrote:
Sorry if this is too off topic, but can anyone recommend a good post race xc podcast? I enjoy the wc dh post race downtime podcasts...

Sorry if this is too off topic, but can anyone recommend a good post race xc podcast? I enjoy the wc dh post race downtime podcasts with Neko and Eliot, lots of insights. Just wondering if there's something similar for xc? 

I'm hoping Escape Collective (mostly former CyclingTips folks) adds something to their podcast feed, I love their road racing podcasts.  They've recently added written XC coverage to their site.

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Losifer
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5/15/2023 11:34am
kcy4130 wrote:
Sorry if this is too off topic, but can anyone recommend a good post race xc podcast? I enjoy the wc dh post race downtime podcasts...

Sorry if this is too off topic, but can anyone recommend a good post race xc podcast? I enjoy the wc dh post race downtime podcasts with Neko and Eliot, lots of insights. Just wondering if there's something similar for xc? 

ZAKBROWN! wrote:
I'm hoping Escape Collective (mostly former CyclingTips folks) adds something to their podcast feed, I love their road racing podcasts.  They've recently added written XC coverage...

I'm hoping Escape Collective (mostly former CyclingTips folks) adds something to their podcast feed, I love their road racing podcasts.  They've recently added written XC coverage to their site.

^This^

Escape Collective will be adding XC coverage with a podcast hosted by Caley Fretz (former collegiate XC racer) and Brad Copeland, formerly Kate Courtney's WC mechanic.

 

Escape Collective is made up of some of (IMO) the best cycling journalists around, and while they're primarily road focused they've said from the outset that they want to cover mountain biking that doesn't get much coverage elsewhere, namely XC/XCC/XCO. They're a member funded project, with no ads currently and a plan to have ads be a very small part of their revenue structure.

https://escapecollective.cc/

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dolface
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5/15/2023 11:55am
kcy4130 wrote:
Sorry if this is too off topic, but can anyone recommend a good post race xc podcast? I enjoy the wc dh post race downtime podcasts...

Sorry if this is too off topic, but can anyone recommend a good post race xc podcast? I enjoy the wc dh post race downtime podcasts with Neko and Eliot, lots of insights. Just wondering if there's something similar for xc? 

ZAKBROWN! wrote:
I'm hoping Escape Collective (mostly former CyclingTips folks) adds something to their podcast feed, I love their road racing podcasts.  They've recently added written XC coverage...

I'm hoping Escape Collective (mostly former CyclingTips folks) adds something to their podcast feed, I love their road racing podcasts.  They've recently added written XC coverage to their site.

Losifer wrote:
^This^ Escape Collective will be adding XC coverage with a podcast hosted by Caley Fretz (former collegiate XC racer) and Brad Copeland, formerly Kate Courtney's WC...

^This^

Escape Collective will be adding XC coverage with a podcast hosted by Caley Fretz (former collegiate XC racer) and Brad Copeland, formerly Kate Courtney's WC mechanic.

 

Escape Collective is made up of some of (IMO) the best cycling journalists around, and while they're primarily road focused they've said from the outset that they want to cover mountain biking that doesn't get much coverage elsewhere, namely XC/XCC/XCO. They're a member funded project, with no ads currently and a plan to have ads be a very small part of their revenue structure.

https://escapecollective.cc/

Oh man, Caley and Brad will be awesome, really stoked for this! 

(I'm a big fan of what they're doing at Escape, so much so that I paid for a membership even though I don't care much for road racing...)

1
Losifer
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5/15/2023 12:11pm
ZAKBROWN! wrote:
I'm hoping Escape Collective (mostly former CyclingTips folks) adds something to their podcast feed, I love their road racing podcasts.  They've recently added written XC coverage...

I'm hoping Escape Collective (mostly former CyclingTips folks) adds something to their podcast feed, I love their road racing podcasts.  They've recently added written XC coverage to their site.

Losifer wrote:
^This^ Escape Collective will be adding XC coverage with a podcast hosted by Caley Fretz (former collegiate XC racer) and Brad Copeland, formerly Kate Courtney's WC...

^This^

Escape Collective will be adding XC coverage with a podcast hosted by Caley Fretz (former collegiate XC racer) and Brad Copeland, formerly Kate Courtney's WC mechanic.

 

Escape Collective is made up of some of (IMO) the best cycling journalists around, and while they're primarily road focused they've said from the outset that they want to cover mountain biking that doesn't get much coverage elsewhere, namely XC/XCC/XCO. They're a member funded project, with no ads currently and a plan to have ads be a very small part of their revenue structure.

https://escapecollective.cc/

dolface wrote:
Oh man, Caley and Brad will be awesome, really stoked for this!  (I'm a big fan of what they're doing at Escape, so much so that...

Oh man, Caley and Brad will be awesome, really stoked for this! 

(I'm a big fan of what they're doing at Escape, so much so that I paid for a membership even though I don't care much for road racing...)

Yup, paid for membership myself. As a recovering roadie, I'm still a fan of the sport, but more importantly I'm a fan of people like Caley, James Huang, Dave Rome, et. al.

I also support Adventure Journal and the Downtime podcast. Vital MTB is the only "mainstream" bike media I really follow.

 

2
5/16/2023 1:04am

New rules changes for DH from UCI: fewer points for the semi-final and more points for finals (100 for a win vs 250 for a win), some changes regarding protected status, and no more time training. Also it looks like there will be practice only on the day of the qualifying race an on race day (it's left to the organizers' discretion). I can't see how that could work, and it's probably just a way to cut the numbers of riders down (if you are on the bubble, you will not qualify with a just a morning of practice IMO). You can find more details on the other website.

kcy4130
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5/16/2023 4:28am

So confusing. Are they getting rid of timed training only (everyone can self time now anyways, but it's not public so can't compare)? Or are they ditching the practice day altogether? The way it's written means there could be no practice day, which seems crazy to me. Making good line choices by sight on track walk (rather than timing both options to compare) is going to become a massive asset. Juniors quali is the day before elites, so having a junior on a team to get some track time will be a big benefit too. Will give locals more of an advantage than they had previously too. 

dolface
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5/16/2023 5:19am
kcy4130 wrote:
So confusing. Are they getting rid of timed training only (everyone can self time now anyways, but it's not public so can't compare)? Or are they...

So confusing. Are they getting rid of timed training only (everyone can self time now anyways, but it's not public so can't compare)? Or are they ditching the practice day altogether? The way it's written means there could be no practice day, which seems crazy to me. Making good line choices by sight on track walk (rather than timing both options to compare) is going to become a massive asset. Juniors quali is the day before elites, so having a junior on a team to get some track time will be a big benefit too. Will give locals more of an advantage than they had previously too. 

From the article linked above:

Screenshot 2023-05-16 at 5.17.20 AM.png?VersionId=qBet1ThkYE66mb uIzDm7l.U

 

kcy4130
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5/16/2023 5:32am

Exactly, they only have a short practice in the morning before qualies. That's not much time to learn a course. It'll be interesting to hear the riders reactions.

Poleczechy
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5/16/2023 6:35pm

On the Making Up the Numbers latest pod with Gwin they brought up a possible rumor that Reese might get the boot from Trek, claim was unsubstantiated, but it appears his most recent injury came most likely in a moto accident. 

5/17/2023 2:40am
Poleczechy wrote:
On the Making Up the Numbers latest pod with Gwin they brought up a possible rumor that Reese might get the boot from Trek, claim was...

On the Making Up the Numbers latest pod with Gwin they brought up a possible rumor that Reese might get the boot from Trek, claim was unsubstantiated, but it appears his most recent injury came most likely in a moto accident. 

That cannot be a good reason for firing him. Many pros ride dirt bikes and he never hid it before, so it is most likely not forbidden by his contract. 

FullSend
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5/17/2023 8:32am Edited Date/Time 5/17/2023 8:33am
Poleczechy wrote:
On the Making Up the Numbers latest pod with Gwin they brought up a possible rumor that Reese might get the boot from Trek, claim was...

On the Making Up the Numbers latest pod with Gwin they brought up a possible rumor that Reese might get the boot from Trek, claim was unsubstantiated, but it appears his most recent injury came most likely in a moto accident. 

Wouldn't be too surprised to see this happen. Reece is such a good guy, but he hasn't exactly been a sponsor's dream asset after winning world champs 3 years ago. That's a long time to pay someone's salary without really getting a whole lot in return.

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dolface
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5/17/2023 8:52am
Poleczechy wrote:
On the Making Up the Numbers latest pod with Gwin they brought up a possible rumor that Reese might get the boot from Trek, claim was...

On the Making Up the Numbers latest pod with Gwin they brought up a possible rumor that Reese might get the boot from Trek, claim was unsubstantiated, but it appears his most recent injury came most likely in a moto accident. 

FullSend wrote:
Wouldn't be too surprised to see this happen. Reece is such a good guy, but he hasn't exactly been a sponsor's dream asset after winning world...

Wouldn't be too surprised to see this happen. Reece is such a good guy, but he hasn't exactly been a sponsor's dream asset after winning world champs 3 years ago. That's a long time to pay someone's salary without really getting a whole lot in return.

IIRC he was about to be let go/not renewed and his WC win triggered an automatic contract extension. 

I hope it's not true though, injuries happen and he's really good on-camera (racing or being interviewed) and a podium threat when he's healthy.

1
5/17/2023 9:17am
dolface wrote:
IIRC he was about to be let go/not renewed and his WC win triggered an automatic contract extension.  I hope it's not true though, injuries happen...

IIRC he was about to be let go/not renewed and his WC win triggered an automatic contract extension. 

I hope it's not true though, injuries happen and he's really good on-camera (racing or being interviewed) and a podium threat when he's healthy.

I don't think the world champs win 'triggered' an automatic extension. I believe the situation was that he wasn't getting renewed, then he won, and the marketing & race teams went to the higher ups to get more money out of the coffers to keep him. Knew that they couldn't not resign the world champ. That following season Trek also cut some of their racers/racing budget in other lower profile areas, I believe to potentially recoup the money spent on the un-budgeted-for  keeping of Reece. 

5/17/2023 1:03pm

He also won a World Cup and was a podium threat afterwards showing his world championship win wasn't just a one time thing. Are we sure this is not just a baseless rumour?

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dolface
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5/17/2023 1:18pm
He also won a World Cup and was a podium threat afterwards showing his world championship win wasn't just a one time thing. Are we sure...

He also won a World Cup and was a podium threat afterwards showing his world championship win wasn't just a one time thing. Are we sure this is not just a baseless rumour?

It is absolutely a baseless rumor and was called out as such in the podcast and the originating post here: "...they brought up a possible rumor that Reese might get the boot from Trek, claim was unsubstantiated..." Smile

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