[John P.]

Yup, lots of races, first Dh event being beginning of April in South Africa. There has always been early XC races, so early Dh will be sweet. It will probably KILL gravity participation at otter though.

Using the words 'gravity' and 'otter' together in the same sentece should be a ban-able offense. In any event, I'm sure there will still be a sh!tload of amateurs racing out there. (cue Luc's classic photo of the insane line-up at the top of the "DH" course)

 

[Transcend]

some background info......it was a late request from the UCI/CCA, falling weekend after crankworx, which also happened to be a holiday long weekend. village was pretty much booked full and they couldn't gaurentee all the required lodging requested by the UCI etc.....hence the attempt at holding it during the week......this is what someone high in events told me....they would've liked to make it work, but they just didn't have the time.....

the arguement could be made that they aren't interested in holding one cause they don't have too, but i dunno if i buy it....many folks through the W/B organization are enthusiastic riders and would probably love to see a high level event like a world cup or world champs....and certainly A LOT of people in the corridor too.....whether or not it even happens is another story....at this point, with the size c-worx has gotten, we may not see a world cup/championship event, and that's a shame imo....

This is all very true. It is too bad however as Whistler is basically one of the last perfect race venues (Ste Anne, Vail etc are in the same boat.) Lodging walking distance from pits/lift, good food, proper uplift facilities/speed, community who loves outdoor sports etc.

From what I understand Whistler management has basically told the UCI no thanks for now and the UCI is looking elsewhere.

 

[fortenndu]

But there are no US riders in the top 10 anyway

Gwin 10th at MSA (first WC ever)
Strobel 10th at Bromont(second WC back from a broken scaphoid)
Gwin 8th at Schladaming(3rd WC)
What now?

 

[Transcend]

I am pretty sure he means in the top 10 overall, not once and awhile getting a killer result.

 

[mattmatt86]

Gwin 10th at MSA (first WC ever)
Strobel 10th at Bromont(second WC back from a broken scaphoid)
Gwin 8th at Schladaming(3rd WC)
What now?

I think the US lacks a proper venue (though a few are getting there) and we also lack the fan base.

 

[FlipFantasia]

This is all very true. It is too bad however as Whistler is basically one of the last perfect race venues (Ste Anne, Vail etc are in the same boat.) Lodging walking distance from pits/lift, good food, proper uplift facilities/speed, community who loves outdoor sports etc.

From what I understand Whistler management has basically told the UCI no thanks for now and the UCI is looking elsewhere.

yup.....I'd like to see it happen over on blackcomb as they start looking to develop it, which is happening on a preliminary planning level now......wouldn't affect traffic in wbp, and still right by the village.....that's just me dreaming though......or run it from top of franz's run into crackside via c-side gondy.......

 

[Secret Squirrel]

or run it from top of franz's run into crackside via c-side gondy.......

"That's what I did last night to your mother, Trebek!!"

 

[fortenndu]

I am pretty sure he means in the top 10 overall, not once and awhile getting a killer result.

I understood that; these are guys who are either very new to racing or very new to racing WC's and they're getting great results. The US is moving up, we may not be in the top 10 overall but that won't last for long.

 

[FlipFantasia]

"That's what I did last night to your mother, Trebek!!"

http://www.imeem.com/people/_3xuwZ/video/pXBsQZcl/snl_turd_ferguson_comedy_video/

 

[luiz carlos]

I can't wait to see Gwin in a full WC season and his results...AND for wich team he is gonna be racing next season.
Still on Yeti ?????

 

[stiksandstones]

I can't wait to see Gwin in a full WC season and his results...AND for wich team he is gonna be racing next season.
Still on Yeti ?????

He just signed with Yeti for 09...I say ''just" as I can't imagine his 08' deal was more than a handshake.

 

[CRoss]

I understood that; these are guys who are either very new to racing or very new to racing WC's and they're getting great results. The US is moving up, we may not be in the top 10 overall but that won't last for long.

It has been a "rebuilding" year...or two...or three..

 

[Mc.Dub]

Wooohooo, Bromont again.
Paved pits this time? lol

 

[46chief]

Saying the US lacks suitable WC venues sounds kind of ignorant. I'm confident any resort in the west is going to have more vert than than Bromont, St Anne and that race in AU. I know facilities come in to play, but still any resort in the west can accommodate the traffic a DH race would draw. What happened to Sweitzer in Idaho?

 

[Pslide]

I'm not sure anyone is suggesting that the US doesn't have good venues...maybe they are just curious which one's people would prefer. There must loads of places that would be suitable.

I blame not having a US WC on the venues and US cycling organization though, not the UCI. The states needs to get their act together and put in some solid proposals to the UCI to get a World Cup.

Anyone know what the UCI expects from the venue in terms of money and support? (Facilities are pretty obvious...) If the Canadians can do it (x2), certainly the states can do it better!

 

[boogenman]

I think the US lacks a proper venue (though a few are getting there) and we also lack the fan base.

Vail
Seven Springs(kind of)
Beaver Creek
Mammoth
Whiteface(kind of)
Killington(needs new trails)
Mt. Snow
Snow Shoe(far from airport)
Keystone

There are more but you get the point

 

[primo661]

I think the US lacks a proper venue (though a few are getting there) and we also lack the fan base.

that shouldnt be a factor. South Africa doesnt have a bike park capable of handling world cups, didnt even have a world cup class track. Basically we put in a bid and built a trial track at the beginning of the year and hosted National Champs on it and the UCI guys were there and they gave us the go ahead. we pulled together some sponsorships(not half as much as you Americans could get together) and we've started building a track. we got our local riders with international experience to mark out where they wanted the track to go. We now have the skeleton of the track sorted out.

A little more than a year ago we only had a city and a hill with a few old worn out tracks built on it and now we hosting a world cup.

we really dont have much of a fan base here either and i doubt downhill would even exist if it wasnt for Greg Minnaars exploits. in the late 1990's and early 2000's we has a huge drop of riders, maybe had 10 riders at a provincial from what I have been told. provincial races now attract around 30 riders and nationals pull in about 80 with very few spectators and most of them are direct family to the riders. Very little outsiders get involved unless Greg is racing, then BMXers, XCers all pull in and a few other non cyclists come out too.

You guys have it great when you look at the rest of the world. Get involved and put in a bid to the UCI, im sure you guys will get one.

 

[Pslide]

As an American, I find that both inspiring and highly aggravating...

Good for you guys down in RSA! Boo on us...

 

[CRoss]

I blame not having a US WC on the venues and US cycling organization though, not the UCI. The states needs to get their act together and put in some solid proposals to the UCI to get a World Cup.

How many times does it have to be said. No resorts have really put proposals in because it is not cost effective to host a World Cup. Mike Mac from Bigfoot Productions posted a rough cost estimate of what it cost to host a World Cup. Costs are $10,000+ just to have the UCI come not to mention all the other costs of running the resort during the event. Until a resort in the US can make a profit or at least break even they will not want to host a World Cup.

 

[BC VAN]

In the past it has been a question of $,

Plain and simple to promote a world cup in the US the promoter would most likely lose money...probably for a couple of years before a following like ST Anne is realized.

UCI charges a lot for the privilege to hold one

 

[yuroshek]

Vail
Seven Springs(kind of)
Beaver Creek
Mammoth
Whiteface(kind of)
Killington(needs new trails)
Mt. Snow
Snow Shoe(far from airport)
Keystone

There are more but you get the point

i believe massanutten had a WC race there from what jurgen was telling me.

 

[monkeyfcuker]

Gwin 10th at MSA (first WC ever)
Strobel 10th at Bromont(second WC back from a broken scaphoid)
Gwin 8th at Schladaming(3rd WC)
What now?

Just a joke man, don't take life so serious

 

[jackalope]

Plain and simple to promote a world cup in the US the promoter would most likely lose money...probably for a couple of years before a following like ST Anne is realized.

Too easy: WINDROCK

Look, just run a few ads on the east Tennessee TV networks (preferably between MMA matchs) promoting a dirt bike race in which all fans will receive a special edition Dale Earnhardt trucker hat (think black spray paint and white duct tape) and free beer. Grab 100 or so cases of Bud Light Lime, and you're golden...You'll have more "fans" than you can shake a divining rod at...Make the Macy's New Years Day parade seem small time in comparison...

Plus, Clay could capture some great 'fan footage' for his new film...

But really, it would be grand to see the WC pros rolling down some of the Windrock tracks - especially if it was wet...Hell, it would be great seeing these guys anywhere close to the east coast US. Hopefully a lot of the big guns will show up for the US Open.

 

[sayndesyn]

We may not have any in the US, but several on the same continent is close enough.

 

[boobaciousboob]

I think a world cup down ride dont slide Whistler B.C could sort the men from the boys.....

 

[ThePriceSeliger]

They could run one at SOLVISTA!!!!

 

[ThePriceSeliger]

Also, Why did they discontinue the Angel Fire WC? It is a tiny freaking town with nothing around except a few gas stations and some condos, but did they just not have enough housing for athletes?

 

[Secret Squirrel]

I think a world cup down ride dont slide Whistler B.C could sort the men from the boys.....

Coherency check....aisle 7....


:biggrin:

 

[CRoss]

Also, Why did they discontinue the Angel Fire WC? It is a tiny freaking town with nothing around except a few gas stations and some condos, but did they just not have enough housing for athletes?

Once again Angel Fire lost money hosting the World Cup. They tried a second year but could not raise the funds to make the event profitable so they canceled.

 

[Pslide]

So the question then becomes, how can the US make a WC profitable?

First thing is to probably start at a venue which doesn't stand to lose anything, but rather to gain by drawing a crowd and money via tickets, lodging, concessions, etc. Probably needs to be in a location that's not expensive for fans to get to.

Then you've got to actually draw a crowd, which may be easier if there is some American talent in the top 10, which is looking increasingly likely. The US can now view WCs on Freecaster right? That ought to increase the fan base.

I just don't understand why financially if Bromont and Mt. St. Anne and this little spot in RSA with less than 100 local riders can do it, the USA won't...

 

[Eastern States Cup]

I honestly can't figure out how the canadian venues made money, especially Bromont. At Bromont the spectator turnout was ok, but they did not charge for anything. Couldn't even buy a lift ticket to ride up. No parking fee's, no attendance fee's and only a pizza shack for food. But I'm glad they are back !!!

 

[BC VAN]

It remains to be seen if SA will be profitable?

Your 2nd paragraph is the answer in America, cycling is not a part of main stream culture, and the part that is getting more excepted is road.

With new riders on the horizon that have potential to get good results things could get better, but i don't ever see a crowd like Ft Bill or St Anne here in the states.

So the question then becomes, how can the US make a WC profitable?

First thing is to probably start at a venue which doesn't stand to lose anything, but rather to gain by drawing a crowd and money via tickets, lodging, concessions, etc. Probably needs to be in a location that's not expensive for fans to get to.

Then you've got to actually draw a crowd, which may be easier if there is some American talent in the top 10, which is looking increasingly likely. The US can now view WCs on Freecaster right? That ought to increase the fan base.

I just don't understand why financially if Bromont and Mt. St. Anne and this little spot in RSA with less than 100 local riders can do it, the USA won't...

 

[DH Rules]

And once again, no US events

USAC doesn't acknowledge the existence of UCI and UCI doesn't acknowledge the existence of USAC. Only us riders get shafted

 

[Zutroy]

USAC doesn't acknowledge the existence of UCI and UCI doesn't acknowledge the existence of USAC. Only us riders get shafted

Getting a WC here has nothing to do with USAC per say. It's all about a promoter and the money.


Really does the US not having a WC stop really make much a difference in the whole state of US race?

Not really....if people want the sport to grow it needs to start at the national and regional level.

 

[Pslide]

Yeah, I agree.

But certainly the USAC is responsible for not having a good regional race structure for downhill?

I don't really know the in's and out's of USAC and NORBA or whatever it's called now. Although I rarely hear any good stuff...

 

[Zutroy]

Yeah, I agree.

But certainly the USAC is responsible for not having a good regional race structure for downhill?

I don't really know the in's and out's of USAC and NORBA or whatever it's called now. Although I rarely hear any good stuff...

Yes and no....mistakes were made over the years. But really all usac does is sanction races. It's the promoters that are ultimately the ones that need to step up, and we're seeing that.

 

[gemini2k]

Saying the US lacks suitable WC venues sounds kind of ignorant. I'm confident any resort in the west is going to have more vert than than Bromont, St Anne and that race in AU. I know facilities come in to play, but still any resort in the west can accommodate the traffic a DH race would draw. What happened to Sweitzer in Idaho?

Exactly. I dont see where this argument comes from. The only WC I've been to in Rotorua, NZ. What did they have? An okay hill and some hotels (no ski lift even), and it was great. What the hell constitutes a "good" WC venue? Wouldn't pretty much ANY decent ski hill fit the bill? Aren't their literally dozens of decent venues?!?!?!

 

[gemini2k]

Too easy: WINDROCK

Look, just run a few ads on the east Tennessee TV networks (preferably between MMA matchs) promoting a dirt bike race in which all fans will receive a special edition Dale Earnhardt trucker hat (think black spray paint and white duct tape) and free beer. Grab 100 or so cases of Bud Light Lime, and you're golden...You'll have more "fans" than you can shake a divining rod at...Make the Macy's New Years Day parade seem small time in comparison...

Plus, Clay could capture some great 'fan footage' for his new film...

But really, it would be grand to see the WC pros rolling down some of the Windrock tracks - especially if it was wet...Hell, it would be great seeing these guys anywhere close to the east coast US. Hopefully a lot of the big guns will show up for the US Open.

I don't think there's enough lodging around there. And you'd basically have to close the parking lot there to all the Moto/ATV people to have even near eough room for pits and such. But that would be a fun place for a WC for sure.

 

[CRoss]

Exactly. I dont see where this argument comes from. The only WC I've been to in Rotorua, NZ. What did they have? An okay hill and some hotels (no ski lift even), and it was great. What the hell constitutes a "good" WC venue? Wouldn't pretty much ANY decent ski hill fit the bill? Aren't their literally dozens of decent venues?!?!?!

I do not think anyone has made the argument that there are no suitable venues.

 

[APIOQM]

**** yes, Bromont is back baby!

Edit: Not surprised though, UCI must save some nice cash on transportation for they only have to drive from Ste-anne.