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2021 racing rumors

shelteringsky

shelteringsky

Monkey
May 21, 2010
324
271
Bikael Molton

Bikael Molton

goofy for life
Jun 9, 2003
4,088
1,235
El Lay
I'd love to watch high-quality live coverage of EWS, but I dunno how that would be possible without fundamentally changing the tracks and racing format.
 
Fool

Fool

The Thing cannot be described
Sep 10, 2001
2,913
1,665
Brooklyn
I'm sure it will be great. Certainly none of the ginned-up drama of their previous pseudo-reality shows.

*yell-y announcer guy*
Deadliest Bike Race!
Enduro Outlaws!
EWS Boss!
 
W

wiscodh

Monkey
Jun 21, 2007
833
121
303
rpet said:
I'd love to watch high-quality live coverage of EWS, but I dunno how that would be possible without fundamentally changing the tracks and racing format.
Click to expand...
why? it could be non stop action. With 5 stages on a day, set up a few cameras on each stage, now they just slam race footy to your face bro. Alternate between mens and womens real-time? Could see more of your favs all over the course? the same fucking replay 7times listening to warner making shit up to say can get old.
 
SuspectDevice

SuspectDevice

Turbo Monkey
Aug 23, 2002
4,204
429
Roanoke, VA
I’m timing a regional OneWheel race(yes, electric off-road skateboards) at Bootleg Canyon this weekend that has a live video production for the “enduro” stages that seed the brackets for the dual slalom, which will also be “live on the internet”.

Since one company owns the product, sells the product , and produces the events- there is plenty of money set aside for production value, even if the product is of dubious merit for racing.
The company officals and tech directors ive talked to remind me of sitting in on a NORBA team managers meeting from the early 90’s- they all fully own their sport or their place in it, and care about it in a way that makes me shake my fist at clouds, wistfully, more than normal.

There will be plenty of people with cellphones mounted on gimbals chasing competitors, multiple static boom cameras, and definitely goofballs talking into cameras and making dad jokes, etc.
Production value is mighty expensive and staff intensive.

The cool thing about the ews is that it has always existed as a sort of semi-formal partnership between teams, promoters, the industry and media, kinda required that by default to create a “world series”. A large content hungry platform giving that core staff that has held the series together all these years a hand is badass, very interested to see how enhanced coverage plays out.
 
Fool

Fool

The Thing cannot be described
Sep 10, 2001
2,913
1,665
Brooklyn
While Bear Grylls skinning a soigneur to make an overnight bivvy out of sounds great and all, what's this going to do all the team edits, recaps, etc. that I'd rather watch over 8 hours of live-streamed enduro stage racing?

Sounds almost as bad as racing enduro.
 
SuspectDevice

SuspectDevice

Turbo Monkey
Aug 23, 2002
4,204
429
Roanoke, VA
let’s assume most stage footage will be accumulated and pre-edited for the broadcast and we’ll get comprehensive live coverage of the “queen stage”.
also going to assume that brands that pay more, get better coverage.
It’s only fair?
 
Bikael Molton

Bikael Molton

goofy for life
Jun 9, 2003
4,088
1,235
El Lay
They'll probably boil down all the days and stages to a 30 minute (22 minute?) broadcast, with 8 minutes of that being pregame / hype / interviews. Then it will be broadcast at 3am on a Tuesday on some godawful cable hunting channel.

As a fan of MTB and racing and someone who knows how to navigate the internet, none of the above is interesting to me..
 
SuspectDevice

SuspectDevice

Turbo Monkey
Aug 23, 2002
4,204
429
Roanoke, VA
i think the production value will go way up.
Half or more of the gmbn presenters are perfectly capable of chasing an ews racer for 20 seconds.

i’m cynical about literally everything, but how
is this not anything but great news?
 
Bikael Molton

Bikael Molton

goofy for life
Jun 9, 2003
4,088
1,235
El Lay
A few cameras on each stage is what the EWS recap videos are now. And you can’t get any sense of the race itself due to only showing 5% of the track. Frankly the prerace course ride videos convey more information in my opinion.

Red Bull UCI DH coverage show way more of a track, and we still complain it’s not enough.

wiscodh said:
why? it could be non stop action. With 5 stages on a day, set up a few cameras on each stage, now they just slam race footy to your face bro. Alternate between mens and womens real-time? Could see more of your favs all over the course? the same fucking replay 7times listening to warner making shit up to say can get old.
Click to expand...
 
SuspectDevice

SuspectDevice

Turbo Monkey
Aug 23, 2002
4,204
429
Roanoke, VA
there is a big difference between a family bussiness begging to get cameras out on some corners and a media company that hasn’t had anything interesting to talk about since 2019.

running a global race series and shepherding media production is definitely two different fields of employment.

Rob warner’s personal youtube channel is more amusing than all of discovery’s current online properties put together- but owning terrestrial broadcasting rights in europe, via eurosport is awesome, really awesome.
 
SuspectDevice

SuspectDevice

Turbo Monkey
Aug 23, 2002
4,204
429
Roanoke, VA
to be fair:
i once saw a local light opera performance of the Pirates of Penzance and was convinced it was excellent Brechtian satire, when, in fact,
it was actually as bad as it seemed.
Someone needs to own some quality bike racing that hasn’t made a faustian bargain with several lesser demons, and it is hard not to root hard for EWS.
 
toodles

toodles

ridiculously corgi proportioned
Aug 24, 2004
5,824
5,201
Australia
rpet said:
I'd love to watch high-quality live coverage of EWS, but I dunno how that would be possible without fundamentally changing the tracks and racing format.
Click to expand...
They seem to be going the way of the old WRC. The new "prologue" stage is set to be a short sprint stage ideal for media coverage and crowds, similar to Rally's Super Special stadium head to heads. It isn't a terrible idea for live coverage either as multi-stages etc, mean limited wait times due to course holds etc - something that plagues DH and Rampage events.

On the downside though, they cover some decent territory for the EWS races and tend to pick more exotic locations that might struggle to provide transmission options etc. I hope they don't change the racing too much to suit the telecast.

FWIW, Redbull does a fantastic job of covering FIM moto-enduro racing.
 
jackalope

jackalope

Mental acuity - 1%
Jan 9, 2004
7,699
6,107
in a single wide, cooking meth...
Happymtb.fr said:
Looking forward to Leogang then... less than 2 weeks now!
Click to expand...
Same here. Although bummed to hear Loic busted his heel bone in training. Seems like he’ll still be able to ride, so hopefully he’ll be OK for Leogang. Amaury also coming back form injury, although he seems close to being back up to Mach Sacre Bleu. Regardless, can’t wait to see the circus back in action.
 
Fool

Fool

The Thing cannot be described
Sep 10, 2001
2,913
1,665
Brooklyn
Everyone seems to be in Schladming this week, hopefully not making out and giving each other covid.
 
jonKranked

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
88,636
26,883
media blackout
jackalope said:
Same here. Although bummed to hear Loic busted his heel bone in training. Seems like he’ll still be able to ride, so hopefully he’ll be OK for Leogang. Amaury also coming back form injury, although he seems close to being back up to Mach Sacre Bleu. Regardless, can’t wait to see the circus back in action.
Click to expand...
will loic be on the idler demo? will amaury reveal the new commencal? will jackalope be drunk enough for his pre-race predictions? STAY TUNED
 
jackalope

jackalope

Mental acuity - 1%
Jan 9, 2004
7,699
6,107
in a single wide, cooking meth...
So, has Danny always been missing a front toof? Regardless, the dude is ready to fit in with the locals at the Snow Shoe race.



Also found it interesting that when asked "if not you, who is going to win a WC this year" and no one mentioned Gwin. Have to imagine he will be charging hard at Leogang, maybe even with a chain this time.
 
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FlipSide

FlipSide

Turbo Monkey
Sep 24, 2001
1,432
888
There seem to be near-unanimity about Loris Vergier being the guy to beat this season.

Looking at that Schladming footage reminds me it always takes a while to know how to recognize the racers by their kit. I seem to forget that every season.
 
6thElement

6thElement

Schrodinger's Immigrant
Jul 29, 2008
17,148
14,624
FlipSide said:
There seem to be near-unanimity about Loris Vergier being the guy to beat this season.

Looking at that Schladming footage reminds me it always takes a while to know how to recognize the racers by their kit. I seem to forget that every season.
Click to expand...
I thought he was unlucky to get that puncture last year that ruined his overall.

edit: Can't recognize anyone in that video apart from Camille Balanche in her rainbow jersey.
 
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schwaaa31

schwaaa31

Turbo Monkey
Jul 30, 2002
1,525
1,133
Clinton Massachusetts
Their plan, from what I’ve heard anyway, is to have lift service DH up and running next year. And they’ve been adding to the trails in the valley. Saddleback about 35 minutes down the road is adding biking this year as well. The ski area just reopened under new ownership after being shut down for 6 years. Looks to be more family friendly trails to start, and move further up the mountain in the future. The town of Rangeley where the mountain is, is a great little lake town with a few breweries, some good restaurants and a big ass lake.
 
Bikael Molton

Bikael Molton

goofy for life
Jun 9, 2003
4,088
1,235
El Lay
Hell ya!
EWS is really showing up UCI DH with a robust calendar like that. How long have riders and fans been complaining about 5-6 stop DH series... like 15 years?

I'd prefer Rockies or Western locations in the US, and some South America too, but I'll take what I can get. Hopefully, the video coverage is more robust this year.


toodles said:
View attachment 160932

Best calendar I've seen for any race format.
Click to expand...
 
A

Avy

Turbo Monkey
Jan 24, 2006
1,397
461
Westy said:
Just have a cameraman on a downhill bike follow them.
Click to expand...
This is THE answer Brother. If I had the monies I would put together the most insane rider’s. It would have to be,to follow such talent. A whole other job market would open from this. In Fact,the guys filming would end up on the circuit. Nobody will listen.
Avy(thinking of his film crew)
 
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