TBF Gee has known nothing other than racing since he was about 14 and had exactly the same attitude back then. going for fastest time of the day at all the local races.
https://dirtmountainbike.com/videos/carnage-woods.html
The green lantern rides mountain bikes?Ya'll just pissed 'cuz the tiny wheels being rocked by some of your heroes couldn't get through the ruts without hanging up on their axles.
I was never a big Gee fan. But after watching him race with a broken thumb (Val di sole i think) It changed my perspective on him, I'll root for anyone with that kind of passion for DH racing. Racing injured for the love of the game, you gotta respect the guy, especially for being at the top of the racing world for almost two decades.
Like I said, some people handled it really well - and while there is some variability/chance involved, that's part of the fun with dirt racing over road racing - dynamically varying conditions and testing the racer's ability to adapt. Go back and watch the 07 Champery race day footage in the wet, I think you might have forgotten how horrible and unenjoyable some WCs can be (for some riders), that's just what racing is!
I agree. it was just a flattish, shitty boghole is all. I want to see people struggling at speed, not at walking pace and Freddy Flintstoning their way through a quagmire. That section made them look like I was coaching them.Edit - just read @norbar 's post though, I'm all for making it steeper as a "solution".
You didn't read my post carefully Gary. You must maintain those oldtimey glasses of yours better as you missed the part where I claimed it's a mix of skill and luck. So yeah a select few knew how to ride through (and a few I've seen semed to barely avoid crashing) it but it's not good racing where a slow, unentertaining, xc bog pit is rideable by 3-5 guys from the whole field and even some of the best mud riders crash there. Minnaar should win, I'm not questioning that. I'm more surprised about the few guys who seemed to almost crash, didn't seem to have a better line than the people who did and ended up in top 20 vs 50th+ because of a coin toss part.
"people without a plan"? sorry.. As above. No fucks given there from me! a good DH race run is massively about planning and preparation.
Don't you think all of them have walked and thought about that fragment? I am also not claiming it's a coin toss but it's a bigger random number generator than most tracks.
Not well enough. no.
I don't care what Warner said. The section of hill the woods occupy is what it is.
no one invited you mate.
The swarm of midges at the end of that video...
Kerr summed it up well. Also this kinda kills the argument made by @Gary that people didn't concentrate enough on the hardest part of the track (like Hill would do that)
If Gary had his way at ft bill there will be a mandatory stop mid track and you have to eat some kippers.
slightly different, it is every world cup. as it's one of the only sections it is possible to tape differently. I already mentioned that they entered the woods section earlier this year.
No mate. If I had my way ft william wouldn't be a world cup venue every fucking year
A lot of people hated that mud section but they were told to SIUP. Now go eat your kippers.
I didn't mention concentration. I mentioned practising it until you have it nailed.
hurry up and cook me them Princess
Now it's a kippers smoothie. Let me get my blender.hurry up and cook me them Princess
Seeing her come up with a lifeless arm is kind of gross - gnarly crash
And from the video above the first part was the biggest problem. Also isn't this a bit cocky of you to assume riders like Sam Hill and Dany Hart didn't practice enough in the mud part? Maybe you can give them some tips.
I don't want repeatable results. I want tracks that are downhill tracks, not flat bogs. The place where Rachel crashed was ok. I've ridden tracks like that in conditions like that. They are scary but they should be on dh tracks. What I'm against is the few super flat sections with axle deep ruts or bog pits. I don't think downhill racing results should be decided by sections you ride through at 5kph where the best one at foot dabbing wins the race. It's an XC section. Don't know about you but I don't want the next series of World Cup highlights to play to Benny Hill music and this section as well might.Ah come on, the same element of chance and variability applies to Sam and Danny too, Sam had a major crash in his Champery run - are we going to go back and say they should have mopped the water off the course? Are we going to give him a re-run so he can come 1st like he rightfully should have instead of 3rd? At the end of the day he did the best he could given varying conditions and garnered worldwide respect regardless of his placing anyway.
Courses have had bits like what Rachel crashed on for years, if people want to watch a variety of racing that has repeatable results and fair racing for everyone there are various forms of road racing that are still exciting - moto gp, touring cars, F1, etc. If safety is a key factor I could recommend table tennis.
Laurie Greenland has the right idea near the start of that video. Big grin, quit yer bitchin. take it as it comes or walk it if it's not something you can ride.
I'm gonna stand with @Gary on this one.
I'm sure there's an EWS thread for anyone who doesn't.
If it gets wet there are a few scary sections in Leo. Also Champery in it's 2nd world cup iteration is readable. You might crash a few times the first time but it's rideable so I don't think there are world cup tracks that are completely idiotic and no one can ride them. Schlad is an amazing track and outside of 2 woods sections it's not hard to ride slow.
I'm with @9M119 on this one - I've ridden the Champery track in both guises (i.e. Hill era 2007-2009, and Danny era 2010+, very different) and honestly the latter version, while fun, is more of a big steep jump track. The original was insane, challenging, and knife-bladed the men from the boys. Every run down I felt like I'd escaped death, and I'd be scared to race it. To me that's what World Cup / World Championship level tracks should be.
