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La Bresse WC

jsg04

Monkey
Aug 29, 2006
564
0
Track looks great. It reminds me of old 70's motocross photos when they went out into a grass field, pounded some stakes in and taped it. Can't wait to see all those ruts develop.
 

General Lee

Turbo Monkey
Oct 16, 2003
2,860
0
The 802
It's because they don't want their socialist socioeconomic ideals to be looked down upon when it takes a foreign racer 9 months of waiting at the clinic to get a flesh wound cleaned and stitched!

I think it's horsesh!t that world cup professionals (in any sport) are required to wear non essential gear like gloves, elbow pads, maybe even spine protection. In fact, if racing downhill is your job, I think you've gotten to a point where you know enough about what you're doing to decide whether or not you even need to wear a helmet. You can't argue that Gee Atherton knows more about downhill than some paunchy UCI commissionaire, so who's some old, washed up Bob Roll motherfu<ker to tell Kovarik to put a helmet on, BL to wear a shirt, or to force Cedric to wear pants.

That said, for all other classes of racing, it's good they make us punters wear protection. You know those rules have saved USA cycling millions from the potential fallout of a bunch of fat, middle aged, noob cannons careening down the Cat 2 course on super high end and/or clapped out Foes/Canfield/Kona/whatever looked most badass rigs with custom airbrushing, wearing roofing knee pads, cutoff camo and wifebeaters. /end nonsensical rant.

Point is: Let the pros do their thing and race how they feel is best, go fast, take chances, and riding rugged terrain looks so much more badass without protective gear! Look at how bmx got so popular!! ;)
Reminiscent of when the UCI mandated helmets for road racers not too long ago. . . they got over it.

I also vaguely remember the debate in the mid to late 90's about making full face helmets mandatory, arguments against included rider choice and the extra expense deterring prospective riders.

Nathan Rankin has made some pretty clever bare-palmed gloves in the past but I couldn't find a photo.

*edit: Brian Lopes should be told to keep his shirt on. As for Cedric, he has to answer to his wife now.
 
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norbar

KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause
Jun 7, 2007
11,369
1,605
Warsaw :/
It's because they don't want their socialist socioeconomic ideals to be looked down upon when it takes a foreign racer 9 months of waiting at the clinic to get a flesh wound cleaned and stitched!

I think it's horsesh!t that world cup professionals (in any sport) are required to wear non essential gear like gloves, elbow pads, maybe even spine protection. In fact, if racing downhill is your job, I think you've gotten to a point where you know enough about what you're doing to decide whether or not you even need to wear a helmet. You can't argue that Gee Atherton knows more about downhill than some paunchy UCI commissionaire, so who's some old, washed up Bob Roll motherfu<ker to tell Kovarik to put a helmet on, BL to wear a shirt, or to force Cedric to wear pants.

That said, for all other classes of racing, it's good they make us punters wear protection. You know those rules have saved USA cycling millions from the potential fallout of a bunch of fat, middle aged, noob cannons careening down the Cat 2 course on super high end and/or clapped out Foes/Canfield/Kona/whatever looked most badass rigs with custom airbrushing, wearing roofing knee pads, cutoff camo and wifebeaters. /end nonsensical rant.

Point is: Let the pros do their thing and race how they feel is best, go fast, take chances, and riding rugged terrain looks so much more badass without protective gear! Look at how bmx got so popular!! ;)
I never waited in a clinic in yurp(Poland is not rly yurp) more than 15 mins for a doctor. Had injuries in Austria, Italy, Slovenia (all public hospitals) so yeah it takes 9 months... I love that US rationalisation. Not to mention if I have to pay for treatment I dont have to sell my house for it. Suck it US ;)


As for the pros wearing armor - if you agree that the avg. punters should wear it than the pros should also. There should be no exception to the rule, especially since the pros are the trendsetters and if they wont wear it the kids wont either.
 

WBC

Monkey
Aug 8, 2003
578
1
PNW
I never waited in a clinic in yurp(Poland is not rly yurp) more than 15 mins for a doctor. Had injuries in Austria, Italy, Slovenia (all public hospitals) so yeah it takes 9 months... I love that US rationalisation. Not to mention if I have to pay for treatment I dont have to sell my house for it. Suck it US ;)
Well, I'm not so sure about that. We don't cut corners here with our health care. It's so good, I get treated for conditions that I don't even have! We spend two to six times as much (as % of gdp) on our health care, so basic logical common sense dictates that if we chose to make boring decisions, our childhood mortality rates, life expectancy, and morbidity rates would be the envy of the developed world. We just know it's better to die on our feet (or suffocated by the couch), than it is to live a "healthy" life on your knees! God didn't invent KFC or Taco Bell for us to just look at it! Fried chicken, the lord jesus christ, and freedom. Fugggin A, man.

Back on topic: If Brian Lopes had to choose between death or wearing something frumpy, modest and un-flattering, I think he'd choose death.
 

jackalope

Mental acuity - 1%
Jan 9, 2004
7,612
5,930
in a single wide, cooking meth...
Back off topic:

God didn't invent KFC or Taco Bell for us to just look at it! Fried chicken, the lord jesus christ, and freedom. Fugggin A, man.
Coincidence that KFC & Taco Bell have been combined into one Shangri La of coronary catastrophe *AND* Aaron Gwin sits atop the WC points standing? I think not...Suck it yurp :banana:

Here's my podium:

1 - Renny
1a - Gwin
2 - Gee
3 - Brooklyn
4 - Bryce
5 - Peat

Forecast looks pretty damp, so I expect epic La Bresse carnage.


And for the record, if I was yoked up like Lopes, I'd only wear Right Said Fred night club gear.
 

ska todd

Turbo Monkey
Oct 10, 2001
1,776
0
Back on topic: If Brian Lopes had to choose between death or wearing something frumpy, modest and un-flattering, I think he'd choose death.
You apparently didn't see that thing perched on top his head at Crankworx DS.

-ska todd
 

General Lee

Turbo Monkey
Oct 16, 2003
2,860
0
The 802
You apparently didn't see that thing perched on top his head at Crankworx DS.

-ska todd
Ego alone doesn't pay the mortgage, but at least he gets to look at himself in more magazine adds again. Plus it made such a huge billboard for his '55's' how could he pass it up?
 
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spornographer

Monkey
Feb 19, 2009
246
0
hey spome what's the background track for the slideshow?
just some beat i got from our music service. i grabbed it almost two years ago and renamed it in my files, so i don't have the name anymore. sorry.

sven and gary goods from today coming soon.
 

matsO

Monkey
Aug 26, 2006
139
0
Regarding the protection thing I just think it is embarrassing the racers have so poor support for proper protection. Have they no sponsors willing to show their stuff???
 

UiUiUiUi

Turbo Monkey
Feb 2, 2003
1,378
0
Berlin, Germany
honestly i think its just their own fault, or maybe the fault of the UCI to not communicate that the french cycling federation will enforce their local law for the world cup.

i mean e.g. i can't imagine it's impossible for the dirt Norco Team to get some TLD (which sponsors their pyjamas ;) ) protection...

btw anybody knows for sure why the frenchies started the mandatory protection rule in the first place?
cheaper race insurance?