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Lenzerheide World Champs

toodles

ridiculously corgi proportioned
Aug 24, 2004
5,479
4,719
Australia
https://www.pinkbike.com/news/world-championships-in-lenzerheide-demanding-tracks-gold-rush-and-rainbow-stripes.html

Track sounds good. Unless a guy who rides a singlecrown fork sometimes wins, in which case its a shit track and too pedally.

It also has a giant Red Bull wooden road gap so the riders might have the chance to improve their placing by getting a time bonus for stunting it. Mick Hannah has been practicing for this for years.

People still saying GB jumped the gun too early by precluding Mr Atherton. I say they jumped the gun too early by not including Peat.
 

norbar

KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause
Jun 7, 2007
11,346
1,587
Warsaw :/
Wanted to go to Lenzerheide but I'm poor and the Swiss cleaning charge and their climate charge double the rent costs. So I guess I will just get hyped on too much coffee, make some wings and enjoy it at home with my SO given that she is weirdly engaged in DH racing to the point of shouting at the screen and berating Claudio for jinxing riders.
 

mykel

closer to Periwinkle
Apr 19, 2013
5,069
3,779
sw ontario canada
Wanted to go to Lenzerheide but I'm poor and the Swiss cleaning charge and their climate charge double the rent costs. So I guess I will just get hyped on too much coffee, make some wings and enjoy it at home with my SO given that she is weirdly engaged in DH racing to the point of shouting at the screen and berating Claudio for jinxing riders.
WTF is a "cleaning charge"??
Is that not usually part of what constitutes a room rental?
If I was going to be charged for cleaning above and beyond the normal room rental fee, you can be damn sure I will get my moneys worth.

I normally leave a room i a state that makes you wonder if I have even been there but in their case I will make an exception.

Clean this motherfuckers as he "spills" honey, salt, pepper and sugar on EVERYTHING.
I am medically retired and do have a TBI and nerve damage in my hand, so things "happen"

Sorry.
 

William42

fork ways
Jul 31, 2007
3,908
634
Alright, so some predictions:

Loic is going fast right now. Really fast. He also has a thing for winning champs. He's on the hunt to break Nico's record number of world champs wins, and he's got the skills to make it happen.

Gwin wants that new Bugatti, and winning world champs is a must if he wants to make his dreams a reality.

Amaury is the fastest rider on the planet right now, bar none. It's his to lose.

Greg Minnaar takes closely after his American mentor, Clint Eastwood. He's old. He probably shouldn't be doing this anymore. Sometimes he starts talking to a chair. People can generally feel safe counting him out, because he's so goddamn old. Except somehow, he keeps fucking winning. The sign of a good rider is one who can put up amazing results. The sign of a great rider is one who can do it again and again. The sign of a legend is one who can do it again and again, get injured, and come back stronger than ever. Greg Minnaar is the standout, excellence pissing Ricky Bobby mixed with Mavric best of the best of those legends.

Brook McDonald is, and has been, one of the fastest downhill mountain bikers on the planet for some time. Unfortunately due to several years spent with a sponsor that was unable to produce a bicycle fit for a man of his skills, he languished in obscurity as the attention focused on a new crop of young pup up and comers. With one simple change, he hopped on his new bike and came charging out, reminding all the kids who the real king of the playground was.

Danny Hart. What can I say about him that hasn't already been said? Nothing probably.

Gee Atherton will ride the course preview, and set a time that will remain unbeaten. Unfortunately, due to British Cycling being a bunch of stupid shitlords, his time will mean absolutely nothing and his result will be forgotten, save among all the riders aspiring to his speed.

Troy Brosnan is on the hunt for another 2nd place, and goddamnit he's going to make it happen.

Luca, Loris, and whoever else is in the top 10 don't have a chance, so I'm not even going to mention them. Fuck em, that's what I say. And I definitely don't have to look outside the top 10. The UCI already picked out the 10 best riders, so I don't feel I should have to look further than their preselection.

Luca, Loris, and a bunch of other yahoos will fight it out for 5-20th place. Some American like Dakotah or Harrison will manage to slither there way in there, and it'll be awesome. But the chance of one of them winning? For god knows what reason, somebody will mention Mick Hannah, and how seriously he takes worlds. And its a course that suits him as much as any in the world. Dry, fast, and requiring raw power. Which means he'll land in the top 5, but still be 5-6 seconds off the winning time. Don't bother getting your hopes up for him, is what I'm saying.

Troy Brosnan will successfully be a bridesmaid again, and get 2nd or 3rd.

Gee Will have the course record, but unable to compete.

Danny Hart will go pretty fast, Rob Warner and Claudio will talk about how "he has the speed and he's done it before" before deciding that actually he doesn't have the speed, and his result will fade into obscurity.

Brook McDonald will get very angry. So angry that he smashes his bike into some rocks to show who's fucking harder. Like the famous elephant that got mad at a moving train and charged it, there will be no winners. In the story, the elephant derailed the train, killing most (if not all?) of its passengers, while also killing itself. In this race, Brook will successfully hit some rocks so goddamn hard that they get crushed into powder. Unfortunately, it will turn out that Mondraker is unable to build a bike strong enough for him too, and his chances at a win will be dashed in the same way his bicycle was.

Greg Minnaar - He's been away most of the season. What races he's done were clearly fucking around. He's going to go exceptionally fast, and have everybody scratching their head as he reaches the bottom and demands his warm milk and tennis ball equipped walker. He might just go fast enough to win. Just kidding, he'll flat about 3/4 of the way up while running his new tires. His first split will be good though.

Amaury will live up to the precedent set by past breakout greats. Win the overall, and than proceed to overcook it at world champs and land on the wreckers side of the "checkers or wreckers" equation. Here's to hoping he doesn't pull a Bryceland and end his career at this race.

Gwin, being super fast, will do alright. Unfortunately, getting accustomed to a major bike change, and the completely different ride characteristics of a 29er, ALONG with trying to recover from a lingering thumb problem mean that he will do just alright. He will have to settle for the new 1.5T lego Bugatti, capable of doing 20kph, because he sure as shit isn't winning worlds at his current pace.

Loic will probably win. Man has his eyeballs on the prizeballs. Exceptions would be a miraculous run from Amaury, in which he somehow manages to not overcook it, or Greg Minnaar beating him to death for stepping foot on his lawn and taking the win.

Ladies: Rachel will win, but Tahnee really really fucking wants it, and might manage to snipe it out from her. Tracy Hannah will be gutted with 4th place. Rachel and Tahnee will have had the most fun of their lives, win or lose, and be all smiles. Tracy will be extremely upset.
 

jstuhlman

bagpipe wanker
Dec 3, 2009
16,623
12,915
Cackalacka du Nord
Alright, so some predictions:

Loic is going fast right now. Really fast. He also has a thing for winning champs. He's on the hunt to break Nico's record number of world champs wins, and he's got the skills to make it happen.

Gwin wants that new Bugatti, and winning world champs is a must if he wants to make his dreams a reality.

Amaury is the fastest rider on the planet right now, bar none. It's his to lose.

Greg Minnaar takes closely after his American mentor, Clint Eastwood. He's old. He probably shouldn't be doing this anymore. Sometimes he starts talking to a chair. People can generally feel safe counting him out, because he's so goddamn old. Except somehow, he keeps fucking winning. The sign of a good rider is one who can put up amazing results. The sign of a great rider is one who can do it again and again. The sign of a legend is one who can do it again and again, get injured, and come back stronger than ever. Greg Minnaar is the standout, excellence pissing Ricky Bobby mixed with Mavric best of the best of those legends.

Brook McDonald is, and has been, one of the fastest downhill mountain bikers on the planet for some time. Unfortunately due to several years spent with a sponsor that was unable to produce a bicycle fit for a man of his skills, he languished in obscurity as the attention focused on a new crop of young pup up and comers. With one simple change, he hopped on his new bike and came charging out, reminding all the kids who the real king of the playground was.

Danny Hart. What can I say about him that hasn't already been said? Nothing probably.

Gee Atherton will ride the course preview, and set a time that will remain unbeaten. Unfortunately, due to British Cycling being a bunch of stupid shitlords, his time will mean absolutely nothing and his result will be forgotten, save among all the riders aspiring to his speed.

Troy Brosnan is on the hunt for another 2nd place, and goddamnit he's going to make it happen.

Luca, Loris, and whoever else is in the top 10 don't have a chance, so I'm not even going to mention them. Fuck em, that's what I say. And I definitely don't have to look outside the top 10. The UCI already picked out the 10 best riders, so I don't feel I should have to look further than their preselection.

Luca, Loris, and a bunch of other yahoos will fight it out for 5-20th place. Some American like Dakotah or Harrison will manage to slither there way in there, and it'll be awesome. But the chance of one of them winning? For god knows what reason, somebody will mention Mick Hannah, and how seriously he takes worlds. And its a course that suits him as much as any in the world. Dry, fast, and requiring raw power. Which means he'll land in the top 5, but still be 5-6 seconds off the winning time. Don't bother getting your hopes up for him, is what I'm saying.

Troy Brosnan will successfully be a bridesmaid again, and get 2nd or 3rd.

Gee Will have the course record, but unable to compete.

Danny Hart will go pretty fast, Rob Warner and Claudio will talk about how "he has the speed and he's done it before" before deciding that actually he doesn't have the speed, and his result will fade into obscurity.

Brook McDonald will get very angry. So angry that he smashes his bike into some rocks to show who's fucking harder. Like the famous elephant that got mad at a moving train and charged it, there will be no winners. In the story, the elephant derailed the train, killing most (if not all?) of its passengers, while also killing itself. In this race, Brook will successfully hit some rocks so goddamn hard that they get crushed into powder. Unfortunately, it will turn out that Mondraker is unable to build a bike strong enough for him too, and his chances at a win will be dashed in the same way his bicycle was.

Greg Minnaar - He's been away most of the season. What races he's done were clearly fucking around. He's going to go exceptionally fast, and have everybody scratching their head as he reaches the bottom and demands his warm milk and tennis ball equipped walker. He might just go fast enough to win. Just kidding, he'll flat about 3/4 of the way up while running his new tires. His first split will be good though.

Amaury will live up to the precedent set by past breakout greats. Win the overall, and than proceed to overcook it at world champs and land on the wreckers side of the "checkers or wreckers" equation. Here's to hoping he doesn't pull a Bryceland and end his career at this race.

Gwin, being super fast, will do alright. Unfortunately, getting accustomed to a major bike change, and the completely different ride characteristics of a 29er, ALONG with trying to recover from a lingering thumb problem mean that he will do just alright. He will have to settle for the new 1.5T lego Bugatti, capable of doing 20kph, because he sure as shit isn't winning worlds at his current pace.

Loic will probably win. Man has his eyeballs on the prizeballs. Exceptions would be a miraculous run from Amaury, in which he somehow manages to not overcook it, or Greg Minnaar beating him to death for stepping foot on his lawn and taking the win.

Ladies: Rachel will win, but Tahnee really really fucking wants it, and might manage to snipe it out from her. Tracy Hannah will be gutted with 4th place. Rachel and Tahnee will have had the most fun of their lives, win or lose, and be all smiles. Tracy will be extremely upset.
@jackalope - is that you?
 

marshalolson

Turbo Monkey
May 25, 2006
1,770
519
Thanks for posting both the rough and final drafts.


Alright, so some predictions:

Loic is going fast right now. Really fast. He also has a thing for winning champs. He's on the hunt to break Nico's record number of world champs wins, and he's got the skills to make it happen.

Gwin wants that new Bugatti, and winning world champs is a must if he wants to make his dreams a reality.

Amaury is the fastest rider on the planet right now, bar none. It's his to lose.

Greg Minnaar takes closely after his American mentor, Clint Eastwood. He's old. He probably shouldn't be doing this anymore. Sometimes he starts talking to a chair. People can generally feel safe counting him out, because he's so goddamn old. Except somehow, he keeps fucking winning. The sign of a good rider is one who can put up amazing results. The sign of a great rider is one who can do it again and again. The sign of a legend is one who can do it again and again, get injured, and come back stronger than ever. Greg Minnaar is the standout, excellence pissing Ricky Bobby mixed with Mavric best of the best of those legends.

Brook McDonald is, and has been, one of the fastest downhill mountain bikers on the planet for some time. Unfortunately due to several years spent with a sponsor that was unable to produce a bicycle fit for a man of his skills, he languished in obscurity as the attention focused on a new crop of young pup up and comers. With one simple change, he hopped on his new bike and came charging out, reminding all the kids who the real king of the playground was.

Danny Hart. What can I say about him that hasn't already been said? Nothing probably.

Gee Atherton will ride the course preview, and set a time that will remain unbeaten. Unfortunately, due to British Cycling being a bunch of stupid shitlords, his time will mean absolutely nothing and his result will be forgotten, save among all the riders aspiring to his speed.

Troy Brosnan is on the hunt for another 2nd place, and goddamnit he's going to make it happen.

Luca, Loris, and whoever else is in the top 10 don't have a chance, so I'm not even going to mention them. Fuck em, that's what I say. And I definitely don't have to look outside the top 10. The UCI already picked out the 10 best riders, so I don't feel I should have to look further than their preselection.

Luca, Loris, and a bunch of other yahoos will fight it out for 5-20th place. Some American like Dakotah or Harrison will manage to slither there way in there, and it'll be awesome. But the chance of one of them winning? For god knows what reason, somebody will mention Mick Hannah, and how seriously he takes worlds. And its a course that suits him as much as any in the world. Dry, fast, and requiring raw power. Which means he'll land in the top 5, but still be 5-6 seconds off the winning time. Don't bother getting your hopes up for him, is what I'm saying.

Troy Brosnan will successfully be a bridesmaid again, and get 2nd or 3rd.

Gee Will have the course record, but unable to compete.

Danny Hart will go pretty fast, Rob Warner and Claudio will talk about how "he has the speed and he's done it before" before deciding that actually he doesn't have the speed, and his result will fade into obscurity.

Brook McDonald will get very angry. So angry that he smashes his bike into some rocks to show who's fucking harder. Like the famous elephant that got mad at a moving train and charged it, there will be no winners. In the story, the elephant derailed the train, killing most (if not all?) of its passengers, while also killing itself. In this race, Brook will successfully hit some rocks so goddamn hard that they get crushed into powder. Unfortunately, it will turn out that Mondraker is unable to build a bike strong enough for him too, and his chances at a win will be dashed in the same way his bicycle was.

Greg Minnaar - He's been away most of the season. What races he's done were clearly fucking around. He's going to go exceptionally fast, and have everybody scratching their head as he reaches the bottom and demands his warm milk and tennis ball equipped walker. He might just go fast enough to win. Just kidding, he'll flat about 3/4 of the way up while running his new tires. His first split will be good though.

Amaury will live up to the precedent set by past breakout greats. Win the overall, and than proceed to overcook it at world champs and land on the wreckers side of the "checkers or wreckers" equation. Here's to hoping he doesn't pull a Bryceland and end his career at this race.

Gwin, being super fast, will do alright. Unfortunately, getting accustomed to a major bike change, and the completely different ride characteristics of a 29er, ALONG with trying to recover from a lingering thumb problem mean that he will do just alright. He will have to settle for the new 1.5T lego Bugatti, capable of doing 20kph, because he sure as shit isn't winning worlds at his current pace.

Loic will probably win. Man has his eyeballs on the prizeballs. Exceptions would be a miraculous run from Amaury, in which he somehow manages to not overcook it, or Greg Minnaar beating him to death for stepping foot on his lawn and taking the win.

Ladies: Rachel will win, but Tahnee really really fucking wants it, and might manage to snipe it out from her. Tracy Hannah will be gutted with 4th place. Rachel and Tahnee will have had the most fun of their lives, win or lose, and be all smiles. Tracy will be extremely upset.
 

norbar

KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause
Jun 7, 2007
11,346
1,587
Warsaw :/
WTF is a "cleaning charge"??
Is that not usually part of what constitutes a room rental?
If I was going to be charged for cleaning above and beyond the normal room rental fee, you can be damn sure I will get my moneys worth.

I normally leave a room i a state that makes you wonder if I have even been there but in their case I will make an exception.

Clean this motherfuckers as he "spills" honey, salt, pepper and sugar on EVERYTHING.
I am medically retired and do have a TBI and nerve damage in my hand, so things "happen"

Sorry.
Welcome to Yurp. This is normal in the alps. Climate tax and cleaning charges are normal but they are usually not insane but then again the Swiss have gold for blood so I'm not surprised this is expensive
 

Flo33

Turbo Monkey
Mar 3, 2015
2,057
1,298
Styria
WTF is a "cleaning charge"??
Is that not usually part of what constitutes a room rental?
If I was going to be charged for cleaning above and beyond the normal room rental fee, you can be damn sure I will get my moneys worth.

I normally leave a room i a state that makes you wonder if I have even been there but in their case I will make an exception.

Clean this motherfuckers as he "spills" honey, salt, pepper and sugar on EVERYTHING.
I am medically retired and do have a TBI and nerve damage in my hand, so things "happen"

Sorry.
Cleaning charges normally apply only on bare flats or rooms, without any food accomodation. These charges are the same for different times of stays, e.g. three days or one week. It takes nearly the same amount of time and work for the host to clean up the flat for the next customer after somebody cooking, sleeping, bathing, bike washing etc.

In a hotel these are included in the room rate.
 

norbar

KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause
Jun 7, 2007
11,346
1,587
Warsaw :/
Cleaning charges normally apply only on bare flats or rooms, without any food accomodation. These charges are the same for different times of stays, e.g. three days or one week. It takes nearly the same amount of time and work for the host to clean up the flat for the next customer after somebody cooking, sleeping, bathing, bike washing etc.

In a hotel these are included in the room rate.
Yeah it was an apartment. I can't afford a hotel using my eastern european, non dentist wage. I was just shocked since those charges were really high. Waaaay waaaay more vs what I paid in Italy or France.
 

William42

fork ways
Jul 31, 2007
3,908
634
When I hear about GM as the GOAT, I cringe. Vouilloz is GOAT.
I hear that Aaron. I think the reason some people say it is because what GM has done requires a measurably higher skill level on so many fronts and his accomplishments are so much greater.

I like Bender a lot, and I think he's a super fucking good rider who was a major player in pioneering what was to come, but I think Zink and Semenuk are way better riders.

No disrespect to Nico, winning so many world champs is definitely not a nothing burger, but winning them at a time when people were riding a mix 2" elastomer fork hardtails with 73 degree HA's and 15" BB's and DH bikes with 6" of travel and 66 degree HA's isn't as impressive. Especially since then, training for most people consisted of "drinking heavily in the week up to the race, and then also heavily during the race." It was a different era. It's okay to like Nico and think he pushed bikes and riders in a more professional and focused direction while still respecting GM as the goat.
 

norbar

KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause
Jun 7, 2007
11,346
1,587
Warsaw :/
I hear that Aaron. I think the reason some people say it is because what GM has done requires a measurably higher skill level on so many fronts and his accomplishments are so much greater.

I like Bender a lot, and I think he's a super fucking good rider who was a major player in pioneering what was to come, but I think Zink and Semenuk are way better riders.

No disrespect to Nico, winning so many world champs is definitely not a nothing burger, but winning them at a time when people were riding a mix 2" elastomer fork hardtails with 73 degree HA's and 15" BB's and DH bikes with 6" of travel and 66 degree HA's isn't as impressive. Especially since then, training for most people consisted of "drinking heavily in the week up to the race, and then also heavily during the race." It was a different era. It's okay to like Nico and think he pushed bikes and riders in a more professional and focused direction while still respecting GM as the goat.
I think the term GOAT just doesn't make sense for the reasons you mentioned. Every sport will have a much bigger skill/preparation difference in it's early days so riders from the past will seem comparatively greater. This is why in most old sports you get a ton of athletes heralded as greats in the early days and much fewer of them when the sport is mature. Just look at boxing. Can't we just enjoy the sport without looking who is better. There are many important riders for the history of dh: Nico, Peat, Hill, Gracia, Gwin, Minnaar, Tomac etc. judging who is greatest makes no sense.
 

roflbox

roflborx
Jan 23, 2017
3,163
834
Raleigh, NC
Wanted to go to Lenzerheide but I'm poor and the Swiss cleaning charge and their climate charge double the rent costs. So I guess I will just get hyped on too much coffee, make some wings and enjoy it at home with my SO given that she is weirdly engaged in DH racing to the point of shouting at the screen and berating Claudio for jinxing riders.
how much was a room?
 

aaronjb

Turbo Monkey
Jul 22, 2010
1,105
659
I hear that Aaron. I think the reason some people say it is because what GM has done requires a measurably higher skill level on so many fronts and his accomplishments are so much greater.

I like Bender a lot, and I think he's a super fucking good rider who was a major player in pioneering what was to come, but I think Zink and Semenuk are way better riders.

No disrespect to Nico, winning so many world champs is definitely not a nothing burger, but winning them at a time when people were riding a mix 2" elastomer fork hardtails with 73 degree HA's and 15" BB's and DH bikes with 6" of travel and 66 degree HA's isn't as impressive. Especially since then, training for most people consisted of "drinking heavily in the week up to the race, and then also heavily during the race." It was a different era. It's okay to like Nico and think he pushed bikes and riders in a more professional and focused direction while still respecting GM as the goat.
I get those points, and I'll only disagree slightly with the technology/training. I think the collective level of fitness wasn't anywhere near where it is today, so on that point I'll agree somewhat. But some of the top DH guys were quite fit - if not huge, for the few who spent too much time in the gym - even if the training was basic by today's standards.

On technology, by late 90s/early 2000s we were well beyond the 3" travel converted trail bikes. Especially Vouilloz, who by 1996 was having bikes made with what we might consider contemporary head angles and wheelbase (well, close, anyway). And that's a part of my larger point - that he pushed the technology of the sport as much as anyone involved. Dude even partnered to make his own bikes for the last few seasons of his career.

GM has the staying power, of course, and that's very impressive. That, plus the accomplishments spread across his career (and not loaded just at the front), probably does qualify him for GOAT status. The real argument will be who the GOAT is when Gwin surpasses his world cup wins tally. Then we'll have arguments over, yes, who can do backflips and heel clickers, I suppose.

Edit: Special mention to Mick Hannah for longevity as well. I remember watching him clean house at Big Bear when he was, what, 17? he can still bring his A-game when needed.
 
Last edited:

norbar

KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause
Jun 7, 2007
11,346
1,587
Warsaw :/
how much was a room?
I don't remember exactly since I my memory works better for useless shit like 10 year old bike leverage curves and anecdotes about Ronald Reagan firing Angela Davis but it must have been at least 150E don't remember the length of stay, probably 3 nights.
 

norbar

KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause
Jun 7, 2007
11,346
1,587
Warsaw :/
I get those points, and I'll only disagree slightly with the technology/training. I think the collective level of fitness wasn't anywhere near where it is today, so on that point I'll agree somewhat. But some of the top DH guys were quite fit - if not huge, for the few who spent too much time in the gym - even if the training was basic by today's standards.

On technology, by late 90s/early 2000s we were well beyond the 3" travel converted trail bikes. Especially Vouilloz, who by 1996 was having bikes made with what we might consider contemporary head angles and wheelbase (well, close, anyway). And that's a part of my larger point - that he pushed the technology of the sport as much as anyone involved. Dude even partnered to make his own bikes for the last few seasons of his career.

GM has the staying power, of course, and that's very impressive. That, plus the accomplishments spread across his career (and not loaded just at the front), probably does qualify him for GOAT status. The real argument will be who the GOAT is when Gwin surpasses his world cup wins tally. Then we'll have arguments over, yes, who can do backflips and heel clickers, I suppose.

Edit: Special mention to Mick Hannah for longevity as well. I remember watching him clean house at Big Bear when he was, what, 17? he can still bring his A-game when needed.
I think you missed Williams point. Nico often had bikees that were closer to modern as you say. The problem is a lot of his competition didn't. This means he had a technological advantage in the days where bikes really translated to better times. Though those times were really the days of random bikes and you had great bikes like Intense M1 next to crap like KHS or some BS with 15.5'' BB's and 250 of travel that bottomed on curbs.
 

Bike078

Monkey
Jan 11, 2018
561
405
If prime Nico were racing today he would probaby be near the top of the heap given his ability, mental strength and meticulousness regarding bikes.
 

zdubyadubya

Turbo Monkey
Apr 13, 2008
1,273
96
Ellicott City, MD
that's an easy one, no handshake after you fail at your run = no GOAT
I agree. That really was a weak-ass cunt move.
so while watching the live feed that struck me as odd too that he went straight to the gate next to the hotseat, but then i thought about it a little bit and went back to look at other races. Gwin wasn't the last one down the mountain that day AND his time wasn't good enough to get him on the podium. All other riders in the top ten that rode that day that either 1) didn't make the podium (at the time of their run) and 2) didn't have a rider coming down after them pretty much also rode straight to the gate and didn't stop at the hotseat. I also went back and found instances of Gwin being the last one down (with a bad time) and stopping at the hotseat to congratulate the podium finishers and also other riders heading straight for the gate. I specifically found footage of Minaar (other GOAT), Troy, Danny, and Loic. I came to the conclusion that if you have a bad run and you arent the last one down the mountain, you are supposed to get out of the finish area because the next guy will be there in < 2mins... The reason why I think Gwin's finish stood out is because it was such contrast to Bulldog's finish who turned around and shouted at Maes. But remember, at that time, Bulldog made a podium spot and so was staying in the finishing corral.

People made a big deal of this in the La Bresse thread, but I think its more normal than not... I think that maybe we are just so used to seeing him as either the last one down or at least ending up on the hotseat that it seemed jarring.
 

6thElement

Schrodinger's Immigrant
Jul 29, 2008
15,827
13,063
The important thing which hasn't yet been discussed or reflected in the thread title is how far is the actual track from the town (?) of Lenzerheide.
 

dump

Turbo Monkey
Oct 12, 2001
8,194
4,419
It's right in the village of Lenzerheide... lift leaves from town and goes right up.
 

Bikael Molton

goofy for life
Jun 9, 2003
4,010
1,146
El Lay
Riders, including top contenders like Gwin, have been riding straight past the cameras and podium when bummed about their run for as long as I’ve been watching WCs. This is nothing new or extraordinary, and seems reasonable to me that sometimes a rider just doesn’t want to deal. Yes, I’ve even seen Aussie and UK favs do this many times on the broadcasts over the years.

I understand the inclination to criticize Gwin, though.

so while watching the live feed that struck me as odd too that he went straight to the gate next to the hotseat, but then i thought about it a little bit and went back to look at other races. Gwin wasn't the last one down the mountain that day AND his time wasn't good enough to get him on the podium. All other riders in the top ten that rode that day that either 1) didn't make the podium (at the time of their run) and 2) didn't have a rider coming down after them pretty much also rode straight to the gate and didn't stop at the hotseat. I also went back and found instances of Gwin being the last one down (with a bad time) and stopping at the hotseat to congratulate the podium finishers and also other riders heading straight for the gate. I specifically found footage of Minaar (other GOAT), Troy, Danny, and Loic. I came to the conclusion that if you have a bad run and you arent the last one down the mountain, you are supposed to get out of the finish area because the next guy will be there in < 2mins... The reason why I think Gwin's finish stood out is because it was such contrast to Bulldog's finish who turned around and shouted at Maes. But remember, at that time, Bulldog made a podium spot and so was staying in the finishing corral.

People made a big deal of this in the La Bresse thread, but I think its more normal than not... I think that maybe we are just so used to seeing him as either the last one down or at least ending up on the hotseat that it seemed jarring.
 

William42

fork ways
Jul 31, 2007
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It seems that William42 has picked up the proverbial torch now...but I do like Swiss bikini teams, so...:cupidarrow:
No way, I didn't predict a single dark horse. Fuck, I think I picked loic for the win. Which obviously isn't gonna happen. We need some more realistic bong shed predictions.