Word!Along these lines, I could never understand why more American DH racers don't spend their winters in Australia and New Zealand racing those national series. I mean, isn't it apparent that a major way the Aussies/Kiwis got so fast over the last 10 years is that while all the northern hemisphere dudes were doing their winter 'training' (read: sitting on their arses and drinking beer), those southern hemi dudes were racing full national series against top-tier competition?
I'm an old enough fart to remember the days when the U.S. ruled the international DH circuit, and then slowly, a bunch of Aussie grubs started scraping together enough money to come over to the U.S., sleep on floors, and hitch rides to our national series. In our winter, they'd fly back home and race their own series. Lo and behold, a few years later, guys like Rennie, Kircaldie, Kovarik, Rando, Waddell, and countless others were routinely kicking north american ass.
Gripe all you want about a lack of industry sponsorship or national team support, but to me, it just seemed like the Aussies and Kiwis are/were more dedicated. They had little or no money behind their efforts back in the late 90's, and now 10 years later, look where they're at.
I'll put on my flame retardant suit now, and prepare to get torched.
--JP
Personal experience Furbee?Fast and Quite gets you a blank stare
you could not be more wrong. most of the Brits, and many of the ausies not only have to hike or shuttle, they have to build their own trails. take the Athertons for instance, or Josh Bricelend who said most of his DH riding has been on 100 foot vertical trails he cut on the neighborhood hill. and there are plenty of other fast riders who come from places where the riding sucks, but they manage to make the best of it.Do you guys think it might have to do with a lack of challenging trails/tracks in the US compared to Europe, OZ or SA? Or the fact that shuttling takes up a lot of ride time? The Euros have lifts everywhere and the trails are tech! Just a thought.
Every downhiller racer i know has some sort of Pirate trail or jump spot......and i mean every racer i know, cant think of anyone who doesn't have thier own trail or who doesn't help out at a spot.you could not be more wrong. most of the Brits, and many of the ausies not only have to hike or shuttle, they have to build their own trails. take the Athertons for instance, or Josh Bricelend who said most of his DH riding has been on 100 foot vertical trails he cut on the neighborhood hill. and there are plenty of other fast riders who come from places where the riding sucks, but they manage to make the best of it.
Americans, as a whole, make excuses rather than putting in the same work as the rest of the racing world. Most of the euro and aussie kids i've talked to think we are, in fact, spoiled rotten with the riding resources we have available to us.
This very topic came up in a discussion a few of us had with Mike Rose from DIRT and he suggested that we might be less competitive becasue of all our lift access: ie, becasue there are chairlifts we don't build our own trails or see any sort of non shuttle/lift accessed dh riding as a burden.
oster_oops:
Every downhiller racer i know has some sort of Pirate trail or jump spot......and i mean every racer i know, cant think of anyone who doesn't have thier own trail or who doesn't help out at a spot.
It comes down to passion for the sport, it is just more recreational for Americans......for Euros, cycling is woven deeper into the culture.
Aussies ride like their lives depend on it, so it seems.....
and with no regard for their own personal safety
They have talented athletes in so many sports, and with a population of just 21million (1/15th that of the US). Heck, there are successful Aussies in major league baseball, and they don't even play baseball in Ozz!I read an Article in some Roadie magazine this weekend.....talking about the AIS. Is some sort of Australian cycling institute where they train their roadie, track guys. Seems a little money from the government and national pride is going a long into the progress of thoose disciplines. What was 2 Aussie pros in the Euro peleton has grown into 27 today. They expect to field entire Aussies squads in the near future.....TDF type teams. They have a few lower level teams now. They support ALL their riders and give constant feed back and advice......no matter if its Cadel Evans or some 16 yearold Grom.
Just thought it was interesting how they described the need for the program even if a guy is on a million dollar team. They have consistent data on all the riders. All their measurements for bike fit etc.......all this pays off at different times and in different ways.
mehhhh!While we are on topic of Aussies in sport.
Do not forget the most successful SX rider currently, Chad Reed. With earnings last year at $6.8 million USD, and on track to make more in 2008 he is inspiring a whole generation of motocross riders in Oz....and of the 3 aussie kids that are here in the states (I only know of these 3 because they shop at our store) they are chasing a dream to be like Chad, I will assume mostly for the financial rewards.
You know there's two chairlift MTB hills in the whole of Australia right? Literally 3 tracks on those two hills.Do you guys think it might have to do with a lack of challenging trails/tracks in the US compared to Europe, OZ or SA? Or the fact that shuttling takes up a lot of ride time? The Euros have lifts everywhere and the trails are tech! Just a thought.
haha, if you're from Champery you will be blown away by how steep*, technical** and long*** the tracks in Aus are.Do you guys think it might have to do with a lack of challenging trails/tracks in the US compared to Europe, OZ or SA? Or the fact that shuttling takes up a lot of ride time? The Euros have lifts everywhere and the trails are tech! Just a thought.
You realize, don't you, that in 1999 when Kovarik and Rennie (and Waddell) busted on to the scene--getting world cup podiums, winning multiple rounds of the then pretigious NORBA series and a jr. world championship--they were doing so while sharing a small bedroom in Big Bear, living out of their suitcases, wrenching on their own bikes, and riding box-stock 6" travel GT Lobos while the rest of their competitors were all on custom long-travel frames, 7" pro-issue Boxxers, and testing telemitry systems? The top guys had personal mechanics, soigneurs, seperate practice bikes and race bikes (complete bikes, not just race wheels like they use today), and pitted out of pimped out trailers and semis. Heck, even most privateers had better setups than the aussies.I beg to differ on the support and "top secret training" stuff. I've talked to Rennie at length about what their government puts them through. Him, Kovarik, Rando and others are put to the test and supported by their government when they compete.
They're not pumping them full of nutrients and putting them through a 7 day a week "Drago" regimen, but they help them. It's a big, big difference. Look at the guy in the pits responsible for just racing his bike, not working on it and getting it to the race. He gets more rest, time to focus, plan, train and COMPETE when he has less on his plate.
In the US, in part due to the willingness of countries with cultures already deeply immersed in cycling as a culture, our riders didn't compete at a key turning point when sponsorship dollars were on the decline. Palmer was exiting, Tomac retiring and Mike King, Eric Carter (forgive me EC) and Lopes getting ready to turn 30.
The top US riders had, to that point, had tons of support, plenty of money, and even Stephan Girrard running the DH training program for juniors. BUT, Aussies and Brits and French cyclists still had competition ingrained in their cultures regardless of money.
They all showed up on whatever bike they could at any and every race they could get to and rode the crap out of whatever bike they could find to ride. Meanwhile, US riders and our lack of obsession for cycling sidetracked our best riders and they all went and made money at tons of other things because bikes just aren't a massive priority to us.
Like Stik mentioned with Chad Reed. Watch any interview he does. If it's losing or winning...you can tell that he wants it more than anyone else out there. I'd even argue that his talent might be about the 5th or 6th best of those on top of SX right now. But his drive (which I would bet comes from the Aussie culture) puts him at the top!
Maybe my post wasn't as clear as I'd have liked. I said they all showed up hungry (I didn't say pampered) and started producing as our biggest stars were moving on (Tomac, Palmer, King) and as a result of their hard work and desire...they snatched up the sponsorships left vacant by the big name US riders who left the sport.You realize, don't you, that in 1999 when Kovarik and Rennie (and Waddell) busted on to the scene--getting world cup podiums, winning multiple rounds of the then pretigious NORBA series and a jr. world championship--they were doing so while sharing a small bedroom in Big Bear, living out of their suitcases, wrenching on their own bikes, and riding box-stock 6" travel GT Lobos while the rest of their competitors were all on custom long-travel frames, 7" pro-issue Boxxers, and testing telemitry systems? The top guys had personal mechanics, soigneurs, seperate practice bikes and race bikes (complete bikes, not just race wheels like they use today), and pitted out of pimped out trailers and semis. Heck, even most privateers had better setups than the aussies.
With hard work talent will rise to the top. plain and simple.
I don't think anyone's arguing whether tons of help from your peers/federation/parents/Great Expectations-esque Benefactors would make it easier and more possible to rise to the top of the pro ranks. My post was simply meant to point out the fact that support on that level isn't necessarily essential. In the end, desire, dedication, and sacrifice can make up for a complete lack of support. Back in the late 90's, the aussies and kiwis showed a ton of those qualities, and in my opinion, that's what got them to the dominance they're showing today.The latest issue of MBUK has an article on the relationship between Marc Beaumont and Steve Peat. The article describes the ingredients needed to become an Elite Racer. One of thoose ingredients is support. Beaumont states "without the support of Steve Peat and Royal racing i wouldn't have made it to where i am today."
The article talks about how Steve Peat was supported and shown the ropes and that inspried him to give back to the sport that gave him so much. So he started his Royal Racing program. We all know Fairclough, Bryceland and Beaumont came out of this...
.....Peat supported Beaumont when everyone was telling him that Beaumont was a 'wee-man' and would never make it....
What? There's more than one of them? Bloody hell.There's still no words on where Lopes are going?
Joel gave up racing to concentrate on his rock band in Australia.BTW, I forgot to mention Joel Panozzo in that original batch of bad asses from down under. That dude ripped.
--JP