I wish they'd just hook up a new Privateer each year. Might be hard to find someone who has the free time and dedication though.
Someone with a chance would be a better pick. One of the privateer girls or something. I dunno if Raphaela Richter is sponsored (if not someone should pick her up), but her or Chappetta or someone who does well at the EWS rounds when they're near home but can't afford to make season.
Its a crazy cost to do a full season at that level. Just travel and accommodation for the year would have to be like $40,000
I think the privateer series is a cool concept, but, It seems like in the past 3 years the level of competition has gotten so much higher its virtually impossible for a privateer to be competitive. In the U.S there is 1 factory guy with a chance to win/podium. Thats it. And he was a Junior world champion in D.H before he raced enduro.
I guess the other thing that some of the PB commentator/haters aren't getting is that while the premise of the video series was to an experiment to see a "privateer" under factory support, he's still far from factory. To be really factory, they'd have to pay him to train as a full time job. He might have gotten a fancy bike, some cool training tips and a program from a coach, but he's still not 24/7 concentrating on racing as a profession. And probably half the guys who are beating him at the EWS have that. There's a few privateers still placing higher, but you've also gotta account for basic rider differences. I guess you could say that he still should have improved from his "pre-Privateer" results, but I have a feeling once the series is over and he's not under the constant scrutiny and pressure his results might reflect the tips and training he's received a bit more.
Racing is stressful enough without being followed by a camera guy and having a big target on your back for the other racers.
Having said that, Adam did the TransBC enduro this year and got 24th which is a more mid-pack than I was expecting. Blind racing doesn't suit a lot of people though, plus the top guys in that event have usually done it a few times and have some more experience on the trails and with that racing format.
I have always wondered how my friend, who was our national dh champ, would fare in an EWS since he also has the fitness for these things. His competitor (and now friend) from Taiwan, who beat him by 1 second at at an Asian race, placed 52nd at one of the EWS rounds. While the Taiwanese is probably a privateer at the EWS and UCI DH races he enters, he told my friend that there are quiet a lot of sponsorship opportunities in Taiwan and he has had to turn some down. My friend has to scrounge around for support and receives a meager allowance from our national federation.
On the other hand our "enduro specialist" got slaughtered at the 2 EWS rounds he entered (placed something like 99th or 100th). The kid is fit and a strong pedaller but does not have the technical skills to hang with the pros.
I know its pretty easy to bag on the sport, but the courses are legit. I raced DH from '96 as a junior, multiple local state series races, Nationals, raced in Whistler, NZ and Thailand. And literally any of those tracks would make an EWS stage. They put EWS fields down DH tracks without hesitation, even stuff steeper and rawer than DH races are doing these days. Probably the only concession they make to the compromised bikes is there's not motocross sized jumps on the tracks. Speeds don't get up to DH pace for sure, but gnarly stuff is often worse when you're not doing it quickly and there's also only one practice run allowed in an EWS, and a few series are completely blind racing.
Agreed. The stages are the old/current dh tracks. Above-mentioned "Enduro specialist" went to Australia and placed 15th in a race that Sam Hill won (Thredbo enduro?) but the EWS is something else entirely.
Do e-bikes actually help at all with technical climbing sections? I'm talking about that chunky, step like stuff, not just a pile of roots that you can plow up and over. @Toshi any input? I'd think with the added weight and the power, its not any easier?
And with that, I'm confused. Why time uphills? They should make the climbing even longer to make use of the assist and have an equally longer descent....you know, an actual endurance race. And abolish any sort of lift or shuttle.
i've only ridden an e-bike once, but based on that, yeah, they're tech climbing beasts. blasted up stuff (in turbo mode) i'd never even attempt on a pedally bike. def places emphasis on a different set of handling skills rather that mainly fitness. i imagine battery power management would become a factor if you're rocking all the climbs.
I may make a joke or two, but truthfully, I don't care enough to even have a strong opinion on e bikes.
If people either need them or want them I don't really care. As long as you don't get any trails I ride shut
down by riding them illegally, then have at it and have fun while you do it. Freedom and minding my own business are two of my favorite things.
That said, I think the racing of e bikes is the dumbest F***ing thing I have ever heard of in my life. And if you are involved in the promotion or participation of this, you should feel guilty for impeding the advancement of the human race.
If people either need them or want them I don't really care. As long as you don't get any trails I ride shut
down by riding them illegally, then have at it and have fun while you do it. Freedom and minding my own business are two of my favorite things.
That said, I think the racing of e bikes is the dumbest F***ing thing I have ever heard of in my life. And if you are involved in the promotion or participation of this, you should feel guilty for impeding the advancement of the human race.
EWS-E: where washed-up EWS racers that were washed-up DH racers go to retire!
Completes the life-cycle of pro-racers and allows them to have an extended career in racing!
in all seriousness, I'm a little like Jeremy R in that I don't really care all that much. I think in reality it is simply a different sport. Over on Vital, Dave Camp likened it to Hard Enduro motorcycle racing. Maybe he's on to something?
Completes the life-cycle of pro-racers and allows them to have an extended career in racing!
in all seriousness, I'm a little like Jeremy R in that I don't really care all that much. I think in reality it is simply a different sport. Over on Vital, Dave Camp likened it to Hard Enduro motorcycle racing. Maybe he's on to something?
why only rely on a mechanic if you could have an engineer? bring in the nerds!
ALERT ALERT east coast stop on 2020 EWS calendar: Burke, VT. GET STOKED.
www.enduroworldseries.com
USA venue added to 2020 Calendar! | 22 October 2019
A brand new venue in the USA has been added to the 2020 race calendar - round six will take place in Burke, Vermont on August 1-2! It's the first time the EWS has visited the East Coast of the States and riders are in for a huge weekend of racing.
www.enduroworldseries.com
@Toshi be like "WEEE!!! E-Bikes racing in US woods!!!"ALERT ALERT east coast stop on 2020 EWS calendar: Burke, VT. GET STOKED.
USA venue added to 2020 Calendar! | 22 October 2019
A brand new venue in the USA has been added to the 2020 race calendar - round six will take place in Burke, Vermont on August 1-2! It's the first time the EWS has visited the East Coast of the States and riders are in for a huge weekend of racing.
@kidwoo be like "Imma go there and short circuit all them batteries"
That's cool. Are there any rough trails at Burke?
I never made it there, and all the coverage I've seen is of jumps and buff singletrack.
I never made it there, and all the coverage I've seen is of jumps and buff singletrack.
there's a couple off the very top of the mountain: DH trail and Free Ride. DH trail was pretty darn rough, and I remember Free Ride having some pretty intimidating "features". I haven't ridden Upper-Jbar, but they also rate it as a double-black. With an extra trail or two, and perhaps some excursions into some Kingdom Trails, there's got to be enough terrain to keep them entertained.
I only rode DH Trail (now since renamed to Rude Awakening) and it was proper rough. Roots, rocks and stuff. Howd you like that new loam section? Twas fresh and DEEP when I went there in August.
You can also ride trail back to town as well. Big descent...
It's been a couple of years since I last went. It was autumn, cold, wet and leafy. like you said, rough as you like. It was my favourite trail there.
Ah, I thought you had just went. Derp.
Went to Vermont... Killington, Waterbury and Waitsfield. (Elizabethtown in NY on the way down too). I generally avoid Kingdom... Too crowded.
Never road Burke, but I did all the other Kingdom stuff a few years ago. I need to give Burke a try, but I wouldn't go out of my way to hit up Kingdom again. It was very sanitized and not what I prefer riding.
Love the Burke summit trails. I always found Upper J-Bar more difficult than the DH trail ( which is actually easier now after the Rude renaming & revamp )
Too bad the trails on the other side of Burke (Victory) are caught up in a land use shitstorm.
Too bad the trails on the other side of Burke (Victory) are caught up in a land use shitstorm.
Yeah, the Victory quagmire is the worst of the worst.
.5 second spread between 1st & 2nd after 27 mins of racing is bonkers. tight racing in women's as well. should be a good season. not much margin for mistakes (or conservative runs) at that the current level of competitiveness, it seems.
There is no enduro Matt Walker, he is also a DH Matt Walker, just from NZL.
Speaking of WynTV... In the last one, Dean Lucas was explaining why he prefers DH to Enduro: "In EWS, you try not to fuck up. In DH, you try to achieve a perfect run and I prefer that."
I personally like Enduro racing a lot, but I think he has a valid point.
I personally like Enduro racing a lot, but I think he has a valid point.
Interestingly, sounds like Moir prefers Enduro in his comments here.