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World Cup #2 - La Bresse, France

ska todd

ska todd

Turbo Monkey
Oct 10, 2001
1,776
0
How about Houffalize next weekend...oh wait...no one cares about 4X ;)

-ska todd
 
Transcend

Transcend

My Nuts Are Flat
Apr 18, 2002
18,040
3
Towing the party line.
La Bresse is steep and technical, great course. No chairlift as it is on the other slope so it's another truck uplift. I am told they have used it for french nationals and it always goes pretty smoothly.

I go where and when I'm told by clients, ha. I get to La Bresse on May 5th I believe, then directly on to Andorra.
 
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Banshee Rider

Turbo Monkey
Jul 31, 2003
1,452
10
From everything I've read on this forum, I thought securing WC venues was difficult? They considered the accomidations the surrounding area had to offer, etc. How is it that a venue without a chairlift is considered for a downhill event? Money talks?
 
Transcend

Transcend

My Nuts Are Flat
Apr 18, 2002
18,040
3
Towing the party line.
Banshee Rider said:
From everything I've read on this forum, I thought securing WC venues was difficult? They considered the accomidations the surrounding area had to offer, etc. How is it that a venue without a chairlift is considered for a downhill event? Money talks?
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They are supposed to be able to uplift x number of riders an hour. If they can do that, no problem. Money and politics talks big time.
 
- seb

- seb

Turbo Monkey
Apr 10, 2002
2,924
1
UK
Banshee Rider said:
From everything I've read on this forum, I thought securing WC venues was difficult? They considered the accomidations the surrounding area had to offer, etc. How is it that a venue without a chairlift is considered for a downhill event? Money talks?
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Vigo has no chairlift, seemed to work for them!
 
- seb

- seb

Turbo Monkey
Apr 10, 2002
2,924
1
UK
ska todd said:
How about Houffalize next weekend...oh wait...no one cares about 4X ;)

-ska todd
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Well, pretty much, yeah. I'll look at the results, maybe watch a rerun of the final heat, but other than that I couldn't really care less...
 
slyfink

slyfink

Turbo Monkey
Sep 16, 2008
8,717
4,419
Ottawa, Canada
Banshee Rider said:
From everything I've read on this forum, I thought securing WC venues was difficult? They considered the accomidations the surrounding area had to offer, etc. How is it that a venue without a chairlift is considered for a downhill event? Money talks?
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I would say that having an uplift doesn't guarantee good riding, only that there is (or has been) decent skiing.... I would even go so far as to say that some of the best riding spots in the world probably don't have uplift service...

It's not far from some major expressways and close to some decent sized towns (Colmar and Mulhouse are both less than 45 minutes away I'd guess)... it shouldn't be too bad I'd say...

Either way, I'm looking forward to the race. I've read that it should be rooty and muddy which are conditions that make for interesting racing. bring it on!!!
 
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Akula_7

Monkey
Nov 15, 2004
917
0
Not sure if they are gonna run the same track as the French nationals of previous years. That track had some open grass corners, lots of rock technical sections, some of them pretty gnarly. Overall though pretty short and flat in parts.

The World Cup track is gonna be around 1.2km long or should I say short...that's like only as long as the PMB 4x track. And only 300m in elevation drop...not really Alpine now is it...i'm sure racing will be good as usual though. I'll also finish out the arse as usual too ha! Not sure how much work they need to put in on the track as the ski season only finished a few weeks ago and after one of Europes best seasons for snow, there is still lots of snow on the pistes. I'm sure there is work to be done and the ground is pretty soft and moist. Skids and wheelies will be had though come race weekend...don't worry and the top 3-5 riders will still be much the same!

Here's the website address for the webtarded
http://www.labresse-worldcup.com/
 
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slowitdown

Monkey
Mar 30, 2009
553
0
slyfink said:
I would say that having an uplift doesn't guarantee good riding, only that there is (or has been) decent skiing.... I would even go so far as to say that some of the best riding spots in the world probably don't have uplift service...
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I can think of a few USA hills that have a bike-capable chairlift but very uninspiring trails.

I don't see a chairlift as essential. The only thing that matters is getting the bikes to the top in an orderly fashion, without damaging the bikes. Demanding a chairlift is the act of a spoiled, petulant child. They're bicycles, they can be pedaled. Hell, in some parts of the world, people pedal up to the start. Gosh, how amazing!
 
ska todd

ska todd

Turbo Monkey
Oct 10, 2001
1,776
0
uh oh...this looks like freeriding to me! This might just be what is needed to get pinkbike kids into racing. Roof hucks for everyone!

-ska todd
 
R

ronan

Monkey
Dec 7, 2007
786
0
Toulouse, France
Transcend said:
I was told they had 10' of snow still on the track, 14' in Andorra. Anyone know how accurate this is? Did Cedric bust out the pinkbike ruler?
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this year andorra has had a crazy snowfall so i would say so

weather seems to be turning much more into spring rather then winter again now so it should disappear pretty fast! the team has shovels if it gets too tight
 
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Akula_7

Monkey
Nov 15, 2004
917
0
Transcend said:
I was told they had 10' of snow still on the track, 14' in Andorra. Anyone know how accurate this is? Did Cedric bust out the pinkbike ruler?
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I wouldn't think for La Bresse anyway, maye Andorra still has lots of snow due to the altitude, but the track only starts at 930m so I'm sure most of the snow that wasn't pisted is long gone. I live in a ski resort with the town at 1080m and all the snow up to around 1450m no has melted, witht he exception of sporadic patches. But seriously, running "spring" races in European ski resorts just aint so clever....that's why Vigo and such events with all there short comings are still better then praying the snow melts.

Here's a link to the webcam in La Bresse
http://www.webcam-ski.com/interfaces/labresse/interface.php?pk_interface=28&m=images&r=panoramique

Only pisted snow left ad things are pretty warm here right now
 
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General Lee

Turbo Monkey
Oct 16, 2003
2,860
0
The 802
here is an absolutely awful vid of La Bresse '06



And for you fans of Super 8, the Honda riders' section was filmed at La Bresse as well.
 
cesar_rojo

cesar_rojo

Monkey
Feb 29, 2008
175
21
General Lee said:
here is an absolutely awful vid of La Bresse '06



And for you fans of Super 8, the Honda riders' section was filmed at La Bresse as well.
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The video has more compresion than a bos shock, but the track looks pretty fine to me, really excited to be there as will be my first worldcup since 2002! hehe :D
 
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Eurotrash

Monkey
Mar 2, 2002
362
0
Yep bucket loads of snow left in Andorra, it snowed last sunday. Apparently there's about a meter at the top of the DH course. But I live 100km away and it was 27 degrees here this afternoon so snow will be melting fast.
 
mattmatt86

mattmatt86

Turbo Monkey
Feb 9, 2005
5,347
10
Bleedmore, Murderland
Please tell me that helmet cam video isn't the WC race course... It looks like a course I made up the road at my friends farm, and is all the grass going to be torn up so there is actual dirt?.
 
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Akula_7

Monkey
Nov 15, 2004
917
0
The World cup takes a step backward........Oh well racing will be as good as always. Looks pretty similar to races in my home conutry so maybe I might qualify! Ha. Average looking to say the least, but at least I get to leap onto some dudes chalet every run.

Another pedally one too....
 
stiksandstones

stiksandstones

Turbo Monkey
May 21, 2002
5,078
25
Orange, Ca
Akula_7 said:
The World cup takes a step backward........Oh well racing will be as good as always. Looks pretty similar to races in my home conutry so maybe I might qualify! Ha. Average looking to say the least, but at least I get to leap onto some dudes chalet every run.

Another pedally one too....
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Pedaling...what a beautiful thing.
Well done to the UCI for picking pedaler tracks for round 1 and 2...and worlds.
 
ska todd

ska todd

Turbo Monkey
Oct 10, 2001
1,776
0
Wow...it better not rain or that thing is gonna be a 3 minute gong show of death. Seriously. Are there any trees on that hill? Any singletrack? That thing has < 10 days to bed in. Right now it looks like some hucks and pressing thru lots of hoof divots and wheel tracks.

-ska todd
 
stiksandstones

stiksandstones

Turbo Monkey
May 21, 2002
5,078
25
Orange, Ca
ska todd said:
Wow...it better not rain or that thing is gonna be a 3 minute gong show of death. Seriously. Are there any trees on that hill? Any singletrack? That thing has < 10 days to bed in. Right now it looks like some hucks and pressing thru lots of hoof divots and wheel tracks.

-ska todd
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It appears VERY similar to one of the years we raced at Les Gets, 98 or 99 I think and it rained the whole time, course was 75% open grass...if you didn't have hutchinson spike, you were doomed.

Top 5 crashed atleast once
 
ska todd

ska todd

Turbo Monkey
Oct 10, 2001
1,776
0
Ha, yes, true. Old school. Maybe EC, King, Lopes, & Cully will all come out for a go at it ;)

-ska todd
 
mattmatt86

mattmatt86

Turbo Monkey
Feb 9, 2005
5,347
10
Bleedmore, Murderland
After seeing that course I don't understand why the US can't get it together and host a WC race. We certainly have some better venues/courses than that one.

...and yes, I know its a lot more politics and logistics that go into a race other than the course and venue but common that course looks like it just cuts through a bunch of people's backyards in a random French countryside.
 
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Akula_7

Monkey
Nov 15, 2004
917
0
stiksandstones said:
It appears VERY similar to one of the years we raced at Les Gets, 98 or 99 I think and it rained the whole time, course was 75% open grass...if you didn't have hutchinson spike, you were doomed.

Top 5 crashed atleast once
Click to expand...
The differnece being Les Gets actually has decent elevation and gradient, unlike the vosges region.
 
SuspectDevice

SuspectDevice

Turbo Monkey
Aug 23, 2002
4,092
291
Roanoke, VA
I used my time machine to find a picture of the winning race run.



Reminds me of old-school Kaprun. Nothing wrong with that... It will be good to see piles of trainers and high seats at the top of the hill. Afterall, it is bicycle racing...
 
G

General Lee

Turbo Monkey
Oct 16, 2003
2,860
0
The 802
Doesn't look exceptionally pedally at all. certainly much less somewhere like Ft. William and nothing that looks extended. Lots of short sprints is pretty typical for a DH course; the bikes have pedals for a reason.
 
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Akula_7

Monkey
Nov 15, 2004
917
0
SuspectDevice said:
I used my time machine to find a picture of the winning race run.



Reminds me of old-school Kaprun. Nothing wrong with that... It will be good to see piles of trainers and high seats at the top of the hill. Afterall, it is bicycle racing...
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The way the Jerseys of the top riders are going, in terms of tightness, and the current love of pants in DH, that pick is pretty spot on actually! As for your remark about trainers etc... there are countless trainers at the start of all World Cups, not sure of the last time you sat at the top pre WC race run, but it is very much a cycle race. Despite the bro-cal motoness.
 
Ithnu

Ithnu

Monkey
Jul 16, 2007
961
0
Denver
mattmatt86 said:
After seeing that course I don't understand why the US can't get it together and host a WC race. We certainly have some better venues/courses than that one.
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I agree with that evaluation of the course 100%. I know that the guys at the MSC here in CO are trying to get more WC level courses built, but they tell me what they really need is the resorts on board and public support for the race. The resorts won't invest hosting a race unless more people show up.

Outside of the DH world most people don't even know what DH is. Some people at my work who road bike who want to get into mt biking have no idea what a DH bike is. They see my pictures and I explain I ride the lifts in the summer. Yeah they're roadies, but they're still cyclists and they're aware that people race bikes in the dirt at least. People who don't bike at all are hardly aware of anything that isn't Lance Armstrong related here in the US. And I live in CO where there is a good DH race scene and its still this unknown.
 
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