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XC Eliminator

'size

Turbo Monkey
May 30, 2007
2,000
338
AZ
and lopes smokes 'em all. add a few more WC wins to his resume this season.
 

dump

Turbo Monkey
Oct 12, 2001
8,194
4,419
Caught about half of it – decent racing. More room for passing and alternate lines would be good. Thought it could have been even more technical. One of the commentators sounded like a bonehead and didn't seem very knowledgeable - think he might have done some of the dh commentary as well. He said the course should be "more flat, more open, more time to pass." Someone inform the guy that it is called mountain biking.

Happy to see lopes represent. Great starts, loved seeing him suck up the first short uphill bump.
 

Tmeyer

Monkey
Mar 26, 2005
585
1
SLC
Have to wonder why more didn't use dropper posts for that kind of race.
These guys have better handling skills then a lot of people think. Commentator said one of the racers thought the course included a section of the 4x so he practiced on it yesterday and hit all the jumps with his seat up! Plus, it's still an XC race...
 

'size

Turbo Monkey
May 30, 2007
2,000
338
AZ
Have to wonder why more didn't use dropper posts for that kind of race.
i figure most of these guys are pure xc racers who probably rarely or never ride with one. most of them aren't going to add the weight and 'complexity' if they don't use them regularly.

is lopes now the oldest person to win a non masters UCI world cup event?
 
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dump

Turbo Monkey
Oct 12, 2001
8,194
4,419
These guys have better handling skills then a lot of people think. Commentator said one of the racers thought the course included a section of the 4x so he practiced on it yesterday and hit all the jumps with his seat up! Plus, it's still an XC race...
Yup, a lot of these guys could dust everyone here in the handling skills department. That tall guy looked like he could ride great... was taking those corners really smooth & fast. Look at cx/xc guy barry wicks - smoked everyone in the Highland Enduro race, on a 29er too.

Not sure how much of an advantage a dropper would give you on that course. It would probably give me some comfort, but these guys are used to riding w/ their seats way up.
 

Scrub

Turbo Monkey
Feb 4, 2003
1,453
119
NOR CAL, Sac/CoCo County
I agree with dump on the commentator bit, the guys tone sounded like he was giving a eulogy at a funeral. As for the racing part it was mostly won out of the gate or on the one steep climb, it was entertaining watching some of them going bar to bar and the one guy going otb into the first sprtint climb.
 

landcruiser

Monkey
May 9, 2002
186
40
San Jose, CA
No need for a dropper post to slam your seat. No need for full saddle height either. I'm surprised more guys weren't following Lopes' strategy of just running the seat a little low. For such a short course, most of the pedaling is a standing sprint with no extended seated time.
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
85,558
24,181
media blackout
No need for a dropper post to slam your seat. No need for full saddle height either. I'm surprised more guys weren't following Lopes' strategy of just running the seat a little low. For such a short course, most of the pedaling is a standing sprint with no extended seated time.
go trials style and ditch the seat/post altogether :cool:
 

'size

Turbo Monkey
May 30, 2007
2,000
338
AZ
No need for a dropper post to slam your seat. No need for full saddle height either. I'm surprised more guys weren't following Lopes' strategy of just running the seat a little low. For such a short course, most of the pedaling is a standing sprint with no extended seated time.
lopes had a dropper. with this course having a lot more climbing than the others (according to the commentators) and pretty much being won on those two climbs it makes sense most didn't run one.
 

dump

Turbo Monkey
Oct 12, 2001
8,194
4,419
One other comment - it's bit of a nitpick, but important imo... one aspect of the camera work bothered me. I wanted to see how the person in the lead took the corner, not how the last person took the corner. The camera would follow the lead guy as he entered the corner, then stop and swing back to catch the following riders... and rounding out by showing the last place rider through the entire corner - completely missing how the lead guy took the corner. Noticed this a lot in the mens race - I was interested in seeing lopes' technique and couldn't due to the camera work.
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
85,558
24,181
media blackout
One other comment - it's bit of a nitpick, but important imo... one aspect of the camera work bothered me. I wanted to see how the person in the lead took the corner, not how the last person took the corner. The camera would follow the lead guy as he entered the corner, then stop and swing back to catch the following riders... and rounding out by showing the last place rider through the entire corner - completely missing how the lead guy took the corner. Noticed this a lot in the mens race - I was interested in seeing lopes' technique and couldn't due to the camera work.
remove shirt, park in three spots.
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
85,558
24,181
media blackout
Show up at marginal event, be the only guy who trained specifically for it, beat a bunch of no-name jrs and U23 guys. Stroke ego.


Still, a WC win is a WC win and that dude is almost 42 years old. Impressive.
the post race celebration must've spanned at least 9 parking spots
 

ZoRo

Turbo Monkey
Sep 28, 2004
1,224
11
MTL
Guys, the guy is over 40 and beating young bucks at it also! My hat is out to him for sure. Oh, and it's the wide bar advantage for sure!!! Check out the bars of #6 guy behind him!!

 

ZoRo

Turbo Monkey
Sep 28, 2004
1,224
11
MTL
100% not as exciting to watch compared to 4x, but bike racing nonetheless. Interesting format. No offense, but the chicks were pretty boring to watch.
 

Scrub

Turbo Monkey
Feb 4, 2003
1,453
119
NOR CAL, Sac/CoCo County
100% not as exciting to watch compared to 4x, but bike racing nonetheless. Interesting format. No offense, but the chicks were pretty boring to watch.
T-Mo was fun to watch as she tried blocking the other girls on the climb in the early rounds with the other gals hollaring at her.
 

bpatterson6

Turbo Monkey
Jul 1, 2004
1,049
0
Colorado
UFR. I wanted to like it and I wanted to give it a watch before I judged but I can't believe I wasted 20 Minutes watching this crap. I turned it off. UFR.
 

Nagaredama

Turbo Monkey
Nov 15, 2004
1,596
2
Manhattan Beach, CA USA
I think it is a great event. Something different that involves more than just a good gate or being able to ride hard for 90 minutes. If the course was more technical of course it would have been better. Overall it was more entertaining than 4x since the racers were able to actually pass.

While I'm not a huge Lopes no one can fault him for not kicking major ass.

I bet those no name Juniors and U23 riders got more media coverage for their sponsors by making that final than they will all year.
 

Jeremy R

<b>x</b>
Nov 15, 2001
9,698
1,053
behind you with a snap pop
I'd rather watch Buzzard's f*** than sit through that event again.
Wow. If that was a movie, it would be Jack and Jill starring Adam Sandler.
It makes 4x look like Godfather II in comparison.

And Lopes can still ride the piss out of anything he signs up for.
 

jnooth

Monkey
Sep 19, 2008
384
1
Vermont Country
I was into it. I would like to see a little more tech and a little more line choice to open up some passing opportunities but all in all I think its a cool event! It was cool to see some gravity riders hang with the xc crowd
 

William42

fork ways
Jul 31, 2007
3,908
634
After reading this thread, I guess I'm going out on a limb when I say that I think mountain bike racing is pretty cool, no matter what the format.

I've never understood the lopes hate, but I also haven't met him or seen him parking in 3 spaces with his shirt off chest thumping either. Either way, he's pretty beastly on two wheels, the dude is really really good at mountain biking.
 

aaronjb

Turbo Monkey
Jul 22, 2010
1,105
659
This is the event Lopes rallied for inclusion because he realized it suits him well, right?
 

UiUiUiUi

Turbo Monkey
Feb 2, 2003
1,378
0
Berlin, Germany
just saw the final run, and except for lopes winning i liked it ;)

naaa just kidding looked ok to watch, lacks the excitement of 4x on a good course though :)
 

Bikael Molton

goofy for life
Jun 9, 2003
4,010
1,142
El Lay
I don't think XC Eliminator is going to be our sport's Supercross.

In a couple years, maybe we will have a mountain bike 100 meter dash. That would be easy to understand for non-riders, fit into a small arena, easy to film. Same lanes and track from Track & Field could be used.
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
85,558
24,181
media blackout
I don't think XC Eliminator is going to be our sport's Supercross.

In a couple years, maybe we will have a mountain bike 100 meter dash. That would be easy to understand for non-riders, fit into a small arena, easy to film. Same lanes and track from Track & Field could be used.
soooo.... track racing?
 

JRogers

talks too much
Mar 19, 2002
3,785
1
Claremont, CA
Not the most exciting thing to watch, but not terrible either. A better course with some more passing opportunities would help. In any case, it's probably best as a side attraction to get people to the race course a bit earlier in the week. But the lack of talent may at least be in part because who would want to risk a WC start in an event that doesn't really mean anything. Some of the better XC guys did ride the qualis but were further down the sheet (Fumic, Fontana, Litscher...)
 

Matchew

Monkey
May 26, 2006
511
0
NH / Mass (ugh)
This format has the potential to be really good and I think the course will make or break the racing. They should be wider and more technical with multiple line choices that reward bike handling and risks balanced with some smoother fire road style sprint climbs and traverses. Something that will demand a bike with more of an enduro setup would make the potential for e speculation on dropper posts much greater as well. I think Lopes would still win though, maybe make a calf diameter size limit or something. Age limit?
 

General Lee

Turbo Monkey
Oct 16, 2003
2,860
0
The 802
This format has the potential to be really good and I think the course will make or break the racing. They should be wider and more technical with multiple line choices that reward bike handling and risks . . . .
That first part sounds like the excuse 4x made for itself for 10 years.

Last thing we need is another event invented by the UCI. If mtb racing is heading in any new direction worth mentioning it's enduro.
 

General Lee

Turbo Monkey
Oct 16, 2003
2,860
0
The 802
I see it has having just huge appeal to DH racers and non-DH racers alike. XC guys who can handle a bike but don't enjoy the training load of racing XC, and old guys like me who just don't fancy hucking my meat full speed down a mtn anymore but still love the feeling of racing down a hill. Plus I really like the idea of a multi-run/stage format rather than putting all the preparation into a single 3 minute effort.

I'm not sure it would look so exciting on TV, but it has so many element that have the potential to make enduro racing a huge draw in terms of participation at all levels.