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XC Eliminator

norbar

KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause
Jun 7, 2007
11,346
1,587
Warsaw :/
That first part sounds like the excuse 4x made for itself for 10 years.
It wasn't an excuse. From what I remember people really belived that. The problem was the track builders in most cases didn't. It's also quite hard to build a track with multiple lines where riders won't recognize that one is obviously faster in 95% of the cases and will ride it.
Imho the future would be enduro if it didn't require a ton of space for the track. It's an even bigger problem than DH races though I bet tracks are cheaper (the feed won't be)


As for the Lopes hate I think he worked on it quite hard on his blog too. I may not be a fan of him as a person but I admire his bike skills and fitness. Like him or not he is one of the best.
 

ZoRo

Turbo Monkey
Sep 28, 2004
1,224
11
MTL
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.
100% right. Now if only the format could catch on in North-Am. Super D is just a step towards greater things. France is booming with enduro right now! www.endurotribe.com is an interesting website loaded with enduro news and stuff. Worth a look if you read/understand french.
 

davetrump

Turbo Monkey
Jul 29, 2003
1,270
0
Lopes racing and winning is good for the sport, not sure why people hate on him? Because they saw a few pics on a random web site, or heard a rumor from a friend of a guy who knows a bro who's friend didnt get an autograph from Lopes back in the day?

It's a UCI WC level "XC" based event getting a lot of coverage (more in Europe I imagine), and it is being won by a absolute legend of BMX/DH/Gated racing who is over 40. That is awesome.

Pretty much touches on every discipline and every demographic in the world of MTB.

Good for him.

Like the event or not.... like Lopes or not.... It's good to see the competitors and event formats mixed up and new once in a while.

Edit: Has Lopes done any high profile Enduro events? Can't remember ever seeing his name attached to any but feel like he would destroy people in that discipline if he set his sites on it.
 
Last edited:

William42

fork ways
Jul 31, 2007
3,908
634
Edit: Has Lopes done any high profile Enduro events? Can't remember ever seeing his name attached to any but feel like he would destroy people in that discipline if he set his sites on it.
I'm pretty sure I've seen a couple top 10, and maybe top 5 finishes in a few megavalanche and team enduro races. I'm pretty sure he raced with mark weir and somebody else for a little while. He was pretty damn good.
 

heikkihall

Monkey
Dec 14, 2001
882
0
Durango, CO
Edit: Has Lopes done any high profile Enduro events? Can't remember ever seeing his name attached to any but feel like he would destroy people in that discipline if he set his sites on it.
He raced the enduro event at Crankworx last year and won. I think that Nico was 2nd.
 

bpatterson6

Turbo Monkey
Jul 1, 2004
1,049
0
Colorado
Just wondering how many of you are still stoked on the whole "XC Eliminator" thing?

http://mbaction.com/Mobile/News/UCI_Changes_Eliminator_To_Make_It_Lopes_Proof_5277.aspx

Saw this over on Joanna Petterson's FB page:
"This has got to be the most ridiculous article I have ever read. I'm sure the UCI sits in their offices and plans just how to make sure americans don't podium. Being a 4X racer I'm not stoked on the UCI and their decision with 4X last year, but seriously?? Who wrote this article? As someone that actually did the eliminator, Sure it was hard, and none of the gravity crossovers made it past our first heats.. but that's racing. We'll adapt.. shut up and ride who ever wrote this!"
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
85,562
24,182
media blackout
Just wondering how many of you are still stoked on the whole "XC Eliminator" thing?

http://mbaction.com/Mobile/News/UCI_Changes_Eliminator_To_Make_It_Lopes_Proof_5277.aspx

Saw this over on Joanna Petterson's FB page:
"This has got to be the most ridiculous article I have ever read. I'm sure the UCI sits in their offices and plans just how to make sure americans don't podium. Being a 4X racer I'm not stoked on the UCI and their decision with 4X last year, but seriously?? Who wrote this article? As someone that actually did the eliminator, Sure it was hard, and none of the gravity crossovers made it past our first heats.. but that's racing. We'll adapt.. shut up and ride who ever wrote this!"
of course they're gonna make it more like a road race, that's all the UCI knows.
 

'size

Turbo Monkey
May 30, 2007
2,000
338
AZ
Just wondering how many of you are still stoked on the whole "XC Eliminator" thing?

http://mbaction.com/Mobile/News/UCI_Changes_Eliminator_To_Make_It_Lopes_Proof_5277.aspx
i am if the courses are cool and i get to watch lopes make it past the first round and have some competition. this course was probably how the uci wants it though - roadies for life and all that.

also - i didn't realize mba was still around. that **** got stale 20 years ago, even their 2012 website evokes helmet covers and toe clips.
 

norbar

KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause
Jun 7, 2007
11,346
1,587
Warsaw :/
As much as I like urban races I think someone needs to explain the mtb shortcut to the UCI officials. Local for fun tracks require more skill than that. Both up and down the hill.
 

dump

Turbo Monkey
Oct 12, 2001
8,195
4,419
This 2nd commentator is really having trouble communicating - why is he even there? So nice to have Rob Warner there... he's brilliant!
 

ZoRo

Turbo Monkey
Sep 28, 2004
1,224
11
MTL
Wow they need to make the courses resemble actual mountain biking. It's pathetic to see mtbs ridden on the streets like that. There is total potential in that form of racing, but the courses are just plain wrong (Houffalize wasn't too bad though, as least there was dirt for the most part)
 

'size

Turbo Monkey
May 30, 2007
2,000
338
AZ
somebody got a little ahead of himself. bummed, i would have loved to see him positioned to make it a race.

t-mo sure was wobbly after getting up.
 

norbar

KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause
Jun 7, 2007
11,346
1,587
Warsaw :/
Wow they need to make the courses resemble actual mountain biking. It's pathetic to see mtbs ridden on the streets like that. There is total potential in that form of racing, but the courses are just plain wrong (Houffalize wasn't too bad though, as least there was dirt for the most part)
What made it funny with Nove Mesto is I remember seeing XC a year ago on eurosport there and the xco track actually looked mtb'ish so why wasn't the eliminator on that track. Probably la bresse also has a normal xc track.


I'm really worried they are going to destroy enduro with their lack of understanding of the sport.